Miaochong Temple Vairocana Hall: Five Dhyani Buddhas

TAIWAN, Kaohsiung

These images of the Five Dhyani Buddhas are formed by piecing cloisonné tiles together on the walls of the Vairocana Hall in Miaochong Temple. Three of Five Dhyani Buddhas are illustrated on the back wall while the other two are on either side of the entrance. The Buddhas are surrounded by oceans and mountains, within which are small scenes from the Life of the Buddha and the Fifty-Three Visits of Sudhana. The murals are beautifully detailed and splendidly colored, creating an inspiring atmosphere in the hall.
The Dhyani Buddhas have curled hair and usnisas topped with jewels. Each Buddha is painted their distinctive color: blue for Aksobhya in the east; yellow for Ratnasambhava in the south; red for Amitabha in the west; green for Amoghasiddhi in the north; and white for Vairocana in the center. Their monastic robes are also differently colored and decorated with varying patterns. Their left hands hold alms bowls, and their right hands rest on their knees. Small Buddha images are painted on the petals of the lotus thrones. All the Buddhas have nimbuses and aureoles surrounded by colorful clouds. Decorative canopies hang above their heads; apsaras holding offerings fly through the clouds above the canopies.