. central divinities 91
Figure 1. Vairocana of the Mahāvairocana sūtra. Illustration from traditional
iconographical manual. Japanese line-drawing, late Heian period.
There is still some uncertainty as to when Vairocana first arose as a
central divinity in Indian Buddhism, but clearly the visionary elab-
orations of the Avataṃsaka sūtra played a major role in bringing
about this shift.^1 Of course Śākyamuni is Vairocana, and Vairocana is
Śākyamuni, in accordance with the doctrine concerning the “reward
body” (nirmānakāya) and the “body of the Law” (dharmakāya), and
what later was expanded and elaborated on in the teachings on the
three bodies (trikāya). This development introduced an additional aspect
of Śākyamuni, namely his “body of bliss” (sambhogakāya) as Rocana.
In brief, both Mahāvairocana and Rocana eventually superseded
Śākyamuni in importance as primary buddhas in Esoteric Buddhism.
(^1) The Vairocana of the Avataṃsaka is a cosmic buddha, a transcendent principle of
enlightenment and creative energy onto whom the Esoteric Buddhist Vairocana was
grafted. For a discussion of the former, see, for example, Howard 1986.