gachirin 月輪

Also gatsurin, getsurin. A perfectly round circle meant to represent the full moon, a frequently used symbol in Buddhist painting and sculpture. It represents the Buddha's knowledge and virtue which are considered perfect and all-encompassing. It also symbolizes sentient beings aspiration for Buddhahood. In the Esoteric Buddhist *Kongōkai mandara 金剛界曼荼羅, for example, each of the nine divinities is shown seated in the circle of a full moon. The gachirin is also the chief attribute of Gakkō bosatsu 月光菩薩 (see *Nikkō Gakkō 日光・月光). He is often shown in statues and paintings wearing a headpiece representing the moon or holding a circular form in the palm of his hand.