gobutsudō 五仏堂

An Esoteric Buddhist hall dedicated to the central Buddha of the Shingon 真言 sect, *Dainichi 大日 (Sk: Mahavairocana), who is thought to be the embodiment of the universe. The Buddhas of the four directions surround him in mandala fashion. These four Buddhas may be sculptures, paintings or simply have their names inscribed in Sanskrit letters. In the Diamond Realm mandala *Kongōkai mandara 金剛界曼荼羅 (Sk: vajra-dhatu mandara), these Buddhas are called: *Ashuku 阿しゅく (Sk: Aksobhya) in the east; Hōshō 宝生(Sk: Ratnasambhava) in the south; *Amida 阿弥陀 (Sk: Amitabha) in the west; and Fukū jōju 不空成就 (Sk: Amoghasiddhi) in the north. The names of the Buddhas differ in the Matrix-store mandala *Taizōkai mandara 胎蔵界曼荼羅. They are: Hōdō 宝幢 (Sk: Ratnaketu) in the east; Kaifukeō 開敷華王(Sk: Samkusumitaraja) in the south; Muryōju 無量寿 (Sk: Amatyus) in the west; and Tenkuraion 天鼓雷音 (Sk: Divyadundubhimeghanirghosa) in the north.