4/28/2020 Abhiṣeka - Wikipedia

Abhiṣeka
Abhiṣeka or abhisheka in Sanskrit means "bathing of the divinity to whom worship is offered."[1]
It is a religious rite or method of prayer in which a devotee pours a liquid offering on an image or
murti of a God or Goddess. Abhiṣeka is common to Indian religions such as Hinduism, Buddhism and
Jainism.

Contents
Hinduism
Buddhism
Esoteric Buddhism
Tantric Buddhism
Shingon Buddhism
Jainism
Famous Abhishekas
Cultural examples
See also
References
Citations
Sources
Further reading

Hinduism
An abhiṣeka is conducted by priests by bathing the image of the deity being worshipped, amidst the
chanting of mantras. Usually, offerings such as milk, yogurt, ghee, honey, panchamrita, sesame oil,
rose water, sandalwood paste may be poured among other offerings depending on the type of
abhishekam being performed. This rite is routinely performed in Hindu temples. A Rudrābhiṣeka or
abhiṣeka of Rudra is performed on lingams. A Kumbhabhishekam is a consecration ritual for a Hindu
temple.[2]

Buddhism

Esoteric Buddhism

In Vajrayana Buddhism, an abhiṣeka can be a method for performing pointing-out instructions, a way
to offer blessings of a lineage to participants, or it can be an empowerment to begin a particular
meditation practice.[3] This ritual is present in Tibetan Buddhism as well as in Chinese Esoteric
Buddhism and in Shingon Buddhism.

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The abhiṣeka was originally used as a consecration rite. Water

from the four oceans was poured out of golden jars onto the head
of royalty. It was used during a monarch's accession ceremony
and also his investiture ceremony.[4]

List of Abhiseka initiates in 812 at

Tantric Buddhism
Takaosan-ji (高雄山寺)

The abhiseka rite is a prelude for initiation into mystical

teaching. There are four classes of abhiseka, each being
associated with one of the four Tantras. They are master consecration, secret consecration,
knowledge of prajna, and the fourth consecration.[4]

Shingon Buddhism

The abhiṣeka ritual (灌頂, kanjō) in Shingon Buddhism is the initiation rite used to confirm that a
student of esoteric Buddhism has now graduated to a higher level of practice. The kanji used literally
mean "pouring from the peak", which poetically describes the process of passing on the master's
teachings to the student. The rite was popular in China during the Tang dynasty,[5] and Kūkai,
founder of Shingon, studied there extensively before introducing this rite to the Japanese Buddhist
establishment of the time.[6] A separate initiation rite exists for the general public called the kechien
kanjō (結縁灌頂), and symbolizes their initiation into esoteric Buddhism. This rite is generally only
offered at Mount Kōya in Wakayama Prefecture in Japan, but it can be offered under qualified
masters and under proper auspices outside Japan, albeit very rarely.

The Shingon rite utilizes one of the two Mandala of the Two Realms, depending on the occasion. In
esoteric ritual, after the student receives the samaya precepts, the teacher of the esoteric Buddhism
assumes the role of the teacher, usually Mahavairocana Buddha, while the master and student repeat
specific mantras in a form of dialogue taken from esoteric Buddhist sutras. The student, who is
blindfolded, then throws a flower upon the Mandala that is constructed, and where it lands (i.e.
which deity) helps dictate where the student should focus his devotion on the esoteric path.[7] From
there, the student's blindfold is removed and a vajra is placed in hand.

Jainism
Abhisheka in Jainism means the ritual of consecration of the image of Jina.[8]

Famous Abhishekas
Mahaabhishekam conducted at the Mahakaleshwar temple in Ujjain.
Mahamastakabhisheka at Shravanabelagola in Karnataka.
Ghanshyam Maharaja [9] abhishekam at Swaminarayan Temple, Godhar, Panchmahal,
Gujarat.[10]

Cultural examples
In the Mahavairocana Sutra, Mahavairocana Buddha reveals the Mandala of the Womb Realm to
Vajrasattva and teaches the rites that relate to the Womb Mandala which are known as, and an
example of, abhiṣeka.
In Hinduism, the god Rama performed abhiṣeka after installing a jyotirlinga in Rameswaram.

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See also
Puja
Rājyābhiṣeka
Buddhābhiṣeka
Coronation of the Thai monarch
Abhi (Sanskrit preposition, and element of the word "Abhisheka")

References

Citations
1. "Monier Williams Online Dictionary" (https://www.sanskrit-lexicon.uni-koeln.de/monier/).
www.sanskrit-lexicon.uni-koeln.de. Retrieved 2 January 2020.
2. "Consecration: Kumbhabhishekam | The Pluralism Project" (http://pluralism.org/religions/hinduis
m/the-hindu-experience/consecration-kumbhabhishekam/). pluralism.org. Retrieved 10 January
2020.
3. Hayward (2008) p.114
4. Hoiberg, Dale H., ed. (2010). "abhiseka" (https://archive.org/details/newencyclopaedia2009ency/p
age/32). Encyclopædia Britannica. I: A-ak Bayes (15th ed.). Chicago, Illinois: Encyclopædia
Britannica Inc. pp. 32 (https://archive.org/details/newencyclopaedia2009ency/page/32).
ISBN 978-1-59339-837-8.
5. Orzech, Charles, D. (2011). On the Subject of Abhiseka (https://web.archive.org/web/2014031715
2400/http://www.shin-ibs.edu/documents/pwj3-13/07Orzech.pdf), Pacific World 3rd series, No 13,
113-128
6. Abe, Ryūichi (1999). The Weaving of Mantra: Kūkai and the Construction of Esoteric Buddhist
Discourse.
7. Hakeda, Yoshito (1972). Kūkai: Major Works, Translated, with an Account of His Life and a Study
of His Thought. p. 44.
8. Maniura & Shepherd 2006, pp. 73-74.
9. "Ghanshyam Maharaj" (https://web.archive.org/web/20150721054513/http://tirthdham.org/abhish
ek.html). Archived from the original (http://www.tirthdham.org/abhishek.html) on 21 July 2015.
Retrieved 21 July 2013.
10. Godhar, Panchmahal, Gujarat (http://www.tirthdham.org/)

Sources
Maniura, Robert; Shepherd, Rupert, eds. (2006), Presence: The Inherence of the Prototype within
Images and Other Objects (https://books.google.com/books?id=1x8Tz9v348cC), Ashgate,
ISBN 0-7546-3493-0

Further reading
Authorship unattributed (1993). "Why Temples?" (https://web.archive.org/web/20070610190751/h
ttp://www.yogamag.net/archives/1993/3may93/temples.shtml). Archived from the original (http://w
ww.yogamag.net/archives/1993/3may93/temples.shtml) on 10 June 2007. Retrieved 24 February
2007.
Authorship unattributed (2004). "Healing Through Yagya / Pooja / Occult" (https://web.archive.or
g/web/20070206203633/http://www.mudrasforhealing.com/occult.htm). Archived from the original
(http://mudrasforhealing.com/occult.htm) on 6 February 2007. Retrieved 24 February 2007.

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Abe, Ryuichi (1999). "The Weaving of Mantra: Kukai and the Construction of Esoteric Buddhist
Discourse". Columbia University Press. ISBN 0-231-11286-6
Ferm, Virgilius (1945). An Encyclopedia of Religion. New York: Philosophical Library, 1945.
OCLC 263969 (https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/263969)
Hakeda, Yoshito S. (1972). Kūkai and His Major Works. Columbia University Press. ISBN 0-231-
05933-7
Hayward, Jeremy (2008) Warrior-King of Shambhala: Remembering Chögyam Trungpa. Boston:
Wisdom. ISBN 978-0-86171-546-6

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