Samantabhadra
Samantabhadra, in Mahayana Buddhism, the bodhisattva (“buddha-to-be”) representing kindness or happiness. He is often represented in a triad with Shakyamuni (the Buddha) and the bodhisattva Manjushri; he appears seated on an elephant with three heads or with one head and six tusks. In China he is the patron deity of Mount Emei in Sichuan province. In Vajrayana, or Tantric, Buddhism, he is regarded as the manifestation of Vairocana, the cosmic buddha. His name in Chinese is Puxian and in Japanese, Fugen.
Citation Information
Article Title:
Samantabhadra
Website Name:
Encyclopaedia Britannica
Publisher:
Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc.
Date Published:
22 September 2013
Access Date:
March 09, 2025