Amitayus
Reynolds, From the Sacred Realm [plate 142] photo by Richard Goodbody
Amitayus is a popular figure in the Tibetan tantric tradition. He is part of the same "family" of Buddhas as Padma Sambhava, Avalokiteshvara, and the Dalai Lamas, all of whom share Amitabha as their "father" Buddha. The exact relationship between Amitayus and Amitabha is complex and has evolved over time. According to Robert E. Fisher in Art of Tibet, "Amitayus, the Buddha of Eternal Life, is often interchangeable with Amitabha, especially in East Asia but also in Tibet. Amitayus gradually acquired a separate identity in Tibetan worship as the Buddha for the attainment of long life." (Fisher, p. 37) Lokesh Chandra follows the evolution of Amitabha and Amitayus as parallel but independent deities in some detail in the Dictionary of Buddhist Iconography. In India, Sanskrit texts mention the two indiscrimanently, but in Tibetan Buddhism the distinction is generally clear both iconographically and philosophically. Amitabha usually is depicted in nirmana-kaya form in monastic robes, while Amitayus takes the sambogha-kaya form, crowned and bejeweled like the bodhisattvas and holding the ambrosial vessel. (Chandra, pp. 223, 224)
Amitayus and Amitabha are both associated with the cardinal direction west, the color red, the lotus flower, and the transmutation of lust into discriminating wisdom. Their abode is Sukhavati, the Pure Land in the west. Amitayus is traditionally pictured holding a vase said to contain the Elixir of Life: water, saffron, and nectar pills which confer immortality. His worship takes many forms. Initiations were given for followers of Amitayus and White Tara, the two most popular of the three long-life deities. During the ritual, long-life pills made of roasted barley flour, rock sugar or honey, milk and yogurt are made, empowered by the deity, and distributed to those attending. (Lipton and Ragnubs, pp. 127 - 132) In another form of popular practice, many Buddhists commission images of Amitayus in order to assure a long life for themselves or someone else. (Reynolds, 1978) On a personal level, for those Tibetans for whom Amitayus is a yidam or personal guiding deity, visualization aids such as the thangka above and the ga'u at left serve as a central focus for their meditation practices (Matilsky, p. 24).