Vairochana Buddha can best be understood in three different ways: as the [1] principal character

in a number of Buddhist sutras, [2] a meditational deity used in ritual practices, and [3] a familiar
image depicted in early painting and sculpture. Vairochana is also one of the preeminent Buddhas
in !antric Buddhism along with "#shobhya and "mitabha. $n some %utra and !antra e&planations
Vairochana is seen as a uni'ersal form of %ha#yamuni Buddha and therefore especially important
in the early de'elopment and history of !antric Buddhism.
Vairochana Buddha as a central image for paintings is primarily drawn from the (harya and )oga
!antras of the Vairochana Abhisambodhi, Tattvasamgraha, and Sarvadurgati Parishodhana
!antras. $n the Vairochana Abhisambodhi he appears with one face and two hands: *...Bhaga'an
+reat Vairochana, seated abo'e a white lotus and moon, hair piled on the top of the head, with a
crown, upper and lower garments, golden in colour. !he two hands perform the gesture of
meditation, adorned with all the complete mar#s on the body.* ,rgyud sde #un btus, 'olume 3,
page -..
$n the Tattvasamgraha !antra there are two forms described. !he first has four faces and two
hands and the second has four faces and eight hands. *... in the middle of a lion throne , abo'e a
lotus and moon is Bhaga'an Vairochana, with a body white in colour, seated in 'a/ra posture. !he
two hands are in the gesture of supreme enlightenment holding a fi'e pointed 'a/ra of the
tatagatas, with a bac#rest [torana] of the rays of the sun, wearing upper and lower hea'enly
garments, and a /ewelled crown. 0a'ing four faces, the front loo#s to the 1ast.* ,rgyud sde #un
btus, 'olume 2, page -3..
Both the Va/radhatu form of Vairochana and the Va/rashe#hara form ha'e four faces, white in
colour, and the two hands perform the supreme enlightenment gesture at the heart. $t is therefore
4uite easy to confuse these two forms of the deity. !hey need to be differentiated by conte&t and
mandala configuration.