The Two Vidyarajas

The two Vidyarajas represented on the Great Mandala – Achalanatha [Fudo Myo-o (Japanese) Immovable Lord Knowledge King] and Ragaraja [Aizen Myo-o (Japanese) Desire King Knowledge King], have also been viewed as the representatives of the teachings that “birth and death are themselves nirvana” (Japanese, shoji soku nehan) and “the afflictions are themselves enlightenment” (Japanese, bonno soku bodai) respectively. The first principle means that nirvana does not exist in another realm but is actually the true reality of this realm, the world of birth and death. The second principle means that enlightenment is not the eradication of the afflictions, like greed and anger, but their liberation and trans­formation, via the wholesome energy of the enlightened mind, into positive qualities like devotion and discernment.

Lotus World: An Illustrated Guide to the Gohonzon