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Shrine interior
Udayagiri Buddhist Monastery
Orissa, near Ratnagiri
At first glance this may seem like the usual Buddha triad, but one soon runs into difficulty in associating the side figures with particular Bodhisattvas. Instead, this sculptural group symbolizes the Mahayana Buddhist trikaya doctrine.
In the center is Shakyamuni, the historical Buddha, seated in his characteristic gesture of bhumisparsha. At photo left is Vairocana, identifiable by his finger-in-fist gesture, and at photo right is Jambhala, a Buddhist form of Kubera.
In the trikaya system of Mahayana Buddhism, the Universal or Transcendent Buddha has three aspects ("Bodies," or kaya). Vairocana represents the Buddhist teachings ("Law Body," or dharmakaya). Shakyamuni represents the Buddha as a historical person ("Form Body," or nirmanakaya). The third aspect is enlightenment ("Bliss Body," or sambhogakaya), represented here by Jambhala.
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