The Adi Buddha Samantabhadra is in union with his consort Samantabhadri. He is deep blue in color, symbolizing the sky or emptiness of mind; Samantabhadri is whitein color, symbolizing the aspect of theclarity of ourmind. The male and female of Adi Buddha in union depict the unity of emptiness and cognizance. The concept of the Adi Buddha has never indicated some kind of first Buddha in the sense of a creator of the universe. Sentient beings have Buddha nature, which is the same as the unity of emptiness and consciousness. The Sunyata-Prabhasvara Emptiness- Illuminated nature of our mind has been there since beginning-less time. This is the precise meaning of the term Adi Buddha. Nepal was the place where the idea of the Adi-Buddha orginated. The text, Swayambhu Purana, gives and account of the first manifestation of the Adi-Buddha or Primordial Buddha in the form of flames or clear light. The meaning of clear light refers to the self-cognizant and unfabricated original wakefulness primordially present in the mind of sentient beings among the three realms.

The nature of thisclear light, which is Dharmakaya is not generally represented in images or paintings. For Dharmakaya is not the form body rupakaya of the Buddha. The Dharmakaya is depicted in the form of a Stupa or Chaitya only. However, in the Tibetan Nying ma pa tradition, this Dharmakaya aspect is depicted in paintings as the Adi Buddha in the form of Samatabhadra/Samantabhadri. Samantabhadri is totally nude and without ornaments symbolizing that she is free from all thought constructs. It means that Dharmakaya can be realized only when we are free from thought constructs and one perceives the empty nature of the mind directly.

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Reference: Sacred Art of Nepal, Handicraft Association of Nepal

Pictures: Shakyahandicraft