History
Originally the Hindu deity Acalanātha (अचलनाथ), whose name in Sanskrit signifies ācala "immovable" + nātha' "protector, Acala was incorporated into esoteric Buddhism (late 7th century, India) as a servant of Buddha. In Tang Dynasty China, he became Budong (pinyin: Búdòng; Middle Chinese: /pǝw dungx/-(?) 不動, "immovable"), a translated-meaning-name derived from Acala. In turn, the deity was imported into Japan as Fūdō (不動?) "immovable") by the priest Kūkai (d. 835) who was studying in China as a member of the Kentoshi mission, and founded the Shingon sect of Japanese Buddhism.
As the deity's importance waned in India and China (as did the religion itself), the iconic image remained popular throughout the Middle Ages (unto modern times) in countries as Nepal, Tibet, and Japan, where sculptural and pictorial representations are most often found. Much of the iconography comes from Japan, where a popular cult especially devoted to him has developed.
In Tibetan Buddhism and art, the buddha Akshobhya, whose name also means "the immovable one", presides over the clan of deities to which Ācala belongs. Other sources refer to the Acala/Caṇḍaroṣaṇa as an "emanation" of Akshobhya, suggesting further assimilation.
Read more about this topic: Acala
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