AdiBuddha

AdiBuddha, also rendered Adibuddha, is a term used in several Buddhist traditions to denote the primordial or ultimate Buddha—the source from which all Buddhas emanate and the fundamental nature of Buddhahood.

Etymology and meaning: The name combines adi, meaning primordial or original, with Buddha. The concept is used to refer to the timeless, nonhistorical basis of enlightenment, often identified with the Dharmakaya or with a personal embodiment of the Buddha-nature in certain schools.

Interpretations in Tibetan Buddhism: In the Nyingma school, Adibuddha is personified as Samantabhadra (Tibetan: Kuntuzangpo), the primordial Buddha whose mind and purity constitute the essence of enlightenment. This Adibuddha is not a historical figure but the primal wakefulness underlying all Buddhas. The Great Perfection (Dzogchen) tradition emphasizes this primordial awareness as the ground of being.

Other Tibetan and East Asian interpretations: Some traditions identify Adibuddha with the Dharmakaya, the ultimate reality that pervades all phenomena, rather than as a specific historical figure. In various Esoteric Buddhist contexts, such as Shingon, a cosmic Buddha like Vairocana is associated with primordial or universal aspects of enlightenment, though Adibuddha is often treated as a doctrinal expression of the same ultimate principle.

Function and symbolism: The Adibuddha concept underscores Buddha-nature—the intrinsic potential for awakening present in all beings—and serves as a focal point in meditation, liturgy, and doctrinal reflection on the nondual, luminous nature of mind.

See also: Samantabhadra, Kuntuzangpo, Dharmakaya, Vairocana, Buddha-nature, Dzogchen.