Nyorai

Nyorai (如来) is the Japanese term for a Buddha or tathāgata, used in Japanese Buddhism to refer to an enlightened being. The word is the Japanese reading of the Chinese transliteration ru lai of Sanskrit tathāgata. The literal sense is often rendered as “thus come” or “thus gone,” conveying the idea of an awakened being who has transcended worldly existence.

In practice, Nyorai is used as a title for Buddhas by name, such as Shakyamuni Nyorai (the historical Shakyamuni Buddha), Amida Nyorai (Amitabha Buddha), Yakushi Nyorai (Medicine Buddha), and Dainichi Nyorai (Vairocana Buddha). Images and statues of Nyorai are central in many temples, and their iconography varies by tradition but generally emphasizes wisdom, compassion, and cosmic knowledge.

The term appears across major Japanese Buddhist schools, including Zen, Pure Land, and Shingon. In Pure Land practice, Amida Nyorai is the focus of devotion and rites related to rebirth in the Pure Land; in Zen, Shakyamuni Nyorai is commonly revered as the teacher’s epitome; in Shingon and other esoteric streams, Nyorai names are part of liturgical rites and mandalas.

Etymologically related terms include Buddha (Butsu) and Hotoke, while Nyorai specifically connotes a fully awakened being who has thus come into existence. The concept aligns with the Sanskrit tathāgata and remains a central category in Japanese Buddhist theology. See also: Tathāgata; Amida; Shakyamuni; Yakushi; Vairocana.