Acala Tapestries
Description: Acala is a dharmapala primarily revered in Vajrayana Buddhism. He is seen as a protective deity particularly in Shingon traditions of Japan where he is known as Fudo Myo-o (不動明王). He is classed among the Wisdom Kings and preeminent among the Five Wisdom Kings of the Womb Realm. Accordingly, his figure occupies an important hierarchical position in the pictorial diagramatic Mandala of the Two Realms. In Japan, Acala is highly venerated in the Shingon Buddhism, Tendai, Zen, Nichiren Buddhism and in Shugendo. Fudo Myo-o is also highly revered amongst some Yakuza members, who oftentimes draw on his intense facial expression and demeanor
Description: Ancient 14th-century Nepalese image of Acala, The Buddhist Protector. Acala (literally, “immovable”) is a wrathful manifestation of Manjushri. He wields a sword to dispatch ignorance and a noose to snare disbelievers. His enflamed wide eyes and a facial grimace exposing teeth express his fearsome aspect. He kneels with one knee on the ground, evoking his role as a protector of the earth. He is set in a flaming aureole, his knowledge field, and is honored with an elaborate archway (torana) topped by Garuda fighting two nagas. Numerous protective emanations surround him in a series of registers; in the lower register, a Vajracharya priest performs rituals for the benefit of the donor family seated opposite.
