Pañcakula

pañcakula (T. rigs lnga; C. wubu 五部) is translated as "five families," “five lineages,” etc. This term refers to the five buddha families of Buddhist tantra. The five families correspond to the five wisdoms, the five kayas and so on.

The five families are:

1. buddha family (Skt. tathāgatakula)
2. vajra family (Skt. vajrakula)
3. ratna family (Skt. ratnakula)
4. padma family (Skt. padmakula)
5. karma family (Skt. karmakula)

Brief explanation

Thinley Norbu states:

I have been asked to talk about the five Buddha families as they relate to the Five Kayas and the five wisdoms. This is a Vajrayana approach to the nature of realization but does not contradict the Mahayana approach, although the Mahayana does not normally speak in those terms. The Mahayana teachings are vast, however, and in one or two Mahayana scriptures the five families are nonetheless mentioned, and the Dharmakaya, Sambhogakaya, and Nirmanakaya plus the Svabhavikakaya, or Essence Kaya, which is the Three Kayas as indivisible, not distinct from the other three. This is an involved topic on which much has been written, but in brief the Three Kayas are not independent things but aspects of the same essence. The essence of the three aspects undivided is the Svabhavikakaya. The Vajrayana also refers to a fifth aspect, the Vajrakaya or aspect of actual enlightenment, which means the perfect expression of all the qualities of the enlightened nature.

The five families as aspects of realization are the Tathagata family, which is enlightened body; the Padma family, enlightened speech; the Vajra family, enlightened mind; the Ratna family, enlightened qualities; and the Karma family, enlightened activities. The five wisdoms are the wisdom of dharmadhatu; discerning wisdom; mirror-like wisdom; the wisdom of equanimity; and all-accomplishing wisdom. These definitions of the wisdoms and the families are not mutually exclusive; rather they are indications of predominant characteristics. The Tathagata family, for example, not only expresses enlightened body but points to a mode of expression in which that characteristic is more central.

All five characteristics are present in any one of the families. This can be further understood by considering the ways in which ordinary people express themselves. This example is not strictly applicable because there is no way a Buddha’s qualities can be compared to those of an ordinary sentient being, but without examples it is difficult for us to gain any understanding of the nature of realization. Some people, then, seem to be predominantly physical in their expression. They might be very beautiful or strong, or concern themselves a great deal with their bodies. Others have a predominantly verbal mode of expression; their natural field of influence is greatest through their voice and through verbal communication. In yet other people the intellectual mode of expression is foremost; they concern themselves principally with their own thought processes. In some people, none of these three factors predominates, although they may have qualities that are essentially expressive and that come out in different ways in their lives. Other people express themselves principally through their activities and their work; in this case their expression is less something personal to them than something involved with their activities. People have different ways of expressing themselves, but they all have a body, speech, mind, qualities, and activities. These five characteristics of ordinary human beings do not correspond at all to the five aspects of Buddhahood, but there is some correspondence in the sense that although one of them might predominate, all are invariably present.

I described earlier the various ways of choosing the deity one is going to practice, but in very rough terms one can see what kind of deity is appropriate just by examining one’s own character. A person largely dominated by stupidity would incline toward the practices of the Tathagata family. One largely dominated by desires might best benefit by practicing a deity of the Padma family to develop discerning wisdom. Someone largely dominated by aversion would be suited to practicing a deity of the Vajra family to develop mirrorlike wisdom; someone largely dominated by pride would be suited to practicing a deity of the Ratna family to develop the wisdom of equanimity; and someone largely dominated by jealousy would be suited to practicing a deity of the Karma family.

Even though our understanding of the nature of realization and the Five Kayas may be incomplete, if we turn the mind in on itself and watch our own nature, we will recognize that these Five Kayas, five wisdoms, and five families are all contained within our own nature. Nothing in the fundamental nature of the mind can be shown to be conceptual. This is the Dharmakaya aspect within us. This fundamental condition beyond conceptuality is not merely empty, but naturally expressive as brilliant light. It is neither substantial nor independently existent, and in no sense other than the fundamental Dharmakaya nature. This natural expressiveness, inseparable from the Dharmakaya nature, is the Sambhogakaya aspect of our nature. If we leave the mind alone, as it is, without doing anything to it, without creating or distorting anything in it, we will recognize that the mind itself is unobstructed. This unobstructed quality is the foundation of compassion, and the very meaning of compassion is unobstructedness. This is the Nirmanakaya aspect of realization in our nature.

Table of attributes

The five families correspond to the five tathāgatas, five wisdoms, and so on, as shown in the following table.

Attributes - part 1

Family	Buddha (tathagata)	Color	Position	Wisdom	Poison	Aspect of realization
Buddha	Vairocana	white	center	wisdom of dharmadhātu	ignorance	enlightened body
Padma	Amitabha	red	west	discriminating wisdom	attachment	enlightened speech
Vajra	Akshobhya	blue	east	mirror-like wisdom	anger	enlightened mind
Ratna	Ratnasambhava	yellow	south	wisdom of equality	pride	enlightened qualities
Karma	Amoghasiddhi	green	north	all-accomplishing wisdom	jealousy	enlightened activities

Attributes - part 2

Family	Feminine buddha	Element	Skandha	Family symbol
Buddha	Dhatvishvari	space	form	dharma wheel
Padma	Pandaravasini	fire	perception	lotus
Vajra	Buddhalochana or Mamaki	earth or water	consciousness	vajra
Ratna	Mamaki or Lochana	earth or water	feeling	wish-fulfilling jewel
Karma	Samayatara	air	formations	double-vajra or sword

Sources

• Thinley Norbu (2016), Echoes: The Boudhanath Teachings, translated by William Koblensky, Boston: Shambhala 
• Thrangu Rinpoche (1998), The Five Buddha Families and the Eight Consciousnesses, translated by Peter Roberts, Boulder, Colorado: Namo Buddha Publications 
• Thrangu Rinpoche; Geshe Lharampa (2022), Distinguishing Consciousness from Wisdom, A Treatise of the Third Karmapa, Rangjung Dorje, with a commentary by Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche and Geshe Lharampa, translated by Peter Roberts, Namo Buddha Publications 

External links

• Five Buddha Family, Himalayan Art Resources