Tathagata - Nyorai

One of the nicknames for Shakyamuni (called "myogo"). A translation of the Sanskrit and Pali word tathāgata. The original word means "one who has completed his training" or "one of perfect character," and was initially used widely as an honorific for particularly outstanding monks outside of Brahmanism, but later came to be used exclusively in Buddhism. It is translated as "Tathāgata," interpreted as a combination of tathā (translated as "like," indicating truth or as it is) and āgata (the past perfect of āgam, meaning "to come"), but it can also be interpreted as a combination of tathā and gata (the past perfect of gam, meaning "to go"), in which case it is translated as "Tathāgoya" (the Tibetan translation takes this approach). There are many names for Shakyamuni, among which the "Ten Names" (10 names) are particularly well known, but among them, "Tathagata", which means "coming from true nature and guiding all living beings", is the most revered and familiar. Later, when Mahayana Buddhism arose and various Buddhas were established, some of them took the name Tathagata, such as Yakushi Nyorai and Dainichi Nyorai.

[Mitsunori Saegusa]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

釈迦(しゃか)の異名（これを「名号(みょうごう)」と称する）の一つ。サンスクリット語、パーリ語のタターガタtathāgataの訳。原語は「修行完成者」「完全な人格者」を意味し、初めはバラモン教以外の出家者一般のうち、とくに優れた人への尊称として広く用いられたが、のちには仏教だけが用いるようになった。tathā（「如」と訳され、真理・ありのままを表す）とāgata（「来る」の意のアーガムāgamの過去完了）の合成と解して「如来」と訳されたが、tathāとgata（「行く」の意のガムgamの過去完了）の合成とも解され、その際には「如去(にょきょ)」の訳となる（チベット訳はこのほうをとっている）。釈迦の異名は数多くあり、そのうちとくに「十号」（10の名号）がよく知られているが、そのなかでもこの「真如から来て衆生(しゅじょう)を導く」意の「如来」は、もっとも尊ばれ親しまれた。のちに大乗仏教がおこり諸仏がたてられると、そのなかに、薬師如来や大日如来のように、如来名をとるものも現れる。

［三枝充悳］

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