Editing Akshobhya (section)

==Textual history and doctrine==
Akshobhya appears in the [[Akṣobhyatathāgatasyavyūha Sūtra]] ({{lang-zh|t=阿閦佛國經|p=Āchùfó Guó Jīng|links=no}}), which was translated during the  second century CE and is among the oldest known Mahayana or Pure Land texts.<ref>Strauch, Ingo (2008). [https://www.academia.edu/25779968/The_Bajaur_collection_A_new_collection_of_Kharo%E1%B9%A3%E1%B9%ADh%C4%AB_manuscripts_A_preliminary_catalogue_and_survey?email_work_card=title The Bajaur collection: A new collection of Kharoṣṭhī manuscripts – A preliminary catalogue and survey]</ref> According to the scripture, a monk wished to practice the [[Dharma]] in the eastern world of delight and made a vow not to harbor anger or malice towards any being until he achieved [[enlightenment (Buddhism)|enlightenment]]. He duly proved "immovable" and when he succeeded, he became the [[Buddhahood|buddha]] Akshobhya. Recently, newly discovered [[Gāndhārī language|Gāndhārī]] texts from Pakistan in the [[Gandhāran Buddhist texts#The Bajaur Collection|Bajaur Collection]] have been found to contain fragments of an early Mahāyāna sutra mentioning Akshobhya. Preliminary dating through paleography suggests a late 1st century to early 2nd century CE provenance. More conclusive radiocarbon dating is under way. A preliminary report on these texts has been issued by Ingo Strauch, with a paper on Akshobhya texts published in 2010.<ref>Strauch, Ingo (2010). ''More missing pieces of Early Pure Land Buddhism: New evidence for Akṣobhya and Abhirati in an early Mahāyāna sūtra from Gandhāra;'' Eastern Buddhist 41, 23-66.</ref>

In the [[Shurangama Mantra|Śūraṅgama mantra]] ([[Chinese language|Chinese]]: 楞嚴咒; [[pinyin]]: ''Léngyán Zhòu'') taught in the [[Śūraṅgama Sūtra|Śūraṅgama sutra]] ([[Chinese language|Chinese]]: 楞嚴經; [[pinyin]]: ''Léngyán Jīng''), an especially influential [[dharani]] in the [[Chan Buddhism|Chinese Chan tradition]], Akshobhya is mentioned to be the host of the Vajra Division in the East, one of the five major divisions which controls the vast demon armies of the five directions.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/300721049|title=The Śūraṅgama sūtra : a new translation|date=2009|publisher=Buddhist Text Translation Society|others=Hsüan Hua, Buddhist Text Translation Society|isbn=978-0-88139-962-2|location=Ukiah, Calif.|oclc=300721049}}</ref>

Akshobhya is sometimes merged with [[Acala]], whose name also means "immovable" in Sanskrit. Prior to the advent of [[Bhaiṣajyaguru]], Akshobhya was the subject of a minor cult in Japan as a healing Buddha, though both are currently venerated within [[Shingon Buddhism]].{{citation needed|date=March 2019}}