Tathagata; perfected one
Buddhist term for an enlightened being; often used as a suffix for high-ranking Buddhist deities (e.g., 阿弥陀如来, 薬師如来).
Amida Nyorai is regarded as the principal Buddha of the Western Pure Land.
Nyorai is an honorific title for one who has realized the truth.
如来 denotes a fully enlightened Buddha, whereas 観音 is a bodhisattva who has chosen to remain in the world to help others.
如来 is a formal Buddhist title for an enlightened being and is often combined with 釈迦 (as in 釈迦如来), whereas 釈迦 alone names the historical person.
Standard modern kanji form; used in Buddhist contexts and news.
Outdated kanji form (舊字體); rarely used outside historical texts.
From Sanskrit Tathāgata, meaning 'one who has thus gone' or 'one who has arrived at suchness'. The kanji 如来 (literally 'thus come') is a translation of the original term.