Amitayus or Aparmita is the name given to Amitabha in his character of bestower of longevity. Amitayus or Aparmita may be turned either a “Crowned Buddha or a Bodhisattva and is therefore richly clad and wears the thirteen ornaments. His hair is painted blue and falls on either side to his elbows or may be curiously coiled. Amitayus Aparmita is seated like Buddha and his hands lie on his lap in Dhyana Mudra holding the ambrosia vase, his special emblem. The vase is richly decorated and from the cover fall four strings of beads which represent sacred pills. In the preliminary worship, the pills made from buttered dough and the ambrosia brewed from spirit or beer and

offered in a skull bowl to the great image of Amitayus Aparmita. The lama then places a vajra on the ambrosia vase, which the image of Amitayus holds in its lap, and applies a cord, which is attached to the vajra, his own heart. The wine in the ambrosia vase is then consecrated and the people partake of it as well as of the sacred pills with the firm conviction that there lives will be prolonged through their faith in Aparmita.