Buddhābhiseka is known a number of different terms in various languages. The terms kaiyan, kaiguang, and dianyan and their derivative forms are used in the Chinese, Korean, Japanese and Vietnamese languages, while buddhābhiseka is used in predominantly Theravada Buddhist countries.
Chinese rituals
Kaiguang is the Chinese term for consecration of a statue of a deity. In Chinese, the literal meaning of Kaiguang is "opening of light". While it is often performed in the Buddhist and Taoistfaiths, it is also well known as the act of consecrating new lion costumes used for the traditional lion dance. A kaiguang ritual varies amongst traditions, but it is essentially the act of formal consecration for proper usage by dotting the eyes of a statue or lion costume using a calligraphy brush coated with cinnabar. In Taoism and Buddhism, the ritual is performed by senior clerics and is done by inviting a specific deity, buddha or bodhisattva to empower an "empty" effigy of themselves and to fill it with a divine essence. The usage of a mirror and a dry towel is also employed. It is believed that if a statue or lion costume has not gone through kaiguang, it cannot be worshiped or used for performance, as the eyes are still "closed".
Burmese rituals
perform consecration rituals for images of the Buddha used for veneration both at home and at public places of worship, such as monasteries and pagodas. Before a Buddha statue is used for veneration, it must be formally consecrated in the buddhābhiseka maṅgala ritual. The Burmese language verb for consecrating a Buddha image is anegaza tin. This consecration ritual is led by a Buddhist monk, who recites aneka jāti saṃsāraṃ, the 153rd verse of the Dhammapada, which are believed to be the first words uttered by the Buddha upon attaining Buddhahood. The consecration rite, which can last a few hours, is held in the morning and consists of four primary parts:
The consecration rituals are believed to imbue the Buddha image with a sacredquality that can protect the home and surroundings from misfortune and symbolically embody the powers of the Buddha.
