Eagle Peak | Dictionary of Buddhism | Nichiren Buddhism Library
Eagle Peak ［霊鷲山・耆闍崛山・霊山］ ( Gridhrakūta; Pali Gijjhakūta; Ryōju-sen, Gishakussen, or Ryō-zen): Also known as Vulture Peak, Holy Eagle Peak, or Sacred Eagle Peak, and simply Holy Mountain, Sacred Mountain, or Holy Peak. A small mountain located northeast of Rājagriha, the capital of Magadha in ancient India. Eagle Peak is known as a place frequented by Shakyamuni, where he is said to have expounded the Lotus Sutra and other teachings. According to The Treatise on the Great Perfection of Wisdom by Nāgārjuna, Eagle Peak derived its name from its eagle-shaped summit and the many eagles or vultures inhabiting it. "Eagle Peak" also symbolizes the Buddha land or the state of Buddhahood, as in the expression "the pure land of Eagle Peak." See also Gridhrakūta.
