如来 (Rúlái): Tathagata (the Buddha)

如来 is the Chinese rendering of Sanskrit Tathāgata ('thus-come / thus-gone'), one of the ten honorific titles of the Buddha. In everyday Chinese it usually refers specifically to Shakyamuni (释迦牟尼), the historical Buddha. Often expanded to 如来佛 or 如来佛祖.

usage

In Journey to the West (《西游记》), 如来佛祖 is the ultimate authority who subdues Sun Wukong by trapping him under the Five-Fingers Mountain for 500 years. This is the role most Chinese readers picture first.

In Pop Culture

如来 Rúlái

Tathagata / the Buddha

Chinese Buddhist title for the Buddha, literally 'thus-come.' In popular imagination the calm, gold-skinned figure who controls Sun Wukong in Journey to the West, as well as the central object of worship in Chinese Mahayana temples.