Guide to Buddhist symbols
As this article is a little longer than usual, here's the menu to help you find your way around the various sections more quickly.
What are the sacred objects of Buddhism?
The Vajra
The prayer wheel
What are the 8 auspicious signs or 8 auspicious symbols?
1. The parasol
2. The golden fishes
3. The Treasure vase
4. The Lotus
5. The right-turning conch shell
6. The endless or glorious knot
7. The Victory banner
8. The eight-spoked wheel
Meaning of other Buddhist and Tibetan symbols
Enso
Om
In Tibetan Buddhism, symbolism is central to meditation and prayer. Deities, which are manifestations of various aspects of the Buddha, the enlightened mind, are associated with rich symbolism. Visualizing these deities and their symbols is an important aspect of Tibetan Buddhist meditation. They can help you to reach the perfect meditative state, of which the Buddha is the right representation.
The use of symbols, in which meaning and information are compressed into a non-verbal message, helps to overcome the linear mind and hastens liberation. All forms of Buddhism teach ideas such as impermanence, emptiness (no self) and karma.
What are the sacred objects of Buddhism?
The Vajra
Some Buddhist statues are seen holding an object resembling a two-headed scepter in one hand and a bell in the other. These objects are the vajra and the Ghanta, male and female respectively.
"Vajra" is a Sanskrit word, literally meaning "diamond-like" and "the hard and powerful", although the meaning is deeper than that, bearing a metaphysical significance. It's also known as the "thunderbolt", because it's the destroyer of ignorance. The Vajra is an important symbol and carries complex meanings in its form. It represents endless creativity or skilful and powerful activity.
Shaped like a club with a ribbed spherical head, the central space inside the Vajra indicates the point or bindhu, that seemingly most insignificant symbol which is also perhaps the most important. The bindhu represents the sphere of actual reality.
On either side of the bindhu are symmetrically balanced lotus flowers, representing the material and spiritual worlds. Each flower has eight petals. From the lotus flowers sprout flames or claws, usually five in number. This number may vary, but the two sides are always symmetrical. The number five in this case represents the five Buddhas and their wives, and their combined energies and qualities. It is also symbolic of the five wisdoms, which are:
- The wisdom of reality, truth
- The mirror-like wisdom
- The wisdom of equality or identity
- The all-discriminating wisdom
- The all-accomplishing wisdom
Collectively, the ten flaps recall the ten perfections, which are: Generosity, Good Conduct, Renunciation, Insight, Diligence, Tolerance, Veracity, Determination, Kindness and Serenity.
The claws also recall the stages of the journey to enlightenment and the ten directions.
These teeth curve together to form a point, representing the Holy Mountain, Mount Meru. The vajra's closed ends make it a symbol of peace; however, sometimes the vajra has open ends. This is a sign of the anger of the deity who holds it. It is the kind of anger, however, that can destroy all illusions or negativities.
The prayer wheel
The traditional prayer wheel consists of a cylinder filled with mantras (incantatory formulas) and able to rotate freely around an axis. According to the beliefs associated with this object, activating such a mill has the same spiritual value as reciting the mantra prayer, as the prayer is supposed to spread through the air as if it were spoken1.
The mills, often arranged in long series, are set in motion one after the other by the devotee passing in front of them. The worshipper moves the mills with his right hand. And the mill must be turned clockwise, so that the mantra is read in the direction in which it was written.
We could also mention the Tibetan bell, the Tibetan Damaru, the Buddhist conch shell, the 108-bead Tibetan mala, the "ghau" or "gao" box and the Buddhist butter lamp.
As you can see, there are many different ritual objects and symbols in Buddhism, but the ASHTAMANGALA is certainly the best known.
What is it?
In Sanskrit, Ashta means "eight" and Mangala "auspicious", and the word refers to the eight auspicious symbols of Himalayan Buddhism, although the relevance of eight sacred objects is also important in the Hindu faith, as well as in China. The Ashtamangala of the Tibetan system are, in no particular order, the treasure vase, the two golden fish, the dharma wheel, the conch shell, the endless knot, the victory banner, the lotus flower and the parasol. These symbols are used both in the home and in public spaces, and the hidden meanings of objects are far more important than their surface value.
What are the 8 auspicious signs or 8 auspicious symbols?
The eight auspicious symbols are the best-known group of Buddhist symbols and are traditionally listed in the following order: (1) a white parasol; (2) a pair of golden fishes; (3) a treasure vase; (4) a lotus; (5) a white conch shell in a straight spiral; (6) an endless knot or "lucky diagram"; (7) a victorious banner; (8) a golden wheel.
The eight auspicious symbols originally formed an Indian set of offerings presented to a king at his investiture, and are almost certainly of pre-Buddhist origin.
In Buddhist tradition, these eight symbols of good fortune represent the offerings presented by the great Vedic gods to Shakyamuni Buddha when he attained enlightenment.
Brahma was the first of these gods to appear before the Buddha, and he presented a golden wheel with a thousand spokes as a symbolic request for the Buddha to teach by "turning the wheel of dharma". The great sky god Indra appeared next, and presented his powerful white conch horn as a symbolic request for the Buddha to "proclaim the truth of the dharma".
In early Indian Buddhism, the Buddha's image was represented in an aniconic or non-figurative form, usually by an empty throne under a parasol and a bodhi tree, or by a stone imprint of his divinely-marked footprints. These imprints display various auspicious symbols as insignia of the Buddha's divinity, such as the banner of victory, the lion throne, the trident, the three jewels, the eternal knot, the swastika, the conch shell and the pair of fish, but the most common of these insignia were the lotus and the wheel. In early Vajrayana Buddhism, the eight auspicious symbols were deified into eight goddesses, known as Astamangala Devi, each of whom bore one of the auspicious symbols as an attribute.
In Chinese Buddhism, these eight symbols represent the eight vital organs of the Buddha's body: (1) the parasol represents his spleen; (2) the two golden fish his kidneys; (3) the treasure vase his stomach; (4) the lotus his liver; (5) the conch his gall bladder; (6) the endless knot of his intestines; (7) the banner of victory his lungs; (8) the golden wheel his heart. A similar Tibetan tradition identifies these eight symbols as forming the Buddha's physical body, with: (1) the parasol representing his head; (2) the golden fish in his eyes; (3) the treasure vase his neck; (4) the lotus his tongue; (5) the wheel his feet; (6) the victory banner his body; (7) the conch shell his speech; (8) the endless knot his mind.
1. Buddhist symbol of protection: the parasol
The parasol is a traditional Indian symbol of royalty and protection. Its shade protects from the scorching heat of the tropical sun, and the coolness of its shadow symbolizes protection from the painful heat of suffering, desire, obstacles, disease and evil forces. As a symbol of royalty or secular wealth, the greater the number of parasols carried in a dignitary's entourage, the higher his or her social standing appears.
Traditionally, thirteen parasols defined the status of a king, and early Indian Buddhists adopted this number as a symbol of the Buddha's sovereignty as "universal monarch". Thirteen stacked parasol wheels form the conical spires of the various stupas that commemorated the main events in the Buddha's life or enshrined his relics. This practice was subsequently applied to virtually all Tibetan Buddhist stupa designs.
As the parasol is held above the head, it naturally symbolizes honor and respect, which is why the parasol became such an important aniconic symbol in early Buddhist art.
The typical Buddhist parasol is fashioned from a long handle or shaft of white or red sandalwood, which is adorned at the top with a small golden lotus, a vase and a filial jewel. White or yellow silk is stretched over its domed frame, and from the circular edge of the frame hangs a pleated silk frieze with numerous multicolored silk pendants and valances. An ornate gold crest bar with a makara-tail scroll usually defines the parasol's circular edge, and its hanging silk frieze may also be adorned with peacock feathers, hanging jewelry chains and yak-tail pendants.
The parasol's dome represents wisdom, and its hanging silk mantling the various methods of compassion or skillful means. The white parasol presented to the Buddha essentially symbolizes his ability to protect all beings from illusions and fears.
2. Buddhist symbol of happiness: golden fishes
In Sanskrit, the pair of fishes is known as matsyayugma, meaning "coupled fishes". This alludes to their origin, as in ancient times they symbolized India's two main sacred rivers, the Ganges and the Yamuna. Symbolically, these two great rivers represent the lunar and solar channels or psychic nerves, which originate in the nostrils and carry the alternating rhythms of breath or prana.
In Buddhism, golden fishes represent happiness and spontaneity, as they have complete freedom of movement in water. They represent fertility and abundance, as they multiply very quickly. They represent liberation from the constraints of caste and status, as they mingle and touch easily. Fish often swim in pairs and, in China, a pair of fish symbolizes marital unity and fidelity, a pair of fish being traditionally given as a wedding gift. Because fish was so abundant in China and formed such an important part of the staple diet, the Chinese word yu, meaning both "fish" and "great wealth", became synonymous with material prosperity. In the Chinese feng-shui tradition, goldfish farming is also thought to attract wealth.
The auspicious symbol of a pair of fishes is common to Hindu, Jain and Buddhist traditions.
In ancient Egypt, a pair of fishes symbolized the fertile waters of the Nile. Early Christians adopted the paired fish as an emblem of Christ as the "fisher of men" and acrostically interpreted the letters of the Greek word for fish, ichthys, to mean "Jesus Christ, of God the Son and Savior".
The two golden fishes, one male and one female, are usually depicted symmetrically and in the form of carp, with graceful tails, gills and fins, and long tendrils extending from their upper jaws.
Carps are traditionally considered sacred fish in the East, due to their elegant beauty, size and longevity, and because of their association with certain benevolent deities.
Paired fish are often depicted with their noses touching, and in Hinduism, this is a symbol of the female sexual organ or yoni.
3. Buddhist symbol of prosperity: the treasure vase
The golden treasure vase, or "vase of inexhaustible treasures", is modeled on the traditional Indian clay water pot. This pot is known as a kalasha or kumbha, with a flat base, round body, narrow neck and fluted upper rim. This sacred womb-like kumbha is revered in India during the great religious "pot festival" of the Kumbh Mela, which takes place every three years in turn in the cities of Allahabad, Haridwar, Nasik and Ujain, and commemorates the pouring of the divine nectar of the gods on these four sacred sites.
The treasure vase is primarily a symbol of certain deities of wealth, including Jambhala, Vaishravana and Vasudhara, where it often appears as an attribute beneath their feet. A form of the goddess of wealth Vasudhara stands on a pair of horizontal treasure vases that pour forth a never-ending stream of jewels. As a divine "vase of abundance", it possesses the quality of spontaneous manifestation, for no matter how much treasure is removed from the vase, it remains perpetually full.
The typical Tibetan treasure vase is depicted as a highly ornate golden vase, with lotus petal motifs radiating around its various sections. A single wish-fulfilling gem, or a group of three gems, seals its upper rim as a symbol of the three jewels of Buddha, dharma and sangha.
The great treasure vase, as described in the Buddhist mandala offering, is fashioned in gold and studded with a multitude of precious stones. A silk scarf from the realm of the gods is tied around its neck, and its top is sealed with a wish-granting tree. The roots of this tree infuse the contained waters of longevity, miraculously creating all manner of treasures.
Sealed treasure vessels can be placed or buried in sacred geomantic locations, such as mountain passes, pilgrimage sites, springs, rivers and oceans. Here, their function is both to spread abundance throughout the environment and to appease the native spirits that inhabit these places.
4. The lotus: Buddhist symbol par excellence
The Indian lotus, growing in the dark, watery mire but untainted by it, is a major Buddhist symbol of purity and renunciation. It represents the blossoming of wholesome activities, carried out in complete freedom from the defects of cyclical existence. The lotus seats on which the deities sit or stand symbolize their divine origin. They are immaculate, innately perfect and absolutely pure in body, speech and mind. Divinities manifest in a cyclical existence, but are completely uncontaminated by its defilements, emotional hindrances and mental obscurations.
As a sacred symbol, the lotus has been adopted by many of the world's great civilizations, from Egypt to Japan, and widely integrated into their art and architecture. The lotus opens and closes with the sun, and in ancient Egypt, the sun was conceived as rising from an eastern lotus at dawn and setting in a western lotus at sunset. Similarly, Surya, the Vedic solar god, holds a lotus in each of his hands, symbolizing the sun's course through the heavens.
In Buddhism, the lotus represents the Buddha's tongue and the purification of body, speech and mind.
The Buddhist lotus flower is described as having four, eight, sixteen, twenty-four, thirty-two, sixty-four, one hundred or one thousand petals. These numbers correspond symbolically to the lotuses or inner chakras of the subtle body and to the numerical components of the mandala. As a portable attribute, the lotus is generally pink or light red in color, with eight or sixteen petals. Lotus flowers can also be colored in white, yellow, gold, blue and black. The white or "edible" lotus is an attribute of Sikhin Buddha, and a sixteen-petaled white utpala lotus is held by White Tara. It is the symbol of mental and spiritual purity. The yellow and golden lotuses are generally known as padma, and the more common red or pink lotus is generally identified as kamala. The Sanskrit term utpala is specifically identified with the blue or black "night lotus", but its transliterated Tibetan equivalent can be applied to any lotus color.
The lotus flower is considered a major symbol of Zen Buddhism.
5. The right-turning conch shell
The white conch shell, which spirals clockwise to the right, is an ancient Indian attribute of the heroic gods, whose powerful conch horns proclaimed their valour and victories in war. Indeed, the conch has been used in many countries as a traditional battle horn.
As a war horn, the conch is akin to the modern bugle as an emblem of power, authority and sovereignty. Its ominous blast is said to banish evil spirits, avert natural disasters and frighten off harmful creatures.
Ancient Hinduism classified the conch into genus varieties, with the bulbous conch with a thicker shell being the male or purusha, and the thin conch with a thinner shell being the female or shankhini. The Hindu division into four castes was also applied: with the smooth white conch representing the priestly or brahmin caste, the red conch the warrior or kshatriya caste, the yellow conch the merchant or vaishya caste, and the dull gray conch the worker or shudra. caste.
A further division has been made between the common conch shell, which naturally spirals to the left and is known as vamavarta; and the rarer straight-spiraling conch, known as dakshinavarta and considered most suitable for ritual use.
The tip of the conch shell is sawn off to form a mouthpiece, and the straight spiral wind passage thus created acoustically symbolizes the true or "straight" proclamation of dharma.
Brahmanism adopted the heroic conch shell as a ritual symbol of religious sovereignty. Early Buddhists also adopted it as an emblem of the supremacy of the Buddha's teachings. Here, the conch symbolizes his fearlessness in proclaiming the truth of the dharma, and his call to awaken and work for the good of others. One of the thirty-two major signs of the Buddha's body is his deep, resonant, conch-like voice, which resonates in all ten directions of space. Iconographically, the three curved conch-shaped lines on his throat represent this sign.
As one of the eight auspicious symbols, the white conch is usually depicted vertically, often with a silk ribbon threaded through its lower end. Its straight spiral is indicated by the curve and opening of its mouth, turned to the right. The conch may also appear as a horizontally positioned receptacle for aromatic liquids or perfumes. As a hand-held attribute, symbolizing the proclamation of Buddhadharma as an aspect of speech, the conch is generally held in the deities' left "wisdom" hand.
6. Buddhist symbol of wisdom and happiness: the endless knot
The Sanskrit term shrivatsa means "beloved of Shri". Shri refers to the goddess Lakshmi, Vishnu's consort, and the shrivatsa is an auspicious mark or curl of hair that adorns Vishnu's chest. Lakshmi's insignia on Vishnu's chest represents the devotion in his heart for his wife, and since Lakshmi is the goddess of wealth and good fortune, the shrivatsa forms a natural auspicious symbol. The shrivatsa either takes the form of a triangular swirl, or a vertical diamond with loops at its four intercardinal corners. Krishna, as the eighth incarnation of Vishnu, also wears the shrivatsa in the center of his chest.
Another name given to this hair curl is nandyavarta, meaning "curl of happiness", and it is shaped like a Swastika or a Greek hooked cross. Indian and Chinese depictions of the Buddha frequently show the nandyavarta or Swastika on his chest as a symbol of his enlightened mind. Another possible derivation of both the endless knot and the swastika came from the S-shaped markings on the hood of the cobra. This gave rise to the naga-yantra, where two or more entwined snakes form an endless knot or yantra. The endless knot or granthi also appears on the clay seals of the first Indus Valley civilization (circa 2500 B.C.). In its final evolution as a geometric Buddhist symbol, the eternal knot or "lucky diagram", which is described as "turning like a swastika", was identified with the shrivatsa-svastika, since these parallel symbols were common to most early Indian astamangala traditions.
The eternal, endless or mystical knot is common to many ancient traditions and became particularly innovative in Islamic and Celtic conceptions. In China, it is a symbol of longevity, continuity, love and harmony. As a symbol of the Buddha mind, the eternal knot represents the Buddha's infinite wisdom and compassion. As a symbol of the Buddha's teachings, it represents the continuity of the "twelve links of dependent origin", which underpins the reality of cyclical existence. The interweaving of lines in the eternal knot thus symbolizes the way in which everything is connected.
The "endless knot" or "eternal knot" represents the interweaving of wisdom and compassion; it represents the mutual dependence of religious doctrine and secular affairs.
7. Victory banner
The dhvaja, meaning banner, flag or ensign, was originally a military standard of ancient Indian warfare. This standard adorned the rear of a great warrior's chariot and was mounted behind the great parasol, or royal parasol. Each standard bore the specific insignia of its champion or king. Krishna's chariot was adorned with a banner surmounted by a garuda. Arjuna wore the device of a monkey. Bhisma's was emblazoned with a palm tree. But the dhvaja was above all the ensign of Shiva, the great god of death and destruction, whose banner was surmounted by a trident. This trident symbolized Shiva's victory over the three worlds, or "three cities", which were located above, on and below the earth.
In Indian warfare, the military banner often took on horrific forms designed to strike terror into the enemy. The impaled head and flayed skin of an enemy or victim was one such gruesome emblem. The heads and skins of ferocious animals, particularly tigers, crocodiles, wolves and bulls, were commonly used. Large effigies were also fashioned of other frightening creatures, such as the scorpion, snake, vulture, crow and garuda.
In Tibetan tradition, a list of eleven different forms of the victory banner is given to represent eleven specific methods of overcoming defilement. Many variations of the banner design can be seen on the roofs of monasteries and temples, where four banners are usually placed at the corners of the roof to symbolize the Buddha's victory over the four maras (tempting spirits or demonic gods).
In its most traditional form, the victory banner is designed as a cylindrical sign mounted on a long wooden axle pole. The top of the banner takes the form of a small white parasol, topped by a central wish-granting jewel. This domed parasol is bordered by an ornate gold crest bar with makara-tailed ends, from which hangs a puffed yellow or white silk scarf. The cylindrical body of the banner is draped with overlapping vertical layers of multicolored silk valances and hanging jewels. An inflated silk apron with flowing ribbons adorns its base. The upper part of the cylinder is often adorned with a tiger-skin frieze, symbolizing the Buddha's victory over all anger and aggression. As a portable sign, the victory banner is an attribute of many deities, particularly those associated with wealth and power, such as Vaishravana, the great guardian king of the north.
8. The Buddhist symbol of the eight-spoked wheel
The wheel is one of India's earliest solar symbols of sovereignty, protection and creation. The wheel or chakra is the main attribute of the Vedic god of preservation, Vishnu, whose fire Sudarshana-chakra or six-rayed disc represents the wheel of the phenomenal universe. The wheel represents movement, continuity and change, turning forever like the circular sphere of the heavens. As a weapon, the unmounted chakra had six, eight, ten, twelve or eighteen sharp blades and could be thrown like a disc or swung on a rope. The wooden wheels of India's ancient chariot similarly carried an equal number of spokes.
Buddhism adopted the wheel as the main emblem of the "revolving" chakravartin or "universal monarch", identifying this wheel as the dharmachakra or " dharma wheel " of the Buddha's teachings. The Tibetan term for dharmachakra literally means " wheel of transformation " or spiritual awakening. The rapid movement of the wheel represents the rapid spiritual transformation revealed in the Buddha's teachings. The wheel's comparison with the rotating weapon of the chakravartin represents its ability to cut through all obstacles and illusions. The Buddha's first discourse, in which he first taught the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Noble Path, is known as his "first turn of the dharma wheel".
The wheel's three components - hub, spokes and rim - symbolize the three aspects of the Buddhist teachings on ethics, wisdom and concentration. The central core represents ethical discipline, which centers and stabilizes the mind. The pointed spokes represent wisdom or discriminating awareness, which cuts through ignorance. The rim represents meditative concentration, which both encompasses and facilitates the movement of the wheel. A wheel with a thousand spokes, emanating like the rays of the sun, represents the thousand activities and teachings of the Buddhas. An eight-spoked wheel symbolizes the Buddha's Eightfold Noble Path and the transmission of these teachings to the eight directions.
The auspicious wheel is traditionally represented with eight vajra-like spokes and a central hub with three or four rotating "joy vortices", winding outwards like a Chinese yin-yang symbol.
When three whirlpools are depicted in the central hub, they represent the three jewels of Buddha, dharma and sangha, and victory over the three poisons of ignorance, desire and aversion.
When four whirlpools are depicted, they are usually colored to correspond to the four directions and elements, and symbolize the Buddha's teachings on the Four Noble Truths. The wheel rim can be represented as a simple circular ring, often with small circular gold embellishments extending towards the eight directions. Alternatively, it can be represented in an ornate pear-shaped frame, which is fashioned from gold scroll ornaments with inlaid jewels. A silk ribbon is often draped behind the edge of the wheel, and the bottom of the wheel usually rests on a small lotus base.
Meaning of other Buddhist and Tibetan symbols
Enso
You've seen it somewhere before, that's for sure: that circle that looks like it's been drawn by hand.
It's the ensō ("circle", in Japanese), symbol of emptiness and completion in Zen Buddhism. It comes from the Chinese Taoist symbol wu, via Zen's ancestors in Chinese Chan Buddhism, then Korean Son Buddhism.
The shape of the ensō varies according to the monk tracing it and the meaning you wish to give it: cosmos, change, emptiness of time and space, calm, movement. An artistic exercise, tracing is also a religious practice, a revelation of the awakened mind.
The Buddhist symbol or mantra Om
Om maṇi padmé hum, sometimes followed by a seventh syllable, having the diminutive maṇi, is one of Buddhism's most famous mantras.
A mystical syllable, it is also called the mantra of great compassion and is considered important in Tibetan Buddhism, and has been popularized in Tibet.
I have dedicated a full article to the symbol Om̐ / Aum.
How to use the eight auspicious symbols in your life
There are many ways to use the Ashtamangala in your own life. Here are a few suggestions:
- Display the symbols in your home or office to create a positive, auspicious environment. The printed canvas is an excellent medium for radiating beautiful, positive energies into your home.
- Use them as a tool for your meditation and visualization practices.
- Wear them as jewelry or talismans.
- Give them as gifts to loved ones.
The final word
The Buddha taught wisdom through his own experience. He practiced meditation, and entered into silence, immobility and calm. Many images came to him, and like the water lily or the lotus, he managed to cross the water of influences by extinguishing everything that appeared within him. The Buddha just wanted to be a stone, a body, without putting anything of himself, of the mortal self, into it. He aspired to enter immensity. Through meditation, he reached a state of awakening and saw that there was nothing. So he said: "There is nothing. Nirvana is when everything is extinguished".
There are many Buddhist symbols and objects. Each symbol is a microcosm, a total world that cannot be grasped in its entirety (insofar as it can only be grasped from the outside).
The 8 auspicious symbols are a powerful reminder of the Buddha's teachings and his path to enlightenment. By using these Buddhist symbols in your own life, you can create positive energy and good fortune for yourself and others.
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Sources:
The Handbook of Tibetan Buddhist Symbols
Healthy mind in a healthy body: regaining balance
Flower of Life Mandala: a daily Art of living
Can sacred geometry hack the matrix?
Spiritual Alchemy: the keys to inner transmutation
Cymatics: when sound reveals the geometry of the universe
