Buddhism is one of the most important religions in the world, with a wide range of influence and profound historical origins. As a Buddhist or someone who is interested in Buddhism, it is essential to understand the basic common sense of Buddhism in order to understand Buddhist thought and practice. Here are 10 Auspicious Symbols of Buddhism and Meaning, I hope they will be helpful to you.
About Buddhism
Buddhism originated in ancient India in the 6th to 5th century BC. It was founded by Siddhartha Gautama, the prince of the Sakya clan of Kapilavastu. Buddhism was introduced to China around the 1st century BC. Buddhism is divided into two types: Northern Buddhism and Southern Buddhism. Northern Buddhism is Mahayana Buddhism. It is mainly popular in India, China, Japan, Korea, Vietnam and other countries. Southern Buddhism is Hinayana Buddhism, which is mainly popular in Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia and other countries.
Although Buddhism in different countries has its own local and ethnic characteristics due to different regions, they all share the nine common symbols of Buddha.
10 Symbols of Buddhism and Meaning
All the major religions in the world have their own symbolic objects or symbols to express their central ideas. Buddhism also uses many symbols. Each symbol has its specific origin and specific symbolic meaning. below is the 10 Auspicious Symbols of Buddhism and Meaning.
1. Dharma Wheel
The Dharma Wheel is the most representative Buddhist symbol among many symbols. It is also the symbol of the teachings of the Buddha. The so-called “wheel” here was originally a chariot in ancient India. It is said that this chariot can sweep away enemies on the battlefield, which shows its great power.
Buddhism uses its meanings of destruction and perfection to symbolize the significance of the Buddha’s teachings:
- Destroying the troubles of sentient beings;
- Turning without stopping, not staying in one person or one place;
- Perfect and flawless.
Therefore, Buddhism calls the spread of the Dharma “turning the Dharma Wheel”, which means turning the Dharma Wheel of Truth. To this day, the Dharma Wheel is still often used to symbolize Buddhism. There is a Dharma Wheel pattern in the new Indian national flag.
2. Stupa
Stupa, in Sanskrit, was originally a tomb building for the purpose of enshrining the remains of Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, ancestors, and eminent monks for worship. Now it has become a symbol of Buddhism. The history of pagoda construction can be traced back to the Buddha.
Legend has it that after the Buddha’s Nirvana, his beard, hair, and relics were collected by the king and his ministers, and a pagoda was built for worship. According to Buddhist scriptures, there are three meanings for building a pagoda: one is to show human victory, the second is to inspire faith, and the third is to repay gratitude.
Later generations of Buddhists also followed this practice and built various pagodas to treasure the relics or scriptures of great monks. Over time, pagoda-style buildings have become a typical symbol of Buddhist architecture.
3. Lotus Flower
The lotus has the qualities of being unstained by mud, and has the four virtues of being fragrant, clean, soft, and lovely. Therefore, Buddhism often uses the lotus to describe the purity of the Dharma Realm. The wonderful fragrance of the lotus is widespread, which makes those who see and hear it happy and auspicious.
Therefore, most Buddhas and Bodhisattvas use lotus as their seats. For example, Amitabha Buddha, the Lord of the Western Paradise, and the compassionate Guanyin Bodhisattva both sit on precious lotus flowers. In Tantric Buddhism, the lotus is often used to describe the human heart, representing the original heart lotus of all living beings. The lotus has always been cherished by Buddhists.
4. Bodhi Tree
This is a symbol of the ideal state of “awakening” and “enlightenment” in Buddhism. In the history of Buddhism, it is said that Sakyamuni Buddha attained enlightenment under this tree and attained the right path. Therefore, the Bodhi tree is regarded as a sacred tree by Buddhists, and many temples still plant this tree today.
5. Mandala
It is a pattern painted with the Buddha sitting on the Vajra Seat or the Bodhi Seat and attaining enlightenment, which is used to express the Mahayana Buddhist idea that “one is everything, everything is one”. In the general sense, mandala means “place of practice”.
But in Tantric Buddhism, mandala has many symbolic meanings: the realm of Buddha’s enlightenment; the realm of visualization; the use of images to depict the arrangement of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas as the object of visualization when practicing Tantric Buddhism.
6. Parasol
The precious umbrella was first used in India as a symbol of power and the royal class. It is the symbol and protective umbrella of the Indian royal family. The precious umbrella is held above the head, which naturally symbolizes honor, identity and respect. Extended to religious concepts, it means “protection and freedom from defilement” (in Buddhist teachings, “defilement” refers to the root of restless mind and evil karma).
The shadow under the umbrella represents protection from the hot sun, and the coolness symbolizes protection from desire, obstacles, disease and evil forces. As a symbol of royal or secular wealth, the more umbrellas held by the attendants in the ceremonial guard, the higher their social status. The king can hold 13 umbrellas, and early Indian Buddhists regarded the number “13” as a symbol of the power of the Buddha in his incarnation as a wheel-turning king. 13 umbrella wheels form the conical spires of various stupas. The stupas record the main events in the life of the Buddha or are used to house his relics. This custom was later used in the design of all Tibetan Buddhist stupas.
The dome of the umbrella represents wisdom, and the hanging silk curtains symbolize various methods of compassion or skillful means. White or yellow umbrellas are symbols of supreme religious power, while secular dignitaries use umbrellas woven from peacock feathers to reflect their authority.
Among the eight auspicious symbols, the parasol represents a positive spiritual force, and like the other symbols, its meaning has shifted from secular to religious spiritual realms. The parasol presented to the Buddha symbolizes his protection of sentient beings from temptation and overcoming fear.
7. Rosary
The rosary is one of the Buddhist objects used by Buddhists to count when chanting the Buddha’s name and mantras. It has now become a common symbol of Buddhist identity. The number of beads on the rosary varies, and the meanings it represents are also different. For example, 108 rosary beads symbolize the treatment of 108 kinds of troubles. Most believers use 18 beads, which are called Arhat beads.
8. Six-color flag
According to Buddhist scriptures, when Sakyamuni Buddha attained enlightenment, his body emitted red, yellow, orange, white, blue and a mixture of five colors. Based on this common belief in the Buddhist community, the Second Conference of the World Buddhist Association held in Japan in 1952 decided to use the six-color flag as the world’s Buddhist flag in the future. Today, the six-color flag has become a major symbol of Buddhist faith.
9. A Pair of Golden Fish
As early as the 3rd century AD, “A Pair of Golden Fish” appeared on clay containers. “Double fishes” originally represented the two holy rivers in ancient India: the Ganges and the Jumunas. The two rivers also represent the yin and yang meridians or channels as symbolic symbols.
The auspicious symbol of “goldfish” is very common in Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism. In Eastern traditions, “goldfish” is regarded as a sacred fish because it is associated with certain compassionate gods.
Because they swim freely in the water, in India, “goldfish” also represents freedom and comfort without being bound by caste system and status, and represents good luck. And because they reproduce quickly, in the world’s understanding, “goldfish” also represents many children and grandchildren. In Tibetan Buddhism, “goldfish” represents spiritual autonomy.
In the Ganden Dagyeling Monastery Ritual Sutra, there is the following text about goldfish: “They emerge from the sea with their all-knowing wisdom eyes and swim in the altruistic water, symbolizing the combination of convenience and wisdom. Their golden eyes represent mutual benefit (altruism and self-interest), and they wave their fins to cover the surroundings. May the auspicious goldfish bless the ten directions.”
10. A Vase
The treasure vase is mainly a symbol of the god of wealth, and the gods of wealth include the god of treasure, the god of hearing (the god of the north in Buddhist scriptures) and the goddess of wealth (also known as the “goddess of wealth”, the name of the Buddhist tantric deity who bestows wealth and accomplishment). The treasure vase often appears as a vessel at the feet of these gods of wealth. One of the incarnations of the goddess of wealth is standing on a pair of treasure vases, which continuously spray out jewels. No matter how many jewels are taken from the vases, the vases are always full of jewels.
The typical Tibetan vase is painted as an extremely gorgeous golden vase with lotus petals scattered all over its parts. A wish-fulfilling jewel or a triple gemstone is used as the top decoration, symbolizing the Three Treasures of Buddha, Dharma and Sangha.
The great treasure vase described in the Buddhist mandala is made of gold, decorated with a large number of rare treasures, with a piece of silk from the divine realm tied to the neck of the bottle, and a wish-fulfilling tree on the top, the roots of which are soaked in longevity water, and all kinds of magical jewels grow on the roots.
Conclusion
The above are 10 Auspicious Symbols of Buddhism and Meaning, which cover many aspects of Buddhism, such as basic concepts, practice methods and cultural heritage. Buddhism is a profound and extensive religious system. Understanding Buddhist Symbols will help us better understand Buddhist thoughts and practices. I hope these symbols of Buddhism can help you better understand Buddhism and explore the meaning and value of life.
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