Let’s see in this article the representation of the Buddhist Symbols, where they are used and what are the origins of their meanings.
Buddhist architecture
Buddhist Symbols in the Tibetan Tradition
Buddhism is a religion and philosophy that encompasses a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha.
1. Concept of Buddhist Symbols
Buddhist symbols are the methods of Buddhist art to personify some characters of the dharma, which it undertook in the 4th century BC. Anthropomorphic symbolism emerged around the 1st century AD with the techniques of Mathura, the Greco-Buddhist art of Gandhara, and merged with the earlier symbols. Several symbolic innovations were introduced later, especially through Tibetan Buddhism.
2. Wheel of Dharma
The Dharma wheel is one of the most important Buddhist religious symbols. It symbolizes the Buddha’s turning of the Wheel of Truth or the Law. The wheel refers to the story that shortly after the Buddha attained enlightenment, Brahma came down from heaven and asked the Buddha to teach him by offering him a Dharmachakra.
The eight spokes of the wheel symbolize the Noble Eightfold Path set forth by the Buddha in his teachings.
The wheel also represents the endless cycle of samsara, or rebirth, which can only be escaped through the Buddha’s teachings. And some Buddhists consider the three basic parts of the wheel as symbols of the “three trainings” in Buddhist practice: the center symbolizes moral discipline, which stabilizes the mind.
The spokes (there are usually eight) represent the wisdom that is applied to overcome ignorance. The border represents the training in concentration, which holds everything else together.
3. Buddhist symbols
In the early centuries of Buddhism, Buddha statues were not used. Instead, Buddhist art consisted of images symbolizing the Buddha and his teachings, such as the lotus, the Wheel of the Law, the Bodhi tree and the Buddha’s footprints.
Over time, the Buddha image became one of the most popular representations of Buddhism, but these early symbols remain important and are often used to this day. They are especially important in Theravada Buddhist countries such as Sri Lanka and Thailand.
As Buddhism spread, Buddhist symbolism was enriched by the cultures with which it came into contact. This is especially true of Buddhism in Tibet, which has developed a rich symbolic tradition. The central symbols of Tibetan Buddhism are the Eight Auspicious Symbols, known in Sanskrit as Ashtamangala (ashta means eight and mangala means auspicious).
Popularity of Buddhist symbols
The Eight Auspicious Buddhist Symbols are printed on Tibetan prayer flags, incorporated into mandalas and thangkas, and used in other forms of ritual art. Another important symbol is the Wheel of Life, a symbolic representation of the universe as understood by Tibetan Buddhists.
Other important types of symbolism in Buddhism include colors, especially the five colors of white, yellow, red, blue and green, and symbolic hand gestures called mudras. The articles in this section explore these Buddhist symbols, providing information on their history, meaning and use in Buddhism today.
4. Early Buddhist symbols
Initially a primitive symbol such as the Dharma Wheel only signified kingship (Chakravartin), but it began to be used in a Buddhist context in the Ashoka Pillars during the 3rd century BC. The Dharma Wheel is generally considered to be the historical teaching process of Buddhism, the eight spokes referring to the Noble Eightfold Path.
Other early symbols include the monks’ begging bowl and the trishula, a symbol used from around the 2nd century BC, which combines the lotus, the vajra (diamond) and a symbolization of the triratna or “three jewels”: Buddha, dharma and sangha. The lion, the riderless horse and also the deer were also used in early Buddhist iconography.
Buddhist Symbols and the Buddha’s teachings
The Buddha’s teachings are known as the “Lion’s Roar” in the sutras, indicative of his power and nobility. The riderless horse represents renunciation and the deer represent Buddhist disciples, as did the Buddha in his first sermon in the Varanasi deer park.
The swastika was traditionally used in India by Buddhists and Hindus to represent good fortune. In East Asia, the swastika is often used as a general symbol of Buddhism. Swastikas used in this context can be left or right facing.
Early Buddhism did not portray the Buddha himself, but used an empty throne and the Bodhi tree to represent the Buddha and thus may have leaned toward anonymity. The first hint of a human representation in Buddhist symbolism appears with the Buddha’s footprint and full representations were influenced by Greco-Buddhist art.
5. Buddhist symbols, the Theravada
In Theravada, Buddhist art remained strictly in the realm of representation and historical significance. Reminders of the Buddha, cetiya, were divided into relic, spatial and representational monuments.
Although the Buddha was not depicted in human form until around the first century, the physical characteristics of the Buddha are described in one of the central texts of the traditional Pali Canon, the Digha Nikaya, in the discourse entitled “Sutra of the Marks.”
These characteristics comprise 32 signs, “The 32 Signs of a Great Man” (Pali: Lakkhaṇa Mahāpurisa 32), and were supplemented by eighty other secondary characteristics.
6. Buddhist symbols, the Mahayana.
Lotus flower on a temple bell. The lotus represents purity of body, speech and mind as if floating on the murky waters of attachment and desire.
7. Mahayana Buddhist Symbols: astamangala
In the Mahayana schools, Buddhist figures and sacred objects were inclined towards an esoteric and symbolic meaning. Mudras are a series of symbolic hand gestures that describe the actions of the characters depicted only in the most interesting Buddhist art. Many images also function as mandalas.
Mahayana and Vajrayana Buddhist art often uses a particular set of “eight auspicious symbols” (Sanskrit aṣṭamaṅgala, Chinese; pinyin: Ba jixiang), in domestic and public art.
These symbols have developed along with Buddhism and the art of various cultures, involving Nepalese, Tibetan, Indian and Chinese art.
The eight astamangala symbols
- The wheel. Personifying nobility, and defense from the elements.
- The parasol. Symbolizing the ideologies of Buddha.
- Treasure vessel. Symbolizing inexhaustible wealth and treasure.
- Lotus flower. Personifying enlightenment and purity.
- The banner of victory. Embodying a victorious contest.
- The Golden Fish. Personifying conjugal well-being and liberation.
- The endless knot, or mandala. Symbolizing eternal conformity.
- Dharma Circle. Embodying understanding.
In East Asian Buddhism, the swastika is a widely used symbol of eternity. It is used to mark Buddhist temples on maps and at the beginning of Buddhist texts. Known in classical Tibetan as yungdrung (Wylie: g.Yung drung) in ancient Tibet, it was a graphic representation of eternity. In Zen, a widely used symbol is the enso, a hand-drawn circle.
8. Tibetan Buddhist architecture
There are eight types of Tibetan stupas. A viśvavajra or “double vajra” appears in the emblem of Bhutan. A central symbol of Vajrayana is the vajra, a sacred and indestructible weapon of the god Indra, associated with lightning and the hardness of diamonds. It symbolizes emptiness and therefore the indestructible nature of reality.
Other Vajrayana symbols include the ghanta (ritual bell), the bhavacakra, mandalas, the number 108 and the eyes of Buddha commonly seen in Nepalese stupas such as in Boudhanath. There are several mythical creatures used in Vajrayana as well: Snow Lion, Wind Horse, dragon, garuda and tiger.
The popular mantra “om mani padme hum” is widely used to symbolize compassion and is commonly seen inscribed on rocks, prayer wheels, stupas and art.
Tibetan Buddhist architecture is centered on the stupa, consisting of five parts representing the Mahabhuta (five elements). The base is square, representing the earth element, above which sits a dome representing water, above which is a cone representing fire, above the tip of the cone is a crescent representing air, inside the crescent is a flame representing ether.
The sixth element
The diminution of the flame to a point can also be said to represent consciousness as a sixth element. The chorten presents these elements of the body in the order of the dissolution process at the moment of death.
Tibetan temples are often three-storied. The three may represent many aspects such as the Trikaya (three aspects) of a Buddha. The story of the ground may have a statue of the historical Gautama Buddha and representations of the Earth and thus represent the nirmaṇakaya.
Busdist Temple
The first story may have Buddha and elaborate ornamentation representing overcoming the human condition and sambhogakāya The second story may have a primordial Adi-Buddha in Yab-Yum (sexual union with his female counterpart) and be unadorned representing a return to absolute reality and the “body of truth”.
9. Color in Tibetan Buddhism
The Buddha’s symbolic colors are an element of direction that has a transforming effect on the practitioners and followers of this religion.
The white color of purity, being primordial, represents an alternative system of ignorance of consciousness and reality.
- The Green color of peace, signifying protection from harm Amoghasiddhi Achieving pristine consciousness Ma.
- The Yellow color of wealth, signifies beauty Ratnasaṃbhava, pride and awareness of equality Ni.
- The color Blue of knowledge (light and dark), signifies awakening and enlightening Akṣobhya represents the anger of the air. The “mirror-like” consciousness.
The five colors (Sanskrit pañcavarṇa – white, green, yellow, blue, red) are complemented by various other colors including black and orange and gold (which is commonly associated with yellow). They are commonly used for prayer flags, as well as for visualizing deities and spiritual energy, building mandalas and painting icons of religions.
10. Buddha statues and deities
Tibetan Buddhist deities can often take on different roles and be drawn, sculpted and visualized differently according to these roles, for example, Green Tara and White Tara which are just two of the many different aspects of Tara.
In addition to these vivid colors, figures can also be colored in more naturalistic ways, such as skin in shades of pink or brown. Golden leaves and gold paint are also common. These colors help distinguish many deities that are less easy to distinguish in other branches of Buddhism.
For example, while Shakyamuni Buddha may be seen in yellow (pale) or orange and Amitabha Buddha is typically red in Vajrayana thangkas, in Chinese Buddhism it is often only the hand pose that distinguishes the two that are otherwise drawn with the same attributes.
Wrathful deities and Buddhist symbols
Representations of “wrathful deities” are often depicted in a fearsome manner, crushing their enemies, with monstrous faces and carrying mori souvenirs in the form of skulls or body parts. Such deities are depicted in this way, as great anger is sometimes required to overcome great ignorance and adharma.
As is common in Buddhism, the lotus is used in Vajrayana. A lotus may appear fully blossomed, beginning to open, or still a bud to represent teachings that have gone, are current, or are yet to come.
Avalokiteśvara is often depicted with a thousand (or, at least, many) arms to represent the many methods he uses to help all sentient beings and often has eleven heads to symbolize his compassion is directed to all sentient beings.
Vajrayana Buddhism often specifies the number of feet of a Buddha or bodhisattva. While two is common, there may also be ten, sixteen or twenty-four feet. The position of the feet/legs can also have specific meaning, as in the case of the Green Tara, which is typically depicted as sitting with legs partially crossed, but with one leg down symbolizing “immersion in the absolute, in meditation” and the willingness to step forward and help sentient beings by “engaging without in the world through compassion.”
11. Physical Attributes of the Buddhist Symbols
In the Buddhist religion, the symbolism has many attributes, qualities, characteristics, traits and singularities that are very indigenous.
Robes in different sects Symbolism
Buddhism has other symbolism that is physical and necessary for rituals such as its robes. The robes, for example, in the Theravada sect are notably different from the robes of the other sects of Buddhism. Since Theravada is the orthodox or oldest of the three sects, they have a different traditional arrangement of their Theravada robes.
They wear their robes over their shoulders, most often showing their arm and the color representing their sect. Theravada, for example, is saffron, while other sects of Buddhism (and in different countries) will have it as a different color, as well as different styles or ways of wearing it. Once Buddhism spread throughout China in the 6th century BC, it was seen as wrong to show that much skin, and that’s when robes to cover both arms with long sleeves came into play.
Other parts of China, such as Tibet, have changed over time and show both shoulders, as well as having a two-piece attire instead of one. Soon after, Japan integrated a bib along with its long-sleeved robe called koromo. This was a piece of clothing made specifically for their school of Zen they practice in Takahatsu and in which Japan’s monks wear a straw hat.
Buddhist Ritual Bell Symbolism
In all sects of Buddhism, there is a bell ringing where a Buddhist monk rings the large bronze bell signifying the beginning of the evening rituals. There are different names for each and every bell, but some examples include The Tsar’s Bell and The Good Luck Bell.
They use the bell to stop evil spirits and have the Buddha protect them at the time of their ritual. Some sects call it part of the “Mystic Law”, which is the beginning of a Buddhist ritual.
Buddhist Symbolism of Bald Monastics
Shaving the head is another act of ritual that needs to be completed before being part of Monastic Buddhism to finally attain nirvana. Shaving one’s head simply signifies that one is ready to enter this sect of Buddhism.
Another mention of the symbolism of one shaving one’s hair is simply that it is one of the rules that the Buddha gave to his disciples to stay away from ordinary life and participate fully in it.
Prayer Position Symbolism
Another form of Buddhist symbolism is the joining of their hands in prayer or at the time of ritual; Buddhists liken their fingers to the petals of the lotus flower. Bowing is another form of symbolic position in the act of ritual; when the Buddhist bows to the Buddha or to another person, he bows not to the physical (the human or the statue) but to the Buddha within him (the human) or to him (the statue).
12. Modern pan-Buddhist symbolism
Nowadays Buddhism has had an enormous apogee with some symbolic representations within many syncretized religions.
Buddhist flag
At its founding in 1952, the World Fellowship of Buddhists adopted two symbols: a traditional eight-spoked Dharma wheel and the five-colored flag that had been designed in Sri Lanka in the 1880s with the help of Henry Steel Olcott.
The six vertical bands of the flag represent the six colors of the aura that Buddhists believe emanated from the Buddha’s body when he attained Enlightenment.
