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Ashtamangala

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Ashtamangala: first row (left to right): parasol, pair of golden fish, conch; second row: treasure vase, lotus; Last row: infinite knot, victory banner and wheel.

TheAshtamangala(Sanskrit:अष्टमङ्गल,romanized:Aṣṭamaṅgala) is a sacred suite ofEight Auspicious Signsfeatured in a number ofIndian religionssuch asHinduism,Jainism,andBuddhism.The symbols or "symbolic attributes" (Tibetan:ཕྱག་མཚན་,THL:chaktsen) areyidamand teaching tools. Not only do these attributes (or energetic signatures) point to qualities of enlightenedmindstream,but they are the investiture that ornaments these enlightened "qualities" (Sanskrit:guṇa;Tibetan:ཡོན་ཏན་,THL:yönten). Many cultural enumerations and variations of the Ashtamangala are extant.

Carved wooden door with 8 auspicious signs (Ashtamangala) in Nepal

Buddhism

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Groupings of eight auspicious symbols were originally used in India at ceremonies such as an investiture or coronation of a king. An early grouping of symbols included:throne,swastika,handprint, hookedknot,vase of jewels,water libation flask, pair of fishes, lidded bowl. In Buddhism, these eight symbols of good fortune represent the offerings made by the gods toShakyamuni Buddhaimmediately after he gained enlightenment.[1]

Tibetan Buddhistsmake use of a particular set of eight auspicious symbols,ashtamangala,in household and public art. Some common interpretations are given along with each symbol although different teachers may give different interpretations:

Conch

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Śaṅkha
Auspicious symbol – conchRewalsar

The right-turning whiteconchshell (Sanskrit:śaṅkha;Tibetan:དུང་དཀར་གཡས་འཁྱིལ་,THL:dungkar yénkhyil) represents the beautiful, deep, melodious, interpenetrating and pervasive sound of thedharma,which awakens disciples from the deep slumber of ignorance and urges them to accomplish their own welfare for the welfare of others.

The conch shell is thought to have been the original horn-trumpet; ancient Indian mythical epics relate heroes carrying conch shells. The Indian god Vishnu is also described as having a conch shell as one of his main emblems; his shell bore the name Panchajanya meaning "having control over the five classes of beings".[1]

Endless knot

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Endless knot

Theendless knot(Sanskrit:śrīvatsa;Tibetan:དཔལ་བེའུ་,THL:pelbeu)[2]denotes "the auspicious mark represented by a curled noose emblematic of love".[3]It is a symbol of the ultimate unity of everything.[4]Moreover, it represents the intertwining of wisdom and compassion, the mutual dependence of religious doctrine and secular affairs, the union of wisdom and method, the inseparability ofśūnyatā"emptiness" andpratītyasamutpāda"interdependent origination", and the union ofwisdomandcompassionin enlightenment (seenamkha). This knot, net or web metaphor also conveys the Buddhist teaching ofinterpenetration.[citation needed].It is also an attribute of the godVishnu,which is said to be engraved on his chest. A similar engraving of theShrivatsaon the historicalGautama Buddha's chest is mentioned in some lists of thePhysical characteristics of the Buddha.

Pair of golden fish

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Pair of golden fish
Auspicious symbol. Two Golden Fish. Likir Monastery, Ladakh

The two golden fish (Sanskrit:gaurmatsya;Tibetan:གསེར་ཉ་,THL:sernya[5]) symbolise the auspiciousness of allsentient beingsin a state of fearlessness without danger of drowning in saṃsāra.[citation needed]The two golden fishes are linked with theGangesandYamunanadi,pranaandcarp:

The two fishes originally represented the two main sacred rivers of India – the Ganges and Yamuna. These rivers are associated with the lunar and solar channels, which originate in the nostrils and carry the alternating rhythms of breath or prana. They have religious significance in Hindu, Jain and Buddhist traditions but also in Christianity (the sign of the fish, the feeding of the five thousand). In Buddhism, the fish symbolize happiness as they have complete freedom of movement in the water. They represent fertility and abundance. Often drawn in the form of carp, which are regarded in the Orient as sacred on account of their elegant beauty, size, and life-span.[1]

Lotus

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The lotus flower, orpadma.
Auspicious symbol. Lotus – Padma.Likir Monastery.

Thelotus flower(Sanskrit:padma;Tibetan:པདྨ,THL:péma) represents the primordial purity ofbody, speech, and mind,floating above the muddy waters ofattachmentand desire. The lotus symbolizes purity and renunciation. Although the lotus has its roots in the mud at the bottom of a pond, its flower lies immaculate above the water. The Buddhist lotus bloom has 4, 8, 16, 24, 32, 64, 100, or 1,000 petals. The same figures can refer to the body's 'internal lotuses', that is to say, its energy centres (chakra).[6][7]

Parasol

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Jewelled parasol
Auspicious symbol - Parasol.Rewalsar.

The jewelled parasol (Sanskrit:chatraratna;Tibetan:རིན་ཆེན་གདུགས་,THL:rinchenduk[3]), which is similar in ritual function to thebaldachinorcanopy:represents the protection of beings from harmful forces and illness. It represents the canopy orfirmamentof the sky and therefore the expansiveness and unfolding ofspaceand the elementæther.It represents the expansiveness, unfolding and protective quality of thesahasrara:all takerefugein the dharma under the auspiciousness of the parasol.

Vase

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Treasure vase
Auspicious symbol – Vase.Rewalsar.

Thetreasure vase(Tibetan:གཏེར་ཆེན་པོའི་བུམ་པ་,THL:terchenpo'i bumpa) represents health, longevity, wealth, prosperity, wisdom and the phenomenon of space. The treasure vase, or pot, symbolizes the Buddha's infinite quality of teaching the dharma: no matter how many teachings he shared, the treasure never lessened.[8]

The iconography representation of the treasure vase is often very similar to thekumbha,one of the few possessions permitted abhikkhuorbhikkhuniinTheravada Buddhism.The wisdom urn or treasure vase is used in manyempowerment (Vajrayana)and initiations.[citation needed]

Dharmachakra

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Thedharmachakra

TheDharmachakraor"Wheel of the Law"(Sanskrit;Tibetan:ཆོས་ཀྱི་འཁོར་ལོ་,THL:chö kyi khorlo) representsGautama Buddhaand the Dharma teaching. This symbol is commonly used by Tibetan Buddhists, where it sometimes also includes an inner wheel of theGankyil(Tibetan).Nepalese Buddhistsdo not use the Wheel of Law in the eight auspicious symbols.

Instead of the Dharmachakra, afly-whiskmay be used as one of the Ashtamangala to symbolize Tantric manifestations. It is made of ayak's tail attached to a silver staff, and used in ritual recitation and during fanning the deities inpujas.Prayer wheelstake the form of a Dharmachakra guise.

Victory banner

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Dhvaja
Auspicious symbol – Victory Banner.Likir Monastery.
Four auspicious symbols.Mandi.
Auspicious symbols.Mandi.

Thedhvaja(Sanskrit;Tibetan:རྒྱལ་མཚན་,THL:gyeltsen) "banner, flag" was a military standard of ancient Indian warfare. The symbol represents the Buddha's victory over the fourmāras,or hindrances in the path of enlightenment. These hindrances are pride, desire, disturbing emotions, and the fear of death. Within the Tibetan tradition, a list of eleven different forms of the victory banner is given to represent eleven specific methods for overcoming defilement. Many variations of the dhvaja's design can be seen on the roofs of Tibetan monasteries to symbolise the Buddha's victory over four māras. Banners are placed at the four corners of monastery and temple roofs. The cylindrical banners placed on monastery roofs are often made of beaten copper.[9]

Sequences of symbols

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Different traditions order the eight symbols differently.

Here is the sequential order of the Eight Auspicious Symbols ofNepali Buddhism:

  1. Endless knot
  2. Lotus flower
  3. Dhvaja
  4. Dharmachakra (fly-whisk in Nepali Buddhism)
  5. Bumpa
  6. Golden Fish
  7. Parasol
  8. Conch

The sequential order forChinese Buddhismwas defined[10]in theQing dynastyas:

  1. Dharmachakra
  2. Conch
  3. Dhvaja
  4. Parasol
  5. Lotus flower
  6. Bumpa
  7. Golden Fish
  8. Endless knot

Hinduism

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InIndianand Hindu tradition,[11]the Ashtamangala may be used during certain occasions including:pujas,weddings(of Hindus), andcoronations.The ashtamangala finds wide mention in the texts associated withHinduism,Buddhism,andJainism.They have been depicted in decorativemotifsand cultural artifacts.

  • TheHindutradition[clarification needed]lists them as:
  • TheHindutradition[clarification needed]lists them as:
  • The list also differs depending on the place, region, and the social groups.[further explanation needed]

Jainism

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Adinath image with Ashtamangala placed in front of it, according to Digambara tradition
Ashtamangala, according to Svetambara tradition, on Jain manuscript cover,LACMAM.72.53.22
(from left):Swastika,Vardhmanaka (food vessel), Pair of fish,Kalasha(pot), Bhadrasana (seat),Srivatsa,Nandavarta,Darpan (mirror)

InJainism,theAshtamangalaare a set of eight auspicious symbols.[13]There is some variation among different traditions concerning the eight symbols.[14]

In theDigambaratradition, the eight symbols are:

  1. Parasol
  2. Dhvaja
  3. Kalasha
  4. Chamara
  5. Mirror
  6. Chair
  7. Hand fan
  8. Vessel

In theŚvētāmbaratradition, the eight symbols are:

  1. Swastika
  2. Srivatsa
  3. Nandavarta
  4. Vardhmanaka (food vessel)
  5. Bhadrasana (seat)
  6. Kalasha(pot)
  7. Darpana (mirror)
  8. Pair of fish

See also

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References

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Citations

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  1. ^abcSource:[1](accessed: January 18, 2008)Archived13 January 2008 at theWayback Machine
  2. ^Source:Dpal be'u
  3. ^abSarat Chandra Das (1902).Tibetan-English Dictionary with Sanskrit Synonyms.Calcutta, India: mainly used in buddhismBengal Secretariat Book Depot, p.69
  4. ^Hyytiäinen, Tiina (2008). "The Eight Auspicious Symbols". In Saloniemi, Marjo-Riitta (ed.).Tibet: A Culture in Transition.Vapriikki. p. 198.ISBN978-951-609-377-5.
  5. ^Source:gser nya
  6. ^Hyytiäinen, Tiina (2008). "The Eight Auspicious Symbols". In Saloniemi, Marjo-Riitta (ed.).Tibet: A Culture in Transition.Vapriikki. p. 197.ISBN978-951-609-377-5.
  7. ^Powers, John (2007).Introduction to Tibetan Buddhism: revised edition.Snow Lion Publications. p. 23.ISBN978-1-55939-282-2.
  8. ^Hyytiäinen, Tiina (2008). "The Eight Auspicious Symbols". In Saloniemi, Marjo-Riitta (ed.).Tibet: A Culture in Transition.Vapriikki. p. 196.ISBN978-951-609-377-5.
  9. ^Hyytiäinen, Tiina (2008). "The Eight Auspicious Symbols". In Saloniemi, Marjo-Riitta (ed.).Tibet: A Culture in Transition.Vapriikki. pp. 198–199.ISBN978-951-609-377-5.
  10. ^Zhou Lili. "A Summary of Porcelains' Religious and Auspicious Designs."The Bulletin of the Shanghai Museum 7(1996), p.133
  11. ^Dictionary of Hindu Lore and Legend (ISBN0-500-51088-1) by Anna Dallapiccola
  12. ^Gopal, Madan (1990). K.S. Gautam (ed.).India through the ages.Publication Division, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India. p.70.
  13. ^Vyas 1995,p. 20.
  14. ^Titze & Bruhn 1998,p. 234.

Sources

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