The Eight Auspicious Symbols of Vajrayana - Dharma Wheel (1/2)

The Eight Auspicious Symbols are one of the most common, yet very popular in the Vajrayana Buddhism or  Tibetan Buddhism and culture for over thousands of years.

Eight Auspicious Symbols in the Sanskrit word is  "Ashtamangala". In the Tibetan language is known as "Tashee-tag-gyay" The Eight Auspicious Symbols of Buddhism is a genre of Buddhist symbolism. The symbols derive from Indian iconography and have become especially popular in Tibetan Buddhism. 

The Eight Auspicious Symbols are traditionally offered to Lama, teachers during long life ceremonies and are used in various forms of ritual art. It is believed that each of the Tibetan symbols represents one aspect of the Buddha’s teachings and when appearing all together their powers are multiplied. 

In this fascinating study,the Eight Auspicious Symbols are as follows:-

1. Right-Coiled White Conch Shell

2. Precious Parasol 

3. Victory Banner 

4. Golden Fishes 

5. Dharma Wheel 

6. Endless Knot 

7. Lotus Flower 

8. Treasure Vase

These eight symbols of good fortune represent the offerings made by the Gods, and Brahma to Shakyamuni Buddha immediately after he attained enlightenment. 

What do the eight symbols of Buddhism mean?

In Buddhism, these eight symbols of good fortune represent the offerings made by the gods to Shakyamuni Buddha immediately.

5. Dharma Wheel (1/2)

The Dharma wheel in Tibetan is known as "kore-low". The Golden Wheel, or Dharma Wheel, symbolises the auspiciousness of the turning of the precious wheel of Buddha's doctrine, both in its teachings and realisations, in all realms and at all times, enabling beings to experience the joy of wholesome deeds and liberation.

 

This golden wheel is also called the Dharma chakra or the Dhamma chakka and is often used to represent Buddha himself. It has also universally become a symbol of Buddhism. The Dharma wheel has eight spokes, which represent Buddha’s Eightfold Path.

What is the Dharma Wheel, or Dharmachakra?

The Wheel of the Law (Dharmachakra) is the single most important symbol of Buddhism, denoting the Buddha's First Sermon in the forest at Sarnath, where he set Buddhist Law (Dharma) in motion.

The Dharma wheel, or Dharmachakra in Sanskrit, is one of the oldest symbols of Buddhism. Around the globe, it is used to represent Buddhism in the same way that a cross represents Christianity or a Star of David represents Judaism. It is also one of the Eight Auspicious Symbols of Buddhism. Similar symbols are found in Jainism and Hinduism.

Who invented Dharmachakra?

Symbolic history. When Gautama Buddha, After achieving enlightenment at Bodh Gaya, he came to Sarnath. There, he found his five disciples, Assaji, Mahanaman, Kondanna, Bhaddiya, and Vappa, who had earlier abandoned him. He introduced his first teachings to them, thereby establishing the Dharmachakra.

A traditional Dharma wheel is a chariot wheel with varying numbers of spokes. It can be any colour, although it is most often gold. At the centre, there may be three shapes swirling together: a yin-yang symbol, a second wheel, or an empty circle.

What the Dharma Wheel Represents

A Dharma wheel has three basic parts: the hub, the rim, and the spokes. Over the centuries, various teachers and traditions have proposed diverse meanings for these parts. Here are some common understandings of the wheel's symbolism:

• The circle, the round shape of the wheel, represents the perfection of the Dharma, the Buddha's teaching.
• The rim of the wheel represents meditative concentration and mindfulness, which hold practise together.
• The hub represents moral discipline. The three swirls often seen on the hub are sometimes said to represent the Three Treasures or Three Jewels: Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha. They may also represent joy. 
  
  The spokes signify different concepts, depending on their number:

• When a wheel has eight spokes, the spokes represent the Eightfold Path. An eight-spoke wheel is the most common form of the wheel in Buddhism.
• When a wheel has ten spokes, the spokes represent the ten directions—in effect, everywhere.
• When a wheel has twelve spokes, the spokes represent the Twelve Links of Dependent Origination.
• When a wheel has 24 spokes, the spokes represent the Twelve Links of Dependent Origination plus the reversing of the Twelve Links and liberation from Samsara. A 24-spoke dharma wheel is also called an Ashoka Chakra.
• When a wheel has 31 spokes, the spokes represent the 31 realms of existence in ancient Buddhist cosmology.
• When a wheel has four spokes, which is rare, the spokes represent either the Four Noble Truths or the Four Dhyanas.

The wheel often has spokes protruding beyond the wheel, which we might imagine are spikes, although usually they don't look very sharp. The spikes represent various penetrating insights.

Donations for our Buddhist research and development

Do you earnestly cherish our devoted work? Assuming this is the case, we are delighted that you are finding our blog useful and valuable. Would you consider making a donation for our Buddhist research and development?

We need your help to secure the future of scholarly interaction with Buddhism. Since our very first publication of Dharma works and activities in 2008, we have been effortlessly providing free distribution of Dharma posts and articles throughout the previous 14 years. We have exceptionally constrained support and do not receive subsidies or funding from people in general.

 

Please help us develop our Dharma activities that will not only benefit you but all Dharma readers on the planet. Please consider showing your support. Your generosity will certainly help us enhance our work and accomplish more for a better and brighter future.

 

Thank you for reading. May you find peace and great bliss. With your support, it helps to spread the Buddha’s precious teachings and turn the Dharma wheels in the world.

 

Aspiration For Bodhichitta

For those in whom the precious Bodhichitta has not arisen

May it arise and not decrease.

But increase further and further.

 

Dedication of Merit

By this merit, may we then obtain omniscience then.

Having defeated the enemies wrongdoings

May we liberate migratory from the ocean of existence.

With its stormy waves of birth, old age, sickness, and death.

 

*Note

I do not own or infringe any copyright on the picture(s).

Picture(s) courtesy and credit to the rightful distributors and/or studios

The picture(s) are intended for editorial use only.

The Eight Auspicious Symbols of Vajrayana - Golden Fishes

The Eight Auspicious Symbols are one of the most common, yet very popular in the Vajrayana Buddhism or  Tibetan Buddhism and culture for over thousands of years.

Eight Auspicious Symbols in the Sanskrit word is  "Ashtamangala". In the Tibetan language is known as "Tashee-tag-gyay" The Eight Auspicious Symbols of Buddhism is a genre of Buddhist symbolism. The symbols derive from Indian iconography and have become especially popular in Tibetan Buddhism. 

The Eight Auspicious Symbols are traditionally offered to Lama, teachers during long life ceremonies and are used in various forms of ritual art. It is believed that each of the Tibetan symbols represents one aspect of the Buddha’s teachings and when appearing all together their powers are multiplied. 

In this fascinating study,the Eight Auspicious Symbols are as follows:-

1. Right-Coiled White Conch Shell

2. Precious Parasol 

3. Victory Banner 

4. Golden Fishes 

5. Dharma Wheel 

6. Endless Knot 

7. Lotus Flower 

8. Treasure Vase

These eight symbols of good fortune represent the offerings made by the Gods, and Brahma to Shakyamuni Buddha immediately after he attained enlightenment. 

What do the eight symbols of Buddhism mean?

In Buddhism, these eight symbols of good fortune represent the offerings made by the gods to Shakyamuni Buddha immediately.

4. Golden Fishes

The two golden fish (Sanskrit: gaurmatsya; Tibetan: sernya) symbolise the auspiciousness of all sentient beings in a state of fearlessness without danger of drowning in saṃsāra. The two golden fishes are linked with the Ganges and Yamuna nadi, prana, and carp:

The pair of fish 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 symbolise 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.

What does the golden fish symbolize?

In Buddhism, the golden fishes symbolise happiness, as they have complete freedom in the water. They represent fertility and abundance, as they multiply very rapidly. Fish often swim in pairs, and in China, they represented conjugal unity and fidelity, where a pair of fishes would often be given as a wedding present.

The golden fish symbolises the auspiciousness of all living beings in a state of fearlessness, without danger of drowning in the ocean of suffering, and migrating from place to place freely and spontaneously, just as fish swim freely without fear through water.

In Tibetan Buddhism, the sea is usually associated with the world of suffering and trials. This world of suffering is called the "cycle of samsara." The symbol of these two Golden Fish represents the contentment and courage to swim across the ocean of suffering without tiring or drowning, and free of fear and anxiety. Artists usually depict these two fish as two carp fish because the carp is an elegant fish owing to its great shape, size, and longevity.  

Two Golden Fish are also the symbol of eyes for Buddha and act as a reminder to be fearless no matter what fate brings.

Donations for our Buddhist research and development

Do you earnestly cherish our devoted work? Assuming this is the case, we are delighted that you are finding our blog useful and valuable. Would you consider making a donation for our Buddhist research and development?

We need your help to secure the future of scholarly interaction with Buddhism. Since our very first publication of Dharma works and activities in 2008, we have been effortlessly providing free distribution of Dharma posts and articles throughout the previous 14 years. We have exceptionally constrained support and do not receive subsidies or funding from people in general.

 

Please help us develop our Dharma activities that will not only benefit you but all Dharma readers on the planet. Please consider showing your support. Your generosity will certainly help us enhance our work and accomplish more for a better and brighter future.

 

Thank you for reading. May you find peace and great bliss. With your support, it helps to spread the Buddha’s precious teachings and turn the Dharma wheels in the world.

 

Aspiration For Bodhichitta

For those in whom the precious Bodhichitta has not arisen

May it arise and not decrease.

But increase further and further.

 

Dedication of Merit

By this merit, may we then obtain omniscience then.

Having defeated the enemies wrongdoings

May we liberate migratory from the ocean of existence.

With its stormy waves of birth, old age, sickness, and death.

 

*Note

I do not own or infringe any copyright on the picture(s).

Picture(s) courtesy and credit to the rightful distributors and/or studios

The picture(s) are intended for editorial use only.

 

 

The Eight Auspicious Symbols of Vajrayana - Victory Banner

The Eight Auspicious Symbols are one of the most common, yet very popular in the Vajrayana Buddhism or  Tibetan Buddhism and culture for over thousands of years.

Eight Auspicious Symbols in the Sanskrit word is  "Ashtamangala". In the Tibetan language is known as "Tashee-tag-gyay" The Eight Auspicious Symbols of Buddhism is a genre of Buddhist symbolism. The symbols derive from Indian iconography and have become especially popular in Tibetan Buddhism. 

The Eight Auspicious Symbols are traditionally offered to Lama, teachers during long life ceremonies and are used in various forms of ritual art. It is believed that each of the Tibetan symbols represents one aspect of the Buddha’s teachings and when appearing all together their powers are multiplied. 

In this fascinating study,the Eight Auspicious Symbols are as follows:-

1. Right-Coiled White Conch Shell

2. Precious Parasol 

3. Victory Banner 

4. Golden Fishes 

5. Dharma Wheel 

6. Endless Knot 

7. Lotus Flower 

8. Treasure Vase

These eight symbols of good fortune represent the offerings made by the Gods, and Brahma to Shakyamuni Buddha immediately after he attained enlightenment. 

What do the eight symbols of Buddhism mean?

In Buddhism, these eight symbols of good fortune represent the offerings made by the gods to Shakyamuni Buddha immediately after he gained enlightenment.

3. Victory Banner 

"Gyel-tsen" in the Tibetan word. The victory banner stands for the complete victory of the Buddhist doctrine over all harmful and pernicious forces, death, ignorance, and all the negativities of this world. The roofs of Tibetan monasteries are often decorated with victory banners of different shapes and sizes.

The victory banner symbolises the victory of one's own and others bodies, speech, and mind over obstacles and negativity. It also stands for the complete victory of the Buddhist Doctrine over all harmful and pernicious forces.

What is the victory banner's auspicious symbol?

In Tibetan Buddhism, the victory banner, also an auspicious symbol, symbolises eleven methods for overcoming some defilements. They are the development of knowledge, wisdom, compassion, meditation, and ethical vows. Also, taking refuge in the Buddha, abandoning false views, and generating spiritual aspiration.

What is the victory banner in Tibetan?

Kundadhvaja; (Tibetan: rgyal mtshan) represents "victory over all disagreement, disharmony, or obstacles, and the attainment of happiness, both temporary and ultimate."

In Sanskrit, the banner or sign of victory is known as the Dhvaja, meaning standard, flag, or sign.

Originally, the victory banner was a military standard carried in ancient Indian warfare and bore the specific insignia of its champion.

The victory banner was adopted by early Buddhism as an emblem of the Buddha's enlightenment, heralding the triumph of knowledge over ignorance. It is said to have been placed on the summit of Mt. Meru by Buddha himself, symbolizing his victory over the entire universe. Again, Mount Meru is believed to be the central axis supporting the world.

The flag of victory also denotes Buddha's triumph over Mara, who personifies hindrances on the path to spiritual realisation. Specifically, there are said to be four types of Maras, each representing an individual hurdle on the path to spiritual progress. These are:

1. The Mara of Emotional Defilement
2. Mara of Passion
3. Mara of the Fear of Death
4. Mara of Pride and Lust

It was only after conquering these four negative traits that Buddha could proclaim victory over ignorance and achieve nirvana.

Cylindrical victory banners made of beaten copper are traditionally placed at the four corners of monastery and temple roofs. These signify the Buddha's victorious Dharma radiating to the four directions and also his triumph over the four Maras mentioned above. 

As a symbol of the Buddha's victory over the four maras, the early Buddhists adopted Kamadeva's emblem of the crocodile-headed makaradhvaja, and four of these banners were erected in the cardinal directions surrounding the enlightenment stupa of the Tathagata, or Buddha. Similarly, the gods elected to place a banner of victory on the summit of Mt. Meru to honour the Buddha as the "Conqueror" (Sankrit. jina) who vanquished the armies of Mara.

Within the Tibetan tradition,a list of eleven different forms of the victory banner is given to represent eleven specific methods for overcoming defilements. Many variations of the banner's design can be seen on monastery and temple roofs, where four banners are commonly placed at the roof's corners to symbolise the Buddha's victory over the four maras.

As a hand-held ensign, 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, Jambhala, Kubera, and many others.

Donations for our Buddhist research and development

Do you earnestly cherish our devoted work? Assuming this is the case, we are delighted that you are finding our blog useful and valuable. Would you consider making a donation for our Buddhist research and development?

 

We need your help to secure the future of scholarly interaction with Buddhism. Since our very first publication of Dharma works and activities in 2008, we have been effortlessly providing free distribution of Dharma posts and articles throughout the previous 14 years. We have exceptionally constrained support and do not receive subsidies or funding from people in general.

 

Please help us develop our Dharma activities that will not only benefit you but all Dharma readers on the planet. Please consider showing your support. Your generosity will certainly help us enhance our work and accomplish more for a better and brighter future.

 

Thank you for reading. May you find peace and great bliss. With your support, it helps to spread the Buddha’s precious teachings and turn the Dharma wheels in the world.

 

Aspiration For Bodhichitta

For those in whom the precious Bodhichitta has not arisen

May it arise and not decrease.

But increase further and further.

 

Dedication of Merit

By this merit, may we then obtain omniscience then.

Having defeated the enemies wrongdoings

May we liberate migratory from the ocean of existence.

With its stormy waves of birth, old age, sickness, and death.

 

*Note

I do not own or infringe any copyright on the picture(s).

Picture(s) courtesy and credit to the rightful distributors and/or studios

The picture(s) are intended for editorial use only.

 

The Eight Auspicious Symbols of Vajrayana - Precious Parasol

The Eight Auspicious Symbols are one of the most common, yet very popular in the Vajrayana Buddhism or  Tibetan Buddhism and culture for over thousands of years.

Eight Auspicious Symbols in the Sanskrit word is  "Ashtamangala". In the Tibetan language is known as "Tashee-tag-gyay" The Eight Auspicious Symbols of Buddhism is a genre of Buddhist symbolism. The symbols derive from Indian iconography and have become especially popular in Tibetan Buddhism. 

The Eight Auspicious Symbols are traditionally offered to Lama, teachers during long life ceremonies and are used in various forms of ritual art. It is believed that each of the Tibetan symbols represents one aspect of the Buddha’s teachings and when appearing all together their powers are multiplied. 

In this fascinating study,the Eight Auspicious Symbols are as follows:-

1. Right-Coiled White Conch Shell

2. Precious Parasol 

3. Victory Banner 

4. Golden Fishes 

5. Dharma Wheel 

6. Endless Knot 

7. Lotus Flower 

8. Treasure Vase

These eight symbols of good fortune represent the offerings made by the Gods, and Brahma to Shakyamuni Buddha immediately after he attained enlightenment. 

What do the eight symbols of Buddhism mean?

In Buddhism, these eight symbols of good fortune represent the offerings made by the gods to Shakyamuni Buddha immediately after he gained enlightenment.

2. Precious Parasol 

According to mainstream Buddhism, the symbolic meaning of the Umbrella or Parasol is protection from illness, obstacles, harmful energies, and suffering experienced in the three lower realms of existence.

"Rin-chen-duke" in the Tibetan word Its depiction by the parasol denotes royalty and spiritual power and is symbolised as the shadow of protection. The coolness of the shade cast by the umbrella symbolises the wholesome activity of protecting and preserving beings from the heat of spiritually harmful forces, suffering, obstacles, and so forth in this life.

What does the parasol symbolise?

The parasol, being held aloft, represents honour and respect It is a symbol of high status. The parasol is normally depicted as a standard umbrella with a single, vertical handle. It is often ornamented with jewels and fabrics.

The Parasol also symbolises all kinds of temporary and enduring suffering in the three lower realms and the realms of men and gods in future lives. It also represents the enjoyment of a feast of benefits under its cool shade.

The Precious Parasol saves us from all this life’s obstacles—such as sicknesses, contagious diseases, spirit possessions, interferers, and so forth—and also from the next life’s obstacles—the sufferings of the three evil-gone-ones, of the devas, of human beings, and so forth. It saves us completely from being tormented by the heat of both temporary and long-term suffering. It has the dependent arising of giving the extended joy of a cooling shadow of peace and happiness.

What is the Buddhist protection parasol?

The Chatra, also known as the Precious Parasol or Sacred Umbrella,is a symbol of kingship, protection, and the Noble Eight-fold Path in Buddhism and Hinduism. One of the Eight Auspicious Signs, the Chatra is often depicted above the heads of important deities and is considered a symbol of spiritual protection.

What is the precious parasol in Buddhism?

The precious umbrella symbolises the wholesome activity of preserving beings from illness, harmful forces, obstacles and so forth in this life and all kinds of temporary and enduring sufferings of the three lower realms, and the realms of men and gods in future lives.

The Parasol (umbrella): This was a traditional Indian symbol of protection and royalty. The parasol denoted wealth and status; the more carried in a person's entourage, the more influential the person was; 13 parasols defined the status of king.

This concept was adopted by Indian Buddhists, who saw the Buddha as the universal monarch and 13 stacked parasols as the conical spire of the Buddha, or Tathagata stupa. In Buddhist mythology, a jewelled umbrella is said to have been given to the Buddha by the king of the Nagas (dragons)

Symbolically, the protection provided by the parasol is from the heat of suffering, desire, obstacles, illness, and harmful forces.

A typical Tibetan parasol consists of a thin round wooden frame with 8, 16, or 32 thin arched wooden spokes. Through its centre passes a long wooden axle-pole embellished at its top with a metal lotus, vase, and jewel filial. Over the domed frame is stretched white, yellow, or multicoloured silk, and from the circular frame hangs a folded or pleated silk skirt with 8 or 16 hanging silk pendants attached. The parasol dome represents wisdom, and the hanging skirt represents compassion.

Donations for our Buddhist research and development

Do you earnestly cherish our devoted work? Assuming this is the case, we are delighted that you are finding our blog useful and valuable. Would you consider making a donation for our Buddhist research and development?

 

We need your help to secure the future of scholarly interaction with Buddhism. Since our very first publication of Dharma works and activities in 2008, we have been effortlessly providing free distribution of Dharma posts and articles throughout the previous 14 years. We have exceptionally constrained support and do not receive subsidies or funding from people in general.

 

Please help us develop our Dharma activities that will not only benefit you but all Dharma readers on the planet. Please consider showing your support. Your generosity will certainly help us enhance our work and accomplish more for a better and brighter future.

 

Thank you for reading. May you find peace and great bliss. With your support, it helps to spread the Buddha’s precious teachings and turn the Dharma wheels in the world.

 

Aspiration For Bodhichitta

For those in whom the precious Bodhichitta has not arisen

May it arise and not decrease.

But increase further and further.

 

Dedication of Merit

By this merit, may we then obtain omniscience then.

Having defeated the enemies wrongdoings

May we liberate migratory from the ocean of existence.

With its stormy waves of birth, old age, sickness, and death.

 

*Note

I do not own or infringe any copyright on the picture(s).

Picture(s) courtesy and credit to the rightful distributors and/or studios

The picture(s) are intended for editorial use only.

 

The Eight Auspicious Symbols of Vajrayana - Right Coiled White Conch Shell

The Eight Auspicious Symbols are one of the most common, yet very popular in the Tibetan Buddhism and culture for over thousands of years.

Eight Auspicious Symbols in the Sanskrit word is  "Ashtamangala". In the Tibetan language is known as "Tashee-tag-gyay" The Eight Auspicious Symbols of Buddhism is a genre of Buddhist symbolism. The symbols derive from Indian iconography and have become especially popular in Tibetan Buddhism. 

The Eight Auspicious Symbols are traditionally offered to Lama, teachers during long life ceremonies and are used in various forms of ritual art. It is believed that each of the Tibetan symbols represents one aspect of the Buddha’s teachings and when appearing all together their powers are multiplied. 

In this fascinating study,the Eight Auspicious Symbols are as follows:-

1. Right-Coiled White Conch Shell

2. Precious Parasol 

3. Victory Banner 

4. Golden Fishes 

5. Dharma Wheel 

6. Endless Knot 

7. Lotus Flower 

8. Treasure Vase

These eight symbols of good fortune represent the offerings made by the Gods, and Brahma to Shakyamuni Buddha immediately after he attained enlightenment. 

What do the eight symbols of Buddhism mean?

In Buddhism, these eight symbols of good fortune represent the offerings made by the gods to Shakyamuni Buddha immediately after he gained enlightenment.

1. The Right Coiled White Conch Shell

"Doong-kahr-yay-kyeel" in the Tibetan word, which represents the heavenly sound of the Buddhadharma Its beautiful sound is far-reaching and melodious; upon hearing it, it will awaken beings from ignorance. 

The white conch shells, which spiral to the right in a clockwise direction, are a rarity and are considered especially sacred. The right-spiralling movement of such a conch is believed to echo the celestial motion of the sun, moon, planets, and stars across the heavens. Today, the conch is used to call together religious assemblies. During the actual practise of rituals, it is used both as a musical instrument and as a container for holy water.

The Right White Conch Shell is a dependent arising announcing the sweet melody of the profound and extensive Dharma that fits the elements, level of mind, and wishes of sentient beings who are the objects to be subdued. It awakens transmigratory beings from the ignorant sleep of unknowing and persuades them to accomplish works for the benefit and happiness of themselves and others.

 

Donations for our Buddhist research and development

Do you earnestly cherish our devoted work? Assuming this is the case, we are delighted that you are finding our blog useful and valuable. Would you consider making a donation for our Buddhist research and development?

 

We need your help to secure the future of scholarly interaction with Buddhism. Since our very first publication of Dharma works and activities in 2008, we have been effortlessly providing free distribution of Dharma posts and articles throughout the previous 14 years. We have exceptionally constrained support and do not receive subsidies or funding from people in general.

 

Please help us develop our Dharma activities that will not only benefit you but all Dharma readers on the planet. Please consider showing your support. Your generosity will certainly help us enhance our work and accomplish more for a better and brighter future.

 

Thank you for reading. May you find peace and great bliss. With your support, it helps to spread the Buddha’s precious teachings and turn the Dharma wheels in the world.

 

Aspiration For Bodhichitta

For those in whom the precious Bodhichitta has not arisen

May it arise and not decrease.

But increase further and further.

 

Dedication of Merit

By this merit, may we then obtain omniscience then.

Having defeated the enemies wrongdoings

May we liberate migratory from the ocean of existence.

With its stormy waves of birth, old age, sickness, and death.

 

*Note

I do not own or infringe any copyright on the picture(s).

Picture(s) courtesy and credit to the rightful distributors and/or studios

The picture(s) are intended for editorial use only.

 

Kalachakra - Adi Buddha

 

In Vajrayana Buddhism, the Adi-Buddha is the "First Buddha" or the "Primordial Buddha. Another common term for this figure is Dharmakaya Buddha.

Vajradhara, the main Adibuddha, depicted in the Sarma schools.

The term emerges in tantric Buddhist literature, most prominently in the Kalachakra. Adi" means "first", such that the Adibuddha was the first to attain Buddhahood. Adi" can also mean "primordial", not referring to a person but to an innate wisdom that is present in all sentient beings.

In Indo-Tibetan Buddhism, the term Adibuddha is often used to describe the Buddha Samantabhadra (in Nyingma), Vajradhara, or Kalachakra (in the Sarma schools). 

In the Nyingma (ancient) School

A painting depicting Samantabhadra in union with his consort, Samantabhadri.

In the Nyingma School, the Adi-Buddha is called Samantabhadra in Sanskrit, In Tibetan it is called Kuntu Zangpo. In the Nyingma tradition,  art often depicts Kuntu Zangpo as a naked blue Buddha. According to Dzogchen Ponlop:

The color blue symbolizes the expansive, unchanging quality of space, which is the ground of all arisings, the basis of all appearances, and the source of all phenomena. The absence of robes symbolizes a genuine reality beyond any dualistic, conceptual, or philosophical clothing. That is the dharmakaya Buddha: the genuine body of absolute truth. 

 In the Nyingma school's Dzogchen tradition, Samantabhadra ("All-Good") is not a God but "our timeless Pure Perfect Presence beyond cause and effect."  In Nyingma, Samantabhadra is also considered to be the source of all Dzogchen teachings.

Adi Buddha - Vajradhara

The Kunjed Gyalpo Tantra calls Samantabhadra the "All-Creating King" (Tibetan: Kunjed Gyalpo), because all phenomena are said to be manifestations or displays of Samantabhadra. According to Namkhai Norbu (A Tibetan Buddhist master of Dzogchen), this does not mean there is some being called Samantabhadra that creates the universe; instead, what it refers to is that all things arise from "the state of consciousness of Samantabhadra, the state of Dharmakaya." In this sense, Samantabhadra is seen as a symbolic personification of the ground or basis in Dzogchen thought.

Namkhai Norbu explains that the Dzogchen idea of the Adi-Buddha Samantabhadra "should be mainly understood as a metaphor to enable us to discover our real condition." He further adds that:

If we deem Samantabhadra an individual being, we are far from the true meaning. In reality, he denotes our potentiality, which, even though at the present moment we are in samsara, has never been conditioned by dualism. From the beginning, the state of the individual has been pure and always remains pure; this is what Samantabhadra represents. But when we fall into conditioning, it is as if we are no longer Samantabhadra because we are ignorant of our true nature. So what is called the primordial Buddha, or Adi Buddha, is only a metaphor for our true condition.

In the Longchenpa's Treasure Trove of Scriptures, explains that Samantabhadra—one of the most common Dzogchen names for the state of original buddhahood—is nothing other than the primordial, innate awareness that is naturally free, even before any notions of "buddhas" or "sentient beings" have emerged.

In Dzogchen thought, there are said to be five aspects of Samantabhadra. Longchenpa explains these as follows:

• Samantabhadra as teacher: "Means that all Buddhas, while residing in the forms of the Sambhogakaya and the Dharmakaya in Akaniṣṭha, promote the welfare of all sentient beings through sending forth countless emanations to all the distinct realms of those to be guided.
• Samantabhadra as ground: "Is the Dharmata of all phenomena — suchness. This is also called "Samantabhadra as nature". 
  
• Samantabhadra as adornment: "The appearance of all phenomena, which are self-arising as the play of the bearers of the nature of phenomena, This consists of all that is completely pure, in that its nature is illusory.
• Samantabhadra as awareness: "self-arising wisdom, the sugata heart," i.e., the Buddha-nature described in the Uttaratantra.
• Samantabhadra as realisation: "The fundamental, basic nature. Through realising it well, the eyes of freedom are found. This is also called "Samantabhadra as the Path."

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Aspiration For Bodhichitta

For those in whom the precious Bodhichitta has not arisen

May it arise and not decrease

But increase further and further.

Dedication of Merit

By this merit may we obtain omniscience then.

Having defeated the enemies wrong-doings.

May we liberate migratory from the ocean of existence.

With its stormy waves of birth, old age, sickness and death.

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