Page 13 - Handbook of Tibetan Buddhist Symbols

Handbook of Tibetan Buddhis#128 9/1/10 11:23 AM Page xii

xii T he Handbook of T ibet an B uddhist S ymbols

attributes of the khatvanga, damaru, thigh- more accurate interpretation of this term
bone trumpet, skull-cup, and curved knife. should perhaps be ‘purity’, as these attributes
The ninth and tenth sections cover the array essentially represent the enlightened qualities
of traditional and magical weapons that are or ‘purities’ of the deities. These purities are
mainly wielded by the semi-wrathful yidam evocatively expressed in the various ‘Praises
and wrathful protective deities, whilst the to the Deities’, which were composed by
eleventh section deals with some of the more many great Indian and Tibetan masters over
necromantic attributes of these deities. The the last fifteen hundred years. The poetic
twelfth and thirteenth sections encompass verses of these beautiful prayers often reveal
the spectrum of hand-held implements and the reverence, faith, love, and devotion that
plant attributes that are held by many di- these masters perceived in the deities as their
verse deities and human teachers. The four- sources of refuge and inspiration.
teenth and fifteenth sections deal with some Throughout the text I have also used the
of the more esoteric symbols of Vajrayana terms ‘often, usually, frequently, generally,
Buddhism, including the ‘reality-source’ or and traditionally’ to refer to particular sym-
dharmodaya, ‘sacrificial cake offerings’ or bolic definitions or descriptions. The use of
tormas, and the ‘inner offering’. The six- these terms does not stem from an uncer-
teenth section completes the text with a de- tainty about a symbol’s meaning or depic-
scription of the main hand gestures or tion, but from the fact that these symbols
mudras made by the deities. often have iconographical variations accord-
At the end of the book are four appen- ing to different traditions or lineages. To ex-
dixes and a glossary. The first appendix plain these tangential variations is beyond
relates the ancient Indian legend of the the scope of this book, although I have
churning of the ocean. The second appendix sometimes partially attempted to do so in
gives a brief outline of the conceptual assem- the more voluminous text of The Encyclope-
bly of the Five Buddha Families. The third dia. In Vajrayana iconography the three lev-
appendix gives a brief explanation of the var- els of an outer, inner, and secret symbolism
ious kayas or ‘divine bodies’ of the Buddhas. are sometimes given, particularly within the
The fourth appendix attempts to briefly ex- practices of the Highest Yoga Tantras. The
plain the complexities of the Buddhist ‘chan- depths of meaning concealed within these
nel wheel’ systems of the Highest Yoga teachings are extremely profound and multi-
Tantras, which symbolically relate to the faceted. Like a wish-granting gem that re-
transmutation of the processes of birth, life, fracts a myriad rays of rainbow light, the
death, and rebirth into the state of supreme nature of this light is one, although its as-
enlightenment. The subject matter of these pects of illumination appear to be many.
last three appendixes is extremely profound. A similar spectrum of understanding can
Although these subjects are only briefly and be applied to the classical English terms that
inadequately explained here, a deep under- are used to describe the various Buddhist
standing of them is vital for a true insight listings of mundane and enlightened quali-
into the amazingly sophisticated principles ties. These terms, such as the Eightfold
and practices of Vajrayana Buddhism. Noble Path, the six perfections, and the four
Throughout the text I have used the term immeasurables, are all ‘relative’ terms with
‘symbol’ to refer to the intrinsic meanings as- no easily definable ‘absolutes’. Their mean-
cribed to a particular object or attribute. A ings are essentially inspirational, and as