Page 19 - Handbook of Tibetan Buddhist Symbols

Handbook of Tibetan Buddhist Sy 9/1/10 11:29 AM Page 1

THE EIGHT AUSPICIOUS

SYMBOLS

he eight auspicious symbols (Skt. asta- dates the Buddhist group. This Jain list com-
Tmangala; Tib. bkra-shis rtags-brgyad) prised of: (1) a treasure vase; (2) a water
are the most well known group of Buddhist flask; (3) two golden fishes; (4) a swastika;
symbols, and are traditionally listed in the (5) an endless knot; (6) a hair-curl; (7) a mir-
order of: (1) a white parasol; (2) a pair of ror; (8) a throne. In Nepal the Newar Bud-
golden fishes; (3) a treasure vase; (4) a lotus; dhist form of the astamangala replaces the
(5) a right-spiraling white conch shell; (6) an golden wheel with a pair of flywhisks or
endless knot or ‘lucky diagram’; (7) a victo- chamara (see page 177), and commonly
rious banner; (8) a golden wheel. these eight Newari symbols form a compos-
Originally the eight auspicious symbols ite vase-shaped arrangement.
formed an early Indian assembly of offerings In the Buddhist tradition these eight sym-
that were presented to a king at his investi- bols of good fortune represent the offerings
ture, and are almost certainly of pre-Bud- presented by the great Vedic gods to Shakya-
dhist origin. This early Indian group of eight muni Buddha upon his attainment of en-
auspicious objects probably comprised of: lightenment. Brahma was the first of these
(1) a throne; (2) a swastika; (3) a handprint; gods to appear before the Buddha, and he
(4) an entwined knot or hair-curl (Skt. shri- presented a thousand-spoked golden wheel
vatsa); (5) a vase of jewels; (6) a water liba- as a symbolic request for the Buddha to
tion flask; (7) a pair of fishes; (8) a lidded teach through ‘turning the wheel of the
bowl. An early south Indian group included: dharma’. The great sky god Indra appeared
(1) a flywhisk; (2) a pair of fishes; (3) an ele- next, and he presented his mighty white
phant goad; (4) a mirror; (5) a drum; (6) a conch-shell horn as a symbolic request for
banner; (7) a water vase; (8) a lamp. the Buddha to ‘proclaim the truth of the
The Jains also adopted a list of eight aus- dharma’. In Tibetan paintings of the Bud-
picious symbols, which probably slightly pre- dha’s enlightenment the supplicating forms