Page 37 - Handbook of Tibetan Buddhist Symbols

Handbook of Tibetan Buddhis#133 9/1/10 11:34 AM Page 19

The Eight Auspicious Substances 19

The white right-spiraling conch shell was reflects all objects impartially, and yet re-
presented to the Buddha by the god Indra, mains completely unaffected by the images
and represents right speech as the proclama- that arise in it. It reveals all phenomena to be
tion of the Buddhadharma. void in essence. Like a ‘passing show’ it re-
The tilaka or sacred mark of red flects all objects of the phenomenal world,
cinnabar was applied to the Buddha’s fore- but reveals them to be without substance.
head by the Brahmin astrologer Jyotisharaja In the ancient Indian ritual of abhisheka,
(Tib. sKar-rgyal), and represents right con- meaning ‘consecration by sprinkling’, sacred
templation as the samadhi of one-pointed images or ritual objects were ritually bathed,
meditative equipoise. or consecrated by sprinkling. Pouring water
The white mustard seed was presented to over a mirror that reflected the image also
the Buddha by Vajrapani, the great Bodhi- cleansed the reflection of the sacred image.
sattva of power, and represents right view This rite is known as pratibimba, which liter-
as the ability to annihilate all false views or ally means ‘reflected’. In Tibet this ritual is
notions. known as the ‘divine ablution’ (Tib. khrus-
The eight auspicious substances listed gsol), where water is sprinkled over the re-
above also represent the four karmas or ac- flected image of a statue or thangka. The
tivities of an enlightened being. The mirror, water, having bathed the form of the deity, is
medicine, and curds represent peaceful activ- then considered to be consecrated water.
ities. The durva grass, bilva fruit, and conch The mirror that the offering goddess
shell represent activities of increase. The red Prabhavati presented to the Buddha was ab-
vermilion powder represents the activity of solutely clear, flawless, bright, and untar-
subjugation, and the mustard seed repre- nished. As a symbol of the enlightened mind
sents wrathful or destructive activity. it reflected everything perfectly, without dis-
Like the eight auspicious symbols these tortion or impediment. Artistically the mir-
eight precious objects may be represented in- ror is depicted as a small white or silver disc,
dividually, with each object appearing alone with its perimeter usually decorated with a
or in a separate bowl. They may also be col- thin circular golden frame. A small central
lectively grouped behind rows of offering circle and four directional circles are often
jewels, in the branches of a small wish- inscribed upon its surface, symbolizing the
granting tree, or in a shallow bowl or tray. enlightened qualities and wisdoms of the
Five Buddhas.

THE MIRROR
(Skt. darpana, adarsha; Tib. me-long)

The mirror, as the reflective ‘witness’ of light,
represents form as the sense faculty of sight
and the sense organ of the eye. Its function is
to enable one to see oneself clearly, and as a
cosmetic accessory or household object its
auspicious importance is obvious. In Bud-
dhism the mirror is a perfect symbol of
emptiness or pure consciousness. The mirror The mirror.