The Handbook of Tibetan Buddhist Symbols

by Robert Beer (Translator)

Overview

A deep and encompassing dive into the vast array of symbols and attributes that appear within the complex iconography of Tibetan Buddhism

The Handbook of Tibetan Buddhist Symbols is a portal into the rich, multifaceted, and profound symbolism of Tibetan sacred art. The succinct descriptions that accompany Robert Beer’s detailed line drawings reveal the origins, meanings, and functions of these symbols. Beer unravels the multiple layers of symbolism and meaning contained within the iconography, affording the reader a panoramic vision into the deeper dimensions of this sacred art.

Drawn largely from Beer’s monumental work The Encyclopedia of Tibetan Symbols and Motifs, the meticulous brush drawings in this book depict all of the major Buddhist symbols and motifs, including the various groups of auspicious symbols; cosmological symbols; natural and mythical animals, such as the dragon, garuda, and makara; the entire assembly of ritual tantric implements and weapons; magical and wrathful symbols; handheld emblems, attributes, and plants; esoteric Vajrayana offerings; and mudras, or ritual hand gestures.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780834824232
Publisher:	Shambhala
Publication date:	10/14/2003
Sold by:	Penguin Random House Publisher Services
Format:	eBook
Pages:	256
File size:	13 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

Robert Beer has studied and practiced Tibetan thangka painting for thirty years, including five years of study with master artists Jampa of Dharamsala and Khamtrül Rinpoche of Tashijong. Beer is one of the first Westerners to become actively involved in this art form. Over the last two decades he has concentrated on an extensive series of iconographical drawings depicting the major deities, lineage holders, and symbols that occur in the spectrum of Tibetan art.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments ix
Introduction xi

THE EIGHT AUSPICIOUS SYMBOLS 1
The parasol 3
The golden fishes 5
The treasure vase 6
The lotus 7
The right-turning conch shell 9
The endless or glorious knot 11
The victory banner 12
The wheel 14

THE EIGHT AUSPICIOUS SUBSTANCES 16
The mirror 19
The precious medicine 20
The curds or yogurt 21
The durva grass 21
The bilva fruit 23
The right-turning conch shell 24
The vermilion powder 24
The mustard seed 25

THE FIVE ATTRIBUTES OF SENSORY ENJOYMENT 27
Sight or form 29
Sound 29
Smell 32
Taste 33
Touch 34

THE CHAKRAVARTIN 36
The Seven Possessions of the Chakravartin or the Seven Precious
Jewels 37
The precious wheel 37
The precious jewel 38
The precious queen 40
The precious minister 40
The precious elephant 40
The precious horse 41
The precious general 41

The Seven Secondary Possessions of the Chakravartin or the Seven Auxiliary Jewels 42
The sword 42
The naga skin 43
The royal house 43
The robes 43
The royal gardens 43
The throne 44
The boots 44

The Seven Jewel Insignia of the Chakravartin 46
The unicorn or rhinoceros horn 46
The elephant's tusks 46
The queen's earrings 46
The minister's earrings 46
The general's insignia 46
The triple-eyed gem 46
The coral branch 46

SYMBOLIC EMBLEMS AND OFFERINGS 49
The three jewels 49
The three victorious creatures of harmony 50
The four friends or harmonious brothers 51
The six symbols of long life 53
The emblem of the three great bodhisattvas 55
The seven water bowl offerings 56
The wheel and deer emblem 58

ANIMALS AND MYTHICAL CREATURES 60
The elephant 60
The deer 62
The lion and snow-lion 63
The tiger 64
The horse and wind-horse 66
The four supernatural creatures of the four directions 67
The dragon 69
The naga 72
The garuda 74
The water-monster or makara 77
The kirtimukha or face of majesty 78

COSMOLOGICAL SYMBOLS 80
The sun and moon 80
The five elements of earth, water, fire, air, and space 82
Mount Meru 82
The mandala offering 84

MAIN RITUAL AND TANTRIC IMPLEMENTS 87
The vajra 87
The bell 92
The crossed-vajra 95
The swastika 97
The ritual dagger 98
The tantric staff or khatvanga 102
The hand-drum or damaru 107
The thighbone trumpet 110
The skull-cup 110
The curved knife 112

WEAPONS 115
The bow and arrow 115
The arrow-banner or silk arrow 118
The fire-arrow 120
The tiger-skin bow case and leopard-skin quiver 121
The flower bow and flower arrow 121
The sword 123
The shield 124
The scorpion-hiked sword 125
The scorpion 126
The water-knife or wave-bladed knife 127
The razor 128
The dart or shakti dagger 128
The scythe or sickle 129
The plowshare or plow 129
The trident 130
The trident pike or spear 132
The caduceus or serpent-trident 133
The spear 135
The spear-flag 135
The javelin 135
The harpoon 137
The club 137
The transverse club or 'wooden gong' 139
The skull club 140
The skeleton club 141
The corpse club 142
The impaled corpse club 142
The forked stick 143
The axe 144
The hammer 145
The foundry hammer and bellows 145
The iron hook or goad 146
The rope noose or snare 147
The flower hook and flower noose 149
The serpent noose 149
The iron chain 150
The chakra or discus 150
The wooden pestle 152
The brazier 153
The mass of fire 153
The fire-wheel and wind-wheel 154
The firebrand 154
The net 154
The weapons of Mara 's army 155

THE FIVE MAGICAL WEAPONS OF SHRI DEVI 156
The bag of diseases 156
The bundle of red curses 157
The white and black spotted dice 157
The ball of thread 158
The demon cross-stick 159

WRATHFUL ATTRIBUTES AND OFFERINGS 161
The head of Brahma 161
The severed head 162
The garland of severed heads and skulls 162
The severed arm and leg 164
Intestines or entrails 164
The heart 165
The piece of skull 166
The cemetery shroud 166
The wind-cloth 167
The needle and thread 167
The sorcerer's magical horn 168

HAND EMBLEMS AND RITUAL ATTRIBUTES 169
The lotus 169
The golden wheel or dharmachakra 171
The conch shell 171
The umbrella or parasol 172
The victorious banner 172
The makara banner 173
The wolf, bull, and tiger banner 174
The flag 174
The silk ribbon 175
The triple banderole 176
The jeweled tassel 177
The yak-tail flywhisk 177
Peacock feathers 178
The peacock-feathered fan and mirror 179
The peacock-feathered parasol 180
The book 180
The basket 182
The alms-bowl 182
The monk's staff 184
The possessions of an ordained monk 185
The image of the Buddha 186
The stupa or caitya 186
The rosary 189
The jewel or gem 190
The wish-granting gem 192
The wish-granting tree 193
The crystal 193
The gzi stone 194
The mongoose 196
The golden horsewhip 196
The gold earrings and jeweled crown 197
The celestial palace 197
The incense-burner or censer 197
The mirror 198
The water-pot or flask 198
The ritual vase or flask 199
The long-life vase 201
The treasure vase 202
The treasure box 202
The amulet-box 203
The basin and bowl 203
The lute and vina 204

PLANT ATTRIBUTES 205
The picula fruit 205
The citron 205
The radish 205
The myrobalan fruit 206
The ear of corn 206
The ear of grain 207
The ear of rice 207
The bodhi-tree or tree of enlightenment 207
Divine trees and flowering branches 208
The ashoka tree 208
The naga tree 208

THE REALITY-SOURCE OR DHARMODAYA 209
The wheel of joy 209
The reality-source or dharmodaya 209
The dharmodaya of Vajrayogini 210

TORMAS AND SYMBOLIC OFFERINGS 212
The torma 212
The thread-cross 213
The ransom offering of an arrow and spindle 215
The wrathful offering of the five senses 215
The inner offering 217

HAND GESTURES OR MUDRAS 221
The boon-granting gesture 223
The protection gesture 223
The gesture of giving refuge 224
The earth-touching gesture 224
The wheel of dharma gesture 225
The enlightenment gesture 226
The meditation gesture 226
The palms-folded gesture 227
The humkara gesture or gesture of victory over the three worlds 228
The spirit-subduing gesture 228
The threatening forefinger 229
The mandala gesture 229
The cunda gesture 230

Appendices 232
Appendix One—The Legend of the Churning of the Ocean 231
Appendix Two—The Five Buddha Families 234
Appendix Three—The Three Kayas 237
Appendix Four—The Channel Wheel System 239
Glossary 245

Editorial Reviews

For many years a student and practitioner of Buddhist art, Beer published The Encyclopedia of Tibetan Symbols and Motifs in 1999. His new work, a synthesis of that encyclopedia and his "pictorial index" for Martin Willson's and Martin Brauen's Deities of Tibetan Buddhism, covers much the same territory. Readers will find many fewer line drawings and generally less explanatory text per topic, and some symbols and motifs did not make the transition at all. Nevertheless, most public and academic libraries will find this new handbook the better choice for general reference collections and preferable to Tatjana and Mirabai Blau's Buddhist Symbols. The encyclopedia's long, complex essay is here broken down into more straightforward, individual entries within chapters. In addition, Buddhist terminology is more clearly presented, and a glossary is included. Though the handbook still lacks an index (a near fatal flaw when entries are not alphabetical, as is the case here), access is afforded by a table of contents listing entries for individual symbols and a few cross references. Recommended for public libraries.-James R. Kuhlman, Univ. of North Carolina Lib., Asheville Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.

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