TheAshtamangala (Sanskrit:अष्टमङ्गल,romanized: Aṣṭamaṅgala) is the sacred set ofEight Auspicious Signs (Chinese:八吉祥,bājíxiáng) featured in a number ofIndian religions such asHinduism,Jainism, andBuddhism. The symbols or "symbolic attributes" (Tibetan:ཕྱག་མཚན་,THL:chaktsen) areyidam and teaching tools. Not only do these attributes (or energetic signatures) point to qualities of enlightenedmindstream, but they are the investiture that ornaments these enlightened "qualities" (Sanskrit:guṇa;Tibetan:ཡོན་ཏན་,THL:yönten). Many cultural enumerations and variations of the Ashtamangala are extant.
Groupings of eight auspicious symbols were originally used in India at ceremonies such as an investiture or coronation of a king. An early grouping of symbols included:throne,swastika, handprint, hookedknot,vase of jewels, water libation flask, pair of fishes, lidded bowl. In Buddhism, these eight symbols of good fortune represent the offerings made by the gods toShakyamuni Buddha immediately after he gained enlightenment.[1]
Tibetan Buddhists make use of a particular set of eight auspicious symbols,ashtamangala, in household and public art. Some common interpretations are given along with each symbol although different teachers may give different interpretations:
The right-turning whiteconch shell (Sanskrit:śaṅkha;Tibetan:དུང་དཀར་གཡས་འཁྱིལ་,THL:dungkar yénkhyil) represents the beautiful, deep, melodious, interpenetrating and pervasive sound of thedharma, which awakens disciples from the deep slumber of ignorance and urges them to accomplish their own welfare for the welfare of others.
The conch shell is thought to have been the original horn-trumpet; ancient Indian mythical epics relate heroes carrying conch shells. The Indian god Vishnu is also described as having a conch shell as one of his main emblems; his shell bore the name Panchajanya meaning "having control over the five classes of beings".[1]
Theendless knot (Sanskrit:śrīvatsa;Tibetan:དཔལ་བེའུ་,THL:pelbeu)[2] denotes "the auspicious mark represented by a curled noose emblematic of love".[3] It is a symbol of the ultimate unity of everything.[4] Moreover, it represents the intertwining of wisdom and compassion, the mutual dependence of religious doctrine and secular affairs, the union of wisdom and method, the inseparability ofśūnyatā "emptiness" andpratītyasamutpāda "interdependent origination", and the union ofwisdom andcompassion in enlightenment (see:namkha). This knot, net or web metaphor also conveys the Buddhist teaching ofinterpenetration.[citation needed]. It is also an attribute of the godVishnu, which is said to be engraved on his chest. A similar engraving of theShrivatsa on the historicalGautama Buddha's chest is mentioned in some lists of thePhysical characteristics of the Buddha.
The two golden fish (Sanskrit:gaurmatsya;Tibetan:གསེར་ཉ་,THL:sernya[5]) symbolise the auspiciousness of allsentient beings in a state of fearlessness without danger of drowning in saṃsāra.[citation needed] The two golden fishes are linked with theGanges andYamunanadi,prana andcarp:
The two fishes 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 symbolize 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.[1]
Thelotus flower (Sanskrit:padma;Tibetan:པདྨ,THL:péma) represents the primordial purity ofbody, speech, and mind, floating above the muddy waters ofattachment and desire. The lotus symbolizes purity and renunciation. Although the lotus has its roots in the mud at the bottom of a pond, its flower lies immaculate above the water. The Buddhist lotus bloom has 4, 8, 16, 24, 32, 64, 100, or 1,000 petals. The same figures can refer to the body's 'internal lotuses', that is to say, its energy centres (chakra).[6][7]
The jewelled parasol (Sanskrit:chatraratna;Tibetan:རིན་ཆེན་གདུགས་,THL:rinchenduk[3]), which is similar in ritual function to thebaldachin orcanopy: represents the protection of beings from harmful forces and illness. It represents the canopy orfirmament of the sky and therefore the expansiveness and unfolding ofspace and the elementæther. It represents the expansiveness, unfolding and protective quality of thesahasrara: all takerefuge in the dharma under the auspiciousness of the parasol.
Thetreasure vase (Tibetan:གཏེར་ཆེན་པོའི་བུམ་པ་,THL:terchenpo'i bumpa) represents health, longevity, wealth, prosperity, wisdom and the phenomenon of space. The treasure vase, or pot, symbolizes the Buddha's infinite quality of teaching the dharma: no matter how many teachings he shared, the treasure never lessened.[8]
The iconography representation of the treasure vase is often very similar to thekumbha, one of the few possessions permitted abhikkhu orbhikkhuni inTheravada Buddhism. The wisdom urn or treasure vase is used in manyempowerment (Vajrayana) and initiations.[citation needed]
TheDharmachakra or"Wheel of the Law" (Sanskrit;Tibetan:ཆོས་ཀྱི་འཁོར་ལོ་,THL:chö kyi khorlo) representsGautama Buddha and the Dharma teaching. This symbol is commonly used by Tibetan Buddhists, where it sometimes also includes an inner wheel of theGankyil (Tibetan).Nepalese Buddhists do not use the Wheel of Law in the eight auspicious symbols.
Instead of the Dharmachakra, afly-whisk may be used as one of the Ashtamangala to symbolize Tantric manifestations. It is made of ayak's tail attached to a silver staff, and used in ritual recitation and during fanning the deities inpujas.Prayer wheels take the form of a Dharmachakra guise.
Thedhvaja (Sanskrit;Tibetan:རྒྱལ་མཚན་,THL:gyeltsen) "banner, flag" was a military standard of ancient Indian warfare. The symbol represents the Buddha's victory over the fourmāras, or hindrances in the path of enlightenment. These hindrances are pride, desire, disturbing emotions, and the fear of death. Within the Tibetan tradition, a list of eleven different forms of the victory banner is given to represent eleven specific methods for overcoming defilement. Many variations of the dhvaja's design can be seen on the roofs of Tibetan monasteries to symbolise the Buddha's victory over four māras. Banners are placed at the four corners of monastery and temple roofs. The cylindrical banners placed on monastery roofs are often made of beaten copper.[9]
Different traditions order the eight symbols differently.
Here is the sequential order of the Eight Auspicious Symbols ofNepali Buddhism:
The sequential order forChinese Buddhism was defined[10] in theQing dynasty as:
InIndian and Hindu tradition,[11] the Ashtamangala may be used during certain occasions including:pujas,weddings (of Hindus), andcoronations. The ashtamangala finds wide mention in the texts associated withHinduism,Buddhism, andJainism. They have been depicted in decorativemotifs and cultural artifacts.
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InJainism, theAshtamangala are a set of eight auspicious symbols.[13] There is some variation among different traditions concerning the eight symbols.[14]
In theDigambara tradition, the eight symbols are:
In theŚvētāmbara tradition, the eight symbols are:
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