In Buddhism, there is a rich culture of using arts in depicting different Buddhas, deities, places, and symbols. They are extensively used and each has its own meanings associated with them. Every culture has its different symbols and objects that represent different meanings and these objects or the symbols can also be called the symbol representing good luck and good fortunes. These symbols of good fortunes has its own share of deep legendary stories, myth associated with it and in our daily life, we often use to come across these symbols for its role in wealth, health and prosperity.
In this article, I’m going to learn about the Buddhist good luck symbols used in Ancient India Sanatana dharma religion, and Tibet before and now.
Table of Contents
What are buddhist good luck symbols
The eight auspicious symbols are the most commonly used symbols in Tibetan Buddhism to represent Good luck or these Auspicious symbols for starting a new beginning. These symbols are extensively used in Tibetan religion or non-religious activities like a marriage ceremony. These symbols are also frequently drawn on the ground in sprinkled whitewash or quicklime(chuna) lime to welcome the visiting reverential religious dignitaries.
Tibetan Buddhism came from India to Tibet at the end of the 6th century and these symbols have their origin in ancient India. In Sanskrit, these eight symbols are known as ‘Ashtamangala,’ ashta meaning eight, and Mangala meaning auspicious. The eight auspicious symbols are slightly different from Buddhist perspectives and it is used extensively during the pre-Buddhist era in India. The Jains also adopted a list of eight auspicious symbols, which probably slightly predates the Buddhist group.
In Buddhism, it is believed that each of the good luck symbols represents one aspect of the Buddha’s teachings and when appearing all eight together, their powers are multiplied or intensified. Buddhist text called the Heap of Good Fortune Sutra (Aryamangalakutanama-Mahayana sutra), an association of these eight symbols with the Buddha’s actual physical body as:
Veneration to you with your head like a protecting parasol,
With eyes like the precious golden fishes
With a neck like a precious, adorned vase of good fortune,
With a speech like a right-turning Dharma shell,
With a mind infinite with wisdom like the never-ending knot,
With a tongue open like the auspicious pink lotus,
With a body proclaiming triumph over the attacking armies of Mara,
With feet that tread the path of dharma like the auspicious wheel
The eight auspicious symbols are arranged in order: top row, from left – the parasol, the golden fishes, the treasure vase, the lotus, bottom row, from left – the right-turning conch shell, the endless knot; the victory banner and the wheel.
The Parasol: The Protection symbol of royalty or secular wealth,
We will explore the first Buddhist good luck symbols, the parasol or is traditional Indian umbrella that symbolizes royalty and protection which are commonly used in ancient India. In Europe also from the beginning of the 17 century to the end of the 19-century, the parasols were used not only for the protection of rain and sun but this practice was also confined to the upper classes.
In Buddhism, especially in Tibetan Buddhism, the coolness provides by the shade of parasol symbolizes the wholesome activity of protection from suffering, desire illness, other spiritually harmful forces, obstacles, and so forth in this life. The whole aroma of different parasols was used for different guests depending upon their status in the social hierarchy. In Buddhist Thanka and painting, the art of Lord Buddha preaching beneath a parasol is a common scene. This parasol symbolizes the importance of the person below the umbrella for its reverential stature as the centre of the universe and the spiritual support to which the common peoples can lay upon quite sporadically.
The Golden Fish
The golden fish have pairs of fish that are standing vertically with heads turned inwards towards each other. In Buddhism, the pair of golden fishes represent happiness and freedom. Both Buddha and Jesus Christ are known as ‘fisher of men,’ because they both save beings from the ocean of suffering. The fish represents the liberation of one’s consciousness from all suffering and thereby leading to eventual spiritual liberation. The pair of fishes symbol is commonly used in the Hindu, Jain, and Buddhist traditions.
The golden fish are multiple very fast which represents abundance and fertility. These fish often swim in pairs, and in China, a pair of fishes symbolize conjugal unity and fidelity. In China, there is a tradition of giving pair of fish as wedding gifts that represent happiness and fertility.
The Great Treasure Vase
In different cultures, there are folktales stories of inexhaustible divine vessels that could feed all the hungry in the world. The treasure vase of inexhaustible treasures’ is modeled on the traditional Indian clay water pot with a flat base, round body, and narrow neck. In Buddhism, the great treasure vase means the spiritual abundance of the Buddha teaching, a treasure that did not diminish and is always meant for the wellbeing of the entire sentient being.
In most Tibetan houses, they keep the great treasure vase in Buddhist altar at home for symbolizing prosperity, wealth, and longevity. The great treasure vase which we often see at the altar of the Buddhist house usually consists of a lotus petal motif radiating in a different direction with a group of three different gems in its upper rim. The lotus petals radiating from this well ornate golden vase signifies the teachings of the holy one which will take all of us to the heavenly abode of enlightenment and salvation. The three gems in its upper rim signify the three jewels Budhha, Dharma, and Sangha.
The lotus
The fully opened lotus symbolizes the fully awakened mind or Buddha mind. The bud of lotus symbolizes potential and we all sentient beings have the potential to become Buddha.
The lotus flower grows in the mud with its stem surging out through the water and with flowers blossoming way away from the water. This outgrowth of the lotus flower signifies our spiritual journey from a mental thought infested with materialistic and negative emotions to that of an enlightened mind of compassion and wisdom.
The lotus is the most beautiful flower, whose petals open one by one. But it will only grow in the mud. In order to grow and gain wisdom, first you must have the mud the obstacles of life and its suffering. The mud speaks of the common ground that humans share, no matter what our stations in life. Whether we have it all or we have nothing, we are all faced with the same obstacles: sadness, loss, illness, dying and death. If we are to strive as human beings to gain more wisdom, more kindness and more compassion, we must have the intention to grow as a lotus and open each petal one by one.
Goldie Hawn
The Right-Turning Conch
Both Hinduism and Buddhism used conch sounds for religious rituals and in Tibet Buddhism conch is also used to call religious assemblies. In ancient Indian times and myths, the conch was used to announce battles and myth special in Mahabharat Lord Krishna used conch shells called Panchjanya.
During the Vedic age, the conch has adopted as a symbol of religious sovereignty by the Brahmans of Hinduism. Buddhism with its origin deeply rooted in Hindu culture and custom adopted it as an emblem of the Buddha’s teaching supremacy. The sonorous sounds emerging from the conch symbolize the widespread teaching of Buddha and his advocacy for the truth of the dharma in working for the benefits of all sentient beings.
Buddhism believes that Lord Buddha’s body has thirty-two characteristics and one of them is his deep and resonant conch-like voice, which resounds throughout the ten directions of space. Iconographically the three conch-like curved lines on his throat represent this sign.
The Endless Knot
Among eight auspicious symbols, the endless knot is the most common symbol in Tibetan Buddhism and is also often used singly also. The interdependence of each and every factor to which we all are associated closely allows all of us to believe commonly in the single closed cycle of cause and effect.
The endless knot has no beginning and end, it represents the Buddha’s endless wisdom and great compassion. The teaching imparted by Buddha helps in keeping the continuity of the “twelve links of dependent origination”, which underlies the reality of our cyclic existence.
Victory banner
In Ancient India, the victory banner was a military standard carried in warfare and to indicate the specific insignia of its champion. We are being dragged and bonded in these mortal realms with our attachments, greed, ego all conjoined together as Maras and the banner symbolizes the victory over these maras each representing an obstacle in our path to spiritual development.
- The Mara of Emotional Defilement
- Mara of Passion
- Mara of the Fear of Death
- Mara of Pride and Lust
The state of nirvana can be attained only when our efforts to conquer these four negative traits will become successful.
The Wheel of Dharma
The wheel is round with its cyclic motion represents the spiritual transformation brought upon by the teaching of Buddha and referred to as the Dharmachakra or the wheel of law. Lord Buddha’s first sermon at Benares or the present-day Varanasi was about the four noble truths and the eightfold noble path is known as the Buddha’s first turning of the wheel of dharma. Subsequently, Buddha also gave a discourse at Rajgir and Shravasti which are known as the second and third turning of the wheel of dharma.
The wisdom, concentration, and ethics imparted by Buddha for the peoples to learn were symbolized the various components of the wheel like spokes, rim, and the wheel hub. the central hub represents the binding force or the discipline that blesses the mind with ethical values. To cut through the ignorance of humans, the sharp spikes of the wheel symbolizes wisdom and discriminating awareness. For any ethical wisdom to succeed, the concentration of oneself is of utmost importance which was being symbolized by the rim which facilitates the motion of the wheel.