VAJRAYANA/TANTRIC
SYMBOLS
1) Mandalas: the Sanskrit term means 'circle'. The Mandala represents a sacred realm - often celestial palace of a Buddha. It contains symbols, images that depicts aspects of the awakened personality of the Buddha. The Dalai Lama said the image of the mandala is profound because meditation on it serves as an antidote to eradicate the obstruction to liberation (mental afflictions). They have magical power, prolong life, bring wealth, protect against evil and are often worn as amulets.
10) Mudras: these are movements and position of the hands which have profound symbolic meaning or various offerings.
1) Mandalas: the Sanskrit term means 'circle'. The Mandala represents a sacred realm - often celestial palace of a Buddha. It contains symbols, images that depicts aspects of the awakened personality of the Buddha. The Dalai Lama said the image of the mandala is profound because meditation on it serves as an antidote to eradicate the obstruction to liberation (mental afflictions). They have magical power, prolong life, bring wealth, protect against evil and are often worn as amulets.
2) Mantras: are invocations to buddhas, magical
spells, prayers or a combination of these. Practitioners repeat them in
order to forge karmic connections between themselves and the meditative
dieties. A person who wishes to develop greater compassion, might recite
the mantra of Avalokitesvara who embodies this quality. Mantras are
effective because they keep your mind quiet and peaceful, automatically
integrating it into one pointedness. They make your mind receptive to
subtle vibrations and heighten your perception. Their recitation
eradicates gross negativities and the true nature of things can then be
reflected in your mind resulting clarity. By practicing a mantra, you can in
fact purify all the defiled energy of your body, speech and mind. For
those with proper attitude, they can be powerful tools that aid in the process
of transformation.
3) Sacred Dance: carried out by
monks, perform rituals to remove obstacles prior to creation of a sand mandala,
or acting out the life stories of saints.
4) Tormas: butter sculpture to offer to 3
Jewels.
5) Bell: symbolises wisdom. To make offerings of sounds of dharma.
6) Vajra: important symbol of
method in Tantra and represents indestructibility.
7) Drum: when one rotates the drum back and
forth, the beads tap on the drum.
8) Prayer Flags: it is believed that
special blessing power of the mantras printed on them is spread all over the
world by the wind. The Blue color corresponds with the sky; white color
with clouds, red color with fire; green color with water and yellow color with
earth.
9) Prayer Wheels: crammed inside the
mantras, prayers will spread when the wheel is turned - handheld.
10) Mudras: these are movements and position of the hands which have profound symbolic meaning or various offerings.
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