BUDDHIST GEM FELLOWSHIP

BUDDHIST GEM FELLOWSHIP BUDDHIST GEM FELLOWSHIP FUNDAMENTALS OF BUDDHISM DatukDr Victor Wee 1-April-2012 (Sun) LESSON 2 SYMBOLS & SYMBOLISM OF BUDDHA’S LIFE STORY FUNDAMENTALS OF BUDDHISM JKQuek/18092011

SYMBOLS AND SYMBOLISM OF BUDDHA’S LIFE STORY FUNDAMENTALS OF BUDDHISM

Four Holy Places • Holy places connected with Gautama Buddha • Birthplace – Lumbini in Nepal • Enlightenment – Bodhgaya • Teaching of 1st Sermon – Sarnath • Passing Away (MahaParinibbana) – Kusinara • Faithful followers who undertake pilgrimage to these 4 places will be reborn in a heavenly state (Maha.parinibbanaSutta, DighaNikaya)

Biography of the Buddha • A number of biographies of the Buddha written in India include Mahavastu, Jatakas, Buddhacarita, Lalitavastara. Sir Edwin Arnold’s poem, The Light of Asia, was based on Lalitavastara. • Legends grow up around great people. Though they may not be historical events, they epitomize some quality in these great people. • Very often Westerners tend to divide the episodes into ‘historical facts’ and ‘legends & myths’. They consider historical facts to be relevant & dismiss myths and legends as fiction

Two Aspects of the Mind • Sangharakshita explains that there are two truths: • Truth of Concept and Reasoning; and Truth of Imagination or Intuition • The rational, conscious mind which lies on the surface uses the language of concepts and abstract thought. • The unconscious, non-rational mind which is the larger part of a person and his total nature uses the language of images, poetry, myth and legend.

Origin of Legends • Legends are symbolic language to address the unconscious mind • It uses myths, symbols and metaphors to transmit meaning which must be interpreted. • There are symbolism in the Buddha’s biography that are not concerned with the external events but to communicate his inner spiritual experience.

Symbolism from the Buddha’s Biography

Seven Footsteps • At his birth, the Prince took seven steps, and after looking in all the four directions proclaimed: “I am chief in the world; I am best in the world; I am the eldest in the world.” Lotuses sprang from his footsteps. • This story dramatize the spiritual significance of his birth. The seven footsteps is a way of saying the practice of the Seven Factors of Enlightenment (mindfulness, investigation, vigor, joy, tranquility, concentration and equanimity). • Lotus emphasizes the transcendent nature of Nirvana.

Victory Over Mara • Mara is the Evil One who tempted and attacked the Buddha while he was meditating under the Bodhi Tree. Defeating Mara represents overcoming ignorance. • This account dramatizes the battle that was fought from within when the Forces of Good overcame the Forces of Evil and uproot the last remaining defilements. • All the stones, arrows and flames, on reaching the Buddha’s aura turned into flowers and fell at his feet. This represents the transmutation of the dark side of one’s nature into liberation and light. • Mara’s three daughters, Lust, Passion and Delight could not tempt the Buddha. This represents overcoming craving and desire.

Brahma’s Request • After his Enlightenment, a thought arose in the Buddha’s mind that the Dhamma is so profound, subtle and beyond the sphere of reason. Others caught up with attachment will not understand it. • Brahma Sahampatiappeared before him to request him to teach the Truth to beings with little dust in their eyes. • After surveying the world, the Buddha decided to teach the Dhamma because he saw that there are beings who had little dust in their eyes & could understand the Dhamma. • This episode represents the manifestation of Great Compassion in his mind, which caused him to preach the Truth he discovered to others.

Early Symbols of Buddha • Early Buddhist art did not depict Gautama Buddha in a human form • The feeling was that the profound nature of Buddhahood could not be adequately represented by human form. • A range of symbols were used to represent the Buddha even after Buddha images were developed from 1st-2nd century CE.

Representations of the Buddha • Bodily relics • Bodhi tree • Dhamma wheel • Buddha footprint

Buddha Bodily Relics • Buddha advised Ananda that a stupa should be erected to enshrine his bodily relics (sariras) after cremation • After the Buddha's death at Kusinara, his body was cremated and the relics were divided into eight portions and placed in stupas. • Physical relics are seen as the most powerful focus for Buddhist devotion and are usually contained in a stupa

Distributing Buddha’s Relics • Later in 3rd century BCE, Asoka took the relics from the stupas and enshrined them in ‘84,000’ stupas around his empire • His son, Mahinda, brought the Buddha’s relics, right collarbone and right eye-tooth to be placed in a stupa in old capital Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka • A tooth relic was enshrined at Kandy in Sri Lanka. • ShwedagonStupa in Yangon contains some hair of Gautama Buddha and belongings of three previous Buddhas.

Bodhi Tree • The most important focus of devotion in early Buddhism was the Buddha’s bodily relics. • Second in importance were the Bodhi Tree, i.e. trees derived from the pipal tree (ficusreligiosa)under which the Buddha sat and gained Enlightenment. • Devotees place offerings at the base of the tree and perform circumambulation in clockwise direction • Bodhi trees are reminders and symbols of the Buddha’s awakening.

Dhamma Wheel (Dhamma.cakka) • The Dhamma wheel has been one of the major Buddhist symbols since early times. Compassionate emperors in the past are known as chakkavartins or “wheel turners” • Buddha inaugurated the rule of Dhamma by teaching the Dhamma.cakkap.pavattanaSutta (Setting in Motion the Wheel of Dhamma Discourse) at Sarnath to “open the doors to the deathless” • The spokes converge on the hub to represent Nibbana

Buddha’s Footprint • Like relics and bodhi trees, footprints of the Buddha are reminders that he actually walked on the earth and left a spiritual path for others to follow • In Buddhist art, auspicious signs are placed on his sole. His footprints symbolize his presence

Stupas or “Relic Mound” • The stupa or “relic mound” is a very important symbol in Buddhism • The names of stupa in different languages are dagoba(Singhala), pagoda, cedi (Thai), cetiya(Pali), chorten (Tibetan) • Stupas contain relics of Buddha and represent not only his Parinibbanabut also the Dhamma. They are placed at significant sites. • The SanciStupa in central India is best preserved 1st century CE ancient stupa

Origin of Buddha Images • First Buddha images emerged in 1st century CE in Gandhara, NW Pakistan and Mathura, central northern India. • Gandhara Buddha images benefited from Greek culture, which contributed the wavy hair, drapery covering both shoulders, shoes and sandals, leaf decorations, etc. • The Mathura Buddha is based on a strong Indian tradition, with clothes covering the left shoulder, the wheel on the palm, the lotus seat, etc. • Mathura and Gandhara also strongly influenced each other in the development of the Buddha image when the two regions served as capitals under the Kushan empire.

Visual Image of Enlightenment • The Buddha image gives a visual representation of the great qualities of the Buddha and Buddhahood • It serves as the object of concentration and inspiration to gain peace of mind • It reminds us of the Buddha, our enlightened teacher, and also the enlightenment potential within ourselves

Buddhas, Past and Future • The present eon (Palikappa) is considered fortunate because it contains several Buddhas—four have passed, and the fifth is yet to come • The 4 phases of the world system—destroyed, remains destroyed, develops, remains before being destroyed again—is considered a great eon • Length of an aeon—analogy of a solid stone mountain a league high (yojana, around 7 miles) being worn away by stroking it once a century with a fine cloth

Buddhas of This Aeon • Four Buddhas that have come in our current aeon • Kakusanda Buddha • Konagamana Buddha • Kassapa Buddha • Gotama Buddha

Buddhas of the Past • The Buddhavamsa of the Pali canon, gives an account of the 24 prior to Gotama (and the 3 Buddhas of the current aeon). • However, the Buddhavamsa also mentions that there have been countless other Buddhas • In Sri Lanka, it is a common practice for temples to conduct chanting of the 28 Buddhas for 3-6 nights for fund raising

Future Buddha • In the Cakkavatti.sihanandaSutta, the next Buddha will be Metteyya (Sanskrit, Maitreya). His outstanding quality is loving kindness (metta). • Mettayya is currently in Tusita heaven, waiting for his future time as next Buddha when the Dhamma has been forgotten and human life span becomes long • Many Buddhists make the aspiration of being born at the time of Mettayya Buddha to receive his teachings and gain Nibbana • In East Asia, he is depicted as the fat Laughing Buddha.

Conclusion • Although Buddhism can be presented as a strictly rational system, with a conceptual, analytical, intellectual approach that appeals to intellectuals, there is also the symbolic and intuitive aspects that points to the inner experience and inner realizations. • The poetic and symbolic language speaks to the heart and imagination and the unconscious mind. • There is the need to combine both the conceptual and non-conceptual approaches since both the conscious and unconscious mind should play their part in our spiritual life.

THANK YOU DATUK DR VICTOR WEE ddvictorwee@gmail.com

BUDDHIST GEM FELLOWSHIP