Sacred Symbols Of Buddhism

Based on the author's previous publication The Encyclopedia of Tibetan Symbols and Motifs, this handbook contains an array of symbols and motifs, accompanied by succinct explanations. It provides treatment of the essential Tibetan religious figures, themes and motifs, both secular and religious.

These 145 illustrated Tibetan Buddhist symbols, and the instructions for incorporating them into everyday life, will please the eye, mind, and soul. Gaze upon Buddhas and Bodhisattvas who exist for the benefit of all living beings. Also: mudras (sacred gestures), good luck symbols, ritual structures, and more.

Sacred Symbols is a series of volumes that introduce the ancient, universal wisdoms of humankind. Symbol and ritual go to the heart of human experience. Throughout history humans have developed elaborate symbolic systems to help allay their fear of the unknown and to tap the deep well-springs of spirituality. Today, people are discovering the relevance of these belief systems to life in the 1990s.

Rich in detail and visually powerful, this compelling picture book provides insight into the intricate and profound world of Tibetan Buddhism. Striking images of sacred spaces, participants, art, and ritual choreography are used to explain such precepts as karma, emptiness, compassion, death and rebirth, the Eight Fold Path, and the processes of Tantric deity practice. 150 color and black-and-white photos.

An extensively illustrated volume tracing the development of the stupa, sacred symbol of enlightenment, from the time of the Buddha onwards. Over 200 color photographs show stupas in China, India, Japan, Korea, Bhutan, Tibet, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Central Asia, Souteast Asia, and the United States. History of the eight places of Buddhist pilgrimage, the major forms of the stupa and their significance. Excerpts from traditional texts.

In this fascinating study, Dagyab Rinpoche not only explains the nine best-known groups of Tibetan Buddhist symbols but also shows how they serve as bridges between our inner and outer worlds. As such, they can be used to point the way to ultimate reality and to transmit a reservoir of deep knowledge formed over thousands of years.