Buddhism

Life of Gautam Buddha	Wheel of Life	Basics of Buddhism
History of Buddhism	Buddhist Morality	Four Noble Truths
Buddhist Cosmology	Instructions for Live Happy Life	The Eightfold Path
The Theory of Karma in Buddhism	Buddhist Hymns and Prayers	The Kalama Sutta
Festivals of Buddhism	Basic Buddhist Vocabulary
Wallpapers of Lord Buddha	Symbols of Buddhism
Personal Ceremonies - Marriages / Funeral Rites

Symbolism In Buddhism

In the earliest centuries of Buddhism, statues of the Buddha were not used. Instead, Buddhist art consisted of images symbolizing the Buddha and his teachings, such as the lotus, the Wheel of the Law, the Bodhi tree and the Buddha's footprints.

Eventually, the Buddha image became one of the most popular representations in Buddhism, but these early symbols remain important and are frequently used to this day. They are especially important in Theravada Buddhist countries like Sri Lanka and Thailand.

As Buddhism spread, Buddhist symbolism was enriched by the cultures it came into contact with. This is especially true of Buddhism in Tibet, which has developed a rich symbolic tradition. The central symbols of Tibetan Buddhism are the Eight Auspicious Symbols, known in Sanskrit as Ashtamangala (ashta meaning eight and mangala meaning auspicious). The Eight Auspicious Symbols are printed on Tibetan prayer flags, incorporated into mandalas and thangkas, and used in other forms of ritual art. Another important symbol is the Wheel of Life, a symbolic representation of the universe as understood by Tibetan Buddhists.

Other important types of symbolism in Buddhism include colors, especially the five colors of white, yellow, red, blue and green, and symbolic hand gestures called mudras. The articles in this section explore these Buddhist symbols, providing information on their history, meaning and use in Buddhism today. (For an introduction and quick guide to Buddhist colors Symbolism.)