Material: Plastic, Painted, Printed, Wheel and Axle System

Size: 10 cm (Approximate Size) Six-Syllable Mantra

Description: I. What are the Eight Auspicious Symbols?

**The Eight Auspicious Symbols** (Sanskrit: Ashtamangala, Tibetan: བཀྲ་ཤིས་རྟགས་བརྒྱད་, bkra shis rtags brgyad) are eight symbols in Buddhism representing auspiciousness, merit, and perfection. They often appear in sets on temple murals, thangkas, offering vessels, ritual implements, architectural decorations, and even everyday items (such as curtains and flags). The eight symbols are:

1. **Chatra (Umbrella):** Symbolizing nobility and protection, shielding against the "heat" of afflictions.

2. **Goldfish (Suvarnamatsya):** Symbolizes liberation and freedom, like a fish swimming freely in water.

3. **Vase (Kalasha):** Symbolizes wealth, abundance, and longevity, containing nectar.

4. **Lotus (Padma):** Symbolizes purity and enlightenment, emerging from the mud unsullied.

5. **Right-spiraling White Conch (Shankha):** Symbolizes the Buddha's teachings, spreading throughout the ten directions.

6. **Auspicious Knot (Shrivatsa):** Symbolizes dependent origination and eternity, without beginning or end.

7. **Victory Banner (Dhvaja):** Symbolizes the Dharma's victory over obstacles, the banner of truth.

8. **Dharmachakra (Dharma Wheel):** Symbolizes the Buddha's first turning of the Dharma wheel; the eight spokes represent the Eightfold Path.

> **Note:** Different schools (such as Theravada, Mahayana, and Tibetan Buddhism) may have slight differences in the details or arrangement of the images, but the core meaning remains the same.

II. Origin of the Story: From the Buddha's Time to the Formation of the Symbolic System

1. **Earliest Origin: The Buddha's Birth and the Seven Treasures**

- The prototype of the Eight Auspicious Symbols can be traced back to the auspicious signs at the **birth of Shakyamuni Buddha**. According to the *Buddha's Deeds Collection Sutra* and other records, when the Buddha was born, mandala flowers rained down from the sky, and seven treasures (including a parasol, a golden fish, etc.) appeared on the ground, symbolizing the supreme auspiciousness of the newborn prince.

- In ancient Indian royal culture, these items were originally the "Seven Treasures" symbol of the **Chakravartin**, representing the legitimacy and blessings of rule. Buddhism borrowed and transformed them into the "Eight Auspicious Symbols," emphasizing the perfection of the **spiritual kingdom**.

2. **Gradual Establishment in Buddhist Scriptures**

- In Mahayana scriptures such as the *Mahaparinirvana Sutra* and the *Lotus Sutra*, the Buddha often decorated the Dharma assembly with the "Eight Auspicious Symbols" during his sermons, symbolizing the completion of the Dharma assembly.

- The Tibetan Buddhist *Kalachakra Tantra* further correlates the Eight Auspicious Symbols with the cosmic mandala, regarding them as the auspicious foundation of the "Kalachakra" universe. 3. **Historical Dissemination and Visualization**

- **3rd Century BC:** During the reign of Emperor Ashoka, the Eight Auspicious Symbols were already carved on stone pillars (such as the Sanchi Stupa).

- **7th-8th Century AD:** With the eastward transmission of Tantric Buddhism, the Eight Auspicious Symbols became a standard feature of Thangka paintings.

- **From the Yuan Dynasty onwards:** Tibetan Buddhism influenced Han Chinese areas, and the Eight Auspicious Symbols were incorporated into Han Chinese temples (such as the Eight Treasures decorations in the Yonghe Temple in Beijing).

> **Interesting Anecdote:** Legend has it that when Manjushri Bodhisattva incarnated as a Tibetan painter, he personally painted Eight Auspicious Symbols Thangkas, teaching craftsmen that "every stroke contains Buddhist teachings," thus establishing them as a standard in Tibetan art.

III. Profound Influence on Buddhist Culture

| Direction | Specific Influence |

|------|----------|

| **Art and Architecture:** The Eight Auspicious Symbols are invariably depicted on temple lintels, shrines, and Thangka paintings; Tibetan stupas often feature the "Thirteen Heavens" (including the Victory Banner) atop their roofs. | | **Rituals and Offerings** | During Dharma assemblies, the Eight Auspicious Symbols (vases, conch shells, etc.) are offered to the Buddha; the Tibetan ritual of offering the "Eight Auspicious Objects" originates from this. | | **Folk Beliefs** | Han Chinese Spring Festival couplets often depict the Eight Auspicious Symbols, praying for "auspiciousness from all directions"; Tibetan families hang "Eight Auspicious Symbols flags." | | **Philosophical Symbolism** | The Eight Auspicious Symbols correspond to the "Eightfold Path" and the "Eight Consciousnesses," becoming objects of contemplation for practitioners. | | **Cross-Cultural Integration** | The national emblems of Nepal, Mongolia, and Bhutan all contain elements of the Eight Auspicious Symbols, becoming common symbols within the "Buddhist cultural sphere." |

IV. Modern Application Examples

- **Amulets**: Tibetan silversmiths imprint the Eight Auspicious Symbols inside gau boxes (amulet boxes) for protection and peace.

- **Architectural Feng Shui**: Han Chinese Buddhist temples often carve the Eight Auspicious Symbols on beams and pillars, symbolizing "the Buddha's light shining everywhere."

- **Digital Age:** The Eight Auspicious Symbols (such as the Dharma Wheel and the Lotus) are commonly seen in LINE stickers and Buddhist apps.

**Summary:** Originating from auspicious symbols of the Buddha's birth, the Eight Auspicious Symbols have evolved into the "auspicious code" of the Buddhist universe. They are not merely decorations, but also a **visual language of enlightenment**. They remind practitioners:

"External auspiciousness (the Eight Treasures) reflects inner perfection (the Eightfold Path); afflictions are enlightenment, and the world is pure land."

The Story and Origin of the Six-Syllable Mantra

The Six-Syllable Mantra, "Om Mani Padme Hum" (Tibetan: Om Mani Padme Hum), is the most important and widespread mantra in Tibetan Buddhism. It is considered the fundamental mantra and heart mantra of Avalokiteshvara (Tibetan: Chenrezi Chenlepa, meaning "Great Compassionate Avalokiteshvara").

1. Origin and Legend

- **Classical Basis**

The earliest written record appears around the 4th century AD in the *Kāraṇḍa-vyūha Sūtra* (Tibetan translation: *Ratnakuta Sūtra* or *Avalokitesvara's Prophecy Sūtra*). This sutra specifically recounts the merits and vows of Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva, explicitly stating that the six syllables "Om Mani Padme Hum" are Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva's "heart mantra," capable of encompassing the blessings and merits of all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas.

The sutra describes:

- Countless eons ago, when Amitabha Buddha was making vows in his past lives, a thousand princes vowed to become Buddhas, the first of whom was the later Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva.

- Amitabha Buddha bestowed this six-syllable mantra upon Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva, enabling him to benefit all sentient beings.

- Through practicing this six-syllable mantra, Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva swiftly perfected the Six Paramitas (six perfections), attained unsurpassed enlightenment, and with great compassion, saved sentient beings in the six realms. - **The Lineage of Tibetan Buddhism**

In the 8th century, Padmasambhava entered Tibet and propagated Tantric Buddhism, widely disseminating the six-syllable mantra to the Tibetan people. It merged with Bon (the indigenous religion of Tibet), making it the "national mantra" of the entire region.

Padmasambhava said, "All sentient beings within the snow-capped mountains of Tibet, whoever hears, sees, touches, or remembers this six-syllable mantra, will be reborn in the Pure Land of Bliss or receive the blessings of Avalokiteshvara."

- **The Legend of King Songtsen Gampo**

Folk legend says that the 7th-century Tibetan King Songtsen Gampo was actually an incarnation of Avalokiteshvara (Princess Wencheng was an incarnation of Tara, and Princess Bhrikuti was an incarnation of White Tara). He carved the six-syllable mantra on stones (Mani stones), which were scattered throughout Tibet. This is the origin of "Mani piles" (stone piles inscribed with the six-syllable mantra).

#### 2. The Meaning of the Six-Syllable Mantra (Common Interpretations) Different schools of Tibetan Buddhism offer slightly different interpretations of the six-syllable mantra. The two most common are:

| Syllable | Represents the Six Realms | Represents the Six Paramitas | Object of Purification |

|--------|----------|------------|--------------------|------------------------|

| Om | White | Deva Realm | Generosity Paramita | Pride |

| Ma | Green | Asura Realm | Morality Paramita | Jealousy |

| Ni | Yellow | Human Realm | Patience Paramita | Greed |

| Pad | Blue | Hungry Ghost Realm | Diligence Paramita | Ignorance |

| Me | Red | Animal Realm | Meditation Paramita | Poverty, Greed |

| Hum | Black | Hell Realm | Wisdom Paramita | Anger |

Reciting the six-syllable mantra once is equivalent to simultaneously perfecting the six paramitas, purifying the karmic obstacles of sentient beings in the six realms, and guiding them to the Pure Land of Avalokiteshvara (Avalokiteshvara's Pure Land is called "Potala Mountain," or comparable to the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss).

3. Profound Influence on Buddhist Culture (Especially Tibetan Buddhism)

1. **A Symbol of Nationwide Faith**

- In Tibetan areas such as Tibet, Qinghai, Sichuan, Gansu, and Inner Mongolia, it is almost universally known and ubiquitous.

- The six-syllable mantra can be seen everywhere: mani stones, prayer wheels, prayer flags, temple walls, and home shrines.

- Tibetan elders spend almost their entire lives turning prayer wheels, counting rosaries, and reciting the six-syllable mantra, which is considered "the simplest yet most blessed practice."

2. **Becoming a Core Symbol of Tibetan Culture**

- Comparable to "Namo Amitabha Buddha" commonly seen in Han Chinese Buddhism, but with a wider influence and more diverse forms.

- The six-syllable mantra is carved on stone (Mani stone carvings), forming a unique "Mani culture" and a typical religious landscape in Tibet.

- Prayer wheels (hand-cranked, wind-powered, water-powered, electric, and heat-powered) are filled with scrolls containing the six-syllable mantra; one turn is equivalent to reciting the mantra millions of times.

3. **A Universal Mantra Across Sectarians and Regions**

- Not only are the four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism—Nyingma, Kagyu, Sakya, and Gelug—all valuing it, but even the indigenous Bon religion of Tibet has absorbed the six-syllable mantra.

- It has also spread widely in Nepal, India, Bhutan, Mongolia, and the Buryat, Tuva, and Kalmyk regions of Russia due to the spread of Tibetan Buddhism.

4. **Modern Influence**

- When the Dalai Lama propagates Buddhism worldwide, the six-syllable mantra is the one he most frequently teaches Westerners to recite.

- Many Tibetan Buddhist centers use "Om Mani Padme Hum" as an introductory mantra, allowing beginners to cultivate compassion by reciting the six syllables.

- It has even appeared in popular culture (such as in the films *Seven Years in Tibet* and *Little Buddha*), becoming the international community's first impression of Tibetan Buddhism.

In summary, the six-syllable mantra "Om Mani Padme Hum," originating from the 4th-century *Kaladaka Sutta*, was widely disseminated in Tibet by Padmasambhava in the 8th century, becoming the most important symbol of Avalokiteshvara's salvation of sentient beings. It is not merely a mantra; it embodies the Tibetan people's entire faith in compassion, purification, and liberation, profoundly shaping the religious and cultural landscape of Tibetan civilization. To this day, it remains one of the most widely known and frequently recited Buddhist mantras in the world.