Symbolism
of Animals in Buddhism
Ven. Jampa
Choskyi
Buddhist
Himalaya, VOL. I NO. I
SUMMER 1988
Copyright 1988 by Gakken Co.
Ltd.
In Asian
culture there is aot such a wide gap between spiritual and material
things as there seems to exist in the western civilization of
today. Therefore religious symbols are a living part of all aspects
of Asian culture.
We will describe the different
symbols both in their outer and inner or esoteric meaning,
according to the different teachings of Lord Budddha. However,
according to the bnuddhisst teachings the very physical existence
of any phenomena is dependent on the inner meaning, which is due to
the mental creation or Karmic activity of the sentient beings. That
means that the face that the symbols do exist is due to the mental
or Karmic creation of those beings and cannot exist without it.
Just as a plant needs a seed in order to come into existence, in
the same way the plant as a symbol exists only because there is a
Karmic seed which causes it. In fact, the very existence of the
material or physical plant is also dependent on the existence of a
karmic seed in the consciousness of the beings in whose world that
plant grows Therefore what we call symbols are not artificial,
cultural creations invented by somebody, but they correspond to a
real karmic activity which manifests in the external level as a
material object-a plant or animal in this case-and in the internal,
mental level corresponds to a mental experience. The actual reality
of these symbols has been experienced directly in meditation by
those highly realized beings like Sakyamuni Buddha and others. They
somehow discovered the real nature of the symbols through their
pure vision and understanding Even ordinary beings can perceive to
some extent the real nature of symbols, but in order to get a
clearer understanding some intellectual explanations are
needed.
Generally the buddhist as well
as other religious symbols, are considered as a cultural item,
without understanding at all their real significance. They are used
or venerated only because it is the tradition of one's own country
to do so, or because it is believed that these symbols or objects
bring good luck and prosperity. In fact these symbols not only can
bring good luck, long life and prosperity but can also bring the
highest realization of the real nature of all existences. They can
help sentient beings to develop their own inner wisdom and attain
the level of a Buddha, no matter what other name they want to give
to it. And that is why symbols do exist as manifestations of this
wisdom inherent in all sentient beings 'mind. In its present essay
only five animals have been described briefly.
THE LION
Lions are the kings of the
animal kingdom: they are proud and majestic. They live in the
plains and grassy hills, never in the mountains and sur4ely not in
the high snow mountains. Lions are organised into clans or groups
and never live alone except in the case of old lions or those who
are expelled from the community. They get their food by hunting
which is always done by the females and never by the males. The
male's job is to protect the clan from enemies. However, lions do
not have any natural enemy. Due to these caracteristics the lion
has been considered through all ages and countries as a symbol of
royaity and protection, as well as of wisdom and pride. The
iconographic representation of the lion originated in
Persia.
In buddhism lions are symbolic
of the bodhisattvas, the "sons of the Buddha" or "Buddha's lions".
bodhisattvas are beings who have attained a high level of spiritual
development. They have generated bodhicitta and made the vow to
renounce the happiness of the highest enlightenment and remain in
this world working until all sentient beings are free from
suffering. bodhisattvas practise the six basic paramitas: charity.
Morality, patience. effort, concentration and wisdom [dana, sila,
ksanti, verya, dhyana and prajna] and the four which derive from
the basis ones: skillfull means, vows, power and knowledge [upaya,
pranidhana, bala and jnana]. Tehre are eight great or divine
bodhisattvas. In the Nispannygavaqli of Mahapandita Abhayakara
Gupta three sets of sixteen bodhisattvas are
mentioned.
In buddhist iconography we find
the lions in their role of dharma protectors supporting the throne
of the buddhas and bodhisattvas. They are also found at the
entrance of the monasteries and shrines. In the northern areas of
Nepal, influenced by Tibetan buddhism and art, the lions have
become "snow lions". Actually there are no lions living in the snow
mountains, but there are leopards. Snow lions area depicted in
white or blue colour with turquoise or orange mane floating
in the wind and very wrathful, with big eyes and open mouth. They
roam freely in the high snow mountains without any fear,
symbolising the wisdom, fearlessness and divine pride of those
dharma practitioners who are actually able to live freely in the
high snow mountain of the pure mind, without being contaminated by
delusions. They are kings of the doctrine because they have
achieved the power to subdue all beings with their great love,
compassion and wisdom.
The lions as guardians of the
temple are represented in pairs at the entrance of shrines and baha
compounds.
ELEPHANTS
The main characteristics of the
elephant are his strength and steadfastness. There for it become a
symbol of physical and mental strength, as well as responsibility
and earthiness.
In Indian mythology we hear
about the flying elephants and Airavata, the white elephant who
become the vehicle of Indra and appeared from the churning of the
milky ocean. Therefore white elephants are considered very special
and with the power to produce rain. They are identified as
rain-bearing clouds, which will explain the belief in the flying
elephants. In Indian society elephants were considered to bring
good luck and prosperity. They were owned by the kings and used in
wars.
In buddhism the elephant is a
symbol of mental strenght. At the beginning of one's practice the
uncontrolled mind is symbolised by a gray elephant who can run wild
any moment and destroy everything on his way. After practising
dharma and taming one's mind, the mind which is now brought under
control is symbolised by a white elephant strong and powerful, who
can be directed wherever one wishes and destroy all the obstacles
on his way.
Buddha Shakyamuni was born as
elephant in some of his previous incarnations. Also in his last
incarnation as Siddharth Gautama he songs: descended from the
Tushita pure land and entered his mother's womb in the form of a
white elephant.
In buddhist iconography we find
the elephant-faced deity Gangpati or Ganesh as an emanation of the
bodhisattva Avalokitesvara. Also in another aspect, representing
the worldly aspect of the same evergy he is trampled upon by same
other deities such as Mahakala, Vajra Bhairava and
others.
In the mandala offering ritual
one offers to the Buddha the Precious Elephant, with the strength
of one thousand elephants and who can circumdbulate the whole
universe three times in one day. Also the elephant tusks are one of
the Seven Royal Emblems.
The elephant is the vehicle of
the Tathagata Aksobhya and the deity Balabadra. The elephant also
appears as a guardian of the temples and of Buddha
himself.
THE
HORSE
Horses
have always been the means of transport. They can run very fast and
it is that in previous times they had wings and could fly. Even in
Greek mythology we have Pegasus, the flying horse. Their main
Characteristies is their loyalty, industriousness and swiftness. A
good example of these qualities is Kantaka, the horse of Siddhartha
Gautama. When the future Buddha lift his palace in order to become
an ascetic, his horse realised that he will never see his mas6ter
again and died of a broken greart. He was reborn in one of the
heavens.
In buddhism the horse is
symbolic of energy and effort in the practice of dharma. It also
symbolises the air or prana which runs through the channels of the
body and is the vehicle of the mind.
In that sense we can quote a
passage from one of Milarepa's "Song of the galloping horse of a
yogi."
"In the mountain hermitage which
is my body,
In temple of my breast
At the summit of the
triangle of my heart,
The horse which is my
mind flies like the wind"
"He gallops on the
plains of great bliss.
If he persists, he will
attain the rank of a victorious Buddha.
Going backward, he cuts
the root of samsara.
Going forward he reaches
the high land of buddhahood.
Astride such a horse,
one attains the highest illumination"
[translated by Losang P.
Lhalungpa]
The so called "Wind-Horse"
symbolic of the mind the mind its vehicle the wind, can be ridden
upon. That means that we have the possibility of controlling the
mind and wind and guide it towards any direction and at any speed
that we wish.
The neigh of a horse is also
symbolic of the power of the Buddha to awaken the sleepy mind for
the practice of dharma.
There are some stories of the
bodhisattva Lokesvara taking the shape of a horse in order to help
sentient beings.
In buddhist iconography the
horse support the throne of the Tathagatha Ratnasambhava and
carries the chariot of Surya, the sun god. The horse is also the
vehicle of many other deities and dharma protectors, such as
Mahali, and there are horse-faced deities, such as
Hayagriva.
THE
PEACOCK
In a general sense peacocks are
a symbol of openness and acceptance. In Christianity the peacock is
a symbol of immortality. In Mesopotamia appeared a symbolic
representation of a tree flanked by two peacocks, which is said to
symbolise the dualistic mind and the absolute unity. In Hinduism
the patterns of the peacocks feathers, ressembing eyes, symbolise
and stars. In buddhism they symbolise wisdom.
Peacocks are said to have the
ability of eating poisonous plants without being affected by them.
Because of that, they are synonimous with the great bodhisattvas. A
bodhisattva is able to take delusions as the path toward liberation
and transform the poisonous mind of ignorance, desire and hatred
[moha, raga, dvesa] into the thought of enlightenment or
bodhicitta, which opens colourfully like the peacocks'
tail.
Here we will quote from a
teaching called "The wheel of Sharp Weapons", written by
Dharmaraksita, who passed it to his main disciple Dipankara Sri
Jnana [Atisa, 982-1054].
"In jungles of poisonous plants
strut the peacocks,
Through medicine gardens of beauty lie
near.
The masses of peacocks
do not find gardens pleasant,
But thrive on the
essence of poisonous plants,
In similar fashion the
brave bodhisattvas
Remain in the jungle of
worlds concern.
No matter how joyful
this world pleasure garden,
These brave ones are
never attracted to pleasures,
But thrive in the jungle
of suffering and pain."
The mind of the
sentient beings in this world is like a thick forest of desire and
hatred. The pleasures and material possessions are like a beautiful
medicinal garden. The brave-minded bodhisattvas, because of having
realised the shortcomings of samsara, are not atracted to samsaric
pleasures, just as the peacocks are not attracted to medicinal
plants. The bodhisattvas, having the attitude of wishing only to
work for sentient beings and not desiring any happiness for
themselves, can utilise the poisonous thoughts of ignorance,
desire, hatred and so forth in order to accomplish the works for
sentient beings.
Bu eating poison, the
peacocks' body becomes healthy and beautiful. He is adorned with
five feathers on the head, which symbolise the five paths of the
boddhisattva and the attainment of the five Buddha families. They
have beautiful colours, like blue, red, green and please other
beings just by being seen. Similarly, any body who sees a
bodhisattva receives great happiness in his mind. The peacock's
eating habits of eating poisonous plants do not cause harm to other
beings. Similarly the bodhisattvas don not give the slightest harm
to any other sentient beings. By eating poison the colours of his
feathers become bright and his body healthy. Similarly, by taking
all problems and suffering upon themselves, the bodhisattvas
quickly purify the mental obscurations and develop their mind
quickly, attaining higher and higher realization. Particularly
peacocks symbolise the transmutting of desire into the path of
liberation. Therefor they are the vehicle of Buddha amitabha, who
represents desire and attachment transmuted into the Wisdom of
Discriminating Awareness.
GARUDA
Garuda is the king of bgirds. Its name derives from the
root Gri, to swallow: garuda devours the snakes. He is represented
with a human upper body, big eyes, beak, short blue horns, yellow
hair standing on end, bird's claws and wings. However, sometimes,
mainly in Hindu iconography, he is represented in human form with
wings.
Garuda is a very big
bird and comes out of the egg fully grown. Garuda symbolises the
space element and the power of the sun, which can dry up the
waters. Therefore he is the natural enemy of snakes and he devours
or controls them. He represents the spiritual energy of which
devours the delusions of jealousy. And hatred, which are
represented by the snake. Garuda is also the openness: he can
stretch out his wings and soar into space. He represents the great
fresom of the mind which can open and is not uptied by confliction
emotions the wise mind which reaches every where, like the rays of
the sun, and brings about the growth of life and wisdom.
Specifically in buddhism Garuda is related of the perfection of
gibing [dana paramita], just as the rays of the sun give life to
the earth.
The myth of the great
bird devouring the snake seems to have originated in Mesopotamia.
The snake represents the subconscious or hidden aspects of the
mind, those feelings and thoughts which crawl underneath the
surface. Garuda can perceive any tiny snake and instantly fall upon
in. Similarly, by practising awareness of all our feelings,
thoughts and actions we can develop the wisdom which can perceive
perfectly the workings of our mind and in that way we can achieve
complete freedom to act utilising out mind in the most beneficial
way.
In Hindu Iconography
Garuda is the vehicle of Vishnu. In Buddhism, he is the vehicle of
amoghasiddhi, the Buddha who embodies the all accomplishing wisdom.
He is also the vehicle of a from of Lokishvara Hariharihar vahana.
garuda is also a deity of his own who is supposed to cure
snakebite, epilepsy and diseases caused by nagas. An image of
Garuda is found in the toranas, the semicircular tympanum above the
temple doors.
The emerald, also called
Garuda stone is considered a protection against poison and Garuda
images appear in Jewellery as a protection against snake
bite.