Buddhist symbolism appeared from around the 3rd century BCE, and started with aniconic symbolism, avoiding direct representations of the Buddha. Anthropomorphic symbolism appeared from around the 1st century CE with the arts of Mathura and the Greco-Buddhist art of Gandhara, and were combined with the previous symbols. Various symbolic innovations were later introduced, especially through Tibetan Buddhism. Buddhist symbolism - Early aniconic symbols. Among the earliest and most common symbols of Buddhism ar ...

Including:

• Buddhist symbolism - Early aniconic symbols
• Buddhist symbolism - The 32 signs of a Great Man, and 80 Secondary Characteristics
• Buddhist symbolism - The Mudras
• Buddhist symbolism - The eight auspicious symbols of Tibetan & Nepali Buddhism
• Buddhist symbolism - International symbols of the World Fellowship of Buddhists

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Including:

• Buddhist symbolism - Early aniconic symbols
• Buddhist symbolism - The 32 signs of a Great Man and 80 Secondary Characteristics
• Buddhist symbolism - The Mudras
• Buddhist symbolism - The eight auspicious symbols of Tibetan & Nepali Buddhism
• Buddhist symbolism - International symbols of the World Fellowship of Buddhists

Read more here: » Buddhist symbolism: Encyclopedia - Buddhist symbolism

Among the earliest and most common symbols of Buddhism are the dharma wheel and the lotus flower. The dharma wheel, traditionally represented with eight spokes, can have a variety of meanings. It initially only meant royalty (concept of the "Monarch of the Wheel, or Chakravatin), but started to be used in a Buddhist context on the Pillars of Ashoka during the 3rd century BCE. The Dharma wheel is generally seen as referring to the historical process of teaching the buddhadharma; the eight spokes refer to the Noble Eightfold Path. The lotus, as well, can have several meanings, ...

See also:

Buddhist symbolism, Buddhist symbolism - Early aniconic symbols, Buddhist symbolism - The 32 signs of a Great Man and 80 Secondary Characteristics, Buddhist symbolism - The Mudras, Buddhist symbolism - The eight auspicious symbols of Tibetan & Nepali Buddhism, Buddhist symbolism - International symbols of the World Fellowship of Buddhists

Read more here: » Buddhist symbolism: Encyclopedia II - Buddhist symbolism - Early aniconic symbols

Buddharupa (literally, 'Form of the Awakened One') is the Sanskrit term used in Buddhism for statues or models of the Buddha. Despite cultural and regional differences in the interpretations of texts about the life of the Buddha, there are some general guidelines to the attributes of a Buddharupa: Fingers and toes are elongated proportionately Long, aquiline nose Elongated earlobes ...

Including:

• Buddharupa - Appropriate uses of a Buddharupa
• Buddharupa - Types of Buddharupa

Read more here: » Buddharupa

In Hinduism, a mudra (Sanskrit, literally "seal") is a symbolic gesture made with the hand or fingers. Along with asanas (postures), they are employed in yoga meditation practice. Each mudra has a specific meaning, and they are a central part of Hindu iconography. With the onset of Buddhism, many mudra practices were absorbed into the culture. Common hand gestures are to be seen in both Hindu and Buddhist iconography. An example would be the outward-facing open palm known as Abhay (without fear) mudra, a gesture meant to ...

Including:

• Mudra - Abhaya Mudra
• Mudra - Bhumisparsa Mudra
• Mudra - Dharmacakra Mudra
• Mudra - Dhyana Mudra
• Mudra - Varda Mudra
• Mudra - Vajra Mudra
• Mudra - Vitarka Mudra

Read more here: » Mudra: Encyclopedia - Mudra

Also known as Tantric Buddhism, Mantrayana, Tantrayana, Esoteric Buddhism, Diamond Vehicle or True Words Sect. (Secret) Mantra vehicle is the name most commonly used in Tibetan scriptures. Vajrayāna Buddhism is often viewed as the third major 'vehicle' (Yana) of Buddhism, alongside the Hinayana and Mahayana. The Vajrayana is an extension of Mahayana Buddhism consisting not of philosophical differences, but rather the adoption of ad ...

Including:

• Vajrayana - Advantages of Vajrayana
• Vajrayana - Esoteric Transmission Initiation
• Vajrayana - Relationship with Mahayana
• Vajrayana - History of Vajrayana
• Vajrayana - India
• Vajrayana - China
• Vajrayana - Tibet and other Himalayan kingdoms
• Vajrayana - Japan
• Vajrayana - Indonesia and Malaysia
• Vajrayana - Mongolia

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The term Shambhala Buddhism has come into use as an umbrella term referring to the teachings of Karma Kagyu and Nyingma lineages of Tibetan Buddhism as propagated by the Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche, mixed with the various Shambhalian teachings and practices revealed by the Vidyadhara Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche (the 11th Trungpa Tulku). The present head of the lineage is Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche, Trungpa Rinpoche's eldest son and Shambhala heir. Shambhala Buddhism - Distinguishing Characteristics of Shambhala Budd ...

Including:

• Shambhala Buddhism - Distinguishing Characteristics of Shambhala Buddhism
• Shambhala Buddhism - Shambhala Training
• Shambhala Buddhism - Shambhala Terma
• Shambhala Buddhism - The Kalachakra the Rigden Kings and Gesar of Ling
• Shambhala Buddhism - Zen and Japanese arts
• Shambhala Buddhism - Elements of Bön Taoism Confucianism and Shinto
• Shambhala Buddhism - Dorje Kasung
• Shambhala Buddhism - Maitri and Mudra
• Shambhala Buddhism - Other Practices
• Shambhala Buddhism - History of Shambhala Buddhism
• Shambhala Buddhism - The Shambhala Buddhist community today
• Shambhala Buddhism - Shambhala International
• Shambhala Buddhism - Spiritual Teachers
• Shambhala Buddhism - Shambhala Land Centers
• Shambhala Buddhism - Larger Shambhala Mandala
• Shambhala Buddhism - Related Publications

Read more here: » Shambhala Buddhism: Encyclopedia - Shambhala Buddhism

Buddharupa (literally, 'Form of the Awakened One') is the Sanskrit term used in Buddhism for statues or models of the Buddha. Despite cultural and regional differences in the interpretations of texts about the life of the Buddha, there are some general guidelines to the attributes of a Buddharupa: Fingers and toes are elongated proportionately Long, aquiline nose Elongated earlobes ...

Including:

• Buddharupa - Appropriate uses of a Buddharupa
• Buddharupa - Types of Buddharupa

Read more here: » Buddharupa: Encyclopedia - Buddharupa

According to the Buddhist Trikaya doctrine, Vairocana (also Vairochana or Mahavairocana; 大日如来 or 毘盧遮那佛 Chinese: Dàrì Rúlái or Biluzhenafo, Japanese: Dainichi Nyorai) is a Buddha who is the embodiment of Dharmakaya, and which therefore can be seen as the universal aspect of the historical Gautama Buddha. In the conception of the Five Wisdom Buddhas, Vairocana is at the center. Vairocana is the central figure in the esoteric Shingon Buddhism in Japan, which is based largely ...

Including:

• Vairocana - Doctrine
• Vairocana - Iconography

Read more here: » Vairocana: Encyclopedia - Vairocana

Amitābha or Amida (阿彌陀佛 Ch. Āmítuó fó (=Amida Buddha), 阿弥陀佛 Kr. Amita Bul (Amida Buddha), 阿弥陀如来 Jp. Amida Nyorai (=Amida Tathagata), the Buddha of Limitless Light (無量光佛), also Amitāyus, the Buddha of Limitless Life (無量壽佛), is the primary Buddha of the Pure Land school of Buddhism which developed and spread in China, Vietnam, Korea and Japan and has grown to become the largest sect in Buddhism. Amitābha is believed to be a Buddha who possesses infinite ...

Including:

• Amitabha - Doctrine
• Amitabha - Iconography
• Amitabha - Mantras
• Amitabha - Origins

Read more here: » Amitabha: Encyclopedia - Amitabha

Namaste or Namaskar (नमस्ते in Hindi, from Sanskrit námas te) is a South Asian greeting originating in India, which is used when both hello and goodbye would be used in English. The meaning is quite different, however. Namaste - Meanings. Sanskrit Including:

• Namaste - Meanings
• Namaste - Origins
• Namaste - Gesture and symbolism
• Namaste - Quotes

Read more here: » Namaste: Encyclopedia - Namaste

Shruti Vedas Rig Veda Sama Veda Yajur Veda Atharva Veda Brahmanas Aranyakas Upanishads Smriti Itihāsas Mahābhārata Bhagavad Gītā Ramayana Puranas (List) Tantras Sutras (List) Stotras Ashtavakra Gita Gita Go ...

Read more here: » Hatha Yoga Pradipika: Encyclopedia - Hatha Yoga Pradipika

The Lotus position (Sanskrit: Padmasanam -- "lotus posture") is a cross-legged sitting posture which originated in representations and meditative practices of Hinduism. It is an established part of the Hindu Yoga tradition, Zen and other meditative disciplines. The position is said to resemble a lotus, encourage "proper" breathing and foster physical stability. It is perhaps the marquee image of the Eastern religious figure. Famous depictions of the lotus-posture include Shiva, the meditating ascetic god of Hindui ...

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Tendai (Japanese: 天台宗, Tendai-shū) is a Japanese school of Buddhism, a descendant of the Chinese Tiantai or Lotus Sutra school. Tendai - History. The Tiantai teaching was first brought to Japan by the Chinese monk Jianshen (鑑眞 Jp: Gishin) in the middle of the 8th century, but it was not widely accepted. In 805, the Japanese monk Saichō (最澄; also called Dengyō Daishi 伝教大師) returned from China with new Tiantai texts and made the temple that he had built on Mt. Hiei (比叡山), ...

Including:

• Tendai - History
• Tendai - Tendai Doctrine

Read more here: » Tendai: Encyclopedia - Tendai

The history of Buddhism spans from the 6th century BCE to the present, starting with the birth of the Buddha Siddharta Gautama. This makes it one of the oldest religions practiced today. Throughout this period, the religion evolved as it encountered various countries and cultures, adding to its original Indian foundation Hellenistic as well as Central Asian, East Asian, and Southeast Asian cultural elements. In the process, its geographical extent became considerable so as to affect at one time or another most of the Asian continent. ...

Including:

• History of Buddhism - Life of the Buddha
• History of Buddhism - Early Buddhism
• History of Buddhism - 1st Buddhist council 5th c. BCE
• History of Buddhism - 2nd Buddhist council 383 BCE
• History of Buddhism - Ashokan proselytism c. 260 BCE
• History of Buddhism - 3rd Buddhist council c.250 BCE
• History of Buddhism - Hellenistic world
• History of Buddhism - Asian expansion
• History of Buddhism - Sunga persecutions 2nd–1st c.BCE
• History of Buddhism - Greco-Buddhist interaction 2nd c. BCE–1st c. CE
• History of Buddhism - Rise of Mahayana 1st c.BCE–2nd c.CE
• History of Buddhism - Mahayana expansion 1st c.CE–10th c.CE
• History of Buddhism - India
• History of Buddhism - Central and Northern Asia
• History of Buddhism - South-East Asia
• History of Buddhism - Emergence of the Vajrayana 5th century
• History of Buddhism - Theravada Renaissance 11th century CE—
• History of Buddhism - Expansion of Buddhism to the West
• History of Buddhism - Notes

Read more here: » History of Buddhism: Encyclopedia - History of Buddhism

Chögyam Trungpa (1940 - April 4, 1987) was a Buddhist meditation master, scholar, teacher and artist. Born in Tibet, Chögyam Trungpa was the eleventh in a line of Trungpa tülkus, important figures in the Kagyu tradition of Tibetan Buddhism. In 1959, after having already achieved wide renown for his teachings in his native country, he fled the Chinese invasion and crossed the Himalaya on foot into India. After familiarizing himself with the English language he studied Comparative Religion at Oxford and then came to t ...

Including:

• Chögyam Trungpa - Chronology
• Chögyam Trungpa - List of published works

Read more here: » Chögyam Trungpa: Encyclopedia - Chögyam Trungpa

Greco-Buddhism, sometimes spelled Græco-Buddhism, is the cultural syncretism between the culture of Classical Greece and Buddhism, which developed over a period of close to 800 years in Central Asia in the area corresponding to modern-day Afghanistan and Pakistan, between the 4th century BCE and the 5th century CE. Greco-Buddhism influenced the artistic (and, possibly, conceptual) development of Buddhism, and in particular Mahayana Buddhism, before it was adopted by Central and Northeastern Asia from the 1st century CE, ultima ...

Including:

• Greco-Buddhism - Historical outline
• Greco-Buddhism - Religious interactions
• Greco-Buddhism - Alexander the Great in Bactria and India 331-325
• Greco-Buddhism - The Mauryan empire 322–183 BCE
• Greco-Buddhism - The Greek presence in Bactria 325 to 125 BCE
• Greco-Buddhism - The Indo-Greek kingdom and Buddhism 180 BCE –10 CE
• Greco-Buddhism - The Kushan empire 1st–3rd century CE
• Greco-Buddhism - Artistic influences
• Greco-Buddhism - The anthropomorphic representation of the Buddha
• Greco-Buddhism - A Hellenized Buddhist pantheon
• Greco-Buddhism - Greco-Buddhism and the rise of the Mahayana
• Greco-Buddhism - Conceptual influences
• Greco-Buddhism - Gandharan proselytism
• Greco-Buddhism - Intellectual influences in Asia
• Greco-Buddhism - Greco-Buddhism and the West
• Greco-Buddhism - Exchanges
• Greco-Buddhism - Religious influences
• Greco-Buddhism - Notes

Read more here: » Greco-Buddhism: Encyclopedia - Greco-Buddhism

Tibetan Buddhism — formerly also called Lamaism, after their religious gurus known as lamas — is the body of religious Buddhist doctrine and institutions characteristic of Tibet and the Himalayan region. It is a multifaceted and integrated teaching, naturally implementing methods for all human-condition levels: Hinayana, Mahayana, Vajrayana (Tantric Path) and Ati Yoga (Dzogchen). Tibetan Buddhism - Distinguishing characteristics. Tibetan Buddhism may be distinguished from other schools of Tantric ...

Including:

• Tibetan Buddhism - Distinguishing characteristics
• Tibetan Buddhism - Rituals and ritual objects
• Tibetan Buddhism - Traditions/Orders/Sects of Tibetan Buddhism
• Tibetan Buddhism - Schools/Tenets of Tibetan Buddhism
• Tibetan Buddhism - Monasticism
• Tibetan Buddhism - History of Tibetan Buddhism

Read more here: » Tibetan Buddhism: Encyclopedia - Tibetan Buddhism

Zazen is at the heart of Zen Buddhist practice. Zazen is different from other meditation in that it uses no meditation object or concept to focus on. The aim of Zazen is to first still the mind. Then after years of practice to reach a state of pure thought free wakefulness so that the mind can realize its own Buddha nature. In Zen Buddhism, sitting meditation or zazen (Japanese: 座禅; literally "seated concentration") is a meditative discipline practitioners perform to calm the body and the mind and experience i ...

Including:

• Zazen - History and Tradition
• Zazen - Misconceptions about Zazen

Read more here: » Zazen: Encyclopedia - Zazen

Also known as Tantric Buddhism, Mantrayana, Tantrayana, Esoteric Buddhism, Diamond Vehicle or True Words Sect. (Secret) Mantra vehicle is the name most commonly used in Tibetan scriptures. Vajrayāna Buddhism is often viewed as the third major 'vehicle' (Yana) of Buddhism, alongside the Hinayana and Mahayana. The Vajrayana is an extension of Mahayana Buddhism consisting not of philosophical differences, but rather the adoption of ad ...

Including:

• Vajrayana - Distinguishing features of Vajrayana
• Vajrayana - Tantra techniques
• Vajrayana - Esoteric Transmission Initiation
• Vajrayana - Relationship with Mahayana
• Vajrayana - History of Vajrayana
• Vajrayana - India
• Vajrayana - China
• Vajrayana - Tibet and other Himalayan kingdoms
• Vajrayana - Japan
• Vajrayana - Indonesia and Malaysia
• Vajrayana - Mongolia

Read more here: » Vajrayana: Encyclopedia - Vajrayana