Chinese Sanskrit Tamil Tibetan Universal SYMBOLS AND TRANSLATIONS "Words are the voice of the heart, calligraphy is the painting of the heart" Master Yang The written Chinese language is essentially a picture language, which in time became stylized. Characters are used as a metaphor. Through a combination of images any number of ideas can be evoked. The ancients penned characters as a means of spiritual elevation, for it was considered possible to express the essential. Dragon The dragon is a symbol of power, strength, and creativity. It takes careful nurturing to awaken it and bring it to full flowering. Eventually, however, its power wanes. For nothing is forever, and all things run their cycle, only to begin anew. Benevolence Pronounced 'JEN,' this combines the picture for 'human being' with the pair of horizontal strokes that denotes 'two.' The essential kindness that one person shows to another. Clarity Pronounced 'CH'ING,' means 'clear, lucid and pure.' The character is composed of two elements, 'water' and the 'color of nature.' When water has clarity, you see in it the color that nature gave it. Courage Pronounced 'YING,' is a 'person' with arms spread wide to signify 'an adult' standing alone in a 'wide open space' thick with 'grass'--a wilderness signifies 'courage,' for he does not fear this place where wild animals roam. Destiny Pronounced 'MING.' In Chinese thought "destiny" refers not so much to a predetermined path in life, as to the fact of death, which is the destiny of all life and the law of nature. It starts with a character meaning, "to agree" then "to close" and also "time" or "duration." Several ideas here are at play. Our destiny, or allotted time is sealed; and when the door closes on life it is by mandate of heaven. Path of the Heart Virtue. Follow the path of the true heart. Essential virtue-an inborn quality, and the true, original nature of humankind. The infant still retains this virtuous inner self, as does the person who has never left its path. Peace Pronounced 'P'ING,' is a picture of a 'bamboo stem' balanced on each side by a single tongue of 'fire.' The principle of balance between opposing forces. Revelation Pronounced 'SHIH,' is a stylized form of an ancient pictogram that showed three vertical lines of power, or a light, emanating from the two horizontal strokes that represent 'heaven.' Reverence Pronounced 'CH'UNG,' the character for 'ancestor' is placed below three peaks of a 'mountain,' reminding us to revere those who came before. Spirit Pronounced 'SHEN,' means 'to divine' and 'sign.' Symbolizing the part of our soul which enters at birth and ascends at death. Love In the center is the heart pictogram. Above and below 'heart' are the characters for 'breath' and 'graceful movement.' Love, therefore, can be seen as a kind of inspiration. It breathes life into the heart, and brings grace to the body. 'In the Midst,' is a picture of an arrow piercing a target through its center. 'Faith ties the heart' 'Beloved' 'Bone & Spirit' body & soul. 'Balance' Bells In the Chinese tradition bells were tied around the wrists and ankles of infants to protect them from evil spirits. Red Thread was also propitious and said to insure long life. Sanskrit is a highly organized language, with a complex grammar. It has been spoken longer than any other known language. It was handed down by word of mouth until 300 B.C. when it became a written language. The word Sanskrit itself means 'perfect,' 'perfected,' 'literary,' and 'polished.' Mantra Mystic Formula Virtually all religions-including Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, and Christianity- practice their own forms of mantra repetition. A mantra is a sound, syllable, word or phrase endowed with special power, usually drawn from scripture. 'Aum' or 'Om' Literally means "yes, verily." Aum, often spelled Om, is the "breath of life". The most sacred mantra of Hinduism is placed at the beginnings of most sacred writings. Aum represents the Divine and is explained in the Upanishads as standing for the whole world and its parts, including past, present and future. It is from this primal vibration that all manifestation issues forth. Aum's three letters represent the three worlds and the powers of creation, preservation and destruction. Namah Sivaya 'Adoration (homage) to Siva' The supreme mantra of Saivism, the oldest of the 4 sects of Hinduism. Namah Sivaya is also known as the 'Panchakshara' or "five syllables.' Na - Lord's veiling grace (destruction or dissolution) Ma - the world (His concealing grace) Si - Siva (creation) Va - His revealing grace (revealing grace) Ya - the soul (preservation and protection) Siva The supreme mantra of Saivism, the oldest 'Auspicious,' 'Gracious' or 'Kindly One.' God Siva is 'All and in all,' simultaneously creator and creation, both immanent and transcendent. As personal Deity, He is creator, preserver and destroyer. In his hands He holds a crescent moon symbolizing birth, a skull and a small beating drum to keep out the knowledge of eternity (time). In another hand, a flame that burns away the veil of time and opens our mind to eternity. He is the very personification of cosmic consciousness. The three eyes of Siva represent the sun, the moon, and the fire, the three sources of light, life and heat. The third eye can also indicate the eye of knowledge and wisdom and hence his omniscience. Ahimsa 'Noninjury' or 'nonviolence' Refraining from causing harm to others, physically, mentally or emotionally. Ahimsa is the first and most important of the yamas (restraints). It is the cardinal virtue upon which all others depend. The Mind is Mantra - Cittam Mantrah 'Commentary on the Siva Sutra 2.1 by Swami Muktananda' In this aphorism Parasiva gives us the secret of mantra: the mind of the aspirant who practices mantra is itself the mantra. By means of the mind we become aware of the supreme truth. It is with this mind that we repeat mantras, we contemplate their meaning, we come to know their essence and their goal. As Here, So Elsewhere - Yatha Tatra Tatha'Nayatra 'Commentary on the Siva Sutra 3.14 by Swami Muktananda' A Siddha, having attained supreme freedom, lives wholly in the Self. He beholds the same light within and without, permeating his gross and subtle bodies: the light of his soul spreads through the whole universe. He discovers that all countries, all external worlds, all realms, and if fact the entire cosmos possess the same reality that is within him. HERE is the body, PRANA, senses, and mind. ELSEWHERE is the outer universe. All things and all beings embody the same impalpable essence. To regard everything as one's own Self - this is perfect self-control and perfect freedom from desire. The Lotus Flower - Padma The Lotus Flower is the symbol of spiritual development. It is the symbol of the manifestation of beauty and mental purity (the ability to rise above) - for although it has its roots in the mud of ponds and lakes, it raises its flower in immaculate beauty above the surface of the water. Sarva Brahma God is All in all Fearlessness 'Abhaya' Peace 'Santi' or 'shanti' Patience 'Kshama' Faith 'Astikya' Wisdom 'Veda' Merciful Compassion 'Krapalu' Showing or giving mercy. Devotion 'Bhakti' Auspicious 'Shub' Success, prosperous, favorable. Mandala The Sanskrit word for 'circle'-a circle that is symbolically designed so that it contains the meaning of a cosmic order Wisdom; Knowledge 'Jnana' Jnana is the awakened, superconscious state working within the ordinary experience of the world. The Chakras The Chakras are invisible energy centers of the body interfacing between the physical and the subtle worlds. Chakras are centers of consciousness. They are positioned along the spinal cord from the base of the spine to the top of the head. Muladhara Chakra (Base) Center of survival and groundedness, the densets form of primal energy and the foundation of all human knowledge, located below the genitals. Color: red. Swadhisthana Chakra (Sacral) Center of communication and sensitivity, it is the source of all emotional needs and the ability to respond to them, located above the genitals. Color: orange. Manipura Chakra (Navel) Center of energy, discipline and endurance. This chakra give us the ability to perform at high levels of physical and mental stamina, located near the navel. Color: yellow. Anahata Chakra (Heart) Center of love, compassion and forgiveness, and hope, this is also the seat of the ego and center of self-esteem, located in the middle of the chest. Color: green. Vishuddi Chakra (Throat) Center of creative expression and communication, personal identification and individual will are formed here, located in the throat. Color: blue. Ajna Chakra (Third Eye) Center of super consciousness and psychic intuitive senses, this insight transcends the five senses, time and space, located between the eyebrows. Color: indigo. Sahasrara Chakra (Crown) Here enlightened ones abide in unity with the self. this is where the need to understand the completeness of life and the universe is formed. Self-realization and enlightenment reside here, located above the crown of the head. Color: all colors. Weapons do not pierce this (the embodied self), Fire does not burn this (Bhagavad-Gita) Intellect, Knowledge, Freedom from Delusion, Patience, Truth, Self-Restraint, Tranquility, Pleasure, Pain, Birth, Death, Fear and Fearlessness. (Bhagavad-Gita) That intellect which knows when to act and when not to act, what is to be done and what is not to be done, what is to be feared and what is not to be feared, along with knowledge of the nature of bondage and liberation, O son of Prtha, is sattvic. (Bhagavad-Gita) Patience Wedge Indifferent to pain and pleasure, patient and enduring (Bhagavad-Gita) "Prabhujee" (written by Ravi Shankar) Oh Master, show some compassion on me Please come and dwell in my heart. Because without you, it is painfully lonely Fill this empty pot with the nectar of love. I do not know any Tantra, Mantra, or ritualistic worship I know and believe only in you! I have been searching for you all over the world Please come and hold my hand now. "Asato Maa" (From the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad) O Lord please lead me from the unreal to the real. Lead me from darkness to light. Lead me from death to immortality. May there be peace, peace and perfect peace. (From the Taittiriya Brahmana) Air is established in my breath. My breath is in my heart. My heart in me. Myself in the immortal, the immortal in Brahman. The sun is established in my eyes. My eyes in my heart. My heart in me. Myself in the immortal, the immortal in Brahman. The moon is established in my mind. My mind in my heart. My heart in me. Myself in the immortal, the immortal in Brahman. The earth is established in my body. My body in my heart. My heart in me. Myself in the immortal, the immortal in Brahman. Tamil is written in a beautiful syllabic script (called Grantha script) derived from the Brahmi script in which symbols stand in for syllables. Tamil is one of the Dravidian languages, a family of languages concentrated in southern India, Sri Lanka, and certain areas of Pakistan, Nepal, and eastern and central India. Sacred 'Tiru' Tibetan is written in a very conservative syllabary script based on the writing system of the ancient Sanskrit language of India. Used in its present form since the 9th century, it was developed as a means of translating sacred Buddhist texts that were being brought into Tibet from India. "Om Mani Padme Hung" The meaning of the Mantra by His Holiness the Dalai Lama: "It is very good to recite the mantra Om Mani Padme Hung, but while you are doing it, you should be thinking of its meaning, for the meaning of the six syllables is great and vast. The first, Om, is symbolic of the pure exalted body, speech, and mind of a Buddha. Mani, means jewel, symbolizes the factors of method-the altruistic intention to become enlightened, through compassion and love. Padme, meaning lotus, symbolizes wisdom. Just as a lotus grows from the mud, but is not sullied by the faults of mud, so wisdom is capable of putting you in a situation of non-contradiction whereas there would be contradiction if you did not have wisdom. ...Purity must be achieved by an indivisible unity of method and wisdom, symbolized by Hung, which indicates indivisibility... Thus together these syllables mean that in dependence on the practice of a path which is an indivisible union of method and wisdom, you can transform your impure body, speech, mind into the pure exalted body, speech, mind of a Buddha." The Four Immeasurables: 'Love,' 'Compassion,' 'Joy' and 'Equanimity' Love 'Maitri' A sincere wish for the welfare and genuine happiness of all living beings without exception. Compassion 'Karuna' The wish for all living beings to be free from suffering and from the cause of suffering Joy 'Mudita' To be joyful in loving and having compassion for all beings. Joy is to rejoice in the happiness of others. Equanimity 'Upeksa' Equanimity is the ability to regard all living beings, whether they are close to us or whether they are far removed from us, free from attachment and aversion. The Three Jewels The Three Jewels are the Buddha, the Dharma and the Sangha. They are also referred to as 'The Three Refuges,' which means that the Buddha, the Dharma and the Sangha offer protection from the fickle and unstable world we live in and offer us the opportunity to work toward enlightenment. The Buddha 'Awakened One,' suggesting that his enlightenment was a 'waking up' to the world as it really is, free from delusion and ignorance. The Dharma The essential teachings of the Buddha. The Sangha The monastic community founded by the Buddha, which is highly revered as they make the Buddha's teachings the exclusive focus of their lives. Tibetan Melon 'The Mirror' The mirror represents consciousness and the element for space. It is clear, pure and bright, and reflects all phenomena with impartiality. Whatever appearances arise as reflections, be they beautiful or ugly, inherently good or evil, the mirror passes no judgment on them. The mirror is empty of appearances, and eternally unblemished. In the Tibetan Book of the Dead, Yama, the lord of Death, holds up a mirror of karma in which all one's deeds are reflected. The Mirror of Karma represents the clarity of seeing all of one's actions in the nakedness of pure humility. Here self-deceit and lying are of no avail; one's own karmic reflections determine the destiny of the future rebirth. The Eight Tibetan Symbols of Good Fortune The Parasol A symbol of power representing the ability to arm oneself against the elements. The Golden Fish A symbol of good fortune indicating plentitude. The Treasure Vase The satisfaction of material wealth - storage - a sign of fulfillment of material wishes. The Lotus The symbol of the manifestation of beauty and mental purity (the ability to rise above) - for although it has its roots in the mud of ponds and lakes, it raises its flower in immaculate beauty above the surface of the water. The Wheel The wheel expresses completeness and perfection as it has no beginning and no end. The Right-Turning Conch Shell The oldest ritual object - it has stood for femininity and as a musical offering - it has come to represent the fame of Buddhist teachings. The Glorious Endless Knot A very auspicious symbol representing many things - in its most simplistic form, it represents a connection between the giver and the recipient - indicating the eternal connection of the past to the future. It is also representative of the infinite knowledge of the Buddha - all things in the present and future are tied to the past in the glorious endless knot. The Victory Sign A sign of victory over all disagreements, disharmonies and hindrances - a victory over ignorance and ultimately the attainment of happiness. Heart Eternal Faith Hope The Cross The Cross is one of the oldest and most universal of all symbols, it appeared on Indian cave walls and in Egyptian tombs long before the birth of Christ. The Native Americans and Egyptians used the cross so extensively because it successfully unites "the polar contrasts of vertical and horizontal, of God and the world, of the spiritual and the material, of life and death, of man and woman." The Cross is said to protect against evil and is a source of strength and faith. Flames In Tibetan Buddhism, flames represent either flames of protection (from negative influences) or flames of purification. They are the flames of Divine Wisdom, which consume ignorance. The Heart The heart represents the most intimate central point of the human being. It is from the heart that man communicates with other people and, above all, with the Divine Beings. It has become an emblem of love, friendship, intelligence and courage. The Star of David The six pointed Star of David, a hexagram, is the most common and universally recognized sign of Judaism originating from the Shield of David. Among Jewish mystics and wonderworkers, the hexagram was most commonly used as a magical protection against demons, often inscribed on the outside of mezuzot and on amulets. In alchemy, the two triangles symbolize 'fire' and 'water,' together, they represent the reconciliation of opposites. Crescent and Star The ancient celestial symbols of the crescent moon and star belong to Sumerians, Babylonians and other cultures of Mesopotamia including the shamanistic cultures of Central Asia and the Americas. Historical and archeological evidence shows that their origin is religious and it represents celestial gods/goddesses, particularly those representing the Sky, the Moon, Sun and Venus. The Skull The Skull is a reminder that all things will pass, that there is wisdom in living in the face of such mortality, and, therefore, we should live fully and mindfully.