Buddhism originated in the sixth to fifth century BCE with Siddhartha Gautama, the Buddha, whose teachings are summarized by the Four Noble Truths. Buddhists follow the Eightfold Path: right views, right intention, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right concentration. Buddhism is divided into two major groups: Theravada and Mahayana Buddhism (Routledge, 2001).
The items in the display represent a local variation of Tibetan Buddhism practiced in Mongolia. Mongolian Buddhism evolved alongside local customs, resulting in some differences in rituals, ceremonies, and etcetera. Check out Study Buddhism's "Special Features of Mongolian Buddhism," by Dr. Zsuzsa Majer, to learn more about the regional differences in tradition. Explore the various Mongolian Buddhist items in the display by using the different tabs in the Mongolian Buddhist Artifacts box on this page.
References
Routledge. (2001). Buddhism. In Dictionary of World Philosophy.
In Mongolian Buddhism, monastic robes are based upon those worn by Tibetan Buddhist monks. They were originally modified to keep the wearer warm in Tibet’s elevated, chilly climate. Traditionally, monks’ and nuns’ robes are to be constructed from cloth that has been discarded, though present-day monks and nuns construct their robes from donated cloth.
While the items displayed are not all of the robes a Mongolian Buddhist monk might wear, they include a dhonka, a short-sleeved robe worn on the upper body, plus a long, maroon robe, and a tall yellow hat, which indicates the wearer is a monk of the Gelukpa order, the same as the Dalai Lama of Tibet. The monk’s dhonka would be held closed with the woven yellow belt, which has a zippered pocket to store small items.
This image shows a group of Tibetan monks wearing traditional robes similar to that which is seen in the display case (Image credit: Oregon Episcopal School)
Brightly colored pieces of cloth, called rlung ta (sometimes lung ta), or “prayer flags” in English, have their origin in Tibetan Buddhism, and are also found in Mongolian Buddhism.
The flags are in alternating colors of yellow, green, red, white, and blue, which correspond to the elements of earth, water, fire, air (including wind), and sky (including space). The phrase “rlung ta,” meaning “flying horse,” or “wind horse,” specifically references the image of a horse bearing three jewels on its back. The rlung ta appears on these flags as symbol of the human soul and as a bringer of luck and protection.
Read "A short note on Lungta, a Tibetan prayer flag and its origin," from the Tibetan policy Institute, to learn more about the history and origins of prayer flags in Buddhist tradition.
Rlung ta prayer flags at Boudhanath stupa in Kathmandu (Credit: Wonderlane | Flickr | Public Domain)
In Tibetan and Mongolian Buddhism, ceremonial scarves, or khata, are offered as signs of respect and in blessing. Students will offer khata to teachers, or hosts to guests, and they are often tied around shrines as offerings.
The color of the khata also carries significance—Tibetan khata are often white, indicating purity, while blue khata, like this one, indicate the heavens, and are more often found in Mongolia.
Also sometimes called a mani wheel, a prayer wheel is a cylinder inscribed with mantras, phrases or syllables of special significance. In Tibetan and Mongolian Buddhism, the turning of a prayer wheel is equivalent to a recitation of the mantra, bringing the wisdom, insight, and protection associated with said mantra.
Small, solar-power prayer wheels like this one are popular, and often placed on windowsills or on the dashboards of cars to bring their blessings to their inhabitants and drivers.
Pecha are loose-leaf books of prayers, liturgies, and other important scriptures in Tibetan and Mongolian Buddhism. Their distinctive shape is from the traditional use of palm leaves in India and birch bark in Tibet as paper for written scripture. The cloth on which the pecha rest is also part of its binding; the cord at one corner is used to wrap the leaves of the book together for storage.
Pecha most frequently are of the two most important texts of Tibetan Buddhist canon—the bka’ ‘gyr (or kangyur), translations of the words of the Buddha, and bstan ‘gyur (or tenguyr), commentary on the Buddha’s life and teachings
The prayer bell and vajra (also called dorje in Tibetan and Mongolian Buddhism), which is used to strike the bell and produce a distinctive sound, are of great significance in Vajrayana Buddhism, the branch which produced Tibetan and Mongolian Buddhism. The sound created by the vajra striking the bell is used to invoke protection, to prepare for meditation, or is regarded as a symbol of how wisdom (represented by the bell) and practice (represented by the vajra) work together to create enlightenment.
Translated from its original Sanskrit as either “thunderbolt” or “adamant,” the vajra has its origins in Hindu legends of the god Indra, who used a trident or many-pronged spear to vanquish demons. In a later legend, Gautama Buddha then bent the prongs inward, creating the unique shape of the vajra.
Thunderbolt and bell: This article from Khan Academy discusses the symbolism of the vajra and the bell, detailing how they are used during ritual ceremonies.
Images of Buddha, which include statues, are called Buddharupa; their details, as with most religious imagery, have rich and specific meanings.
In both statues, the Buddha is seated in meditation. His elongated earlobes are from his previous life of luxury, when he would wear heavy earrings and jewelry. His hair, cut short and allowed to curl, shows his renouncement of that life for poverty. This is also indicated by the small bowl or vase in his left hand, which he uses to accept offerings. The point of hair at the top of his head.
In the smaller statue, the Buddha lowers his right hand towards the earth, palm down, in a gesture that calls the earth to witness his enlightenment.
In the larger statue, the Buddha holds his right hand upright, palm facing his left side, in a gesture that conveys either fearlessness or being in prayer.
Vajrapani, whose name literally means “wielder of the thunderbolt,” is a protector deity who is sometimes portrayed as peaceful, or, as in this print, as wrathful. When wrathful, he is a protector of wisdom and the Buddha’s teachings and a remover of obstacles and distractions that would prevent a person from attaining enlightenment.
He is pictured here holding a vajra, or thunderbolt, in his outstretched right hand, and in his left he holds a lasso, to draw beings to the correct spiritual path. He is dancing (his swirling green robes and the dust rising under his feet suggest movement) in front of a wall of flames, upon a platform on top of a lotus, and in addition to his ornaments, he wears a snake draped around his neck and a loincloth of tiger skin. Read this short article from Credo Reference to learn more about Vajrapani. To discover more about how Vajrapani and other wrathful deities are depicted in art, check out the short four-minute video "Vajrapani & Wrathful Deity Confusions" from Himalayan Art Resources.
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