Page:The Tibetan Book of the Dead (1927).djvu/25

Rh offerings: (1) the Tri-Ratna or Three Jewels of the Buddhist Faith, (2) a pair of elephant tusks, and (3) a branch of red coral. To the right of the Guru stands the Buddha of the Human Loka (yellow), Shakya Muni, holding a bhikkhu-staff and a begging-bowl; to the right, the Buddha of the Brute Loka (blue) holding a book, symbolizing language and expression, or divine wisdom, which brute creatures lack.

In the four corners are the four other Buddhas of the Six Lokas (cf. p. 121): upper left, the Buddha of the Deva Loka (white), holding a guitar, symbolizing excellence in arts and sciences and the harmony of existence in the world of the devas; upper right, the Buddha of the Asura Loka (green), holding a sword symbolizing the warlike nature of asuras; lower left, the Buddha of the Preta Loka (red), holding a box filled with all desirable objects to satisfy the cravings of the pretas; lower right, the Buddha of Hell (smoke-coloured), holding fire for consuming and water for purifying.

Among other embellishments added by the artist are a sacred mirror (symbolizing form or body, which it reflects) near the trees on the left, and a sacred conch-shell trumpet of victory over the Sangsāra (symbolizing sound) near the tree on the right; and, between the two Buddhas at the bottom, in two caves, yogīs, or holy men, in the Tibetan wilderness.

At the top, in the centre, presiding over the whole maṇḍala, Buddha Amitābha (red), on an enhaloed lotus and lunar throne holding a begging-bowl, with lotuses and the moon (white) on the left and lotuses and the sun (gold) on the right.

Innermost circle: upper centre, Samanta-Bhadra (blue) and shakti, in wrathful aspect; lower centre (Centre), the Buddha Heruka (dark brown) and shakti (cf. p. 137); lower left (East), the Vajra Heruka (dark blue) and shakti (cf. p. 138); upper left (South), the Ratna Heruka (yellow) and shakti (cf. pp. 138–9); upper right (West), the Padma Heruka (reddish-brown) and shakti (cf. pp. 139–40); lower right (North), the Karma Heruka (dark green) and shakti (cf. pp. 140–1). Each pair of these deities are on a lotus and solar throne, enhaloed by flames of wisdom, and treading under foot mārā beings (i.e. human beings, whose existence, being purely phenomenal, or karmic, is illusion, or māyā), symbolizing the treading under foot of sangsāric (i.e. worldly) existence. At the bottom are offerings of the five sangsāric senses, symbolized by (1) two eyes, (2) two ears, (3) a tongue, (4) a heart (in the centre), and (5) a nose (above the heart); also of three blood-filled human skull-cups, held in position