World religions. Рахимбергенова М.Х. - 61 стр.

Doctrine – so called because the original palm-leaf texts in India were con-         be made of any suitable material. Relics, other than the four described above,
tained in baskets. The Basket of Discourses explains the three trainings of eth-     such as statues, clothes or scriptures are also acceptable. For example, in Tibet,
ics, meditative stabilization and wisdom, the Basket of Discipline explains ethi-    sets of thousands of stamped clay images would commonly be made to be
cal discipline and meditative stabilization, and the Basket of Knowledge ex-         placed in stupas.
plains the divisions of phenomena.
     When the Buddha was passing away, some people complained that he was                                     The Vajra and Bell and beads
leaving nothing behind to show them the way to enlightenment. To this the                                               The Vajras
Buddha replied that they would find what they needed in the texts recording the           Vajras may have nine, five or three spokes. The spokes of a peaceful Vajra
meaning of his words.                                                                meet at the tip whereas those of a wrathful vajra are slightly splayed at the end.
     To show appreciation and respect towards the Buddha’s teachings, some           When paired with a bell their length can vary from four finger-widths to
texts were written out in gold, silver and other precious substances, especially     twenty-eight finger widths. The upper sets of spokes of a five-spoked vajra
the Discourse on the Perfection of Wisdom. In general, scriptures are kept care-     symbolize the five wisdoms, which are:
fully in a high clean place, also to denote respect. In temples, the statue of the            • The mirror like wisdom-that which reflects all sense perceptions is pu-
Buddha, which may form the principal object of offering, is generally flanked        rified when one attains enlightenment and becomes the mirror like wisdom.
by high stacks of books of scriptures which represent his speech.                             • The wisdom of equality-arises after all the feelings of pleasantness,
                                The Buddha’s Mind                                    unpleasantness and indifference have been purified.
     To represent the Buddha’s mind, which is free of all obstacles and has ac-               • The wisdom of individual analysis-arises when the factor of discrimi-
quired all knowledge, and to gain merit by paying respect to it, people have         nation, which distinguishes one object from another is purified. It enables one
built stupas.                                                                        to benefit each sentient being according to his or her needs and disposition.
     The many aspects of a stupa symbolize many things, such as the ten                       • The wisdom of accomplishing activity-arises when the basic ability to
wholesome actions, great compassion and the ability to help all sentient beings.     perform acts according to particular circumstances is purified.
     Stupas were erected at the sites of Buddha Shakyamuni’s birth, renuncia-
                                                                                              • The wisdom of the sphere of reality-arises when consciousness is puri-
tion, attainment of enlightenment and his passing into Parinirvana, as well as       fied and becomes the mind that is the seed of the wisdom truth body of a Bud-
being built over the relics of previous Buddhas.
                                                                                     dha. The five lower spokes symbolize have five mothers.
     Circumbulating them is a means of accumulating merit. In Magadha, an
                                                                                                                         The Bell
Indian kingdom at the time of the Buddha, there was an old stupa reduced to a
                                                                                          A bell can be eight, twelve, sixteen, eighteen or twenty two finger-widths
mere mound. The Buddha circumbulated it, and when asked why, answered that           in height. Its base must be round, above which is a vase surmounted by the face
there were holy relics within it.                                                    of the goddess Prajnaparamita. Above these are a lotus, a moon disc and finally
     In response to a question from the gods of the Heaven of Thirty-three, the      a vajra.
Buddha explained what to place as relics in a stupa.
                                                                                          The hollow of the bell symbolizes the wisdom cognizing emptiness. The
     These are the four types of relics:                                             clapper represents the sound of emptiness. The eight lotus petals are the four
     – Mantras written out on paper,                                                 mothers and four goddesses and the vase represents the vase containing the nec-
     – Physical relics of a Buddha such as hair or nails, or objects used by him,    tar of accomplishment.
     – Fragments of his bones, teeth and so forth,                                        Paired with the vajra the bell represents wisdom, and as wisdom and
     – Other relics remaining after his cremation.                                   method are an undivided unity so the vajra and bell are never parted or em-
     After the Buddha’s passing away and the cremation of his body, the people       ployed separately.
of many kingdoms argued over possession of his remains. A disciple finally set-                                            Beads
tled the dispute by dividing the remains into eight, each portion being enshrined         Beads are mainly used to count mantras which can be recited for four dif-
in a stupa in each kingdom. The custom of erecting stupas over the remains of        ferent purposes:
great saints and lamas also continued in Tibet. In some cases, for example the                • To appease,
Dalai Lamas, the whole body was enshrined. Stupas can be of any size and can                  • To increase,
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