Buddhist art is a form of art which is entirely or partially based on Lord Buddha and his teachings. It has a high practice of rich symbolic tradition. As Buddhism spread into different nations, Buddhist symbolism was enriched by the cultures it came in contact with. For example, Tibet has borrowed Buddhist art and culture from India since 7th century. The most popular symbolic art in Tibet is comprised of the Eight Auspicious Symbols and the mudras: the hand gestures used by Buddha. These symbolic arts are not simply for decorative purpose, but contain a depth of meaning within them. Tibet also uses sound for Medicine Buddha practices, and although it may seem to be an ordinary chanting, certain musical sounds are categorized as a sound healing medicine. This research paper will examine the symbolic and healing properties of Tibetan Buddhist art and explain their significance in the 21st century.
Buddhism, founded in India 2,500 years ago, still remains the leading religion of the Far East that has advanced into a wide variety of forms. It wasn’t until 7th century that Buddhism arrived in Tibet which was comparatively late date compared with the rest of Asia.The religion, writing system, art and many other aspects of Tibetan high culture were obtained directly from India. During the 7th century, the emperor of Tibet, Songtsen Gampo, was fascinated by what Indian Buddhist culture had to offer, so he sent scholars to India for both religious and non-spiritual studies. He also invited Indian scholars to lecture in Tibet. It was Vajrayana Buddhism that Tibetans were most fascinated with that possessed a strong tradition of shamanistic practices which Tibetans than incorporated into their form of Buddhism. This new form known as Lamaism, which is the Tibetan name for a Buddhist monk, is frequently regarded as the most complex of all Buddhist traditions. Buddhism in Tibet was proclaimed the state religion by the end of the 8th century. However, it was only in the late 10th century that the religion saw a revival, inaugurating what is known as the “later diffusion of the Buddhist faith.”
However, not all Tibetans consider India as the source of Buddhism. Since the tenth and eleventh centuries and till today there have been two organized religious traditions in Tibet: Buddhism and a faith that is referred to by its Tibetan name, Bon. It is generally referred to as the ancient pre-Buddhist and later non-Buddhist religious belief and practices in Tibet which is composed of shamanistic beliefs, and secretive rituals. Bon has numerous and obvious points of similarity with Buddhism with regard to doctrine and practice that its status as a distinct religion has been doubted. To quote his holiness the 14th Dalai Lama:
Bon is Tibet’s oldest spiritual tradition and, as the indigenous source of Tibetan culture, played a significant role in shaping Tibet’s unique identity. Consequently, I have often stressed the importance of preserving this tradition.
Tibetan Buddhism was based on notion of supernatural power with deities, which are believed to be achieved by performing mantras, mudras and meditation using different types of art forms. As Buddhism started to flourish within Tibet, numerous monks became artists who traveled to different monasteries. In time, many sculpture and paintings were made as aids to Buddhist meditation. The physical appearance became a base to support and encourage the existence of the divinity depicted in the mind of the worshipper. Images were also specially made for various reasons indicating good fortune, good health, celebrating victory or celebrating a birth. In Tibet, the Eight Auspicious Symbols are the most popular and the oldest symbol grouping in the canonical texts leading us back to the Sanskrit or Pali texts of Indian Buddhism. In the present, these lucky symbols may be found printed on Tibetan prayer flags, incorporated into mandalas and thangkas and used in other forms of ritual art. The other main type of symbolism in Tibet is the symbolic hand gestures called mudras. These are the different types of hand and finger placement which are usually displayed in Buddha images or sculpture. Each mudra suggests a significant meaning which is used as form of meditation, dance or non-verbal communication. Along with the expansion of symbolic art, Emperor Songtsang Gampo also adopted Indian Buddhism as a cure that could heal the inner wound caused by anger and aggressive mind.
In Tibet, the Eight Auspicious Symbols are called bkra-shis rtags-brgyad which is also commonly known as Ashtamangala. This is derived from Sanskrit as ashta, meaning eight, and mangala, meaning auspicious. The Eight Auspicious symbols are traditionally listed in the order of: a Parasol, a pair of Golden Fish, a Treasure Vase, a Lotus, a Conch Shell, an Endless Knot, a Victory Banner and a Wheel of Dharma (Figure 1). Each of these symbols is also individually related to the physical form of Lord Buddha and has a significant meaning and power. For example, the Lord Buddha’s tongue is compared to an open lotus leaf and his head to a protecting parasol. These symbols when grouped together, their powers are multiplied. In the canonical texts, there are some tracks in which the body, speech and mind of Buddha are compared to these eight symbols.
The parasol is structured like an umbrella, and it symbolizes royal dignity and protection. It stands as a sign of spiritual power in a positive sense. The two Golden Fishes is usually depicted head to head, symbolizing fertility since fish produce many offspring. In Buddhism, it also symbolizes that living beings that practice the drama to have no fear to drown in the ocean of suffering and be able migrate freely like the fish. The Treasure Vase is said to be filled with
Figure 1: The Eight Auspicious Symbols

precious and sacred things signifying of the fulfillment of spiritual and material wishes. It symbolizes long life and prosperity. The Lotus is a symbol of purity that suggests beauty and purity hidden within the depths of the darkest situation. In Tibet, this symbol signifies mental purity like the heavenly nature of Buddha and the potential of all beings to attain Buddhahood. The Conch shell is an original horn trumpet that has been in existence since ancient period. It is of two types: one that spiral to the left and other that spiral to the right. Shells that spiral to the right are very rare and considered to be very sacred. In Tibetan Buddhism, the conch shell is valued for its powerful sound as an instrument representing the sound of the Dharma reaching far and wide, awakening beings from ignorance which symbolizes the fame of Buddha’s teachings. The Endless Knot is literally a type of knot that has no beginning and no end. In Tibetan Buddhism, it signifies the infinite knowledge, wisdom and compassion of the Buddha. The Victory Banner is self-explanatory, implying victory. For the Tibetans, the sign of victory symbolizes primarily the victory of the Buddhist teaching: the victory of knowledge over ignorance or the victory over all hindrances and the attainment of happiness. Finally, the Wheel of Dharma consists of eight spokes which represents the Eight-fold Path of Buddha and the perfect circular form symbolizes the completeness and perfection of the Buddha’s teaching.(Figure1) These Eight Auspicious Symbols are pictorially represented and can be found in ritual objects, miniature cult pictures and painted scrolls. In Tibet, they were widely used to decorate temples and monasteries. However, with the growing popularity of Tibetan Buddhism, they have been globally accepted as general symbols of good fortune that are portrayed and worn to attract prosperity and harmony. Despite the use of these symbols as art for decoration in Tibet, to yogis of India, these eight objects signify the essence of the body highlighting its luminous essence, its intrinsic purity and the auspiciousness of mind. These are further used as physical and mentally imagined offerings on various occasions. The monks during their tantric ritual calls on the ‘wisdom beings’, gives them offerings in the form of the eight symbol, and blends them with the object to be blessed. During the process of performing these kinds of rituals, they use hand gesture to call upon the deity which are known as mudras.
Mudras are of a non-verbal mode of communication and self-expression that involves hand gestures and finger-positions. These symbolic sign are normally practiced to propose ideas indicating divine powers or the deities themselves. Mudras are created with a highly stylized form of body or hand language that signifies non-verbal communication is more powerful than spoken word. During a chant, such as the sacred syllable “Om”, had to be primarily visualized, then pronounced as sound and finally expressed physically through mudras. Thus, thought, speech and body are the three vehicles for the Divine Presence. In Vajrayana iconography, each hand and each finger has a particular significance. For example, the right hand is compared with the moon and male principles that stand for the spiritual method and the left hand is compared with the sun and female principles that stand for spiritual wisdom. In Buddha image, the right hand often makes an active gesture of skillful means, such as earth-touching, protection, fearlessness, boon-granting, or teaching mudra whereas the left hand commonly remains in the passive gesture of meditative equipoise, resting in the lap and symbolizing wisdom or meditation upon emptiness. There are various mudras that can be found in Lord Buddha’s statues of which six of them are very popular in Tibet. They are Abhaya mudra, Bhumisparsa mudra, Vitarka mudra, Varada mudra, Dhyana mudra and Dharmachakra mudra. The Abhaya mudra is the ‘gesture of fearlessness’. In this mudra, the right hand is raised to shoulder level with all fingers extended upward, and the palm turned outward. According to the Buddhist legend, the historical Lord Buddha simply held his hand in the fearlessness gesture when he was being attacked by an angry elephant and he immediately calmed the raging beast. This mudra drive out fear and hesitation as it brings confidence and trust in the Dharma and assures followers of Buddha’s protection. It symbolizes peace and friendship, since the hand raised is empty of weapons. The abhaya mudra can be used either in seating or standing position. The Bhumisparsa mudra is the ‘gesture of earth-touching’. In this mudra, Buddha is shown seated in a lotus position where his right hand reaches down over the right knee to touch the ground. This mudra is used to call upon the earth to witness his victory over temptations. It is believed that when Buddha approached enlightenment, the evil king Mala who is known as the Lord of Illusion sent armies of wicked demon and numerous beautiful women to distract Lord Buddha. This mudra is used in seated form. The Vitarka mudra is the ‘gesture of explanation’. This mudra is formed by touching the tips of thumb and index finger making a circle and other fingers all extended out. It can be made by one or both the hands. This mudra is believed to convince listeners of the truth of the dharma and lead them to conversion. Sometimes, the middle fingers and thumb touches which is the gesture of great compassion and other times, the thumb and ring finger touch which is the gesture of good fortune. This vitarka mudra can be used in seated or standing position. The varada mudra is the ‘gesture of gift giving’ which is generally formed with the left hand but occasionally with the right. This mudra in standing position is formed by left hand hanging at the side of the body with the palm open and facing forward whereas in seated position, the arm is bent and rests on the knee with the palm open and facing forward. All the fingers in this form are loosely outstretched or curved slightly. This mudra represents the wish of the Buddha’s and bodhisattva to devote itself to human salvation and also symbolizes charity, compassion, and the fulfillment of wishes. The Dhayana mudra is the ‘gesture of meditation’ which represents the attainment of spiritual perfection or enlightenment. This mudra is made with both hands or with the left hand alone placed in the lap at the level of the belly. If both hands are used then the right hand goes on left ,which symbolizes that the perfections of method are supported by the perfection of wisdom, with all fingers extended and palms facing upward and the thumb touches each other. It forms a triangle that represents perfect physical and spiritual balance and symbolizes the Three Jewels of Buddhism: the Buddha, his teachings and the religious community. It is believed that the highest state of consciousness can be reached by means of deep concentration, tranquility and identification with the supreme unity. The Dhayana mudra is used in seated position. The Dharamachakra mudra is the ‘gesture of turning the wheel of Dharma or the law’. This mudra is made by holding both hands in vitarka mudra and holding it close to the chest with the right palm facing forward and the left either facing upward or turned towards the chest and the separated fingers of the two hands nearly touching. This mudra symbolizes one of the key moment in the life of the Historical Buddha, the first lesson Lord Buddha provided after achieving enlightenment. All of this mudra can be combined with one another to give the same or significantly different meaning. There are many other mudras that can be made but these six mudras are basically the most important and common ones that can be found in Buddha images. In Tibet, these mudras are used by bodhisattva and monks in their spiritual exercises of ritual meditation and concentration to generate forces that invoke the deity. Its significance goes beyond communication, in giving importance to a sculptural image, a dance movement, and also a meditative posture.
As far as the mudras are concerned some Buddha are distinguished by different mudras they use. Bhaisajyaguru is the Buddha of healing and medicine commonly referred to as the ‘Medicine Buddha’. The medicine Buddha is distinguished primarily by the color of the body which is deep blue lapis lazuli and secondly by the mudras. His left hand represents Dhyana mudra which holds the bowl that contains the nectar of herbs and healing substance. Tibet is becoming popular for its traditional method of healing especially sound healing. Medicine Buddha is a popular practice that is commonly used as sound healing. The tradition of praying Medicine Buddha was brought to Tibet by the great Indian Buddhist master Abbot Shantarakshita in 8th century. It was given to the Tibetan king Trisong Deutsan to promote health, prevent diseases, provide protection against black magic and calm the ecological system from natural calamities.
Buddha Medicine is involves chants. Since sound healing is the therapeutic application of sound frequencies, it intends to bring body and mind of a person into a state of harmony and health. It is said that even by only reciting the name of Medicine Buddha and making offerings can heal disease and bring harmony and joy to sick and suffering. This process applies by visualizes Medicine Buddha along with reciting his name and letting the minds alter from negative experiences like anger, greed towards positivity like selflessness, wisdom and compassion. As the mind removes the negativity, however physical their symptoms are, it eventually gets healed. However, this process is said to be efficient only in the complete absence of doubt on the part of the practitioner. One very important type of Medicine Buddha practice is done by holding a glass of water and reciting the long mantra 108 times and drinking the water to heal a patient suffering from some kind of disease. During this process, the water is believed to be blessed by the power of mantra bestowed upon by Medicine Buddha. This process of chanting has to be carried out each day until the patient is completely healed. Although this process is not scientifically proven to be true, Dr. Masaru Emoto who wrote ‘The hidden Messages of water’, has proven that sound changes the molecular structure of body. And since our body consists of over 75% water, sound of prayers and chanting may create change in the body. Chanting techniques helps vibrate different areas of the body through certain words, vowels and mantras.Dr. Doris Taylor who is a stem cell researcher specializing in cardiac medicine at the University of Minnesota said the power of the mind in relation to illness and healing is a part of the future of medicine and that they are beginning to have scientific understanding of it.
In this modern era, singing bowl is gaining a lot of popularity and its usage is continuing to grow all over the world. Singing bowl is a type of standing bell that is used to signal the start and end of silent meditation which is commonly constructed from bell metal bronze, a pure alloy of copper and tin. The sound can produce from the bowl when the bowl is struck on its side or top with a wood or felt-tipped timpani- style drumstick. However, circling the rim of the bowl with a wooden stick is the best way to produce a good sound. For somehow who haven’t seen a singing bowl, the closest example would be finger circling the rim of a high-quality glass partially filled with water. The size of singing bowls may vary from the size of a cup to a size that would cover a good portion of a kitchen table. It is used mostly by Buddhist practitioners for meditation, religious ceremonial music, for praying, as traditional melodic instruments; used for sound therapy, sound massage and as holistic healing tools.
In a recent research, it has been known that singing bowl can be used to heal many diseases most importantly cancer. When a person is ill, their diseased cells/tissue vibrates at low frequencies, for example cancer cells are discovered to vibrate so low that they sound like a jack hammer. The simplest way to communicate with the cells is through a sound vibration that is by continuous feeding the diseased cells higher soothing vibrations, as it rehabilitates the disease cell to remain at that vibration which then resolves disease. Modern science tells us that there are four distinct types of brain waves; beta, alpha, theta and delta. During our waking state, the normal frequency of our brain waves is that of Beta which travels quickly at a rate of 15-40 Hertz. Sound tools help the brain to enter the deeper Alpha and Theta brain wave frequencies. Alpha and Theta are the frequencies that induce deep peaceful and meditative states, clarity of mind and deep awareness.
Tibetan singing bowls produce specific rhythmic patterns to create vibrational sound harmonics at the frequency of “Om” which is traditionally known as the frequency of Perfection. When the singing bowl is brought in contact with the body through the 80% of water in our system, the sound vibrations are transmitted into our blood, organs, tissues and cellular memory. This impacts the sympathetic nervous system, engaging our relaxation reflex and inhibiting the stress or pain response. The vibration lowers the brain wave activity, slows the respiratory and heart rate, creating ‘Cardio-Respiratory Synchronicity’ which is the perfect condition to release blocked energy and bring the body back into alignment. The main goal of a Tibetan Bowl is to reach the Alpha-theta border of the brain waves which is important to healing the body, mind and soul. To quote Dr. Mitchell Gaynor:
“If we accept that sound is vibration and we know that vibration touches every part of our physical being, and then we understand that sound is heard not only through our ears but through every cell in our bodies. One reason sound heals on a physical level is because it so deeply touches and transforms us on the emotional and spiritual planes. Sound can redress imbalances on every level of physiologic functioning and can play a positive role in the treatment of virtually any medical disorder.”
Tibetan art practices are growing and become very much popular all around the nation. This use of symbolic art in different field and the traditional and modern medicine are creating a new dimension especially in medical science. Although the use of singing bowls in not very popular in United states as the researcher are looking the reason behind the healing. With this popularity in art and medicine of Tibet, Tibet however itself is in the verge of losing its identity after Chinese government has taken over Tibet nation. It has become very much important to preserve and promote Buddhism art as it spreads the notion of purity, love, wisdom and harmony in all living creature.
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[ 1 ]. Terese Bartholomew and others, 21 April 2001. “Sacred Arts of Tibet” Accessed 18 February 2013
[ 2 ]. Pasang Arya, July 2009. “Short History of Tibetan Medicine”Accessed 21 February 2013
[ 3 ]. Meher Mcarthur, Reading Buddhist Art (Thames & Hudson Ltd, London, 2002), 24
[ 4 ]. Songten Gampo (617-649) is the founder of the Tibetan empire.
[ 5 ]. Bartholomew and others, “Sacred Arts of Tibet”
[ 6 ]. Mcarthur, 24
[ 7 ]. Ibid.
[ 8 ]. Kathryn Brown, n.d. “Tibetan Buddhist Art” Accessed 25 February 2013
[ 9 ]. Per Kvaerne, The Bon Religion of Tibet: The iconography of a Living Tradition (Boston: Shambhala Publications, Inc),9.
[ 10 ]. Ibid,10.
[ 11 ]. n.d. ”The Tibetan bon Religion” Accesed 3 May 2013.
[ 12 ]. Brown, ”Tibetan Buddhist Art”
[ 13 ]. Pali is a middle Indo-Aryan language.
[ 14 ]. Loden Dagyab, Buddhist Symbols in Tibetan Culture (Boston: Wisdom Publications 1995), 17.
[ 15 ]. Mandala is a geometric figure representing the universe in Hindu and Buddhist symbolism and thangka is a Tibetan traditional silk painting with embroidery.
[ 16 ]. Pasang Arya, “Short History of Tibetan Medicine”
[ 17 ]. Robert Beer, The Handbook of Tibetan Buddhist Symbols (Chicago: Serindia Publications Inc 2003), 1.
[ 18 ]. Nitin Kumar, October 2012 “The Eight Auspicious Symbols of Buddhism- A Study in Spiritual Evolution” Accessed 21 February 2013.
[ 19 ]. Mcarthur, 119.
[ 20 ]. Ibid., 119.
[ 21 ]. Dagyab,, 32.
[ 22 ]. Ibid., 19.
[ 23 ]. Mcarthur, 119.
[ 24 ]. Ibid.
[ 25 ]. Dagyab, 22.
[ 26 ]. Mcarthur, 119.
[ 27 ]. Loden Dagyab, 24.
[ 28 ]. Mcarthur, 119.
[ 29 ]. Dagyab, 26
[ 30 ]. Ibid., 28
[ 31 ]. Mcarthur, 119.
[ 32 ]. Lotus Sculpture,“Buddha Mudras: Hand Positions of the Buddha”
Accessed 26 February 2012.
[ 33 ]. Ibid.
[ 34 ]. Beer, 222.
[ 35 ]. Ibid.
[ 36 ]. McArthur, 111.
[ 37 ]. Beer, 223
[ 38 ]. McArthur,111.
[ 39 ]. Ibid,.115.
[ 40 ]. Ibid.
[ 41 ]. Ibid,.113.
[ 42 ]. Ibid
[ 43 ]. Beer, 223
[ 44 ]. A person who is able to reach enlightenment.
[ 45 ]. McArthur, 115.
[ 46 ]. Beer, 226.
[ 47 ]. McArthur, 115.
[ 48 ]. Ibid,.113.
[ 49 ]. Ibid.
[ 50 ]. RuneLore, 2012. “The Buddha of Medicine Bhaishajyaguru”
Accessed 26 February 2013.
[ 51 ]. Ibid
[ 52 ]. Shantarakshita (725-788) was renowed 8th century Indian Buddhist Brahmin and abbot of Nalanda University.
[ 53 ]. Trisong was one of the kings of Tibet who established Buddhism and ruled from 755 until 797 in Tibet.
[ 54 ]. Medicine Buddha Light, “Sound Healing” Accessed 26 February 2013.
[ 55 ]. Minh Thanh, Sutra of Medicine Buddha (Tullera: Buddha Dharma Education Association., 2001), xiii
[ 56 ]. Ibid
[ 57 ]. Lee Kane, 3 March 2013. “The First Doctor: Medicine Buddha Bhaisajyaguru” http://www.buddhaweekly.com/category/buddhism-2/>Accessed 5 March 2013.
[ 58 ]. Masaru Emoto is a Japanese author who is best known for his claims that human consciousness has an effect on molecular structure of water. (Born 1943)
[ 59 ]. Medicine Buddha Light, “Sound Healing”.
[ 60 ]. Ibid
[ 61 ]. Josephine Marcotty, 16 April 2008. “Dalai Lama: Lessons of Buddhism as applied to medicine”
Accessed 5 March 2013.
[ 62 ]. 9 August 2008,”Tibetan Singing Bowl” Accessed 20 April 2013.
[ 63 ]. Bethann Vetter, “Tibetan Singing Bowls Sound Therapy” Accesed 5 May 2013.
[ 64 ]. Ibid.
[ 65 ]. 2010, “Benefits of Tibetan singing Bowls” Acessed 3 May 2013.
[ 66 ]. Ibid.
[ 67 ]. 7 January 2012, “Tibetan / Himalayan Bowls: Using sound healing to heal cancer” Accessed 5 May 2013.