Chapter 9. Buddhist auspicious signs

Conch shell

We blow the conch shell to penetrate the mundane and call you to consciousness that when you care for yourself you can care for others.

Endless knot

Inside and outside, love connects everything and everyone, in dependence and freedom, in wisdom and compassion, known, inside and outside, as enlightenment.

Two golden fish

Golden fish swim freely in two sacred rivers, breathing and thinking, never lost, without effort.

Lotus blossom

Pure and delicate beauty arises from the water with its roots still in the mud.

Parasol

The sky is a jeweled parasol that shelters all creatures from the stark violence of space. It’s an expansive and caring love whose splendor protects and provides for life on Earth.

Vase

The Buddha’s teaching is like a vase full of treasures that can’t be emptied.

Wheel of the law

Inside the wheel of the law is the wheel of joy. This is a reminder that to follow the way is the key to happiness.

We celebrate the Buddha’s victory over pride, desire, disturbing emotions, and the fear of death.