Buddhist Symbols

Tibetan Buddhism, the most esoteric and symbolic of Buddhist traditions, relies heavily on several kinds of rituals ""that underscore the oneness of body, speech, and mind,"" including mudras (symbolic hand gestures), mantras (symbolic words) and mandalas (symbolic icons). In this book, the Blaus aim to help readers understand such key Buddhist symbols through black-and-white images and their corresponding explanations. Readers will learn about the Wheel of Life, the Infinite Knot and various kinds of stupas, as well as different manifestations of the Buddha. The authors also include short discussions of the ritual symbolism of everyday objects such as lotus flowers, mustard seeds, mirrors and yogurt. The illustrations are helpful, though they would be more useful in color, since the colors used in Tibetan art are often symbolic. The accompanying descriptions are sometimes too short to suggest the complexities of each image.