CONTENTS LIST OF PLATES ix ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS xi INTRODUCTION xn 1 :Landscape Elements 3 ROCK FORMATIONS 4 SIMULACRA IN LANDSCAPE 11 WATER 13 FIRE (FLAMES) 17 AIR (CLOUDS) 24 SKY 31 RAINBOWS 31 AURA LINES 34 2: Flowers and Trees 37 THE LOTUS 37 LOTUS SEATS OR THRONES 38 FLOWERS, FLOWER BUDS, AND LEAVES 4! TREES, LEAVES, AND FRUIT ROUNDELS 48 3: Animals 59 ANIMALS MYTHOLOGICAL AND REAL 59 THE WINDHORSE AND THE FOUR SUPERNATURAL ANIMAL GUARDIANS OF THE FOUR DIRECTIONS 60 The horse 60 The windhorse 60 The supernatural animals of the four directions 62 THE DRAGON 63 GARUDA 65 THE MAKARA 68 THE FACE OF MAJESTY 69 THE NAGA 70 Nagas and the civilisations of the Indus Valley 72 THE THREE VICTORIOUS CREATURES OF HARMONY 73 DOMESTIC AND WILD ANIMALS 75 Animal heads 77 TIGER, LEOPARD, SNOW-LION AND HORSE 78 THE ELEPHANT 80 DEER 83 BIRDS 85 THE SIX-ORNAMENT THRONE OF ENLIGHTENMENT 88 THE ANIMAL THRONES OF THE FIVE BUDDHAS 90 THE FIVE BUDDHA FAMILIES - COLOURS, ORIGINS, AND CONTRADICTIONS92 4: Narrative Subjects 95 THE FOUR FRIENDS OR HARMONIOUS BROTHERS 95 THE SIX SYMBOLS OF LONG LIFE 95 DIAGRAM OF SHAMATHA MEDITATION PRACTICE OR 99 'TRANQUIL ABIDING' 5: Cosmology 103 MOUNT MERU 103 THE VEDIC LEGEND OF THE CHURNING OF THE OCEAN 109 THE MANDALA OFFERING 110 THE TIBETAN ASTROLOGICAL DIAGRAM 115 The legend of the golden tortoise diagram 115 THE 'ALL-POWERFUL TEN' INTERLOCKING SYLLABLES 123 THE STUPA 127 The symbolism of the stupa 128 The proportions of the stupa 130 The eight great stupas 133 THE CHANNEL-WHEEL SYSTEMS 135 The Hindu Kundalini Yoga chakra system 137 The Buddhist channel-wheel system 140 Sexuality, conception, and birth 140 The death process 141 The generation and completion stages of Highest Yoga Tantra 141 The Kalachakra channel-wheel system 145 The numerical symbolism of the channels and channel-wheels146 6: Mudras 149 Chapter 7: The Chakravartin and his Seven Precious Possessions 160 THE SEVEN POSSESSIONS OF THE CHAKRAVARTIN 162 The precious wheel 162 The precious jewel 162 The precious queen 162 The precious minister 163 The precious elephant 163 The precious horse 163 The precious general 163 THE SEVEN SECONDARY POSSESSIONS OF THE CHAKRAVARTIN 163 The sword 163 The naga skin 164 The royal house 164 The robes 164 The royal gardens 164 The throne The bootks164 8: Auspicious Symbols171 THE EIGHT AUSPICIOUS SYMBOLS 171 The lotus173 The endless knot173 The golden fishes176 The parasol 176 The victory banner 180 The golden treasure vase 181 The white conch shell183 The wheel 185 THE EIGHT AUSPICIOUS SUBSTANCES 187 The mirror 188 The medicine 188 Curds or yoghurt 188 Durva grass 189 The bilva fruit 189 The right-spiralling conch 190 The vermilion powder190 Mustard seed 190 THE FIVE OFFERINGS OF SENSORY ENJOYMENT 194 The mirror 194 Musical instruments 198 Perfume and incense offering 201 Fruit and food offerings 201 The silk cloth 194 9: Various Peaceful Offerings, Jewels, and Ritual Implements 205 THE THREE JEWELS 2O5 THE SEVEN WATER BOWL OFFERINGS 205 JEWELS 208 GZI STONES OR BEADS 212 THE ROSARY 215 Rudraksha beads 216 HAND-HELD PLANT ATTRIBUTES 217 ASSORTED RITUAL IMPLEMENTS 219 THE POSSESSIONS OF AN ORDAINED MONK 226 MONASTIC AND CEREMONIAL MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS 228 10: The Wheel of Sharp Weapons THE VAJRA The iconography and symbolism of the five-pointed vajra THE CROSSED VAJRA THE BELL The iconography and symbolism of the bell THE RITUAL DAGGER The iconography and symbolism of the phurba THE HINDU KAPALIKAS, PADMASAMBHAVA, AND THE BUDDHIST MAHASIDDHAS 249 THE EIGHT GREAT CHARNEL GROUNDS 250 THE HINDU RITE OF CREMATION 252 THE TANTRIC STAFF 252 The iconography of the khatvanga 253 The khatvanga: outer symbolism 254 The khatvanga: inner symbolism 254 The khatvanga: secret symbolism 254 THE HAND DRUM258 THE THIGHBONE TRUMPET 259 THE CURVED KNIFE OR CHOPPER 261 THE SKULL OR SKULL-CUP263 HAND-HELD WEAPONS AND THE RITUAL IMPLEMENTS OF SPECIFIC DEITIES267 ARCHERY 267 THE BOW268 THE ARROW 270 The flower attributes of the bow and arrow, hook and noose274 THE SWORD 276 The scorpion and the scorpion-hilted sword 277 THE TRIDENT-PIKE, CADUCEUS, DART, AND OTHER BLADED WEAPONS 280 THE SPEAR, LANCE, JAVELIN, HARPOON, AND PIKE 282 THE TRIDENT 285 THE CLUB287 THE SNARE, NOOSE OR LASSO294 THE IRON CHAIN 295 THE SHIELD 298 THE DISCUS 298 THE AXE300 THE ELEPHANT GOAD OR IRON HOOK 3O2 MISCELLANEOUS RITUAL IMPLEMENTS AND WEAPONS 3O2 11: Wrathful Offerings, Tormas, and Ritual Fire Hearths 311 DISMEMBERED BODY PARTS AND OTHER WRATHFUL ATTRIBUTES 311 FLAYED SKIN FRIEZES OF WRATHFUL OFFERING ASSEMBLIES 313 THE EIGHT ATTIRES OF THE CHARNEL GROUNDS 315 THE SIX BONE ORNAMENTS AND THE FIVE-SKULL CROWN 318 RITUAL OFFERING CAKES AND THREAD CROSSES 32O THE WRATHFUL OFFERING OF THE FIVE SENSES 325 THE INNER OFFERING 327 The visualised generation of the inner offering according to the Chakrasamvara Tantra 327 The symbolism of the inner offering 330 The possible origins of the inner offering substances 331 AN ASSEMBLY OF WEAPONS AND WRATHFUL OFFERINGS 333 THE RITUAL FIRE OFFERING 33 12: Geometric Borders, Patterns, Designs, and Motifs 343 SELECT BIBLIOGRAPHY 375