Sample Essay
There is the Stupa that symbolizes the enlightened mind of the Buddha[1]. Symbolic meaning is the representation of the five elements: the canopy is air and the volume of the Stupa is space the round dome is for water, the square base represents earth and the cone-shape is fire. It got three precious Jewels that signify three pillars of the Buddha; the Sangha that encompasses monks and nuns and Dharma[2] which is Buddha’s teachings.
It is a point of worthy to mention that outside the temple there is a Buddhist flag with five colors that symbolizes faith and peace. This is believed to be associated with the aura that emanated from the body of the Buddha when he attained Enlightenment[3]. The table below represents colors and their religious meaning according to Buddhism.
Table1. Buddhism flag colors and attached values to those colors
Colors | Attached values |
Blue | Loving kindness, peace and universal compassion |
Yellow | The Middle Path – avoiding extremes, emptiness |
Red | Blessings of practice – achievement, wisdom, virtue, fortune and dignity |
White | Purity of Dharma – it leads to liberation, outside of time or space |
orange | The Buddha’s Teaching – wisdom |
Source: Keown, Damien. 2003. Swastika; A Dictionary of Buddhism
[1] McArthur, Meher. 2004. Reading Buddhist Art: An Illustrated Guide to Buddhist Signs and symbols. Pp. 381
[2] Ibid.
[3] Keown, Damien. 2003. Swastika; A Dictionary of Buddhism. Pp. 319
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