Buddhist iconography

Buddhist symbolism is the method of Buddhist art to represent certain aspects of dharma, which began in the fourth century BCE. Anthropomorphic symbolism appeared from around the first century CE with the arts of Mathura and the Greco-Buddhist art of Gandhara, and were combined with the previous symbols. Various symbolic innovations were later introduced, especially through Tibetan Buddhism.,

It is not known what the role of the image was in Early Buddhism, although many surviving images can be found, because their symbolic or representative nature was not clearly explained in early texts. Among the earliest and most common symbols of Buddhism are the stupa (and the relics therein), the Dharmachakra or Dharma wheel, the Bodhi Tree (and the distinctively shaped leaves of this tree) and the lotus flower. The dharma wheel, traditionally represented with eight spokes, can have a variety of meanings. It initially only meant royalty (Chakravartin, "Turner of the Wheel"), but it began to be used in a Buddhist context on the Pillars of Ashoka during the 3rd century BC. The Dharma wheel is generally seen as referring to the historical process of teaching Buddhism, the eight spokes referring to the Noble Eightfold Path. The lotus, as well, can have several meanings, often referring to the quality of compassion and subsequently to the related notion of the inherently pure potential of the mind. The Bodhi Tree represents the spot where the Buddha reached nirvana and thus represents liberation.

Other early symbols include the monks begging bowl and the trishula, a symbol used since around the second century BCE, and combining the lotus, the vajra (diamond) and a symbolization of the triratna or "three jewels": Buddha, dharma, and sangha. The lion, riderless horse and also deer were also used in early Buddhist iconography. The Buddha's teachings are referred to as the "Lion's Roar" in the sutras, indicative of their power and nobility. The riderless horse represents renunciation and the deer represent Buddhist disciples, as the Buddha gave his first sermon at the deer park of Varanasi.

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