Iconography

The red and 24kt gold zigzag kyungbur adorning the frame is the transition of passion into compassion and the resultant Buddha like purity of actions and thoughts. The 24kt gold continuous ‘T’-wave just under the top edge of the of the offering cabinet is also called the thunder wave. This is the thunder of the vajra (diamond scepter, dorje in Tibetan), symbolizing skilful means, compassion, samsara.  This compassion is an active quality rather than mere sympathetic feelings not transformed into action. Compassion refers to action that is exactly consonant with whatever is occurring and that is not self-referential.

The front has two rams, obviously very happy with life and their surroundings. In the background are mountains, cumulus clouds, pleasant fauna and cosmic or subtle energy reaching to the heavens. Underneath the rams are plenty of Cintamani. The Cintamani represents the three jewels of Buddhist teaching: Body, Speech and Mind. The rams represent a determination to overcome the 3 poisons of ignorance, desire, and aversion. The flip side of the determination is also represented by the ram and illustrates how the three poisons of ignorance, desire, and aversion give rise to the whole karmic phenomenology of the six realms of cyclic existence. The rams blind following of instinct symbolizes the darkness of primordial ignorance or confusion. The rams desire to mate with the ewes is a symbol of lust or attachment with an insatiable appetite for the fulfillment of its desires and a territorial male aggression that will tolerate no rivalry: in this there is the aversion, hatred or anger which arises from attachment and the unpredictable instinct to strike out at any moment. This is a cyclic phenomenon; the root cause of the primal ignorance gives rise to attachment, which in turn gives rise to aversion, which in turn creates further ignorance: which in the final analysis is a great thing to overcome. The sky is filled with fast moving cumulus clouds: one significance of these fast moving clouds and the pure clarity of the sky is metaphorically an illustration of the Buddha Mind. Clouds may come and go across the heavens, like the transitory thoughts or delusions which appear to obscure the mind's true nature, yet the nature of the sky remains unchanged. this is like the mirror, which is always unaffected by the appearances which arise in it, the sky is clear, transparent, infinite and immaculate. The drawers each have a different icon, the left Bilva, the right Chinese transit tax coins. Bilva fruit, also known as the Bengal quince, is shown here with stylized peony, indicative of a deity's aura, radiating out in the top layer.  Medicinally, Bilva is a potent astringent and highly regarded for its purifying qualities in traditional Indian folk medicine.  The unripe interior of the fruit, especially when made into a jam, was the best known cure for diarrhea and dysentery.  It is regarded as one of the most sacred fruits and serves as one of the main offering fruits.  In this offering of Bilva fruit, representing the sense-offering of taste, the Buddha Amoghasiddhi is manifested as motivation or will.

The altar's sides display a very unusual peony throne with Cintamani, cymbals and an ornate mirror as the throne occupants. Below the throne are more sets of Cintamani and next to the bottom set of 6 Cintamani are elephant tusks and the Queen's earrings. Cymbals, or tingsha in Tibetan. The sound created by the tingsha is a plea to the gods to remain.  This is the beginning of true teaching or meditation, asking god to be manifest in your life. The mirror is an ancient Buddhist symbol for clarity, completeness of perception, and purity of consciousness. A mirror reflects a thing objectively, but what we see in the mirror is not the thing itself.  Because the object is not seen directly, it may be seen more accurately ~ more clearly, without judgment and with greater perspective.  This can lessen the tendency to see a thing as fixed or solid and encourage better understanding.  The mirror, or perception, more effectively propels the mind toward insight and compassion than mere argument or lecture. The elephant tusks represent the entire elephant and along with the Queen's earrings are tywo of the seven possessions of Chakravartin. The term Chakravartin, or Wheel Turner in Hinduism refers to an ideal ruler, but in Buddhism, Chakravartin has come to mean a Buddha whose all-encompassing teachings are universally true.  Chakravartin has an army of 4 divisions, infantry, cavalry, elephants, and chariots. Chakravartin is the lineage of 25 Kulika kings or enlightened monarchs, the 25th of which will finally defeat the "non-believers." The Precious Elephant is a symbol of the strength of the mind in Buddhism. Exhibiting noble gentleness, the precious elephant serves as a symbol of the calm majesty possessed by one who is on the path. Specifically, it embodies the boundless powers of the Buddha, which are miraculous aspiration, effort, intention, and analysis.  Elephant tusks are sometimes depicted and are symbolic of the whole elephant. The Precious Queen's heavy earrings are taken as a symbol of comprehension of the Buddha’s teachings.  The weight of the earrings would have caused the wearers earlobes to elongate.  The long earlobes of the Buddha are a symbol of his detachment from all things earthly. The Queen speaks the truth, using no frivolous words and holding no false vices. 

The top has a Lotus blossom that is pointing toward the front of the altar, in the center of Durva grass. The corners of the red area have stylized Trefoils. The top is done in a layer format that became popular at the monastery after the Communist occupation. The front and back "mats" have crossed elephant tusks wrapped by silk ribbons.   Durva grass is a symbol of long life.  The lotus is an important Buddhist motif.  Images of the Buddha and other important persons often are shown seated on a lotus throne.  The growth of the lotus, with its roots in mud, growing through water, and emerging as a wonderful plant above the water's surface, is seen as an analogy of the soul’s path from the mud of materialism to the purity of enlightenment. The 3 stages of the lotus, bud, utpala (mid-blossom) and the full blossoming throne represent the past present and future respectively. Because grass is highly resilient, it is believed to be immortal.  Therefore, it proclaims the end of samsara, the successive death and rebirth of all beings  It usually takes a long time to overcome samsara, and a longer life span will allow greater progress in moving towards enlightenment within a given cycle.  The lotus flower  is another natural symbol and represents earth.  Tibetan Buddhist mystics imagined the earth floating like a lotus flower on the oceans of the universe. The heart of the flower is the cosmic mountain, the axis of the universe. The generally acknowledged meaning of the lotus flower is purity of mind or divine creation. From the muck of a pond, where the roots of the lotus reside, an immaculate white flower emerges to rest on the surface of the water as a metaphor for the harmonious unfolding of spirituality. The 4-petaled flower painted into a continuous design on the corners is the bottom layer and is symbolic of the 4 Noble truths, the middle way and the first teaching of Buddha. 1. Life is suffering. 2. Ignorance is the cause of suffering.  3. The cessation of suffering is the goal of life because it transcends pains and pleasure.  4. The way to the cessation of suffering is the Noble Eightfold Path, which aligns with the eight spokes of the Dharma Wheel.