Iconography
The front motif has a muscular Snow Lion standing among the clouds, holding an offering bowl containing Cintamani, the Queen's earrings, yogurt & 2 sets of elephant tusks. Residing in the east, the Snow Lion is the national emblem of Tibet & represents unconditional cheerfulness, a mind freed from doubt, clear & precise. Its beauty & dignity result from a synchronized body & mind. The Snow Lion has the youthful, vibrant energy of goodness & a natural sense of delight. The Cintamani are jewels of wisdom & emphasize the importance of teaching. The Queen's earrings & the elephant tusks are possessions of Chakravartin. The Queen's heavy earrings symbolize comprehension of the Buddha’s teachings because the weight of the earrings cause the wearer's earlobes to elongate. The long earlobes of the Buddha symbolize his detachment from earthly things. The Queen speaks the truth, using no frivolous words & holding no false vices. Elephant tusks represent the entire elephant, particularly the Precious Elephant, one of Chakravartin's seven possessions. 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 right path. Specifically, it embodies the boundless powers of the Buddha, which are miraculous aspiration, effort, intention, & analysis.
The slow process of making yogurt is an appropriate metaphor for the transformation of the spirit because it is by faithfully applying the principles of Buddhism, that negative behavior (karma) is overcome & the clear nature of the mind is revealed, resulting in escape from samsara results & the Buddha state. An offering of yogurt is made towards achieving this spiritual knowledge. This thought is exemplified by the intricate kyungbur surrounding the Snow Lion, the corners have the shou-lao longevity symbol, with stylized durva grass bursting forth to complete the long-life metaphor. Because grass is highly resilient, it is believed to be immortal. Therefore, it proclaims the end of samsara, the successive death & rebirth of all beings It usually takes a long time to overcome samsara, & a longer lifespan will allow greater progress in moving towards enlightenment within a given cycle
The blessing of "cho ju du jee de sing sha ba tom jee," omits the initial words ("may you obtain from") as assumed. The rest translates as "10 directions 3 times all of Buddha's blessings." In Tibetan Buddhism there are 10 directions: N, NE, E, SE, S, SW, W, NW, Up & Down. It simply cannot get any better than having 3 times Buddha's blessings from every direction.
The trunk's top has a mirror on a lotus throne, flanked by cliffs, in the middle of billowing clouds or mists. The mirror is an ancient Buddhist symbol for clarity, completeness of perception, & 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 & with greater perspective. This can lessen the tendency to see a thing as fixed or solid & encourage better understanding. The mirror, or perception, more effectively propels the mind toward insight & compassion than mere argument or lecture. The rock/cliff formation represents the syllable 'E' which appears in the opening stanza of early Buddhist scriptures, ('thus,' I have heard).
The lotus is an important Buddhist motif since images of the Buddha & other important deities often are seen seated on a lotus throne. The growth of the lotus, its roots in mud & growing through water to emerge above the surface as a wonderful plant, is seen as an analogy of the soul’s path from the mud of materialism to the air of enlightenment. Just as the lotus blossom rises above the mud & is beautiful, so must you raise your thinking with pure, clean thoughts that are noble. Then, you also will be beautiful. The billowing clouds or mist are Mahamudra: the union of compassion & wisdom- the ultimate realization of one’s true nature; they are represented as the transformation of our vices into the 4 powers of regret, vow, reliance & remedy so the practitioner will realize purification & enlightenment.
The sides have the Inexhaustible Treasure Vase, or urn (kalasa), which promises the good fortune of spiritual & material fulfillment, symbolizing the treasure of spiritual wealth. Among those treasures is the jewel of enlightenment. It also extends to the material & is characteristic of deities signifying prosperity.
