UNIT - 1

BUDDHISM

ELEMANTS
OF
BUDDHIST
ARCHITECHTURE
SARTHAK GAJBHIYE
STUDIO - B
 NAGAS
In BUDDHISM , Nagas are often represented as door
guardians , or as in Tibet , as minor DEITIES.

The Naga king MUCHALINDA , who sheltered Buddha from

rain for &-days while he was in deep meditation ( which is
beautifully depicted in 9th - 13th century MON-KHMER
Bussda's of what are now in THAILAND & COMBODIA .

In art, NAGAS are represented in a fully zoomorphic form, as

hooded cobras having one to seven or more heads; as human
beings with a many-hooded snake canopy over their heads;
or as half human, with the lower part of the body below the
navel coiled like a snake and a canopy of hoods over the
heads.

Often they are shown in postures of adoration, as one of the

major gods or heroes is shown accomplishing some
miraculous feat before their eyes.

https://www.britannica.com/topic/naga-Hindu-mythology
 VAJRA
A VAJRA is a ritual weapon which symbolised propertirs
of daimond i.e means ( indestructibility ) and thunderbolt
( irreristiblr forcce ) .
A VISVAVAJRA or a DOUBLE VAJRA appears in the
emblem of BHUTAN .
It is used symbolically by the dharma traditions of
Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism often to represent
firmness of spirit and spiritual power. r
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What is vajra used for?

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The use of the bell and vajra differs according to the ritual

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performed or the sadhana chanted. The vajra can be used for

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visualization or evocation of deities; ringing the bell can be used to

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request protection or other actions from a deity, or it can represent

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the teaching of dharma, and can also be a sound offering.

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.

What is a vajra in Buddhism?

vajra, Tibetan rdo-rje, five-pronged ritual object extensively employed in Tibetan
Buddhist ceremonies. It is the symbol of the Vajrayāna school of Buddhism. Vajra, in
Sanskrit, has both the meanings of “thunderbolt” and “diamond.” Like the thunderbolt,
the vajra cleaves through ignorance

The vajra is
fashioned out of
brass or bronze,
the four prongs at
each end curving
around the central
fifth to form a
lotus-bud shape.

https://www.britannica.com/topic/vajra
 MONK'S SPADE
A monk's spade also called a Shaolin Spade
is a Chinese pole weapon consisting of a long pole with a flat
spade-like blade on one end and a smaller crescent shaped
blade on the other. Neither blade was designed to be
sharpened.
In old China, Buddhist monks often carried spades (shovels)
with them when travelling.
This served two purposes: if they came upon a corpse on the
road, they could properly bury it with Buddhist rites, and the
large implement could serve as a weapon for defence against
bandits.
The crescent was designed as defense against small to
medium-sized predators such as wild dogs and leopards.
The way it is used is to hold the animal at bay by positioning
the crescent at the animal's neck and pushing it away if
needed. Over time, they were stylised into the monk's spade
weapon.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monk%27s_spade