The Triratna or "Three Jewels" symbol, on a Buddha footprint. 1st century CE, Gandhara.

The Three Jewels, also rendered as Three Treasures or Triple Gem (Sanskrit: Triratna, also Ratna-traya, Pali: Tiratna, Chinese: 三宝, Sānbǎo, Japanese: Sambō or Sampō) are the three central concepts in Buddhism: the Buddha (ChN: 佛, Fó, Jpn: Butsu), the Dharma (the teachings or law; Chn: 法, Fǎ, Jpn: Hō), and the Sangha (the religious community; Chn: 僧 Sēng, Jpn: Sō;). Triratana Buddhist symbol. ... Triratana Buddhist symbol. ... Footprint of the Buddha. ... Gandhāra (also Ghandara, Ghandahra, Chandahara, and Persian Gandara) is the name of an ancient country in eastern Afghanistan and north-west province of Pakistan. ... Sanskrit ( संस्कृतम्) is a classical language of India and a liturgical language of Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism. ... . Pāli (ISO 639-1: pi; ISO 639-2: pli) is a Middle Indo-Aryan dialect or prakrit. ... The term Buddha is a word in ancient Indian languages including Pāli and Sanskrit which means one who has awakened. It is derived from the verbal root budh, meaning to awaken or to be enlightened, and to comprehend. It is written in devanagari script as Hindi: and pronounced as... A stone image of the Buddha. ... Dharma (Sanskrit, roughly law or way) is the way of the higher Truths. ... Sangha is a word in Indian languages that can be translated roughly as association or assembly. It is commonly used in several senses to refer to Buddhist or Jain groups. ...

Religious meaning

Taking refuge in the Three Jewels is the formal difference between Buddhists and non-Buddhists. Briefly said, it means that one accepts the Buddha as the example of an enlightened teacher, his teachings as the guidebook on the path, and the Sangha as the supporting community who shares the same ideals. Taking Refuge makes the difference between Buddhists and non-Buddhists. ...

A traditional Refuge prayer:

Until I attain Enlightenment,

I take refuge in the Three Jewels;

The Buddha, the Dharma and the Sangha.

Triratna symbol

The compound Buddhist symbols: Shrivatsa within a triratana, over a Chakra wheel, on the Tonana gate at Sanchi. 1st century BCE.

The "Three jewels" are also symbolized by the triratna, composed of (from bottom to top): According to the entry in the Encyclopedia Britannica, Vishnu is one of the principal Hindu deities, worshipped as the protector and preserver of the world and restorer of dharma (moral order). ... The Triratna or Three Jewels symbol, on a Buddha footprint. ... // Introduction In Hinduism and its spiritual systems of yoga and in some related eastern cultures, as well as in some segments of the New Age movement -- and to some degree the distinctly different New Thought movement -- a chakra is thought to be an energy node in the human body. ... Sanchi is a small village of India, located 46 km north east of Bhopal, in the central part of the state of Madhya Pradesh. ... (Redirected from 1st century BCE) (2nd century BC - 1st century BC - 1st century - other centuries) The 1st century BC starts on January 1, 100 BC and ends on December 31, 1 BC. An alternative name for this century is the last century BC. (2nd millennium BC - 1st millennium BC - 1st...

• A lotus flower within a circle.
• A diamond rod, or vajra.
• A trident, or trisula, with three branches, representing the threefold jewels of Buddhism: Buddha, the Dharma and the Sangha.

On representations of the footprint of the Buddha, the Triratna is usually also surmounted by the Dharma wheel. Binomial name Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn. ... Vajra is a Sanskrit word meaning both thunderbolt and diamond and refers to a symbol important to both Hinduism and Buddhism. ... Poseidon sculpture holding a trident A trident is a three pronged staff. ... Trisula is the Pali word for a Trident. The symbolic weapon of the Hindu god Shiva is a trisula. ... A stone image of the Buddha. ... Dharma (Sanskrit, roughly law or way) is the way of the higher Truths. ... Sangha is a word in Indian languages that can be translated roughly as association or assembly. It is commonly used in several senses to refer to Buddhist or Jain groups. ... Footprint of the Buddha. ... The eight-spoked dharma wheel is a common symbol in Buddhist iconography, representing the collective teachings of Buddha, known as the dharma. ...

The Triratna can be found on frieze sculptures at Sanchi as the symbol crowning a flag standard (2nd century BCE), as a symbol of the Buddha installed on the Buddha's throne (2nd century BCE), as the crowning decorative symbol on the later gates at the stupa in Sanchi (2nd century CE), or, very often on the Buddha footprint (starting from the 1st century CE). Frieze of the Tower of the Winds. ... Sanchi is a small village of India, located 46 km north east of Bhopal, in the central part of the state of Madhya Pradesh. ... A stupa in Tibet A stupa (from the Sanskrit) is a type of Buddhist structure found across the Indian subcontinent and Asia. ... Sanchi is a small village of India, located 46 km north east of Bhopal, in the central part of the state of Madhya Pradesh. ... Footprint of the Buddha. ...

The Triratna is also on the 1st century BCE coins of the Kingdom of Kuninda in northern Punjab, surmounting depictions of stupas, on some the coins of the Indo-Parthian king Gondophares, or the coins of some of the Kushan kings such as Vima Kadphises. (Redirected from 1st century BCE) (2nd century BC - 1st century BC - 1st century - other centuries) The 1st century BC starts on January 1, 100 BC and ends on December 31, 1 BC. An alternative name for this century is the last century BC. (2nd millennium BC - 1st millennium BC - 1st... Silver coin of the Kuninda Kingdom, c. ... Punjab, 1903 Punjab Province, 1909 The Punjab (meaning: Land of five Rivers; also Panjab, Gurmukhi: ਪੰਜਾਬ, Shahmukhi: پنجاب) is a region straddling the border between India and Pakistan. ... A stupa in Tibet A stupa (from the Sanskrit) is a type of Buddhist structure found across the Indian subcontinent and Asia. ... Coin of Gondophares (20-50 AD), first king of the Indo-Parthians kingdom. ... Coin of Gondophares (20-50 CE), first king of the Indo-Parthians. ... Boundary of the Kushan empire, c. ... Coin of Vima Kadphises. ...

The triratna can be further reinforced by being surmounted with three dharma wheels (one for each of the three jewels of Buddhism: the Buddha, the Dharma and the Sangha). A stone image of the Buddha. ... Dharma (Sanskrit, roughly law or way) is the way of the higher Truths. ... Sangha is a word in Indian languages that can be translated roughly as association or assembly. It is commonly used in several senses to refer to Buddhist or Jain groups. ...

The triratna symbol is also called nandipada, or "bull's hoof", by Hindus. This article is about the Hindu religion; for other meanings of the word, see Hindu (disambiguation). ...

External links

• Triratna on the footprints of the Buddha
• Digital Dictionary of Buddhism (log in with userID "guest")
• Buddhapada and Triratna
• Another triratna on Buddha's footprint.

References

"ガンダーラ美術の見方" (The art of Gandhara), Yamada Kihito, ISBN 4898061060

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