Functions and Specific Classification of Buddhist Instruments

Instruments are tools for doing things. There are many kinds of Tibetan Buddhist instruments, full of mystery. These tools can be roughly divided into six categories: politeness, praise, support, patience, magic protection and persuasion. Then, let's take a look at Buddhist instruments and see what their functions and specific classifications are.

What are the types of Buddhist instruments according to their uses?

According to their uses, the instruments can be generally divided into six types: solemn instruments, Buddha offering instruments, time telling instruments, traveling instruments and tantric instruments. The instruments of Zen are put forward separately, and * * * is the classification of eight kinds.

1. The Buddhist tools in the solemn Dojo include Buddhist altar, Mount Sumi altar, banners, covers, prayer building and so on.

2. Buddhist support, including lamps, flowers, incense, incense burners, clothes, roadside stones, etc.

3. Instruments used to praise Brahma, used to knock on the door in the daily work or temporary assembly of temples, and to lead the public to recite scriptures, dharma meetings and various ceremonies, such as wooden fish, bells, drums, chimes, cloud boards, etc.

4. The daily necessities of ancient monks, such as bowls, three clothes, bath beans, headscarves, tooth trees, water filter bags, rosary, etc. Belong to this category.

5. Zen artifacts, such as strokes, wishful thinking, bamboo rafts, futons, etc.

6. Instruments for collecting utensils: Only instruments for practice can be collected or installed, such as niches, pagodas, prayer boxes, body-abstinence boxes, etc.

7. Tantric instruments: Tantric methods are commonly used instruments, including Datura, golden bell jar, magic snail and friction instruments.

8. Special tools for hiding secrets, such as Thangka, Gallium, Mani Wheel, Eight Jixiang, Qibao, Manda, Gawu, etc.

What are the Buddhist instruments?

Instruments are tools for doing things. There are many kinds of Tibetan Buddhist instruments, full of mystery. These tools can be roughly divided into six categories: politeness, praise, support, patience, magic protection and persuasion. Robes, beads, hada, etc. Belong to the category of courtesy and respect; Bell, drum, bone flute, conch, lyre, tuba, etc. Belong to the praise category; Tower, Tancheng, Babao, Zheng Qi, Gongtai and Gai Hua belong to the supporting category; Rosary, wooden fish, diamond pestle, irrigation pot, gabale bowl, etc. Belong to the inspection category; Protecting Buddha, secret seal, etc. Belongs to the category of demon protection; Mani wheel, prayer wheel, buildings and stones engraved with or written with six-character mantra all belong to the category of persuasion. Each instrument has its own religious meaning, and some instruments have multiple uses.

Most Tibetan Buddhist vessels are made of gold, silver and copper, and there are also wood carvings, bone carvings, ivory carvings, stone carvings, seashells carvings and fabric products such as cloth, silk and brocade. It is an important part of Tibetan Buddhist art treasure house, with different materials, strange shapes, ingenious production ideas and huge quantities.

With the rise of Tibetan Buddhism, bronze statues and alloy pagodas appeared in Tibet in the 7th century, as well as a few utensils such as oil lamps and water cups. In the middle of the 8th century, during Zampa Chisong Dêzain, the fifth generation of the Tubo Dynasty, envoys were sent to Kashmir, Tianzhu and other countries to welcome masters and Lian Peanut to Tibet to preach, and the first ancient temple in Tibet was built, which played a positive role in promoting Tibetan Buddhism.

Some tantric instruments, such as the Vajrayana pestle and pestle, first appeared in Samye Temple with mysterious practices and ceremonies. In 842 AD, the last Tubo Zampadama destroyed Buddhism on a large scale, and the Buddhist forces in Tibet suffered heavy losses. The period from Songzan Gampo to Langdama's extinction of Buddhism is called the pre-peak period of Tibetan Buddhism, and the religious artifacts left in this period are very rare. Tubo period is the beginning of Tibetan Buddhist instruments.