The Eight Auspicious Symbols. A Squiggly Swatch Special Limited to 24 numbered pieces!

The Buddhist Center in Rotterdam is halfway its construction and to help them finish this, Squiggly has helped them to make a very nice special. The special is a set of 8 world time clocks to hang on the wall. The clocks are also 8 auspicious (luck) Buddhist symbols. These are HAND PAINTED by members of this Buddhist center !! The basic material is a 18x28 cm (8x11 inches) acrylic frosted plate on which the painting is made. The watch is also attached to this plate. In order to protect the painting an extra transparent plate is mounted raised from the base plate. If you want you can also have the paintings blessed by Lhama Jigmé Namgyal.
Only 24(!) sets are made and they are meant to be hung in the office. In this way you can see what time it is in Hong Kong (and 7 other places) and luck will flow into your office. Plus the fact you have helped the Buddhists create a new place of peace and quiet in the world.

Here are the pictures of these 8 symbols and what their meaning is:

The Wheel of Dharma

The wheel is an ancient Indian symbol of creation, sovereignty, and protection which represents motion, and change. Buddhism adopted the wheel to symbolise the Budhha's teachings, the wheel being identified as 'dharmachakra' or wheel of law. In Tibetan this means 'the wheel of transformation' or spiritual change, and can represent the overcoming of all obstacles and illusions.

The lotus is the symbol of purity. It is able to grow and blossom from the muddy water, and therefore is a symbol of divine generation. The lotus is used to depict this purity in different forms. The lotus on the throne implies immaculate conception and therefore the being is innately divine. Deities are often depicted holding a lotus as a symbol of their purity, compassion, renunciation and perfection of qualities.

The victory banner originates from the victory banner that was a military standard carried in Indian warfare. It was adopted as the symbol of Buddha's enlightenment. In Tibetan Buddhism it is said to symbolise the methods for overcoming the defilements-the development of knowledge, wisdom, compassion, meditation, and ethical vows.

The endless knot overlaps without a beginning or an end, symbolising the Buddha's endless wisdom and compassion. It indicates continuity as the underlying reality of existence.

The conch shell is derived from ancient Indian stories that describe how heroes of mythical warfare carried a large while conch shell. It is a symbol of power and sovereignty, the sound believed to banish evil spirits, scare away harmful creatures and avert natural disasters. Buddhism adopted it as a symbol of religious sovereignty and an emblem that spreads the truth of dharma.

The golden fish symbolise happiness, due to their freedom in water, and fertility and abundance, due to their ability to multiply quickly.. The symbol is a common auspicious symbol in the Hindu, Jain and Buddhist traditions, which originated as being a symbol of the two main sacred rivers the Yamuna and Ganges in India, which represent the lunar and solar channels. In Egypt the pair of fishes symbolised the River Nile, and early Christianity adopted the symbol as an emblem of Christ.

The Treasure Vase is modeled on the traditional Indian clay water pot. The Tibetan design is very ornate with lotus petal designs. The scarf is a silk cloth from the god realm and the upper opening is sealed with a wish granting tree, with the roots retaining the water of longevity to create all the treasures. The 'inexhaustible treasures' possess special qualities, so that however much is removed from the vase, it will always remain full. Therefore it symbolises long life and prosperity.

The parasol or umbrella is an Indian symbol of both protection and royalty. The shadow protects from the heat and sun, and the coolness of the shade represents protection from the heat of suffering, desire, obstacles and illness. Different traditions have developed many designs of the parasol. The parasol dome can symbolise wisdom and the hanging skirt, compassion.

The price for this set is Euro 995.00 (ex 19% VAT when you live in Europe).

What do you get?
- 8 handpainted acrylic displays at the size 18x28 cm.
- On each display there will be a XL watch. In total 8 watches!
- Blessed by a real Tibetan Lhama
- You can choose which one of the 24 sets you want. Below you see which ones are already sold.
- Also you can choose to change the name of one of the cities to the name of a place you desire.