The seven treasures of Buddhism refer to seven kinds of treasures, also known as Qizhen. In the Buddhist scriptures, the seven treasures written in different scriptures are different.
- The seven treasures mentioned in the Amitabha Sutra are: gold, silver, glass, coral, clam (chē qú), red pearl, and agate;
- The seven treasures mentioned in Xuanzang’s translation of the Sutra of Praise for the Pure Land are: gold, silver, bark glass, Pohaojia, Mousuo Luojia Lava, Chizhenzhu, and Ashmagala Po;
- The seven treasures mentioned in the Prajna Sutra are: gold, silver, glass, coral, amber, clam, and agate;
- The seven treasures mentioned in the Lotus Sutra are: gold, silver, lapis lazuli, clam, agate, pearl, and rose;
- The seven treasures in Tibetan Buddhism are: chalcedony, beeswax, acanthus, pearls, coral, gold, and silver, which are called the “Seven Treasures of the West.”
The meaning of the seven Buddhist treasures:
In order to better understand the meaning of the seven treasures of Buddhism, we will introduce them based on the following seven treasures: gold, silver, glass, coral, amber, clam, and agate.
Gold
The first “treasure” of the “Seven Treasures” of Buddhism is gold, which represents health and longevity. Bodhisattvas are generally cast into gold bodies, which means “the golden body protects the body and protects against all diseases”, and also means health and longevity.
Silver
In Buddhism, silver represents the light of “Buddha”. The light and color emitted by silver have the function of preventing disasters and avoiding disasters. Of course, silver, like gold, represents health and longevity, and is also a symbol of wisdom and purity.
Liuli
“Medicine Master Lazuli Light Tathagata’s Original Vow Merit Sutra”: “I hope that when I achieve Bodhi in the next life, my body will be like lazuli, clear inside and outside, and pure and flawless.” In a certain sense, lazuli is a kind of personality, a spirit, a kind of A symbol of realm. The clear colored glaze entrusts people with their beautiful wishes.
In Buddhism, colored glaze is a spiritual substance that can cure diseases and ward off evil spirits. If you display colored glass at home or wear it on your body, you may receive three blessings.
Dispel diseases and avoid evil spirits
Buddhists believe that colored glaze represents the Medicine Buddha. It can eliminate diseases and avoid evil spirits, and can also bring health and blessings to practitioners.
Gritty
It is not easy to get colored glaze. Buddhism believes that colored glaze can make people feel the difficulty of spiritual practice. Having colored glaze can give people perseverance and energy.
Inspiration and Wisdom
Glaze is a natural gemstone. Its appearance is beautiful in color and can change constantly. It can give people infinite beauty and a lot of imagination, and can help people gain inspiration and wisdom.
Coral
Coral is a gem of marine biological origin, a treasure in the sea. Red coral symbolizes calmness, intelligence, peace and luck. People believe that red coral is a symbol of the incarnation of Tathagata and can ensure peace and prosperity. In ancient times, red coral was regarded as auspicious and happy, representing nobility and power, so it was also called “Ruibao” and symbolized happiness and eternity.
Amber
“Compendium of Materia Medica” records: Amber can calm the mind, calm the five internal organs, and calm the soul. It corresponds to the three disciplines of “precepts, concentration, and wisdom” in Buddhism.
Amber, only rosin fossils that are more than 40 million years old are hard enough to be inlaid into jewelry. Practicing with amber can help people concentrate, and it is a treasure in Buddhism that blesses practitioners. Both Buddha and Bodhisattva remove disasters for people, and amber is also a gift from the Buddha, which can relieve people’s mental and physical illness.
Tridacna (chē qú)
Tridacna is the largest shellfish in the deep sea. Tridacna is a high-level sacred object in Tibetan Buddhism. In the Buddhist world, the so-called Tridacna refers to a deep blue or purple ore or jade, which represents a certain kind of treasure among the stones. It does not mean killing animals to take the shells as beads or as offerings to Buddhas and Bodhisattvas.
Volume 2 (End) of “Xuan Zan of the Lotus Sutra” says: “Chequ Fanyun Mou Suoluo Jiepo, blue and white in color.” Wearing it on the body can also avoid evil spirits and ensure safety.
Agate
In the East, agate is known as one of the seven treasures of Buddhism. Agate is used as a gemstone or as a craft product because of its rich color and beauty. Agate is magnificent, hard and rare. It has represented beauty, happiness, auspiciousness and health since ancient times, so it must be the crown of “jade”.
The Seven Treasures of Chinese Buddhism are not uniformly standardized. There are about ten kinds of sacred objects that are the Seven Treasures.
