Ghau, gau. Tibetan Buddhist pendant, hand-painted tangka. Buddha medicine. Brass case. Auspicious signs of Buddhism

The ghau is a kind of transportable altar in which the image of the chosen deity of the possessor is kept. The vast majority of Tibetans use ghau at home and carry it during their travels. They keep it on a real altar at home. When traveling, it is hung on the back belt. It serves as a protective symbol during travels and also allows its owner to prove his devotion to his deity.

Ghau, gau.
Tibetan Buddhist pendant,
Tangka handcrafted by Tibetan painters based in Nepal specializing in sacred paintings of Buddhism as shown in the video also available on our youtube channel, via this link
https://youtu.be/u1fnHcEoh7Q

Medicine Buddha (description of the deity, below)
Brass case.
8 Auspicious signs of Buddhism on the reverse (Description and explanation below)

Dimensions of the ghau: 64mm high by 41.5mm wide by 9mm thick.
Weight of 38 grams.
Comes with a red cord of 34cm (possibility to change the cord, contact us.

To discover our entire collection "Buddhist protections", please click on this link
https://www.etsy.com/fr/shop/DongmeietJeremyZG?ref=seller-platform-mcnav§ion_id=23827698

Our entire shop, via this link
https://www.etsy.com/fr/shop/DongmeietJeremyZG?

BUDDHA MEDICINE
The bodhisattva career of Bhaishajyaguru, the medicine Buddha is described in the Bhaiṣajyaguru-sūtra, He made twelve vows, two of which specifically express his desire to heal and save. He became a Buddha in a world called Vaidūryanirbhāsa or "Similar to lapis lazuli".

located to the east, where he is accompanied by the bodhisattvas Sūryaprabha (Solar Clarity), to his left and Candraprabha (Lunar Clarity) to his right. In China, we refer to the version of the sutra translated by Xuanzang: Bhaiṣajya guru Vaidūrya Prabhāsa Pūrva praṇidhāna viśeṣa vistara (Yàoshī liúlíguāng rúlái běnyuàngōngdé jīng 《藥師琉璃光如來本願功德經》).

Like Akshobhya, Bhaiṣajyaguru is master of an "eastern paradise" and can form a pair with Amitābha, master of the "western paradise" Sukhāvatī. The paradise of Amitābha is also mentioned in the Bhaiṣajyaguru sūtra.

According to the Sapta tathāgata-Pūrva praṇidhāna viśeṣa vistara (Sutra of the Vow of the Seven Tathāgatas), Bhaśajyaguru has seven emanations representing seven different modalities of healing or protection.

In Tibet his image can serve as a meditation medium to overcome attachment and negative feelings.

The Medicine Buddha or Sangye Menla (in Tibetan) is a tantric deity of Tibetan Buddhism.
The tantric meditation of Sangye Menla was introduced to Tibet in the eighth century by Shantarakshita. This meditation was synthesized in the nineteenth century by Jamgon Kongtrul Lodrö Thayé. His mantra is considered to have great force against physical diseases or to purify negative karma.

In Japan, Yakushi Nyorai has been the object of an important cult in Japan since the seventh century when he supplanted Akṣobhya (Ashuku). Located in the east it represents rather the rising sun, life, while Amida which is in the west is connected to the setting sun and the world of the dead.

Patronized by the Tendai school which maintained close relations with the imperial family, this Buddha master of the East was associated with the emperor. He has sometimes been identified with Jizo. He is the 7th of the thirteen Buddhas in the Shingon Buddhist tradition, and as such is associated with the funeral rites that take place at the end of the 49 days after death.

In the performances, and the particular mandalas dedicated to him, he is assisted by Nikko the boddhisattva of sunlight and gakko of lunar light. It is also protected and served by 12 celestial generals, yakshas that can have several meanings, such as hours, months, directions, etc. However, he does not appear on the taizōkai and kongōkai mandalas because his cult is not of tantric origin. Among the many temples dedicated to him, the most famous is the Yakushi-ji of Nara. In the same city, Hōryū-ji and Tō-ji also house a statue of the Medicine Buddha, that of Hōryū-ji dating from the middle of the seventh century.

In China, he is revered for his virtues as a healer and protector against calamities.

The most common rite is to read his vow 49 times, light 49 votive lamps and extend paper prayer flags 49 days in a row.

There are very few temples dedicated exclusively to him. The group of eight physician Buddhas, its seven emanations accompanied by Shākyamuni, can be replaced by another group including Manjushri, Maitreya, Avalokiteśvara, Mahāsthāmaprāpta, Akṣayamati, Ratnacandanapuṣpa, Bhaiṣajyarāja, and Bhaiṣajyasamudgata, (文殊師利; 彌勒; 觀世音; 大勢至; 無盡意; 寶檀華; 藥王; 藥上).

THE 8 AUSPICIOUS SIGNS OF BUDDHISM
The 8 auspicious signs of Buddhism or Astamangala were originally a set of Indian offerings presented to a king at his investiture. Jainism first took up these auspicious symbols probably before Buddhism.

In the Buddhist tradition, these 8 auspicious signs represent the offerings presented by the great Vedic gods – an ancient civilization of India at the origin of Hinduism – to Siddhartha Buddha after his Enlightenment. Brahma was the first of these gods to appear even before the birth of the Buddha by presenting him with a wheel with a thousand golden rays, as a symbolic request to the Buddha to transmit his teachings by "turning the wheel of the Dharma". Indra, Lord of Heaven and god of war and storm – and incidentally king of the gods – appeared as he followed, offering the white conch shell for the Buddha to "proclaim the truth of the Dharma".

In the Buddhist tradition, the eight auspicious signs form the body of Buddha.

the parasol represents his head,
the two fish his eyes,
the vase his neck,
the lotus its tongue,
the golden wheel his feet,
The banner of victory his body,
The conch his word
The endless knot his mind.

In the first form of Indian Buddhism, the Buddha was painted in an aniconic manner, that is, without being represented in human form, usually by an empty throne under a parasol and under the Bodhi tree or by a stone marked with his divine footprints, which contain several auspicious symbols such as the insignia of the Buddha's divinity: the banner of victory, the lion throne, the trident, the Three Jewels, the eternal knot, the swastika, the conch, the pair of fish and the most common, the lotus and the wheel.

The Endless Knot or Tibetan Infinite Knot is a Buddhist symbol that represents the movement of what is eternal, intertwined spiritual paths and time.
The shape of the Endless Knot is evocative of wisdom and compassion in Tibetan Buddhism. The top and bottom of the symbol symbolize the interaction of opposing and dual forces, which eventually come together and unite in the universe.
The Tibetan infinite knot also represents the inseparability of the Void and the reality of existence.
Finally, since the Knot has no beginning or end, it is also defined as the Wisdom of Buddha.

A traditional instrument of Tibet, the conch shell is considered to be the symbol of the power of the Buddha's word. The dextrorotatory conch curls to the right and is the rarest and most conducive to the practice of Tibetan Buddhism. It symbolizes the sound of the Dharma that awakens beings from the sleep of Ignorance, thus prompting them to do their own good for the good of others. It is also the protection of the Jewel of the Dharma, the progression from step to step towards ultimate realization, Enlightenment or Enlightenment.

The Dharma wheel remains the most important symbol of Tibetan Buddhism, it symbolizes Buddhist law as well as the teaching of the Buddha who was the first to set this wheel in motion. The Dharma Wheel represents the eternal movement of the cycle of rebirths (or karma). It is also the continuity of the Buddha's teachings, in all its forms and in all directions, teachings that lead to happiness and liberation.
The Dharma Wheel is often depicted with four or eight branches, embodying the Four Noble Truths and the Eight Steps.


Symbol of absolute purity and enlightenment, emblem of spiritual elevation, the lotus has the particularity of taking root in mud or mud, its stem bathing in water while its flower blooms majestically on water.
The lotus represents the elevation of the soul, at first purely materialistic through its roots, then tasting the experience of water through its stem, to finally achieve enlightenment and awakening through its flower.


Tibetan Buddhists see through the Lotus the true nature of Beings, the stem being samsara (cycles of life and death), the flower symbolizing peace and serenity.

The Tibetan victory banner is the symbol of Buddha's teaching, triumph over ignorance, Buddha's doctrine over the forces of evil: passion, fear of death, pride and lust.

It particularly symbolizes the Buddha's renunciation of all mental disturbances and illusory appearances of samsara.

The treasure vessel represents a multitude of wealth, intellectual and prosperity. It is a Tibetan symbol of long life and abundance.

It also symbolizes moral discipline, the study and practice of the Dharma, including the good that one can bring to others and the development of altruism.

When you wear a Tibetan jewel representing the treasure vase (it is not by chance that these pendants are often said "ghau" or "gao", simply because they can be filled), remember to slip inside everything you think is beneficial for you and all living beings. This can be Tibetan mantras, or photos of people who are especially important to you, or thoughts or prayers...

Originally, the two fish were the symbol of the Yamuna River and the Ganges, but they later became the symbol of good fortune for Hindus and Buddhists.
Among Tibetan Buddhists, the Golden Fish represents living beings who practice the dharma, and who should not fear drowning in the ocean of suffering, since they can freely swim as fish do in water, in order to choose their rebirths.

The parasol symbolizes the activity that protects men from all evils: diseases, accidents, evil spirits. It also protects beings from the lower worlds. In Tibetan Buddhism, the umbrella protects us from suffering. The Tibetan umbrella is the guarantor of wisdom.

From a Buddhist point of view, the umbrella represents a form of protection and welcome towards anyone who would like to enter the path of Dharma and progress on the path of Enlightenment.