Ghau, gau. Tibetan Buddhist pendant, tangka painted by hand. Buddha Sakkyamuni. 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 the ghau at home and carry it during their travels. They keep it on a real altar at home. During travels, 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 the sacred paintings of Buddhism as shown in the video also available on our youtube channel, via this link
https://youtu.be/4zF4aTedPx0

Buddha Sakyamuni (description of the deity, below)
Brass case.
8 Auspicious Signs of Buddhism on the Back (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?

SIDDARTHA GAUTAMA
Siddhartha Gautama (better known as the Buddha, c. 563-483 BCE) was, according to legend, a Hindu prince who renounced his position and wealth to seek enlightenment as a spiritual ascetic, who achieved his goal, and who, by preaching his way to others, founded Buddhism in India in the 6th-5th centuries BCE. The events of his life are largely legendary, however he is considered a real and young historical figure of Mahavira (also known as Vardhamana, circa 599-527 BCE) who established the principles of Jainism shortly before the time of Siddhartha.

According to Buddhist texts, a prophecy was given at the birth of Siddhartha that he would become either a powerful king or a great spiritual master. His father, fearing that he would become the second if exposed to the suffering of the world, protected him from the sight and experience of anything unpleasant or upsetting for him for the first 29 years of his life. One day (within a few days), he escaped his father's measures and saw what Buddhists call the Four Signs:

An elderly man
A sick man
A dead man
A religious ascetic
Through these signs, he realized that he too could get sick, grow old, die, and lose everything he loved. He understood that the life he led guaranteed that he would suffer, and moreover, that all life was essentially defined by the suffering of desire or loss. He therefore followed the example of the religious ascetic, and tried different teachers and disciplines. He eventually attained enlightenment on his own and became known as buddha ("the Awakened" or "the Enlightened"). Then he preached his "Middle Way" of detachment from the objects of the senses and renunciation of ignorance and illusion through his Four Noble Truths, the Wheel of Becoming and the Eightfold Path to Enlightenment. After his death, his followers preserved and developed his teachings until they were spread from India to other countries by King Maurya Ashoka the Great (reigned 268-232 BCE). From the time of Ashoka, Buddhism continued to flourish and, today, it is one of the main religions of the world.

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 Buddha Siddharta after his Awakening. 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 gold 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 following, offering the white conch for the Buddha to "proclaim the truth of the Dharma."

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

the umbrella represents its head,
the two fish his eyes,
the vase his neck,
the lotus his 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 aniconically, that is, without being represented in a human form, usually by an empty throne under a parasol and under the Tree of the Bodhi or by a stone marked with his divine imprints, 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 Tibetan Endless Knot or Infinite Knot is a Buddhist symbol that represents the movement of what is eternal, intertwined spiritual paths and time.
The form 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 is considered to be the symbol of the power of the Buddha's word. The dextrorotatory conch winds 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 inspiring 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 the ultimate realization, Awakening 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, 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 Awakening, 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 the water.
The lotus represents the elevation of the soul, 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 the mental disturbances and illusory appearances of samsara.

The Treasure Vase 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, especially through the good that one can bring to others and the development of altruism.

When wearing 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 that 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 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 to anyone who would like to enter the path of Dharma and progress on the path of Enlightenment.