Buddha boxes: the mobile Buddhist altar

Dragon art brings you a special collection of Buddhist and Taoist reliefs, elaborated by oriental artisans. The main material used is buxus wood, a type of tree known as boj. Each work consists of three reliefs each one of a depiction of a Buddhist or Taoist deity, which serves as a small altar for the practise of meditation, yoga and other activities. Moreover, the three pieces of the wooden box can be closed on one another and so can be carried with great ease. The reliefs are made with careful detail. The expressions and postures of the deities transmit serenity and heavenly compassion. It will surely fill your home with positive energy as it was for this reason that they were made.

Guan Yin of the South Sea

Guan Yin is the name given in China to Avalokiteshvara bodhisattva revered in Buddhism as the deity of compassion. In this work the principal figure, Guan Yin, can be seen holding a ship's wheel in her hand standing on top of a lotus flower, accompanied by two iaksas (benevolent spirits) that are protectors and inspectors of the sea. Guan Yin of the South Sea is a very revered deity in the orient, famous for the fact that Guan Yin fulfills and responds to many pleads and requests of her believers. There is even a bronze statue of Guan Yin of thirty-three metres in height on an island located in the South Sea of China.

Avolokiteshvara of the thousand arms and eyes

Avolokiteshvara is the bodhisattva of compassion. It is one of the most widely revered deities in Buddhism. Avolokiteshvara of the thousand arms and eyes is one of the forms in which he (she) presents himself (herself) in this universe, this form symbolises that with a thousand eyes he (she) can know all the suffering and pleading of all beings of this world and with a thousand arms he (she) can help any being in need. In this work the principal figure Avalokiteshvara of many arms, can be seen in great detail on a lotus flower and with a majestic temple, accompanied by two heavenly warriors who protect the believers.

The three deities of the Saha World

The Saha World is the buddist term for this universe in which we exist. In addition, the three deities who take care principally of the matters of this world are the Buddha Gautama (Sakiamuni, the founder of Buddhism), the bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara (in representation of Guan Yin, the deity of compassion) and the bodhisattva Ksitigarbha (a deity that tries to save souls condemned to hell). In this work the principal figure, the buddha Gautama, can be seen in the centre on a lotus flower, accompanied by the bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara to his right and the bodhisattva Ksitigarbha to his left with dragons flying over both the bodhisattva.

The three deities of the Sukhavati world

The Sukhavati world is the Buddhist term for a pure land full of supreme happiness in the west. The three deities of this world who welcome new inhabitants are the Buddha Amitabha, the bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara (in representation of Guan Yin, the deity of compassion), the bodhisattva Mahasthamaprapta (the deity of light and the power of wisdom). In this artisanal work the principal figure, the Buddha Amitabha is shown in the centre, accompanied by the boddhisattva Avalokiteshvara to the right and the bodhisattva Mahasthamaprapta to the left. According to the ancient Buddhist texts, the eighteenth vow of the Buddha Amitabha was that any being in any universe who desired to be born in the pure land of Amitabha should only need to call his name ten times, and he would have his birth in that place guaranteed. His nineteenth vow was that he, along with his bodhisattvas, Avalokiteshvara and Mahasthamaprapta and other blessed Buddhists, would appear before those who called to him in the moment of death.

The three Taoist gods: Fu Lu Shou

Fu Lu Shou are three Taoist deities in Chinese mythology. The god Fu is originally identified with the planet Jupiter which symbolises prosperity and happiness; the god Lu is identified with the Mizar star and is the god of wages and entrepeneurial success; and finally, the god Shou also known as the Canopus star is represented as an old man with a beard, abundant white eyebrows and a big bald head and is the deity of longevity. In this work, the god Fu can be seen in the centre wearing a suit of an official of the old court of China, accompanied by some assistants dragging a cart full of treasures and a magic deer that represents good luck. The god Lu is to the right holding a baby, because as it is said, this deity also brings the blessing of birth in the family. The god Shou is to the left using a cane as a staff and some heavenly peaches that are elixirs of life, accompanied by a small boy and a Manchurian crane that is the bird of longevity and immortality. The three gods are in the celestial palace in the clouds. When the box is closed, on the front "Fu Lu Shou (the three Taoist gods)" is inscribed in traditional Chinese (kanji) and on the rear side there is an introduction to these three deities in simplified Chinese.

Guan Yin tames the dragon

Guan Yin is the name given in China to Avalokiteshvara bodhisattva revered in Buddhism and who is the deity of compassion. In addition, according to a legend in the orient, there was an evil dragon who devoured the fishermen in the China South Sea. Guan Yin heard the cries of the townsfolk and felt sorrow for their suffering and loss of innocent lives, thus she (he) went to the place where the beast was causing the disaster, and proceeded to defeat it and make it into her (his) pet. Since that day at times, Guan Yin appears riding the dragon to protect people. According to the ancient Buddhist texts, bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara on a dragon's head is one of the thousands of ways she (he) appears in this universe, symbolising her (his) power as protector and her (his) mercifulness towards her (his) believers. In this work the principal figure, Avalokiteshvara, is seen taming a Chinese dragon in the clouds, from a jar she (he) pours pure water that symbolises her (his) purifying power capable of converting a ferocious monster into a loyal companion. The assitants of Guan Yin, Sudhana Kumara (also known as the boy of wealth) and the daughter of a dragon king are at her (his) side. When the box is closed, on the front there is the inscription "Guan Yin who tames the dragon" in traditional Chinese (Kanji) and behind there is the Sutra of the Heart (Prajnaparamita hrdaya Sutra) of the bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara in simplified Chinese that is one of the most popular and researched sutras due to its brevity and depth.