The Buddha in the Tarot

by Paul Greer

  The understanding of the Future Buddha as “causal process” was so natural to early Buddhists that they placed his birth within the context of 547 previous lives devoted to skillful living. As a process, the birth of the Future Buddha begins in the Introductory section to the Jataka (Birth) narratives with the story of Sumedha, an ascetic who lived in the town of Amara, “[a] hundred thousand cycles vast/And four immensities ago.” Sumedha, a “master of the Vedas three,”1 honored a previous Buddha called Dipankara by placing his body on the muddy ground to allow him to step on it as he passed by. Sumedha vows to become a Buddha himself and Dipankara, discerning the monk’s thoughts, confirms that “‘he, unnumbered cycles hence,/A Buddha in the world shall be.’”2 The hundreds of stories that follow document Sumedha’s long route towards the development of those virtuous potentials called the ten perfections: generosity, morality, renunciation, wisdom, energy, patience, truth, determination, loving-kindness and equanimity. These qualities are all contained in or are reflective of the “beautiful” or “wholesome” aspects of mind. Finally, the bodhisattva is reborn in the realm of the Tusita gods. After some time, the gods declare that the conditions for his birth have arrived; and so, the Future Buddha makes the “five observances” concerning his birth (time, continent, country, family and mother), dies, and for the last time is reborn.

  The birth of Siddhattha Gotama is described alongside a number of supernatural events which are reminiscent in part of the birth stories of other World Saviors, including Jesus. His birth is accompanied by gifts, songs, devotions, streams of water from the sky, and salutations from half the Vedic pantheon. The narrative here is designed to stress the uniqueness of the Future Buddha’s past accomplishments, his importance in establishing the Dharma, and in sectarian terms, Buddhism’s supremacy over Hinduism.

  But there is another dimension to the story and it is one that accords well with our reflections on the Magician. The narrative is principally concerned with highlighting a Future Buddha’s mastery and correctly-directed will over the materials of the world; the elements of human identity. The infant, we are told, is born by emerging from his mother’s side. He takes seven steps, and with each step a lotus appears out of the ground. When he has finished, he turns to the four cardinal directions and declares that he is the “highest in the world” and that never again will he experience a “new existence.”3

  Being born from his mother’s side clearly indicates the Future Buddha’s victory over the constant cycle of rebirth within Samsara. The seven steps may indicate mastery over the seven kinds of suffering in the world outlined in the Path of Purity, or knowledge of the Seven Factors of Enlightenment described in many Buddhist texts. The lotus blossoms are themselves significant, indicating not only purity, but the view that spiritual development may only arise from the muddied conditions of embodied life. The act of turning to each of the four cardinal directions suggests mastery over the four elements, over the aggregates of human nature. In Buddhist and Hindu thought, each cardinal point is associated with a particular “guardian” or “heavenly king” (the four lokapalas), who are in turn each associated with one of the four Great Elements.4 The Future Buddha’s mastery over these elements is further confirmed in Chinese versions of the narrative where, as he addresses the four cardinal points, he places his arms in a pose identical to that of our Magician - a pose which remains popular in Chinese Buddhist iconography – and declares that in both the heavens and the earth he is honored above all, and that he has come to set all beings free from suffering – from birth, old age, sickness and death.5 Such a precocious utterance is in fact a revelation concerning the causal parameters of enlightenment – hard-won mastery over the elements, directed by a skillful and determined will, aimed at the cultivation of The Beautiful. This sense of determined striving is even suggested by the child’s name itself – Siddhattha – “He who has attained his goal.” But we also perceive something else within the child’s proclamation - the view that one’s enlightenment cannot be neatly disentangled from the suffering of others. The magician’s left hand it seems points to more than personal liberation.

  A Buddhist Reflection: Karma and the Alchemy of Identity

  The fundamental and revolutionary starting point of the Buddha’s message in not just that we are capable of enlightenment, nor that we are exclusively responsible for it, but that it can be achieved solely through the limitations of our own body-mind complex. In this body, with this mind, and at this very moment, says Lama Yeshe, we have everything we need for “blissful liberation.”6 So, like The Magician, let us take a look at what we have at our disposal. Let us, as the Buddha says in the Kayagata-sati Sutta, sit like a butcher over a cow that is about to be cut up, and reflect upon this human frame.

  We begin by emptying The Fool’s bundle and placing its contents on the table before us. What do we see? We find the Four Great Elements (mahabhutani) of Solidity, Fluidity, Heat and Motion - the actual qualities found in earth, water, fire and air. From these four elements are derived the five basic aggregates (khandhas) from which everything in the world is fashioned. The first and most fundamental aggregate – “form” (rupa) – connotes the basic physicality of all objects in existence. For humans, form also includes the six sense organs (eyes, nose, tongue, body, ears and mind) and their corresponding objects in both the exterior and interior worlds (visible objects, odor, taste, tangible objects, sound and thoughts).

  The other four aggregates are interdependent processes which arise in relation to contact between a sensory organ and its corresponding sensory object. One of these is “consciousness” (vinnana) which is our basic “awareness” of the world. There are six types of consciousness according to Buddhists, based upon the particular sense organ and sense object in question. Thus, a blind person lacks “eye consciousness.” Consciousness only arises out of and is dependent upon sensory objects and the other aggregates. If someone were to speak of a “consciousness” that existed apart from the other aggregates, says the Buddha, then that person would be referring to something that does not exist.7

  The aggregate of “feelings” (vedana) signifies the physical and mental sensations which arise through contact with objects, and these are described as pleasant, unpleasant or neutral. “Perceptions” (sanna) is the aggregate that recognizes and understands the particular qualities of objects and experiences, and discriminates between them; it is therefore also linked to the formation of memory.

  The aggregate of “mental formations” (samkhara) describes our mental tendencies, habits and inclinations, of which Buddhists enumerate either 51 or 52, including some that are universal and intrinsic to life; for example “will” – the urge to decide and act. “Unwholesome” mental formations include delusion, a disregard for consequences, restlessness, greed, hatred, envy, and laziness. “Occasional” formations include energy. “Beautiful” tendencies include mindfulness, tranquility, compassion and wisdom.

  Although no aggregate stands by itself, it is primarily within the aggregate of mental formations that many of our problems most obviously appear. For example, a mind conditioned by delusion considers that there is some kind of permanent self either within, between or behind the impermanent and constantly fluctuating aggregates, and this results in clinging and suffering. Yet, what is the source of our suffering is also at the same time the source of our liberation. Through wisdom, energy and determination, we can eradicate the unwholesome and cultivate The Beautiful.

  Of fundamental importance to this magical transmutation is an appreciation of the part played by the will in its ability to either enslave or liberate us. Once a particular sense object creates a sensation, whether pleasant, unpleasant or neutral, the function of the will is to move the mind in a particular direction in order to actualize a goal in relation to that object. For example, if I see, smell, taste, hear, or feel an object that creates a pleasant sensation, my mind settles on it, is attracted to it, and is urged forward as if to possess it. Conversely, if the obje
ct creates an unpleasant sensation, I am repulsed and urged away from it, as if to escape. This process applies to all sensory objects that arise through contact – including thoughts. Liberation is made possible through skillful use of this natural quality of will.

  This brings us on to another important issue – the relationship between will and karma. As will is concerned with achieving a particular goal, it is viewed as the most significant component in the generation of karma. In fact, for the Buddha, the two are virtually synonymous.

  In its most fundamental sense karma simply means “action,” but within Buddhism it properly indicates “willed action.” Karma however is also viewed more broadly in terms of a “law” of cause and effect. In this, Buddhism recognizes that our willed actions have consequences – they generate implications which we cannot escape. In the Buddha’s words: “The evil-doer mourns in this world, and he mourns in the next; he mourns in both. He mourns and suffers when he sees the evil of his own work.”8 It would however be wrong to consider such effects in terms of divine rewards or punishments. Karma is an entirely natural process. To see it as retributive justice would be tantamount to suggesting that falling down is gravity’s punishment on the wicked.

  Karma basically conditions our experiences of life within the world, whether in terms of strengthening existing mental habits and responses, or in terms of affecting the environment we inhabit. This is known as the “fruit” (phala) of karma. Karma generates the basic conditions from which we presently act and experience the world, which in turn, under the direction of will, shape our future. We are, as the Buddha says, “inheritors” of our deeds.

  The High Priestess (2)

  General Overview

  The RWS deck depicts The High Priestess enthroned between two pillars labeled B and J. She holds in her hand a scroll entitled TORA, while a crescent moon lies at her feet. The lunar symbolism is also reflected in her crown, which shows the waxing, full and waning phases of the moon. She sits in front of a veil adorned with closed pomegranates, which obscures a blue, watery expanse that lies beyond. The High Priestess’ robes are blue and white, suggesting a sense of purity and spirituality. The lower section of her robes appears like a rippling extension of the water from beyond the veil, perhaps signifying that she is a manifestation of it. In traditional interpretations the card is said to symbolize the qualities of passivity, darkness, depth, secrecy, intuition, mystery and wisdom. Within a wider spectrum of possibility1 however, it may also connote dreaming, illusion, and ignorance.

  While the Magician represents life in the everyday world of elements, action, will and creation, this card brings intimations of another world either behind or within that same realm of phenomena. This is suggested by the twin pillars and the veil, which were said to stand at the entrance to Solomon’s Temple and before the adytum or Holy of Holies within – God’s dwelling place on earth. The pomegranates - unlike those of The Fool’s attire - are closed, suggesting mystery and the unmanifest. Whatever lies beyond is obscured, signifying a lack of knowledge on our part. This necessitates the need for a mediator; one who can lead us from ignorance into the depths of reality itself – The High Priestess. Smith’s depiction suggests the figure of Isis, Goddess of the Moon and Mysteries; the one who declares that “no man has ever lifted the veil.”

  Yet there are other candidates. One is the figure of the Shekinah, which means to “inhabit,” and represents God’s feminine presence in the world. According to Rabbinic literature, the Shekinah was thought to be present in the Tabernacle and behind the veil at the Temple. She was even thought to reside within the very words of the Torah itself. The 2nd-Century Rabbi Hananiah ben Teradion declares that if just two people sit together discussing the Torah, then “‘the Shekinah is in their midst.’”2 The Torah itself lies partially obscured in The High Priestess’ right hand, suggesting either intimations of a deeper comprehension of the divine, or our own limited understanding.

  Another candidate is the Gnostic figure of Sophia - the mediatrix between spirit and matter. She is the one who “fell” into this world, and yet at the same provides us with the correct Gnosis that will facilitate self-remembering, and liberate us, or so the Gnostics thought, from the “prison” of matter. Sophia is the one “through whom you will be delivered.”3

  In the Story of the Buddha: The Wisdom of Asita.

  An episode from the Future Buddha’s early life which captures the sense of wisdom inherent in The High Priestess is that of the sage Asita before King Suddhodana and Queen Maha-Maya. Asita is sometimes referred to as the “Buddhist Simeon,” given the number of striking similarities between both figures. Both possess the wisdom which allows them to see beyond what others see, and recognize the unique lineage and promise of the infants before them. Both regret that they will not live long enough to hear what these World Saviors have to say, or witness what they will accomplish.

  There are various versions of this story. In the Pali account from the Jataka narratives, Asita is called Kaladevala, although both names are related to the color “black,” suggesting his ascetic background. The Jataka account informs us that the sage was a close friend of King Suddhodana, and was skilled in meditation. One day, while taking his rest in the Heaven of the Thirty-Three, he notices the gods in joyful celebration, and learns that “a son has been born to king Suddhodana, who shall sit at the foot of the Bo-tree, and become a Buddha, and cause the Wheel of the Doctrine to roll … and we shall hear the Doctrine.”4 In Asvaghosa’s Buddhacarita (The Life of Buddha), Asita is depicted as the King’s own priest, and learns of this wonderful birth through “signs and the power of his penances.”5 Asita arrives at the palace to look upon the face of the Future Buddha. Recognizing that the young prince displays the auspicious marks of the Great Person (Mahapurusha), he turns to the King and smiles. His joy quickly turns to sadness, in the realization that he will not live long enough to hear him teach. The king, troubled by such strange behavior, inquires of Asita concerning any possible misfortune that may await his son:

  “No misfortune is to happen to him. He will become a Buddha without any manner of doubt … I wept at the thought of my own great loss; for, also, I am not to have an opportunity of seeing this marvelous person after he has become a Buddha.”6

  In Asvaghosa’s account, Asita is said to remark that the child will one day “shine forth as a sun of knowledge to destroy the darkness of illusion in the world.” He will “proclaim the way of deliverance to those afflicted with sorrow, entangled in objects of sense, and lost in the forest-paths of worldly existence, as to travelers who have lost their way.”7

  In his wisdom, Asita sees that the child displays the thirty-two auspicious marks of the Mahapurusha and is thus destined for greatness. The marks themselves are derived from Brahminical thought, and were originally associated with the physical qualities of one who was qualified to teach spiritual truths to others or read and interpret the Vedas. This is perhaps why the Ambattha Sutta records the story of an arrogant young Brahmin, sent to ascertain if the Buddha has all the requisite marks to teach. The actual marks are described in the Lakkhana Sutta, and include such things as long toes, a thousand-spoked wheel on the soles of his feet, a golden complexion, an immense torso, and long eye-lashes. Such features may appear somewhat odd, but have been central in shaping and defining the appearance of the Buddha in Buddhist iconography for millennia.

  Should they be taken literally? It seems not. According to the Samannaphala Sutta for example, when King Ajatasattu went to meet the Buddha to ask about the benefits of the contemplative life, he was unable to distinguish him from his disciples. The Buddha himself rejected the notion that a “Great Person” could be recognized from physical characteristics alone. In the Mahapurisa Sutta, the monk Sariputta asks about the qualities of a Great Person; to which the Buddha replies that it is the act of freeing the mind that makes one great or not.

  There are of course symbolic interpretations of the thirty-two marks. One such interpretation can
be found in the Mahayana Abhisamayalankara Sutra, associated with the Future Buddha Maitreya. Here, the author links the thirty-two Marks with inner attitudes relating to compassion and wisdom. The Buddha’s long fingers and toes for example are said to relate to him having saved animals from slaughter.8

  There is also a relationship between the concept of the Mahapurusha and that of sacrifice. In early Hindu thought, the Mahapurusha is linked to the idea of a primal Cosmic Man (Purusha) - the physical embodiment of the divine. According to the Rig Veda, the universe comes about through the self-sacrifice of Purusha, whose death generates all the qualities of the phenomenal world. In other words, it is self-sacrifice that makes one a “Great Person.” This is recognized within Buddhism too, not simply in its concern with the sacrifice of ego, but in its desire to cultivate a level of generosity that offers all of one’s self to others. Thus the 8th-Century monk Shantideva reflecting on his own body declares that he has “surrendered” it “indifferently for the weal of the world,” becoming “a spy for the service of others.”9 In this respect it is perhaps possible to interpret Asita’s recognition of the “marks” as indicating his awareness of the generosity and self-sacrificing nature of the infant Mahapurusha before him; a recognition which recalls the gift of Myrrh made by another wise man to another infant.