SOCIETY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ABERDEEN. 73 



symbol, the Vajra, or double Thunderbolt. This is represented on the 

 front of the Eastern Gateway at Sanchi, and is there held in the right 

 hand by personages whom Griinwedel takes to be Deities of the 

 Indian Pantheon. The God Sakra, in Buddhistic sculptures found in 

 the North-West of India, is constantly represented as holding this 

 symbol in his hand ; and it was used we know by the Princes of 

 India as a symbol of authority. It came to be adopted by the Bud- 

 dhist priesthood ; and, in Tibet, in the hands of the Lamas it is the 

 symbol of their authority. There it is known as the Dorje. With 

 Buddhism it travelled still farther North, and is not unfrequently seen 

 in Japan. This symbol must have been known in India, within the 

 Buddhist system, in the days of Asoka ; for on the original Vajrasan, 

 the Diamond or Thunderbolt seat, which was within the Asoka 

 Shrine at Bodh-Gaya, the Vajra was represented on the ornamenta- 

 tion, within the Lotus circle. 



Fig. 7, Plate X., shows the inner side of the right-hand pillar of 

 the Eastern Gateway, and, in the distance, the gateway of the ruined 

 stupa. The top panel, shown here only partially, represents the 

 adoration of the Tree. Immediately below is depicted the legend of 

 the Dream of the Lady Maya, the White Elephant, emblem of 

 Wisdom, entering her womb. The large panel below represents 

 a royal procession, probably that of King Asoka himself leaving 

 the gate of a city, and proceeding to worship at the Sacred 

 Tree. The musicians in front of the royal chariot, and the ladies 

 looking down on the procession from the balconies, are worthy of 

 note. 



We have seen the Tree constantly appearing in these sculptures. 

 We now know that this Tree is not a mere tree, but the symbol of 

 the Sage who sat under the tree. There is a Tree-worship, a 

 dread or veneration of the Tree, or Spirit which resides in the tree. 

 And that this veneration for trees had nothing to do with the 

 assignation to each of the Buddhas of the past a particular tree, 

 as the Pipal is assigned to Gotama Buddha, it would be somewhat 



hard to say. But the veneration of the Buddhist Tree is far re- 



10 



