638 On the Buddhist Emblem of Architecture. [No. 165. 



Star of Destiny, of which we have spoken so often, placed over the 

 head of a figure, (fig. 8.) representing that Deity. The Rosette likewise 

 forms an expressive ornament of the most important portion of the 

 clothing, in fact of the badge of the modern mysteries. 



A circumstance to be noticed in this figure is, that the ears are re- 

 presented with the lobes pierced, and filled with small cylinders, by 

 which the bottom of the ear is brought nearly as low as the shoulder. 

 This is a peculiarity that exists in all Boodhist figures throughout India, 

 and is a fashion that still prevails in India beyond the Ganges, and in 

 those mountainous ranges where Braminism has never obtained. It is 

 most probable that this custom was adopted from the traditionary belief, 

 that the ears of Gaudama were so formed ; for we find it recorded of 

 that god in Boodhist scriptures, that his stature was eighteen cubits ; 

 and that the lobes of his ears rested upon his shoulders. This mode 

 therefore of piercing, and loading to distention, the lobes of the ears, 

 appears to have been adopted in remembrance of that divinity, and to 

 have deserted the plains of Hindostan, and to have taken refuge in 

 farther lands, and inaccessible recesses together with that worship of 

 which it was one of the accompaniments. 



Before bringing my communication to a close, I must refer to one 

 other architectural ornament, a portion of which is found as a very 

 abundant symbol on Boodhist coins ; I allude to the so-called Rose 

 Ornament on the Corinthian Abacus, (fig. 9). There, however, can be 

 no mistaking the flower to be a representation of the Helianthus, or 

 sun-flower, which appears in this instance to have been employed to 

 symbolise the Sun ; for from it proceeds a vivifying ray which terminates 

 in a triple head.* This flame-shaped symbol, but without the triple 

 head, is found on Boodhist coins, (fig. 10). No definite meaning has 

 been given to it. Marsden declares it not to be the representation of a 

 "flame," but of the conch sacred to Vishnu; but Boodhism holds 

 nothing of that god. Its character however is sufficiently determined, 

 from the circumstance of its being found in identically the same form 



* It is singular that this might almost express the amount of the knowledge, w"hich 

 moderns have arrived at of the components of the Solar ray being three ; the illumi- 

 nating ray, the heating ray, and the chemical ray. It is not, 1 believe, yet satisfac- 

 torily settled whether there is not a magnetic ray. The other three are, however, 

 acknowledged. 



