Indian Sculpture and Painting, Illustrated by Typical Masterpieces, with an Explanation of their Motives and Ideals c10.186

c10.186

¹ In the Tibetan book on the Buddhist religion, the Manikazum, which was compiled by order of King Srong-tsan-gam-po in the seventh century, the celebrated formula, AUM, MANI PADME HUM, is said to save from rebirth in either of the six conditions—*i.e.* as a *deva*, or god; *asura*, or demon; as a man; as an animal; as a goblin, or hopeless being; or as a devil. Each syllable has its symbolic colour: AUM, the heavenly state, is white (all the colours combined); MA, the *asura* state, is blue; NI, the human state, yellow; PAD, the animal state, green; ME, the state of a hopeless being, or goblin, red; HUM a being of hell, black.