The Encyclopedia of World Religions

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Yama The god of death in Hindu mythology. In the V EDA Yama is known as the first person who died. In the P URANAS his mythology takes on full form. There Yama rules the underworld from his palace Subhavati. He is also the judge of the dead. Artwork often shows Yama holding a noose and a mace. Myths say that he has two four-eyed dogs, Syama and Sabala. The water buffalo is his vehicle; the crow and pigeon are his messengers. Yama is also associated with the south, the direc tion of the dead. yantra A sacred diagram in India. Hindus and Buddhists who practice T ANTRISM use yantras as objects of MEDITATION . In Tantrism yantras provide emblems of sakti, the divine, creative energy. They are two dimen sional diagrams, made up of lines, primary shapes, and arcs organized around a central point. Yan tras are associated with MANTRAS , sets of powerful sounds. Large, elaborate yantras are also known as MANDALAS . Perhaps the most famous yantra is the Sriyan tra. It consists of nine triangles of gradated size, arrayed around a central point. Five triangles point downward; they symbolize the feminine power of sakti. Four triangles point upward; they symbolize the masculine power of S IVA . The triangles are sur rounded by concentric LOTUS petals, which are sur rounded in turn by concentric circles. The whole complex is set within a more or less square border. It symbolizes four walls with gates at the cardinal directions.

yin/yang theory A specific philosophical school in China, but more broadly a manner of conceiving of the world in terms of the harmonious interac tion of complementary opposites. This article dis cusses the latter. Prehistoric Chinese used various techniques of divination that may have influenced the devel opment of the yin/yang theory. In one technique, hot iron rods were applied to the shoulder blades of deer and tortoise shells. The cracks that resulted revealed how the forces of nature were disposed at the time of the test. In another technique, diviners would cast sticks and notice which sticks broke and which did not. Originally, though, yin and

Yin/Yang symbol

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