In different versions of the same scripture translated in different historical periods, the seven treasures are also different. Take "Infinite Life Sutra" as an example. The seven treasures in the Han Dynasty are gold, silver, glass, water essence, car canal, coral and amber. The seven treasures contained in the Cao Wei edition are purple gold, silver, colored glaze, water essence, dragonfly, coral and amber; The seven treasures of the Tang Dynasty are gold, silver, coloured glaze, pear, beautiful jade, red pearl and amber. The seven treasures of Song Dynasty are gold, silver, glass, pear, pearl and amber.
The seven treasures in Tibetan Buddhism are agate, beeswax, canal, pearl, coral and gold and silver, which are collectively called "the seven treasures of the West". So there are more than ten kinds of things that can be used as seven treasures.
The seven treasures of Buddhism contain the light of the pure land of Buddhism and profound connotations, making them spiritual objects in jewelry.
There are three treasures in Buddhism: Buddha, Dharma and Monk. Buddhism has seven treasures: gold, silver, amber, coral, dragonfly, coloured glaze and agate. Get three treasures and the country, get seven treasures and the people are safe.
Gold and silver
Gold ornaments appeared a little later than bronze ornaments, in the middle and late Neolithic period three or four thousand years ago. Gold is stable in nature, mostly exists in a free state and is easy to obtain. Because of its beautiful appearance, good machinability and strong ductility, gold was designated as the first choice metal for decorative products as soon as it appeared. At this point, China and foreign countries are the same. In China's archaeological excavations, gold foil was unearthed in Yin Ruins, and Kuifeng gold ornaments were unearthed in Shang Dynasty. During the Spring and Autumn Period, Warring States Period and Han Dynasty, gold wares prevailed. At this time, it is mostly owned by royalty and princes, which is difficult for ordinary people to see. It was not until the Sui and Tang Dynasties that folk gold ornaments really became popular.
Silver does not exist in a free state in nature, but in the form of compounds, and the technical requirements for extraction are complicated, so it appears later than gold ornaments. At present, the earliest silver ornaments we can see are about bronze weapons with wrong gold and silver in the Spring and Autumn Period. In fact, this is not a real silver ornament. The vessels made of silver should have started in the Warring States period. However, because the storage of silver in nature is greater than that of gold, once its refining technology is mastered, silverware will be very popular, and because of its price advantage, the number of folk silverware far exceeds that of gold. This is why we can see more ancient silverware at present.
There are "seven treasures" in the Buddhist paradise where Amitabha comes to live in pure land. The first treasure is gold and silver, and gold represents a kind of health. Many bodhisattvas have to cast golden bodies when they go home, which means "golden body protects the body from all diseases" and represents health and longevity. Silver also represents health and longevity, silver represents the light of Buddha, and newborn children wear silver ornaments.
amber
There are three schools of Buddhism: abstinence, stability and wisdom. Only when people get rid of the troubles in the world can they improve their concentration. With a certain concentration, they will have a quiet heart-like peace. When people settle down to a certain degree, they will have the ability to judge right and wrong and the way to deal with problems.
Amber is a valuable medicinal material. It is recorded in Li Shizhen's Compendium of Materia Medica that amber can calm the mind and soothe the nerves, calm the five internal organs, and clear the heart and soothe the nerves. Corresponding to Buddhism's "precept, determination and wisdom", practicing with amber can help people have a certain concentration. Moreover, it is one of the seven treasures of Buddhism and a blessing treasure for Buddhist practitioners. Both Buddha and Bodhisattva help people get rid of disasters, and amber is also a gift from Buddha to help people get rid of mental and physical pain.
Amber is a gem cultivated for millions of years. Taking amber as one of the seven treasures of Buddhism is also to show that it takes a long time to practice and stand the test before you can gradually realize it. The source of amber: 40 million years ago, there were large forests in northern Europe. At that time, the climate was warm and there were no humans. Today's ancestors of pine and fir trees drop resin. Those virgin forests were buried by silt deposits, so the resin has been preserved to this day. Many large areas in northern Europe have become the seabed, which is why amber is mostly produced on the Baltic coast.
The value of amber:
It varies in size and quality. For jewelry, amber from the Baltic Sea and Dominica is the most precious. The largest amber producing area in the world is Yangtaniyi. This is an open-pit mining area near Kaliningrad, located on Russian land between Poland and Lithuania in the Baltic Sea. 80% to 90% of the world's annual amber production comes from this.
The charm of amber:
Its color is subtle, its texture is warm and moist, and it has unparalleled affinity. It gives people a serene and serene spiritual feeling. Every piece of amber is unique, as if this masterpiece of nature thousands of years ago was a wonderful moment to become attached to people.
How to appreciate the beauty of amber;
Amber, in addition to its gem style, the beauty of amber lies in its meaning and wisdom. For thousands of years, amber has been praised by people in ancient and modern Chinese and foreign literary works. Amber is the only living fossil. Under the carving of time, its color will be more ruddy and its texture will be more crystal clear. With a piece of amber, you will see an unpredictable world.
Benefits of wearing amber:
Health: According to Li Shizhen's Compendium of Materia Medica in Ming Dynasty, amber can soothe the five internal organs, calm the mind, stop bleeding, remove blood stasis and detoxify. Different colors of amber have different effects. Red-brown is used to treat the heart and kidneys. Gold can cure liver disease, and Lanpo can delay aging. Every piece of amber has a Buddha's heart, which makes all beings pray for peace. Meditation: Buddhist practice of "abstinence, steadiness and wisdom" is based on "abstinence and wisdom are born from steadiness". Amber helps practitioners meditate, increases their wisdom, and produces a meditative mentality. Vows: The contents of amber will remain unchanged for ten thousand years, and the Buddha vows the great wishes of all beings. It means that the oath will never change and is a symbol of eternity. Good men and women pray with amber and have good luck all their lives.
K gold: "K" is a kind of gold ornament marked with 18K platinum or 18KWG, which is used to express the purity (i.e. gold content) of gold internationally. It is a white alloy with 25% palladium or nickel added to gold, which makes it more colorful. Rose gold on the market now is a kind of K gold, and its gold content is G750%. Nowadays, K gold jewelry is marked with multiple standards.
Platinum: Platinum is also called platinum, and its English name is platinum, which is generally coded by its abbreviation PT. Platinum is resistant to corrosion and oxidation by strong acid and alkali, and its chemical properties are more stable than that of K platinum. Platinum jewelry is marked with "PT" and its color. For example, "PT900" refers to the platinum products of jewelry, with a platinum content of 90%; "PT950" refers to the platinum products of this jewelry, with a platinum content of 95%.
Marquette: In order to cover up the easy discoloration of silver, another method is to directly sulfide silver so that it will no longer turn yellow and black. Sulfurized silver presents a quaint effect. This method originated in Thailand and is also called "Makasit".
925 silver: 925 silver is the international standard silver for silver jewelry. In fact, the silver content of 925 silver jewelry is not 100%, because 7.5% alloy is added to pure silver, which improves the luster, brightness and hardness of silver.
Tibetan silver: Maybe no one makes it clear now, because Tibetan silver is a commercial term. At first, merchants called it white copper or white copper mixed with a small amount of silver, but times have changed. Now businessmen call those alloy products such as tin and aluminum with extremely low prices Tibetan silver or earth silver. It will turn black after a long time, and it will not shine with silver cloth.
Amber: Amber is a fossil of turpentine 40 million years ago, and it is also called the three organic gems with pearls and corals. Only 40 million years ago, turpentine fossils were hard enough to be inlaid into jewelry.
We often meet amber's name:
Laomi: It is pointed out that opaque amber with a long history is red and orange.
Blood amber: transparent amber indicating the age of soil. The color is like the color of fine red wine.
Cooper: It means white amber.
Mingpo: The color is extremely elegant, clear and transparent. If you are a cheerful and naive woman, wearing it can make you refreshed, full of vitality, and make you more flexible and feminine.
Jin Po: It was called "God of Wealth Stone" in ancient times. Because of its bright color and luxury, it is most suitable for straightforward and upright people.
Huo Po: It is the most common amber, with gentle and lovely color and hidden passion in elegance and romance. It is suitable for all women to wear, and it is also a kind of amber that best reflects women's femininity.
Shepard: Also known as Medical Shepard, it is colorful and dignified, and its electrostatic effect will make you feel relaxed. In addition, you often wipe your face with blood pearl beads after cleansing, which is conducive to promoting blood circulation of the skin and plays a very important role in improving skin color.
Green pearl: mysterious and deep colors and blurred and deep cells inside make people feel dreamlike yearning and longing. Suitable for introverts and serious people.
Wapper: Amber, also known as secret wax, was used by the ancient royal family. Waxy color and smooth touch make people feel only inner peace and harmony.
Huapo: Confused color blocks are intertwined, and beauty conveys crazy emotions, which makes people have an unforgettable effect and brings you an emotion.
Two-color Perls: interwoven without overlapping, with clear boundaries and distinct shades.
Combination of amber: Connecting all kinds of beautiful yearning and wishes together, people will feel the more intense brilliance of amber, which comes from the beautiful and rare "organic gem" around your neck.
tridacna
The shells of mollusks living in the deep sea may also be white corals. Sanskrit seeks to land on Gerapo. Volume 2 (end) of Beijing Daily Xuan Zan said:' The car canal is full of clouds, and the blue and white are alternating. Calligonum mongolicum is a high-level sacred object of Tibetan Buddhism.
Red beads
That is, lohitamuktika, what you see is generally red coral beads. "Great Wisdom" (Volume 10) says:' The real pearl is in the belly of fish, bamboo belly and snake brain. There is a cloud in the Buddhist scriptures:' The name of the red worm is lohitamuktika, or the name of the pearl is Red, lohitamuktika. True pearls are generally thin and gray, and red pearls refer to pearls with reddish color. Pure red pearls are extremely rare. Red coral beads are usually used instead of red beads.
agate
This thing is not what people call the code nao, but an emerald or gem with a dark green luster.
coral
Coral is an organic calcareous calcite secreted by coral. Red coral is commonly used in Buddhism.