Art. IX.—The Tri-Ratna

Extract

In the very valuable paper on “Early Buddhist Symbolism” contributed to the July issue of the Journal by Mr. Sewell, we have many interesting statements showing the possible influence of the West upon Indian symbolism. These, however, do not, to my mind, lead to the conclusion Mr. Sewell desires to establish; and, in fact, he contents himself with the assertion that the swastika is emblematic of sun-motion, that the chakra represents the sun, and that the triśula “is nothing more nor less than a conventionalized scarab—a sun-emblem.” The first two assertions seem to have been considered self-evident; but, in support of the last, several remarkable coincidences are brought together.