Robert has done an amazing job in correlating the life of the Buddha with the Tarot journey through the cards. He describes how the Major Arcana fits perfectly with the life of Siddhartha and his journey of enlightenment. Each of the tarot trumps is a stage on the mystic's journey to enlightenment. In fact, it is Mr. Place's belief that the creators of the Tarot were directly influenced by the life of the Buddha, and incorporated archetypes into the Major Arcana based on his journey. He teaches that the ancient wisdoms were not isolated from one another. Instead, "the classical world maintained communications with India and the ancient Western philosophers were familar with Indian philosophies." As well, the Islamic world introduced the Christians to the life of the Buddha during the Middle Ages. "The European Christians were enamored with the story, and they transformed him into a Christian saint - St. Josaphat."
I was fascinated by the titles given to the Major Arcana cards. As just mentioned, each of the 23 cards reflect an important aspect of the Siddhartha's personal journey to become the enlightened one, the Buddha.
Major Arcana
CARD NAME | DESCRIPTION | PARALLEL |
Descent from Tusita Heaven | Card 0 | 0. The Fool |
Asita | The Seer | I. The Magician |
Maya | The Mother | II. The High Priestess |
Yasodhara | The Future Empress | IV. The Empress |
Siddhartha | The Future Emperor | V. The Emperor |
Suddhodhana | The Father | VI. The Hierophant |
Siddhartha and Yasodhara | Lovers | VII. The Lovers |
Siddhartha's Visit | Chariot | VIII. The Chariot |
Karma | Justice | IX. Justice |
The Old Man and the Sadhu | Hermit | X. The Hermit |
Reincarnation | Wheel of Life | XI. The Wheel of Fortune |
Siddhartha cuts his Hair | Strength | XII. Strength |
The Invalid | The Suffering Man | XIII. The Hanged Man |
The Corpse | Death | XIV. Death |
The Middle Path | Justice | XV. Justice |
Mara | Demon | XVI. The Devil |
The Flaming Disk | Challenge | XVII. The Tower |
The Chakras | The Morning Star | XVIII. The Star |
Wesak | The Full Moon | XIX. The Moon |
Buddha and Sakti | Union | XX. The Sun |
The First Sermon | Avatar | XXI. Judgement |
White Tara | Completion | XXII. The World |
Parinirvana | Nirvana | XXIII. Total Nirvana |
The Minor Arcana add an equally intriguing view of Buddhist belief. Each of the four suits reflect a different aspect of the Buddha belief system and mythology, offering a fascinating lens for tarot interpretation.
Minor Arcana
SUIT | BUDDHIST | COURT | BUDDHIST |
Swords | Vajras | King | Buddhas |
Wands | Lotuses | Queen | Saktis |
Coins | Jewels | Knight | Animal Guardian |
Cups | Double Vajras | Pages | Dakini |
The essence attributed to each of the four suits is similar to Western tradition, yet offers a decidedly Eastern flavor to the mix:
Minor Arcana Suits
VAJRAS | LOTUSES | DOUBLE VAJRAS | JEWELS |
Buddha: Aksobhya direction: East color: blue element: Air function: Thinking Sakti: Lokana animal: Elephant Dakini: Vajradakini symbol: Diamond | Buddha: Amitabha direction: West color: red element: Fire function: Feeling Sakti: Pandara animal: Peacock Dakini: Padmadakini Symbol: Lotus | Buddha: Amoghasiddhi direction: North color: green element: Water function: Intuition Sakti: Tara animal: Garuda Dakini: Visvadakini symbol: Double Diamond | Buddha: Ratnasambhava direction: South color: yellow element: Earth function: Sensation Sakti: Mamaki animal: Horse Dakini: Ratnadakini symbol: Jewel |
Robert Place has created a deck that not only meets the needs of people who practice Eastern beliefs. He also acts as a mediator to help people of the Western world learn about and appreciate the noble tenets of Buddhism and its teachings for life. I highly recommend this deck - I found it very easy to follow, the graphics are amazingly detailed and artistically rendered and the companion book clearly helps you to learn to "read" using a Buddhist world view.
PURCHASE INFORMATION:
Robert M. Place's Buddhist Tarot Site: http://thealchemicalegg.com/Buddha.html
Llewellyn Site: http://www.llewellyn.com/bookstore/book.php?pn=J441