Iconography

Each side has Chakravartin's riding horse flanked by Dharma wheels. There are 7 possessions of the Chakravartin, or Wheel Turner; the term in Hinduism refers to an ideal ruler, but in Buddhism, Chakravartin has come to mean a Buddha whose all-encompassing teachings are universally true.  Chakravartin has an army of 4 divisions: infantry, cavalry, elephants, & chariots. Chakravartin is the lineage of 25 Kulika kings, or enlightened monarchs, the 25th of which will finally defeat the "non-believers." We are thought to be in the time of the 23rd King. The Precious Horse is able to travel among the clouds & mirrors the Buddha's abandonment of, or "rising above," the cares of worldly existence.  The horse is Chakravartin's riding horse, which is able to circumnavigate the globe 3 times in one day & symbolizes mobility & speed. The Cintamani on the horse's back is a magical jewel with the power to grant wishes, able to fulfill any & all desires. It is also called the thinking jewel.  Jewels in Buddhism are analogous with the importance of teaching, representing also the mind that has attained enlightenment.

The top has 3 of the 8 Auspicious symbols, the Parasol, the Dharma Wheel & the Lotus Blossom. The parasol & the shade it casts symbolize wisdom.  Its hanging skirt indicates compassion, so the parasol becomes a symbol of protection from the painful heat of the suffering humans incur from the spiritual poisons of desire, hate, greed & ignorance.  In three parts, the Dharma Wheel exists as a hub, the center of the world.  The 8 spokes denote the 8 paths to enlightenment. These 8 steps work together, not separately.  1. right understanding . 2. right attitude  3. right speech  4. right action  5. right work    6. right effort  7. right mindfulness  8. right meditation  The rim represents the attribute of limitation.  All are contained within a circle, which is perceived to be perfect & complete, like the teachings of the Buddha. The lotus flower  is a natural symbol & represents earth.  Tibetan Buddhist mystics imagined the earth floating like a lotus flower on the oceans of the universe. The heart of the flower is the cosmic mountain, the axis of the universe. The generally acknowledged meaning of the lotus flower is purity of mind or divine creation. From the muck of a pond, where the roots of the lotus reside, an immaculate white flower emerges to rest on the surface of the water as a metaphor for the harmonious unfolding of spirituality.
The lotus is an important Buddhist motif.  Images of the Buddha & other important persons often are shown seated on a lotus throne.  The growth of the lotus, with its roots in mud, growing through water, & emerging as a wonderful plant above thesurface, is seen as an analogy of the soul’s path from the mud of materialism to the purity of enlightenment. The 3 stages of the lotus, bud, utpala (mid-blossom) & the full blossoming throne represent the past present & future respectively.

The mantra on each end of the box is OM AH HOM, which is the "Body~Speech~Mind" of Buddha, as in one's acquisition of these properties.