self-arisen

In Buddhism and Hinduism, certain sacred objects are said to be “self-arisen,” that is, appearing out of the landscape spontaneously or by the power of the deities. For instance, at the center of the Kathmandu Mandala is the Svayambhu (Skt. “Self-Arisen”) Stupa, said to have appeared at that place eons before humans came there and adorned it. Other “self-arisen” objects can be stones that look like deities or vajras, mountains in the shape of auspicious symbols, etc. In Tibet, self-arisen objects are also a special class of relics, such as images that appear after the cremation of an accomplished religious master.