Introduction

It had been just one week after arriving in Sri Lanka that I had joined the Sri Lankan art and architecture class. The content of this class was very difficult for me to understand and also nowadays s condition seems like that times because of my poor English. When I heard of assignment, I thought how can I do it? Though I was frustrated, eventually I could reason out the answer to the question. If I have no knowledge I can write what I don t know. That s why I mention the most of all symbols in this assignment. To do this job I referred to the 3 books, 1 article of junior observer and 6 internet cites. Symbol is generally accepted that man was disposed to interprete non visual world through shapes and forms acquired from the visual world of which he himself was and is a part. Buddhist symbolism appeared from around the 3rd century BCE and started with aniconic symbolism, avoiding direct representations of the Buddha. Anthropomorphic symbolism appeared from around the 1st century CE with the arts of Mathura and the Greco-Buddhist art of Gandhara, and were combined with the previous symbols, various symbolic innovations were introduced. According to [Link] s opinion1 in Buddhist art we come across symbols that could be classified under the two categories defined conventional and religious. Among the religious symbols we have such sared objects that were worshipped by the Buddhist of the early period with the same devotion and veneration as for the Buddha Himself. And there are the lotus and vajra, both of which played a dual role in representing the Buddha and his teachings. The other group of symbols with a purely lay character is a legacy from an earlier or contemporary agrarian environment. They came into existence through the urge of man with his desire to pursue a happy, contented, bountiful and secure life free from worldly perils and miseries. They have been considered as auspicious signs capable of bestowing luck upon their contacts. I also categorized the symbols to religious symbols and inherited symbols. But even though [Link] don t mention the begging bowl, and he described indefinitely which category vajra was included, I add the begging bowl in the religious symbol because it represents the Buddha and it is an inevitable ritual thing in clergic sangha. And I also keep the vajra in the first group because it has been used always in the ritual of Mahayana and vajrayana apart from his opinion. And I missed the Buddha images to keep it another topic. Now I describe briefly some of the Buddhist symbols by the two classifications.

Buddhist symbolim of wish-fulfilment Karunaratne Gunapala Senadeera, 1992, Sri Satguru Publications

Main Subject
1. Symbols with Religious Character
1) The Bodhi Tree(ficus religiosa ; The tree of Enlightenment) Before the Buddha s enlightenment under the Bodhi tree, tree worship was already part of the existing culture in India. So the development of the Bodhi tree and leaf as a devotional symbol was a natural one. Its employment to represent the Buddha appears to have been endorsed by the Tath gata Himself who, at the request of His attendant monk Ananda, approved a sapling of the great tree at Gaya to be brought and planted near the gate of the monastery of Jetavana in Sr vasti as a substitute for His own person. Subsequently, the devotees had the opportunity of making their offerings at the foot of this tree whether He was present or not. This story is a very valuable clue to the slow, but steady growth of the Bhakti cult among the contemporary Buddhists who began to treat the Buddha as a sort of god-head during His life time itself. As the arrival(288 B.C.) of a branch of the sacred Bo-tree by ven. Sanghamitta and planting with great pomp and ceremony at Anuradhapura, MahaBodhi began to be considered not only as a p ribhogika-caitya, but also as a very sacred institution representing the Buddha. The belief in the powers of fertility associated with the Bodhi tree at Anuradhapura, in particular, has also continued up to the present day. The practice of paying homage to the Tree of Enlightenment was not confined to the sacred Bodhi tree at Anuradhapura only. Devanampiya Tissa distributed 32 saplings obtained from this tree and have them planted in 32 selected sites. Their off-shoots, before long, were planted at numerous other sites so that within a century or so there was a large number of Bodhi trees standing either in a Buddhist shrine, or at an important road junction commanding the respect of the people of its locality. Most of them have been, until thes day, serving the purpose of a public place of worship, which people visited not only to perform a religious rite, but also, by doing so, either to get their grievances redressed to have their wishes fulfilled. In this purpose, in 8th centuries A.D. people built the shrine for Bo-tree(bodhighara) 2) St pa Originally from pre-Buddhist times in India, a St pa meant a (relic) mount . However, it later came to have a special meaning as the container of the Buddha ar ra, as it was a historical evidence of Parinirv a. Besides preserving the symbolism of its components in terms of Indian mythology, it also preserves Buddhist ideas.

According to the Mah parinirvana- sutra, the Buddha tells nanda that relic-worship should belong to layman and laywoman who cremate the dead body of the Buddha and build a St pa to preserve his bones and ashes. Thus it is promised that St pa worshippers will improve their karma in this world and will be born in heaven after death. But it seems to be undeniable that the act of St pa worship by Buddhists as a whole should contain a great longing for nirv a. The reason for this is that the perfect tranquility not only of mind(nirv a) but also of body(pari nirv a) as attained by the Buddh, beyond wordly passions as the source of human suffering, even if it is impossible for them to catch up with our Great Master in this life. According to the vedic concept, St pa can be classified heap of fire, hirannya stupa, kumbha stupa. And Indian St pa has some structures which are composed by gateway, steps(yog ), hemispherical dome(a da). And they have also v halkada, protective fence in the 4 directions, and yaga- yaka khumbha, the pillar which people tied the animals and killed them to offer them to God. Archelogist [Link] classify the St pa as bell shape, pot shape, bubble shape, heap of paddy, lotus shape, and shape of myrobalam. During the time of Emperor Asoka, he constructed not only the hill of s c , but also numerous St pas in holy place of Buddhism to unify and establish the Dhamma, Sangha and other religious community. In Sri Lanka, the king Devanmpiya Tissa, on Arahat Mahinda s suggestion, appealed to Emperor Asoka to send some relics. And for this right collarbone relic of the Buddha from Emperor Asoka, the king Devanmpiya Tissa built the Thuparama dagaba. This was the oldest St pa in Sri Lanka. Originally it was in the shape of a heap of paddy but as restorations were done in later years it took the form as seen today. It has a diameter of 59 feet 6 inches (18.14m) at the base. As the name suggests, Thuparama comprised a St pa and an arama , a residential complex. And it had the house for St pa (vatad ge). Ruins of such a complex can be seen with in an area of over 3 acres(12,000 ) around the St pa . Besides the Thuparama dagaba there are lots of St pas in Sri Lanka like Ratnamali stupa, Dakkhina stupa, Mirisaveti stupa, Abhayagiri dagaba, Jetavana dagaba, etc. 3) Dhamma-cakka(the wheel of the Dhamma) Among the symbols of India the wheel reprsents primarily the revolution of the year giving rise to seasons, months and days, and it has finally paved the way for the emergence of a concept of a supreme power described in the Vedic tradition. But in Buddhism Dhamma wheel or Dhamma-cakka symbolizes the Buddha s turning the wheel of Truth or Law. The wheel (on the left and right) refers to the story that shortly after the Buddha achieved enlightenment. Brahma came down from heaven and requested the Buddha to teach by offering him a Dhamma-cakka. The Buddha is known as the Wheel-Turner. He who sets a new cycle of teachings in motion and in consequence changes the course of destiny.
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The Dhamma-cakka has eight spokes, symbolizing the Eight-fold Noble Path. The 3 swirling segments in centre represent the Buddha, Dhamma(the teaching) and Sangha(the spiritual community). The wheel can also be divieded into three parts, each representing an aspect of Buddhist practice, the hub(discipline), the spokes(wisdom), and the rim (concentration). The concept of the Cakkavatti that often occurs in Pali literature, described as a terrestrial universal ruler, is also a Buddhist adoption as a symbol with a different meaning. In one sense this wheel is regarded as the phenomenal wheel(sams ra-cakka or bhavacakka) .The Buddha has declared in His first sermon delivered at the Deer park in Saranath that He had set in motion the supreme wheel of the Dhamma which had never been previously set in motion in the universe, whether he is deva, m ra or brahma. In doing so He really meant that He was presenting to the world an entirely different concept of a cakka(cycle) of cause and effect(paticca-samupp da) which is existence(bhava).Thus the word dhamma occurring tn the term dhamma-cakka is to mean, in its original form, nature which again means Law of being or existence . 4) P duk (the Foot-Prints) The first trace of a foot worship is to be found in a votive-foot discovered recently from Al-Hiba in southern Iraq which formed a part of the old Sumerian kingdom. However, what has been found in this site is not a foot-print , but a foot (shown upto the ankle) made of terra-cotta in the round. Its Indian parallel is to be found in the worship of Siva in the form of a single foot-frint . Nevertheless, the form of cult associated with Saivism is based on the nandipada, viz. the foot-impression of Nandi, the bull or the vehicle of Siva. The act of tracing an ox by its foot-prints has been adopted as a metaphor in the vedic tradition, and it was employed to represent the act of following one in order to be blessed or enlightened by him. Anyway, the story goes that prior to his death the Buddha left an imprint of his foot on a stone near Kushnara, a reminder of his presence on earth. However, it appears that the Buddha had not approved the practice of worshipping foot-prints. His two sermons entitled C la-hatthi-padopama-sutta2 and M ha-hatthipadopama-sutta provide a clue to the prevalence of a popular practice of worshipping footprints of large size during the contemporary times. These two sermons repudiate the beliefif ever there was one-that one s greatness could be judged from the size of his foot-print. Sometimes the Foot-prints are elaborately carved with several auspicious marks on them like Dhamma-cakka, one of the so-called 32marks of a Buddha, swastikas and lotuses
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The gist of the C la-hatthi-padopama-sutta is as follows : Some elephants who have a larger physique have only smaller feet leaving smaller feet prints leading to a possible misconception that their possessors are small creatures. There are also other elephants who, though smaller in size, possess larger feet-prints of which may lead to a corresponding misconception. These sermons appear to be a satire aimed at the blind foot-print adorers .

etc. But these marks, which are not peculiar to Buddhism, belong to the common stock of lucky symbols appropriated by Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism alike. There have been found in Sri Lanka a few thousands of sculptured footprints (especially SriPada) highly conventionalized and appearing generally in pairs, in the company of other sacred symbols representing the Buddha. 5) sana(the Palla ka, the Throne) The sana, the seat which was also known as the Palla ka appears to be another symbol by which the Buddha was represented during the early days of Buddhism. It is this primary idea of the sana which give rise to the concept of vajar na or the adamantine throne during the later phase of Buddhism in India and practically every other country it had come to influence. The throne is both a reference to Siddharta Gautama s royal ancestry and to the idea of spiritual kingship-enlightenment as result of the spiritual world. The ancient stone carvings above show the Dhamma-cakka and the Bodhi tree on top of the throne. Sometimes the base of the throne is decorated with other symbols such as lions and deer, both associated with the Buddha s teachings. 6) Agni-stambha(the pillar of fire) The pillar of Fire as depicted in the early sculpture represents the Buddha. Vedic formula often represents Agni as the axis of the universe expending as a pillar between earth and heaven. We can find the conventionalized flaming arch and furthermore the concept of the six-fold rays believed to be emanating from the Buddha s body and the Sri Lankan images related to this idea. 7) The Begging bowl3 It refers to the story that shortly before the Buddha reached enlightenment, a young woman named Sujata offered him a bowl of milk-rice. At that moment he was practicing austerity by eating extremely little. But he realized at that moment that he would need to have more strength for the final steps to enlightenment, and further fasting would only reduce his energy. After he reached enlightenment, he is said to have thrown away what little was left in the bowl to signify his renunciation of all material possessions. Finding the middle way between extreme austerity and complete attachment to life is an important principle of Buddhissm. The bowl represents the Buddha and also points to the monk s way of life, going from the monastery into the village each morning and living off what is put into it by lay people.
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8) Lotus(padma) The lotus is a very important symbol in India and of Buddhism. In brief, it refers to the complete purification of body, speech and mind, and the blossoming of wholesome deeds in liberation. The lotus refers to many aspects of the path, as it grows from the mud (samsara), up through muddy water it appears clean on the surface(purification), and finally produces a beautiful flower(enlightenment). Though there are other water plants that boom above the water, it is only the lotus which, owing to the strength of its stem, regularly rises eight to twelve inches above the surface. An open blossom signifies full enlightenment, and a closed blossom signifies the potential for enlightenment. Significantly, the color of the lotus also has an important bearing on the symbology associated with it. (1) White Lotus(skt. Pundarika) : This represents the state of spiritual perfection and total mental purity(bodhi). It is associated with the white Tara and proclaims her perfect Nature, a quality which is reinforced by the color of her body. (2) Red Lotus(skt. Kamala) : This signifies the original nature and purity of the heart(skt. h daya).It is the lotus of love, compassion,passion and all other qualities of the heart. It is the flower of Avalokite vara, the bodhisattva of compassion. (3) Blue Lotus(skt. Utpala) : This is a symbol of the victory of the spirit over the senses, and signifies the wisdom of knowledge. Not surprisingly, it is the preferred flower of Manjushri, the bodhisattva of wisdom. (4) Pink Lotus(skt. Padma) : This the supreme lotus, generally reserved for the highest deity. Thus naturally it is associated with the Great Buddha himself. 9) Vajra Vajra is a sankrit word meaning both thunderbolt and diamond. As a material device, the Vajra is a ritual object, a short metal weapon that has the symbolic nature of a diamond (it can cut any substance but not be cut itself) and that of the thunderbolt(irresistible force). The Vajra is believed to represent firmness of spirit and spiritual power. It is a ritual tool or spiritual implement which is symbolically used by Buddhism, Jaimism and Hinduism, all of which are traditions of Dhamma. Because of its symbolic importance, the Vajra spread along with Indian religion and culture to other parts of Asia. It was used as both a weapon and a symbol in Nepal, India, Tibet, Bhutan, Siam, Cambodia, Myanmar, China, Korea and Japan. In Buddhism the Vajra is the symbol of Vajrayana, one of the three major branches of Buddhism. Vajrayana is translated as Thunderbolt way or Diamond way and can imply the thunderbolt experience of Buddhist enlightenment or Bodhi. It also implies indestructibility just as diamonds are harder than other gemstones. In the tantric traditions
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of Buddhism, the Vajra is a symbol for the nature of reality or sunyata, indicating endless creativity, potency, and skillful activity. Various figures in Tantric iconography are represented holding or wielding the Vajra. Three of the most famous of these are Vajrasattva, Vajrapani,and Padmasambhava. Vajrasattva(lit. vajra-being) holds the Vajra, in the right hand, to his heart. The figure of the wrathful Vajrapani(lit. Vajra in the hand) brandishes the Vajra, in his right hand, above his head. Pdamasambhava holds the vajra, above his right knee in his right hand. In Vajrayana Buddhism, the Vajra is a tool for training the mind for sudden awakening to Madhyamika (middle way). The Vajra is made of several parts. In the center is a sphere which represents Sunyata(emptiness), the primordial nature of the universe. Emerging from the sphere are two eight petaled lotus flowers. One represents the phenomenal world(Samsara), the other represents the nominal world(Nirvana). This is one of the fundamental dichotomies which are perceived by the unenlightened. Arranged equally around the mouth of the lotus are two, four, or eight mythical creatures which are called makaras. From the mouth of the makaras come tongues which come together in a point. The five pronged Vajra(with four makaras, plus a central prong) is the most commonly seen Vajra. There is an elaborate system of correspondences between the five elements of the nominal side of the Vajra and the phenomenal side. One important correspondence is between the five poisons with the five wisdom. The five poisons are the mental states that obscure the original purity of a being s mind, while the five wisdoms are the five most important aspects of the enlightened mind. The following are the five poisons and the analogous five wisdoms with their associated Buddha figures. poison Desire Anger, hatred Delusion Greed, pride Envy wisdom Wisdom of individuality Mirror-like wisdom Reality wisdom Wisdom of equanimity All-accomplishing wisdom Buddha Amitabha Akshobhya Vairocana Ratnasanbhava Amoghasiddhi

2. Sumbols with a conventional character

One would come across in Buddhist sculpture of India and of Sri Lanka, a figure of an object having, in most cases, three prongs mounted on a floral disc. This is the Triratna the most problematic of all the symbols associated with Buddhism. It is important to know that the now popular term Triratna is of recent application by some Indologist who thought that this strange symbol represented the Buddhist Triratna, i.e. the Triple-gem : the Buddha, the Dhamma, and the Sangha. Its original name yet remains a matter of controversy. The fact that this symbol was also used in a few instances to represent the Buddha is proved by several sculptural representations discovered from a few ancient Indian Buddhist sites such as Bharhut and Sanchi. The Triratna as an agricultural symbol connected with the concept of general prosperity. 2) Vardham na and Sr vatsa Various implications of the Vardham na idea are presented by the Indian lexicography like lidded bowl , power box or water-jar . Furthermore the word Vardham na which is the present participle form derived from the root v dh(to grow) means the process of growing , and not a state of growth which has reached the stage of maturity. The significance of the Sri Lankan piece of sculpture is not limited only to the triratna and Vardham na . In this each symbol is crowned by a chatta(umbrella) indicating the value of it with a national significance. In addition, each symbol rests on the point of the blade of a spear which is fixed to a tall shaft rising, as it were, from a p rna-gha a (brimming-vessel) which, in addition, issues two stalks of ferns the termination of each forming of the process of growth. It represents its dynamic energy of growth which is arrested within its system to open up later with tender leaves and continue the process of growth. The function of the herbal representations of this type becomes identical in their essence with that of the Jain symbol on the breast of Mahavira(10th, 23rd, and 24th). This sign bears resemblance in its outline to the shield-patterned object named by Johnson as Vardham na and Sr vatsa by Coomaraswamy. The Sr vatsa employed to represent the Buddha. And also the Sr vatsa as a popular symbol of luck prominently placed within the a a-mangala composite 3) N ga and Trefoil The history of the N ga (snake) worship goes back to a very remote date of human civilization in almost all the countries round the Mediterranean Sea, Scandinavia, Germany, France, Great Britain, India, South-east Asia and China. The adoption of the cult by the later Aryans was done as a concession to the superstition of the subject races and for this reason we come across references of the snake
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in respectful terms on the hymns of the g veda. In these hymns the sarpas(snakes) are described as inhabiting heavens, skies, the rays of the sun, the water and vegetables . There are some explanation about multi-hooded snake- head , in odd numbers from three to nine in a palmate pattern. At first, it represents the Buddha, and secondly, it is a symbol employed to denote the blessed and bountiful(bhagav ) nature of the Buddha in addition to His distinguished position connected with royalty. Thirdly it is the chatta(royal parasol) seen hoisted over its head. Some scholars presumes that the multi-hooded n ga is a zoomorphic representation of the plant typifying the process of growth(Vardham na). However it is the figure of the plant with three leaves, i.e. one central vertical bud and the two blades flanking it, commonly known in the west as the Trifoil that was very popularly adopted as a sacred emblem. It first appeared in the Achemenian art, and was placed on the head-dress of kings of Persia and Sassania. The one meaning of the trefoil, says Anne Roes, is that it stands for lightening. It is true that there are representations of tripartite lightning with a short handle in Hittite art. And another meaning of it is that the trefoil stands for the holy soma plant. This is easier to believe, for in Persipolis the tripartite motive which is generally associated with lightning is often replaced by a composite flower or a bud. In support of this interpretation we are also reminded of the numerous representations in Mesopotamian art of an overflowing vase with a trefoil rising from it as the symbol of vegetation 4) Makara and Makara-Tora a In Sanskrit, Ma is the name of the Brahma and means time, season, moon, poison, death, and water. Maka indicates decoration. Makaranda means nectar and ocean. In vedic tradition Makarasva was a vehicle of Varuna. According to the glossary of Sri Lanka, Makara is a fanciful chimera, in India and southeast Asia, having the body and tail of a fish, the mouth of a crocodile, and the trunk of an elephant. The makara was considered a protective animal and frames the arches of Hindu and Hindu-Buddhist temple throughout the region. Let s see the historical evolution of Makara concept. There was a cult of crocodile in Egypt. Sobec god appeared in semi-human form and makara was connected with cult of prosperity, rain and growing and fecundity of nature. Then in astrologic concept in ancient Rom, it was a sign of death and a sign of the Zodiac. In the vedic period Varuna god who represented the time and 11th month and Yama(God of death) was associated with Makara symbol. In the Buddhism it is described as time, death, transgressing the life circle and opponent of death. Makara-tora a or Makara-arched gate way is the frontispiece of most of the Buddhist and Jain shrines of the early period, as well as the Hindu shrines of the medieval period in
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India. The concept of Makara-torana is made of a devil in the center and two dragons by sides. The fire from the dragon enters the mouth of the devil. The protector gods appear in the left and right sides of Makara-torana. Makara-torana has almost all forms of Sinhalese symbolic and very complex carving and painting compared to any other art. 5) Moonstone Moonstone is a semi-circular slabs of stone which adorns the entrance to some of the ancient Buddhist edifices in India and Sri Lanka. It is the first member of the flight of steps leading to the vihara or the shrine-room that houses the images of the Buddha. The name moonstone is derived from its Sinhala name sandaka a-paha a , lit. half-moonstone , a usuage which is suggestive of its semi-circular shape. The shapes of the moonstone and designs carved on it differ from one period to another. Now let s see the various moonstone through the different period and then through the symbol in moonstone. The average moonstone is a slab of stone usually of hard granife or limestone materials which would have been readily available during the times of our ancient kings. The shape of the moonstone remains semi-circular up to the thirteenth century. That is the end of the Polonnaruwa kingdom. With the progress of time, however, the moonstone takes a more circular shape until finally the decoration becomes a full circle receding inward to allow the outer semi-circles also to develop into circles, by the fourteenth century(i.g. Temple of the Tooth Relic in Kandy, Dambarava devale in Kandy etc.). Initially the moonstones which served as the first step to an edifice were undecorated but with time decorations were introduced with the simplest form of decoration being semi-circular lines. Then a semi-circular row of lotus petals were done with the rows gradually increasing in numbers. With time, the ornamentation became more profuse. Rows of creeper motifs, birds and beasts could be seen in many of the moonstones done after the fourteenth century. The outermost row in the fully developed moonstones is said to depict flames of fire. These decorations on the moonstone follow a geometric pattern. In the oldest of these moonstones, the motifs are formed along concentric designs of lotus petals. This type of decorated moonstone was found at the Temple of the Tooth Relic not in Kandy but in Anuradhapura. There are different types of moonstones and these differences are noted, with variations in design and shape. According to archaeological authorities, one of the best examples of decorated moonstones was found at the building called Mahasena s pavilion in the Abhayagiri area of Anuradhapura. It has seven semi-circular panels of decoration. A number of moonstones of similar decorations are found at the premises of the Bo-tree temple Anuradhapura. The best known example at Polonnaruwa is a moonstone at
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Vatadage. Here the animals represented are the lion, elepahant and the horse in three different rows. The bull is absent in this moonstone. After the thirteenth century the decorations change with new elements being introduced into the designs. According to the intruduction of [Link], the moonstone symbolizes the world or the cycle of existence(bhava-cakra), and its various component elements represent the main characteristics of this existence. The four animals 4 on the moonstone are meant to symbolize the four perils ; i.g. birth(elephant), decay(old age-bull), disease(horse) and death(lion) brought forth by life. These animals appear as chasing one another with the vigour of beasts in a never ending circle which is the sams ra, the cycle of existence, and arrived at a place where one is immune from them. Then, the rambling creeper of the moonstone symbolizes the creeper of craving (ta h -lat ). According to the old Sinhala glossary of the Dhammapada the craving is compared to a creeper for the reason that it connects and intertwins one state of existence with another. The swan which are in a more dignified and orderly manner symbolizes a state of existence in which the force of ta h has been kept under control. It also means purified Arahants 5. And the completely blooming lotus means purified Arahant too. What is the function served by the moonstone? Firstly, it was to provide an effective texture by way of a shallow relief to the surface of the slab in order to prevent its treader from slipping as a result of the smoothing through the constant tread by thousands of feet. Secondly, a non-smooth surface was also necessary for the purpose of wiping off the dust from the feet before one enters the shrine. Thirdly, the decorated first step was preferable to the plain one as the former added to the entire edifice the kind of dignify and aesthetic charm which it deserved. Finally, the auspicious character of the motifs used was to serve the purpose of wish-fulfilment to the worshipper. So the Buddhist devotee who comes to his shrine for a holy purpose gets inspired by the aesthetic charm produced by the entrance-complex, and at the same time, gets the bliss( nti) of the auspicious symbol with which he comes into contact visually. It may also be serving a preliminary preparation to induce piety as well as a feeling of seriousness into the mind of the worshipper. Of thes scheme, the moonstone plays a more vital role as it comes into physical contact too with the worshipper who treads it so that the latter is believed to be absorbing the magical effect into his system in both process.

In king Ashoka s pillar in India elephant menas the birth of the Buddha, bull means the ploughing ceremony in Buddha s childhood even thogh it is a vehicle of Siva, horse means renunciation because Siddhartha rode on the horse Kanthaka to live of a recluse, and lion means enlightenment of the Buddha. 5 There is one metaphor of Arahant. Swan has a skill to choice good things or bad things. If someone gives the water-mixed milk it can eat only milk.

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6) Ga a(Bhahiwara) The Ga a is the most enigmagic of all the symbols ever to have been employed in Buddhist art of India and Sri Lanka. It is also the commonest anthropomorphic symbol, with its figure of a stocky squab of their dwarfish frame of body. The term Bhahirawa(sinh. Bahirawa), i.e. the frightful or malignant spirit explains the attitude shown by later Hinduism treating him as an embodiment of evil to be crushed under the feet of God. The Ga as appear to have been associated with the ancient yak a cult which was widely practiced in ancient India as well as in Sri Lanka prior to Jainism and Buddhism. Kuvera or kubera who is the chief of all yak as is a deity of power, fertility and productivity. Also he possesses a vast treasure and grants wealth and security to his worshipper. They represent two yak as employed to protect the wealth of God Kuvera, which is supposed to be stored in the ocean. By name Padma and Sankha, they are distinguished by their head dresses, a lotus in the former and a conch in the latter. They are depicted as pot-bellied persons wearing a loin cloth and holding a string of coins. They are chiefly depicted as guardians and atlantes and they play the role of gate-keepers in India, Sri Lanka and the Far East. Well preserved Ga a specimens may be seen in Anuradhapura at the Abhayagiri vihara and the palace of king Vijayabahu. 7) Eightfold Auspicious Signs(A a- ma gala) Scholars who were dealing with auspicious signs(ma gala) accommodated with the wheel mark on the sole of the Buddha s feet enumerated them to be one hundred and eight in number. His foot getting charged, through trampling, by their efficacy so that the worshipper of such foot or foot-print will receive reciprocally its magical effect for his or her earthly well-being. In addition to the concept of 108 auspicious signs associated with the Cakka sign of the Buddha s sole. There has been a long established tradition of an A a- ma gala endemic to a number of Dharmic traditions such as Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism, and Sikkhism. The symbols or symbolic attributes are yidam and teaching tools. Not only do these attributes, these energetic signatures, point to qualities. Many cultural enumerations and variations of the A a- ma gala are extant. Groupings of eight auspicious symbols were originally used in India t ceremories such as Pujas, weddings, and coronations. We have several lists of them adopted by different schools in India and other countries from the ancient times. The northern Indian tradition lists them as : lion, bull, elephant, water jar or a vessel filled with gems, flywhisk, flag, trumpet, lamp

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In the Svetambar Jain tradition : swastika, sri vatsa, nandavarta, mardhmanaka(food vessel), bhadrasana(seat), kalasha(pot), darpan(mirror), meen yugala(pair of fish) The southern Indian tradition lists them as : flywhisk, full vase, mirror, ankus(elephant goad), drum, lamp, flag, a pair of fishes Now there are some explanation of A a- ma gala. (1) Right-turning conch The right-turning white conch shell represents the beautiful, deep, melodious, interpenetrating and pervasive sound of the Buddha dhamma which awakens disciples from the deep slumber of ignorance and urges them to accomplish their own welfre and the welfare of others. In Hinduism the counch is an attribute of Vishnu as is the wheel (sudarshanan). Vaishnavism holds that shakyamuni Buddha is an avatar of Vishnu. (2) Endless knot(eternal knot) The endless knot represents : the intertwining of wisdom and compassion The union of wisom and method The mutual dependence of religious doctrine and secular affairs The inseparability of emptiness and dependent co-arising, at the time of enlightenment the union of wisdom and great compassion Knot symbolism in linking ncestors and omnipresence and the magical ritual and metaprocess of binding. The knot net and the web metaphor also conveys the Buddhist teaching of the doctrine of Interpenetration (3) A pair of fish It represents the state of fearless suspension in a harmless ocean of samsara, metaphorically after refer to Buddha-eyes or rigpa-sight and symbolizes the auspiciousness of all sentient beings in a state of fearlessness without danger of drowning in the samsaric ocean of suffering. So also the fish symbolize happiness as they have complete freedom of movement in the water. They represent fertility and abundance. Sometimes the two golden fishes are linked with the Ganges and Yamuna and nadi, prana and carp. (4) Lotus6

Refer to previous explanation(p.6)

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(5) Parasol The jeweled, precious parasol or sacred umbrella which is similar in ritual function to the baldachin or canopy represents the protection of beings from harmful forces, illness. So under the auspice of the precious parasol all take refuge in the Dhamma. (6) Urn(the treasure vase) The treasure vase or Urn of wisdom represents health, longevity, wealth, prosperity, wisdom and the phenomenon of space. Space is a rendering of the particular denotation of the element of the mahabhuta and the five pure lights and sunyata. The iconographic representation of the wisdom urn is often very similar to the water pot . (7) Wheel of Law (Dhammacakka)7 (8) Victory Banner(Dhvaja) Dhvaja banner was a military standard of ancient Indian warfare. Dhvaja has become latter an emblem of the vedic god of love and desire Kamadeva. (9) Swastika8 The word swastika is derived from the Sanskrit word svastika , meaning of good fortune being an extension of the term svasti meaning well being, fortune, luck, success and prosperity etc. It also might be translated literally s may it be well with thee etc. The swastika is an equilateral cross with its arms bent at right angles, in either right facing form or its mirrored left facing form. Earliest archaeological evidence of swastika-shaped ornaments dates back to the Indus valley civilization of Pakistan as well as classical antiquity. It remains widely used in Eastern religious, specially in Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism.

Conclusion
Many Buddhist symbols need to be considered within the culture of the people who follow it. Therefore, many of the early symbols relate to ancient India and can be found in Hinduism as well, although possibly with a somewhat different meaning. Buddhist symbolism appeared from around the 3rd century BCE, and started with aniconic symbolism, avoiding direct representations of the Buddha. In this essay, I explained the Buddhist symbols classified under two categories according to [Link] s opinion.
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Also refer to previous explanation(p.3) The swastika from the 1930s became strongly associated with its iconic usage by Nazi Germany, and it has hence become stigmatized and taboo in the western world.

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The first category includes the ritual(religious) symbols as the Bodhi tree, Stupa, the Dhammacakka, the Foot-prints, the sana , the Pillar of fire, the Begging bowl, the Lotus, and Vajra9. They have their proto-types in ancient ritualistic religion that were worshipped by the Buddhists of the early period with the same devotion and veneration as for the Blessed One Himself. The other group of symbols with a purely lay character is a legacy of an ancient agrarian society. These symbols are Triratna, vardham na & Srivatsa, n ga, makara, moonstone, ga a and a a ma galas. A perusal of this category of symbols will show that they were drawn from a very wide list of items, viz. 108 auspicious symbols supposed to have dorned the wheel mark on the sole of the Buddha s foot. Among these symbols the Triratna, vardham na & Srivatsa and n ga appear to have performed a dual role as smbols conveying luck as well as those representing occasionally the Buddha, and that also appears their auspicious nature. Concluding this mission, I can find the fact that all Buddhist symbols have only two kinds of purpose. Firstly, it is to worship the Buddha, Dhamma and Sangha, and secondly, it is to fulfill our wishes. At first it was very difficult for me to do this assignment. But gradually time goes, and I have got a lot of information from this class, so now I can write a final page of this essay. And I can not but thank you for your generous teaching. Your class is very helpful for me to understand not only Sri Lankan art and archaetecture but also Buddhism. Budu saranai!

References
Absence of the Buddha image in Early Buddhist Art Kanoko Tanaka, 1998, [Link](p) Ltd. New Delhi 2. Buddhist symbolism of wish-fulfilment , Karunaratne Gunapala Senadeera, 1992, Sri Satguru publications 3. Sacred Island : A Buddhist pilgrim s guide to Sri Lanka [Link], 2008, BPS 4. Moonstones : Semi-circular first steps article, p.10, Junior observer, 05.12.2010 5. http : //[Link]/wiki/Ashtamangala 6. http : //[Link]/wiki/swastika 7. http : //[Link]/wiki/vajra 8. http : //view [Link]/[Link] 9. http ://[Link]/lanka/[Link] 10. http ://[Link]/mysterious [Link] 1.

As I mentioned earier I put the Vajra in the 1 group because it has been used in the ritual of Mahayana and Vajrayana even though it is not a proto-type symbol.

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