Sacred Object
Ashtamangala (Eight Auspicious Symbols)
Sanskrit: Aṣṭamaṅgala · Tibetan: བཀྲ་ཤིས་རྟགས་བརྒྱད།
The Ashtamangala are a set of eight auspicious symbols widely used across Buddhist — and, in related forms, Hindu and Jain — art and material culture: the parasol, paired golden fish, treasure vase, lotus, conch shell, endless knot, victory banner and dharma wheel. Together they are among the most commonly depicted symbolic motifs throughout the Himalayan Buddhist world, including extensively in the Kathmandu Valley.
- Category
- Other
Material Culture & Craftsmanship
The eight symbols appear individually or as a set across nearly every medium of Himalayan Buddhist material culture — painted on thangka and paubha borders, carved into temple woodwork and stone, cast in metal as standalone ritual or decorative objects, printed on textiles, and painted directly onto building facades and shrine walls throughout the Kathmandu Valley.
Symbolism
Each symbol carries its own meaning: the parasol represents protection from harm; the golden fish, fearlessness and auspicious abundance; the treasure vase, inexhaustible wealth and spiritual riches; the lotus, purity arising from difficulty; the conch shell, the far-reaching sound of the Dharma; the endless knot, the interdependence of all phenomena; the victory banner, the triumph of the Buddhist teaching over obstacles; and the dharma wheel, the Buddha's teaching itself.
Ritual Use
The Ashtamangala are used decoratively and ritually throughout Buddhist temples, homes and public spaces, offered individually or as a set in specific ceremonial contexts, and remain one of the most immediately recognizable symbolic vocabularies of Himalayan Buddhist visual culture, including at major Kathmandu Valley sites such as Swayambhunath and Boudhanath.
Sources & References
- The Buddhism of Tibet, or Lamaism — L. Austine Waddell, W. H. Allen & Co. (1895) · Link
Public domain.