The Ashtamangala, or Eight Auspicious Symbols, appear together across Tibetan, Nepalese and wider Buddhist art with a consistency very few symbol sets manage. If you own anything with Buddhist decoration on it, there is a good chance at least one of these is on it, and a fair chance you have never been told what it is. Most people can name the lotus and stop there. This article covers all eight, what each represents, why they travel as a group, and which ones people consistently walk past without recognising. Several appear across our range, including in our Buddha feng shui set collection.
Key takeaways
| Point | Details |
|---|---|
| Eight symbols, one set | The endless knot, lotus, parasol, conch, dharma wheel, victory banner, treasure vase and golden fish. |
| They function as a group | Traditional accounts describe them as offerings presented to the Buddha after his awakening. |
| Several predate Buddhism | They appear in earlier Indian traditions and were taken up subsequently. |
| The lotus is the one everyone knows | The endless knot is second, and it appears on textiles and decorative borders constantly. |
| The parasol surprises people | Parasols read as purely decorative in the West and carry real meaning here. |
The eight
Each with its standard reading. These vary a little between traditions and the core meanings are consistent.
| Symbol | What it represents |
|---|---|
| The endless knot | Interdependence, the endless cycle of cause and effect, and the union of wisdom and compassion |
| The lotus | Purity and clarity emerging from confusion, since it grows through mud and water to flower clean |
| The parasol | Protection from harm and from suffering, and royal dignity |
| The conch | The sound of the teaching spreading in all directions |
| The dharma wheel | The teaching itself, with eight spokes representing the Noble Eightfold Path |
| The victory banner | The overcoming of obstacles |
| The treasure vase | Abundance and spiritual wealth that does not deplete |
| The pair of golden fish | Freedom, and the ability to move without fear |
Why they appear together
Traditional accounts describe the Ashtamangala as offerings presented to the Buddha by the gods after his awakening, which is why they function as a set rather than as eight separate motifs.
That origin story explains something you notice once you know it, which is that they are almost never shown alone in traditional contexts. On a thangka border, a temple ceiling or a ritual object, they appear as a complete sequence. Splitting them up is a Western decorative habit rather than a traditional one.
It is also worth knowing that several of them predate Buddhism, appearing in earlier Indian traditions and taken up subsequently. That is extremely common with symbols and it is worth knowing rather than treating the Buddhist reading as the only one that has ever existed.
The ones you already recognise
Three of the eight are common enough in Britain that most people have seen them without being able to name them.
The lotus is everywhere, and it is the one nearly everyone can name. The reading is straightforward and genuinely elegant, which is that a flower rooted in mud rises through water to open clean above it. Our article on the sacred lotus covers it properly.
The endless knot is the interlaced pattern that appears on textiles, decorative borders and objects across the whole Himalayan region. Our Buddha Knot set in green carries the motif, and our article on the endless knot covers why the structure is the meaning rather than a decoration of it.
The dharma wheel is the eight spoked wheel on temple roofs and, in a related form, at the centre of the flag of India. The eight spokes are the Noble Eightfold Path, which makes it one of the more literal symbols in the set.
The ones people consistently miss
Four that are seen constantly and recognised rarely.
- The parasol. The one that surprises people most, because parasols read as purely decorative in Britain. In this tradition it signifies protection from harm and royal dignity, which is why it appears above figures rather than beside them.
- The conch. Frequently mistaken for a decorative shell. It is a horn, and conch shells are still blown in ritual across South and Southeast Asia. The reading is the teaching spreading outward as sound does.
- The victory banner. The cylindrical layered form on temple roofs that most visitors photograph without knowing what it is. It represents the overcoming of obstacles.
- The treasure vase. A rounded pot, sometimes shown with foliage emerging from it. It represents wealth that does not deplete, which is a more interesting idea than simple prosperity and worth the distinction.
The golden fish, which deserve their own note
Usually shown as a pair facing each other, and the reading is one of the more appealing in the set.
Fish move in any direction in water without fear of drowning, which is read as freedom and fearlessness. There is a second layer in some traditions, which associates the pair with two sacred rivers and by extension with the channels of the subtle body.
The everyday reading, and the one that makes it a good gift symbol, is simply freedom of movement. For someone leaving a difficult situation, starting again somewhere new, or finishing something that had constrained them, it is more specific and more apt than most symbolic gifts manage.
Choosing an object by symbol rather than colour
A better way to choose a decorative object than picking on appearance alone, and it costs nothing.
The endless knot for connection and continuity, which makes it right for a wedding, an anniversary or a long friendship. The lotus for coming through something difficult. The treasure vase for abundance. The fish for freedom.
Our Buddha Knot set in green carries the endless knot directly, and several of the motifs appear across our brass figure collection and wider range.
The practical benefit is that you end up with something to say. An object chosen for a meaning is a gift with a sentence attached to it, and that sentence is frequently what the recipient remembers.
Using them decoratively
These are auspicious symbols rather than restricted sacred objects, and the distinction matters.
They appear on ordinary household items across the Buddhist world, including tea sets, textiles, furniture and packaging. There is no tradition in which putting one on a wall in a home is problematic.
What is reasonable is ordinary respect, which in practice means raised rather than on the floor, kept clean rather than dusty, and not used as a surface for keys or drinks. Our guide to whether an image should sit at ground level covers the wider convention, and it applies to symbols as much as to figures.
Bring that calm into your home with Rootandstill
Our Buddha feng shui set collection includes the Buddha Knot set in green, which carries the endless knot in green, brown and floral finishes as a complete grouping at £59.52.
The other four designs carry different traditions. The Classic Mandala set in natural and Flower Mandala set in blue carry mandala forms, the Hamsa set in grey the protective hamsa, and the Om set in grey and black the primordial syllable.
Several of the eight symbols appear across our brass figure collection, and choosing on meaning rather than on colour tends to produce a better result and a better gift.
FAQ
What are the eight auspicious symbols?
The endless knot, the lotus, the parasol, the conch, the dharma wheel, the victory banner, the treasure vase and the pair of golden fish.
Why do they appear together?
Traditional accounts describe them as offerings presented to the Buddha after his awakening, which is why they function as a set rather than as eight separate motifs.
Which is the most common in decoration?
The lotus, followed by the endless knot. Both appear constantly on textiles, borders and decorative objects across the Himalayan region.
What do the two golden fish mean?
Freedom and fearless movement, from the idea that fish move in any direction in water without fear. Some traditions add an association with two sacred rivers.
Can I use these symbols decoratively?
Yes. They are auspicious symbols rather than restricted sacred objects and appear on ordinary household items across the Buddhist world. Ordinary respect is the reasonable expectation.
