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Symbols & Syllables

Explore the forms and calligraphy found in the Malaya catalogue.

ENEndless KnotPalbeu, དཔལ་བེའུ།The endless knot is a continuous interlacing form, known in Tibetan as Palbeu.BEBellDrilbu · དྲིལ་བུ།The ritual bell, drilbu in Tibetan and ghanta in Sanskrit, represents wisdom in Vajrayana Buddhism.EIEight Auspicious SymbolsTashi Tagye · AshtamangalaThe Eight Auspicious Symbols bring together the parasol, golden fish, treasure vase, lotus, conch, endless knot, victory banner and Dharma wheel.TATaraTam · ཏཱཾ།Tara is a figure of awakened compassion in Buddhist practice, closely associated with the seed syllable Tam.DODouble DorjeCrossed vajra · VishvavajraThe double dorje, or crossed vajra, extends the vajra form in four directions around a shared centre.PHPhurbaPhurpa · KilaThe phurba, also called phurpa or kila, is a ritual implement associated with Vajrakilaya practice.HUHung SyllableHūṃ · ཧཱུྃ།Hung, also written Hūṃ, is a seed syllable associated with awakened mind in Tibetan Buddhist practice.AHAh SyllableĀḥ · ཨཱཿAh, written Āḥ in Sanskrit transliteration, is associated with awakened speech in the familiar sequence Om Ah Hung.OMOm SyllableOṃ · ཨོཾ།Om, written Oṃ in Sanskrit transliteration, is associated with awakened body in the sequence Om Ah Hung.HRHri SyllableHrīḥ · ཧྲཱིཿHri, or Hrīḥ, is associated with the Lotus family of Buddhas, including Amitabha and Chenrezig.