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**The Eight Auspicious Symbols** (Ashtamangala Mani) refer to eight auspicious symbols in Tibetan Buddhism that hold significant importance. These symbols represent various aspects of the Dharma and practice and are believed to offer protection and benefits. Here is a detailed introduction to the Eight Auspicious Symbols:

### The Origins and Story of the Eight Auspicious Symbols

The Eight Auspicious Symbols originated in ancient India and were later introduced into Tibetan Buddhism, gradually becoming essential elements in Buddhist art and rituals. The eight symbols are:

1. **Parasol (Chatra)**: Symbolizes protection and shelter, representing the authority and sheltering power of the Dharma.

2. **Golden Fish (Matsya)**: Symbolizes wisdom and freedom, as golden fish swim freely, representing liberation from samsara and bondage.

3. **Treasure Vase (Kalasha)**: Symbolizes abundance and long life, often filled with sacred nectar, representing endless blessings.

4. **Lotus (Padma)**: Symbolizes purity and enlightenment, as the lotus grows in mud but remains pure, representing the purity of mind and the potential for Buddhahood.

5. **Conch Shell (Shankha)**: Symbolizes the sound of the Dharma and its spread, with its resounding call representing the far-reaching influence of the Dharma.

6. **Endless Knot (Shrivatsa)**: Symbolizes interconnectedness and infinity, with its endless loops representing infinite wisdom and the cycle of cause and effect.

7. **Victory Banner (Dhvaja)**: Symbolizes victory and the accomplishment of practice, with the banner raised high, representing the practitioner's triumph over afflictions and achievement of liberation.

8. **Dharma Wheel (Dharmachakra)**: Symbolizes the teaching and completeness of the Dharma, representing the supreme wisdom and perfection of the Dharma.

### Benefits and Advantages of Worshipping the Eight Auspicious Symbols

Practitioners who worship and practice with the Eight Auspicious Symbols can gain various benefits and advantages, including:

1. **Enhancing Merits and Protection**: Worshipping the Eight Auspicious Symbols can enhance the practitioner's merits and receive the protection of the Dharma, safeguarding them from disasters and evil.

2. **Increasing Wisdom and Spiritual Attainment**: Each symbol represents different aspects of Dharma wisdom, and worshipping them can help practitioners increase their wisdom and spiritual attainment.

3. **Promoting Inner Harmony and Calm**: The symbolic power of the Eight Auspicious Symbols can help practitioners achieve inner harmony and calm, enabling them to face life's challenges and difficulties.

4. **Eliminating Obstacles and Karmic Obstacles**: Worshipping the Eight Auspicious Symbols can help practitioners eliminate obstacles in their practice and past karmic obstacles, promoting the purification of body, mind, and spirit.

5. **Enhancing Spiritual Life**: Practicing and worshipping the Eight Auspicious Symbols can deepen practitioners' faith and understanding of the Dharma, enhancing the quality of their spiritual life.

The Eight Auspicious Symbols hold significant importance in Tibetan Buddhist practice, helping practitioners enhance merits, wisdom, and spiritual attainment.