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Sandakada Pahana ( The Moonstone )
The elaborate
moonstone at its base is in itself a distinctive element of ancient sculpture
in the island. These semi-circular slabs of granite or gneiss acquired
increasingly complex bands of decorations over the years. They range from the
near abstract tongues of fire and bands of creeper vines - to symbolic
interpretations of the four perils of life
The latter consists of the elephant, a symbol of birth, the bull indicative
of decay; the lion, resent in disease. and the geese, a symbol of death. Some
also band of geese, which represents the dist between good, and evil. To
some, the moon-stone is symbolic of transcending worldly temptations and
achieving nibbane.
At the heart of many moonstones is a lotus petal. Buddhists regard the lotus
as a sacred flower, a symbol of the male and female creative forces that
prevails throughout Sri Lankan art, architecture, sculpture and literature. It
figures in the legend attached to the birth of the Buddha, when seven lotuses
sprang into bloom at his feet as he took the first seven steps of his life. The
lotus bloomed again in profusion at the moment he reached the state of
Enlightenment.
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