Moonstone Decoration

Abhayagiri Monastery, Anuradhapura

The moonstone depicts a central void that is surrounded by successive half bands of lotus petals, vegetation, hamsas (geese), more vegetation, auspicious Buddhist animals (elephant, horse, lion, and bull), and flames in the outermost band.

The decoration of these stones is subject to more than one interpretation, and indeed has varied considerably over historical time. The basic idea seems to be that they represent a symbolic passage from the everyday world onto the threshold of spiritual enlightenment. They also bear at least a family resemblance to the Lotus-Pond Medallions that are found in Hindu temples. Looked at in that way, the moonstone could represent a lotus pond, belonging symbolically both to the natural and to the spiritual worlds.