In Tibet, the Sanskrit character or swastika sign can be seen everywhere. Tibetan people pronounced it as Yung-drung, as China’s Han people call it Wan. Like the Han people, Tibetan people take it as a sign of auspiciousness. So they call it Yung-drung lucky sign.

    In Tibetan history, the Yung-drung is connected to the religions, both the aboriginal Bon Religion and the later prospective Tibetan Buddhism. For example, in its initial stage, the Bon religion was called Yung-drung Bon. Their written language is called Yung-drung Bon. Their written language is called Yung-drung characters. Their original headquarters site, Mt. Kangrinboqe (Kailash) is called Yung-drung Gu-tzeg, or the 9-storey Yung-drung Hill. On the Sceptre is inscribed the Yung-drung mark. Even when they select a site for building new temples, they also like those places which present natural Yung-drung patterns. Later when Buddhism was introduced into Tibet, the Yung-drung was also widely used. On all images of the Buddha, it always appears on Buddha’s chest. Noticeably its direction is different in the two religion: It is counter-clock-wise in Bon but clock-wise in Buddhism. That is a tip for you to differentiate the monasteries of the two.

    As a lucky sign, it also frequently appears in the daily life of the Tibetan people, e.g. on the wall and windows of the house, on the tent plate, above the oven, on the dress, on the furniture and on the tangka, etc. a lady, whose age is just in the full 12-year-cycle, must embroider a bold Yung-drung sign on the back of her clothing. In conclusion, it is used in specific place for a specific wish. Drawing it on the home stead is for sturdiness of the house, decorating it on the door is for warding off disasters, hanging it above the oven is for oven god’s blessing and embroidering it on the back of dress is for all the luck. Besides being used individually, it is also used in groups to make patterns in different shapes, expressing wishes of longevity.

    Notwithstanding its religious origin, it has been deeply rooted into the social life, mentality and even aesthetic appreciation of the Tibetan people.