Symbology

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Encountering other cultures, you often find that things that appear different
are often the same. After all, people have more in common than not. On other
occasions, though, you may find that things that look the same are actually
different.

This is what happened with certain bits of symbology I saw while travelling
around Vietnam. There were certain symbols that kept popping up wherever we
travelled – shockingly familiar, but somehow out of place. They definitely
caught my attention, and this was one of those instances where the meaning of
things was completely different.

The symbol is actually a neat little logo. It's an auspicious sign, and means
good fortune, though extra meanings have grown up with its use, like the course
of the sun, or the footsteps of the Buddha.

It
originated in India, and came to Vietnam with Hinduism. It graduated to
Buddhism, and lately, it's used by the Cao Đài as well. You see it on temples,
but mostly at funerals and on graves. Though it was recently misappropriated, no
one here seems to have taken any notice at all.

	Behind the Cao Đài Great Temple
	A temple on the road
	At a Buddhist monastery in Đà Lạt Glass bricks to keep things light
	At a monastery in Saigon An invitation to enter.
	Seen from the road
	At the monastery in Saigon
	At the florist shop For funerals. Perhaps there's a good use for those armbands after all.