|
Symbol |
Represents |
|
The lion |
The Sinhalese ethnicity |
|
The bo leaves |
Buddhism
and its influence on the nation. They also stand for the four virtues
of Kindness, Friendliness, Happiness and Equanimity. (Metta, Karuna,
Muditha, Upeksha) |
|
The sword of the lion |
The sovereignty of the nation |
|
The tail of the lion |
The noble eightfold path of Buddhism |
|
The curly hair on the lion's head |
Religious observance, wisdom and meditation |
|
The beard of the lion |
Purity of words |
|
The handle of the sword |
The elements of water, fire, air and earth |
|
The nose of the lion |
Intelligence |
|
The two front paws of the lion |
Purity in handling wealth. |
|
The vertical orange stripe |
The Tamil ethnicity |
|
The vertical green stripe |
The Muslimfaith and Moorish ethnicity |
|
The yellow border round the flag |
The Buddhist clergy ( Maha Singha )
|
|
The crimson background |
Other minor religions |
