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    The Manja – The Swastika: 만자

    Introduction I’m sure you’ve seen the Manja – 만자 several times when you’ve visited a Korean Buddhist temple. In the West, this symbol is known as a swastika, and it has a more ominous meaning to it, unfortunately. It’s now come to be synonymous with Nazism, Hitler, and the Third Reich. However, while the Nazi use of the swastika stands for racism and hatred, the Buddhist idea of the swastika is meant to symbolize good fortune and auspiciousness. It’s a head-spinning world of difference. So let’s take a closer look at the history of the swastika, what it symbolizes, and why you can find it at a Korean Buddhist temple.…