A manja is seen during Buddha's Birthday celebrations at Samgwang Temple in Busan. Courtesy of Dale Quarrington

Shock, horror and dismay can be but a few of the myriad emotions that foreign visitors experience when first encountering a swastika at a Korean Buddhist temple. Because to some, especially those from Western nations, this symbol is more popularly known as the swastika.

Nazi Germany's modern use of the swastika, which lasted from 1920 to 1945, grew to become synonymous with racism and hatred. However, the Buddhist usage of the swastika predates Nazi Germany's hijacking of this pre-modern symbol. In Buddhism, and Korean Buddhism in particular, the swastika, which is known in Korean as "manja," is meant to symbolize good fortune and auspiciousness. As a result, the meanings behind the usages by the German Nazis and Buddhists are a head-spinning world of difference.

So let's take a closer look at the history of the manja, what it traditionally symbolizes and where you might find it at a Korean Buddhist temple.

A manja at Jangan Temple in Busan / Courtesy of Dale Quarrington

A swastika is a cross-like symbol with four arms of equal length. At the end of each of these four arms, they have a right-angle bend. There are right-facing/clockwise swastikas – ? – and there are left-facing/counter-clockwise swastikas – 卍. The first use of the swastika dates all the way back to the Indus Valley civilization that existed some 5,000 years ago. The swastika can be found worldwide in the art of multiple cultures like the Egyptians, Romans, Greeks, Native Americans, Persians and East Asians. Religiously, it can be found in Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism. The Korean Buddhist manja is predominantly left-facing, while the Nazi swastika is right-facing and typically features a 45 degree displacement.

The word "swastika" is a transliteration of the Sanskrit word "svastika." It is a compound word. "Su/sv" translates to "good or auspicious," while "asti" means "it is." And "ka" is simply a diminutive suffix." So all put together, swastika simply means "it is good" or "all is well" in English.

It's common to see the swastika at the beginning of Buddhist texts much like in Hinduism. In Buddhist texts, this symbol is meant to represent universal harmony, prosperity, good luck, the dharma, long life and the eternal. Different forms of Buddhism throughout the world have different meanings associated with the swastika. It's common to find a left-facing swastika imprinted on the chest, feet or palms of the Buddha. It's synonymous with the dharma wheel and the turning of the wheel. More generally, the shape symbolizes the eternal cycle of Samsara (the endless cycle of birth, life and death) which is a core tenet of Buddhism.

The Reclining Buddha at Manbul Temple in Yeongcheon, North Gyeongsang Province, has swastikas on his toes. Courtesy of Dale Quarrington

The Korean manja is commonly used to represent the whole of creation, and the word literally means "the character for 10,000." Why is the number 10,000 so important? Well, "man" is a transliteration of the Chinese character for "wan" in Mandarin. This character variant has the meaning of "myriad," "all" or "eternity." So "man" is a homonym for both "10,000" and "myriad," hence the connection between the two words.

A manja adorns the Daeung-jeon Hall at Daewon Temple in Pohang, North Gyeongsang Province. Courtesy of Dale Quarrington

So where exactly can you find the manja symbol at a Korean Buddhist temple or hermitage? Well, you can find them pretty much everywhere ― hence the shock, horror and dismay that sometimes happens when Western visitors first explore Korean temples. In fact, when you're looking to find a temple or hermitage on a Korean map, the map icon that demarcates a temple is a manja. As for the temple itself, you can find the manja pretty much anywhere and everywhere, including temple shrine halls and Buddhist artwork. Some of the more common places to find a manja is in the decorative painting atop the roof of a main hall. Another place you can find the manja is adorning the chest of a painting dedicated to the Buddha or in the clothes that a Bodhisattva might wear.

A Jeseok-bul painting at Naewon Temple in northeastern Seoul's Seongbuk District / Courtesy of Dale Quarrington

There are countless examples of the manja throughout the Korean Peninsula. The manja is especially prominent during Buddha's Birthday celebrations in Korea. Here are just a few specific examples that you can find of the manja at Korean Buddhist temples. The roof of the Daeung-jeon Hall at Samgwang Temple in Busan and the Daeung-jeon Hall at Daewon Temple in Sancheong, South Gyeongsang Province. There's also a large manja on the ceiling inside Cheonwangmun Gate at Jangan Temple in Busan's Gijang County. There's a beautiful white manja that adorns the chest of Jeseok-bul (Indra) in the center of the Chilseong (Seven Stars) mural at Naewon Temple in Sancheong, South Gyeongsang Province. And the manja symbol can be found on the feet of the large bronze statue of the Reclining Buddha at Manbul Temple in Yeongcheon, North Gyeongsang Province. As you can see, the architectural and artistic examples are nearly limitless.

Decorative lanterns adorn Samgwang Temple in Busan during Buddha's Birthday. Courtesy of Dale Quarrington

So the next time you're looking for a temple on a map, or you're in fact at a Korean Buddhist temple and looking around at the architecture and artwork, you'll know that the Korean manja has nothing to do with the Nazis. Context is everything! In fact, when you see a manja at a Korean Buddhist temple, you'll now know that it's meant to be a symbol for good fortune and auspiciousness. So while the symbol of the swastika has been associated for too long with hate, hopefully ― and slowly but surely ― it'll be reclaimed for something far more beautiful and peaceful. And perhaps one of these vehicles for change towards peace and beauty can be at a Korean Buddhist temple.

Dale Quarrington has visited over 500 temples throughout the Korean Peninsula and published three books on Korean Buddhism. He runs the website, Dale's Korean Temple Adventures.