Codex of FaithsAn illustrated atlas of belief

Knots and interlacings

Endless knot

The endless knot, one of the eight auspicious symbols of Tibetan Buddhism: what its unbroken interlacing means, where it comes from and where you see it today.

Also called Eternal knot · Shrivatsa · Palbeu

In brief

  1. I.The endless knot is a closed pattern of lines woven over and under each other with no beginning or end.
  2. II.It is one of the eight auspicious symbols of Tibetan Buddhism.
  3. III.It stands for the way all things are bound together, and for the endless wisdom and compassion of the Buddha.
  4. IV.It is common in Tibetan, Mongolian and Chinese art and textiles.

Chapter I

What it means

The endless knot is drawn as a single line that weaves through itself and returns to where it began. In Tibetan Buddhism it stands for pratityasamutpada Dependent origination: the teaching that everything arises in dependence on other conditions. Glossary, dependent origination: the teaching that everything arises in dependence on other things, so that nothing exists alone.

It is also read as the union of wisdom and compassion in the Buddha’s mind, and as the endless cycle of birth and rebirth from which the teaching offers release. Given as a gift, it wishes lasting bonds and good fortune.

Chapter II

Where it comes from

Interlaced knot designs are very old in South Asia. In Buddhism the knot became part of the ashtamangala, the eight auspicious symbols, which developed in India and became especially important in Tibet, Nepal and Mongolia.

Some scholars connect it with the shrivatsa, an ancient Indian mark of good fortune shown on the chest of the god Vishnu.

Chapter III

Where you see it today

The knot is painted on Tibetan temples and furniture, woven into carpets and stitched into clothing. It is popular in jewellery and tattoos, and in China a red knotted cord in the same spirit is hung as a sign of luck.

Questions people ask

What are the eight auspicious symbols?

A group of emblems offered to the Buddha: the parasol, the two golden fish, the treasure vase, the lotus, the conch shell, the endless knot, the victory banner and the dharma wheel. They appear together on Tibetan temples and in homes.

Is it the same as a Celtic knot?

No. Interlaced knots appear in many cultures. The Tibetan knot has its own form and meaning and is not historically linked with Celtic designs.

Sources and further reading

  1. Robert Beer, The Handbook of Tibetan Buddhist Symbols (Serindia, 2003)
  2. J. C. Cooper, An Illustrated Encyclopaedia of Traditional Symbols (Thames & Hudson, 1978)
  3. Encyclopaedia Britannica, “Religious symbolism and iconography”

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