The well-preserved Moon Ston in Sri Lanka is seen in the entrance at image house of ‘Pancha vasa’ which mean five residences Abhayagiri vihara complex. A unique beautifully carved semicircular stone slab depicts four animals keep walking, symbolizing the Buddhist cycle of Samsara. This Moon stone belons to 08th and 09th century AD.
Six lines in the Moon Stone represents,
Petals of the flower as a Flams: Endless cycle of suffering.
Animals: Elephant, horse, loin, bull, representing life’s stages and the cycle of birth, aging, disease, and death.
Flower Creeper: complicate flower creeper represents cravings and desires.
Swans: Discerning wisdom, separating mild form the water. Separating good from the bad achieve to wisdom.
Simple Flowe Creeper: Through wisdom, cravings and desires can be eliminated.
Lotus: Central symbol of purty and enlightenment or Nirvana, the life live without suffering.
But not every moonstone carries this pattern.
Only six of the moonstones of this pattern are to be found.
A smaller one of the same pattern could be seen behind the ‘Ratna Prasada’.
There are other numerous moonstones, which bear different patterns and carvings.