Om Mani Padme Hum has no direct English translation, but often used as a guide is "Hail the jewel in the heart of lotus" or "Behold! The jewel in the lotus!". The Dalai Lama has given a synopsis of its meaning as "Thus the six syllables, Om Mani Padme Hum, mean that in dependence on the practice which is an indivisible union of method and wisdom, you can transform your impure body, speech and mind into the pure body, speech, and mind of a Buddha." It is thought that all the teachings of the Buddha are contained in this one prayer, and that the recitation of the mantra helps achieve perfection in the six practices from generosity to wisdom. Speaking, writing, or viewing the written form of this sacred prayer is beleived to benefit karma, invoking the benevolent blessings of Chenrezig (Tibetan) Avalokiteshvara (Sanskrit), the embodiment of compassion.

Traditionally, manis are carved with the protection mantra of Avalokiteshvara on one side and the all-seeing eyes of Buddha on the other. The Buddha's eyes are shown to remind us to have compassion towards all living creatures and to be vigilant in staying on the dharma path.

In Tibetan Buddhism, the conch shell was adopted as a symbol of religous sovereignty, its blast fearlessly proclaiming the truth of the dharma. One of the 32 signs of a Buddha's body is his deep & resonant voice, often symbolized in images of the Buddha by three conch-like curving lines on his throat. Yin Yang, Yab Yum in Tibetan, symbolizes the cosmic duality of all phenomena. The thunderbolt scepter, vajra or dorje, stands for the union of the spiritual & material worlds. The two fishes originally represented the two main sacred rivers of India - the Ganges and Yamuna. These rivers are associated with the lunar and solar channels which originate in the nostrils and carry the alternating rhythms of breath or prana. In Buddhism they also symbolise happiness as the fish have complete freedom of movement in the water. The yak, derived from its Tibetan word, gyag, is found only above 13,000 feet and as such is used as a common symbol of life in the Himalayas.