The lion in the flag represents the Sinhala race.
The sword of the lion represents the sovereignty of the country.
Curly hair on the lion's head indicates religious observance, wisdom and meditation.
The beard denotes purity of words.
The handle of the sword highlights the elements of water, fire, air and earth.
The nose indicates intelligence.
The two front paws purport to purity in handling wealth.
The verticle stripe of orange represent the minority Tamil race and the green verticle stripe the minority Muslim race.
The four virtues of kindness: KINDNESS, FRIENDLINESS, HAPPINESS, EQUANIMITY are also represented in the flag.
The border round the flag, which is yellow in color, represents other minor races.
The bo-leaves at the four corners of the flag represent Buddhism and it's influence on the nation. They also stand for the four virtues - Kindness, Friendliness, Happiness and Equanimity.
The maroon colored portion of the flag manifests the other minor religions.