The Matsya or twin golden fishes have come to mean abundance, fertility and happiness in Tibetan Buddhist tradition. Unlike the yin and yang, where opposing forces are said to “balance” each other out, the Matsya or twin golden fishes stand side by side as equals. The usual representation of this is two fish standing face to face, vertically out of the water. Both are of equal size and both are facing inwards.

According to historical accounts, many people noticed that golden fishes usually swam in pairs. Eventually, the symbolism of the Matsya or twin golden fishes suddenly turned to fidelity between conjugal partners.

Here are an interesting bit of trivia about the twin golden fishes. When it was fully established among the populace that twin golden fishes are the symbol for fidelity, people in China and Tibet begun giving newly weds a pair of golden fishes. This was their way of bidding the new couple a long and successful relationship.

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