Buddhist flag

A Buddhist flag flying in Beijing.

The Buddhist flag is a flag designed in the late 19th century to symbolize and universally represent Buddhism.^[1] It is used by Buddhists throughout the world.

History

The Buddhist flag flying at the Nan Tien Temple, Wollongong, Australia

The flag was originally designed in 1885 by the Colombo Committee, in Colombo, Sri Lanka.^[2] The committee consisted of Ven. Hikkaduwe Sri Sumangala Thero (chairman), Ven. Migettuwatte Gunananda Thera, Don Carolis Hewavitharana (father of Anagarika Dharmapala), Andiris Perera Dharmagunawardhana (maternal grandfather of Anagarika Dharmapala), Charles A. de Silva, Peter De Abrew, William De Abrew (father of Peter), H. William Fernando, N. S. Fernando and Carolis Pujitha Gunawardena (secretary).^[2]

It was first hoisted in public on Vesak day, 28 April 1885 at the Dipaduttamarama, Kotahena, by Ven. Migettuwatte Gunananda Thera.^[3] This was the first Vesak public holiday under British rule.^[3]

Colonel Henry Steel Olcott, an American journalist, founder and first president of the Theosophical Society, felt that its long streaming shape made it inconvenient for general use. He therefore suggested modifying it so that it was the size and shape of national flags.^[1]

In 1889 the modified flag was introduced to Japan by Anagarika Dharmapala and Olcott—who presented it to Emperor Meiji—and subsequently to Burma.

At the 1952 World Fellowship of Buddhists, the flag of Buddhists was adopted as the International Buddhist Flag.^[4]

Colours

The six vertical bands of the flag represent the six colors of the aura which Buddhists believe emanated from the body of the Buddha when he attained Enlightenment:^[5]^[1]

*Blue (Nīla): Loving kindness, peace and universal compassion*
*Yellow (Pīta): The Middle Path – avoiding extremes, emptiness*
*Red (Lohita): The blessings of practice – achievement, wisdom, virtue, fortune and dignity*
*White (Odāta): The purity of Dharma – leading to liberation, outside of time or space*
*Orange (Manjesta): The Buddha's teachings – wisdom*

The sixth vertical band, on the fly, is made up of a combination of rectangular bands of the five other colours, and represents a compound of the other five colours in the aura's spectrum. This compound colour is referred to as Pabbhassara ('essence of light').

Variants

The variant Japanese flag in Kyoto.

The Dharmacakra flag, symbol of Buddhism in Thailand.

The nonsectarian Buddhist flag is flown over the temples of many different schools. However, some choose to change the colors of the flag to emphasize their own teachings.

In Japan, there is a traditional Buddhist flag (五色幕—goshikimaku) which has different colors but is sometimes merged with the design of the international flag to represent international cooperation. The five colors of the Japanese Buddhist flag represent the Five Wisdom Buddhas, or alternately the colors of the Buddha's hair.
The Jodo Shinshu sect in Japan replaces the orange stripe with pink.
In Tibet, the colours of the stripes represent the different colours of Buddhist robes united in one banner. Tibetan monastic robes are maroon, so the orange stripes in the original design are often replaced with maroon.
Tibetan Buddhists in Nepal replace the orange stripes with plum stripes.
Soka Gakkai uses a tricolor of blue, yellow, and red.^[6]
Theravada Buddhists in Burma replace orange with pink, the color of the robe of the country's nuns.
Theravada Buddhists in Thailand opt the usage of a yellow flag with a red Dharmacakra; it is sometimes paired with the international Buddhist flag.

Jodo Shinshu's Buddhist flag
Tibetan Buddhist flag
Burmese Buddhist flag
Nepalese Buddhist flag
Japanese Buddhist flag "goshikimaku"
A common variant with the Dharma Wheel
Flag of Soka Gakkai
Thai Buddhist flag (The Dharmacakra flag, Thong Dhammacak)
Flag of Dalit Buddhist movement in India.
Korean Buddhist swastika flag
Karma Kagyu flag (16th Karmapa's "dream flag")

Ban

Main article: Hue Vesak shootings

In 1963, the Catholic President of South Vietnam Ngo Dinh Diem selectively invoked a law prohibiting flags other than that of the nation, to ban the Buddhist flag from being flown on Vesak, when Vatican flags had habitually flown at government events. This led to protests, which were ended by lethal firing of weapons, starting the Buddhist crisis.

References

1 2 3 "The Origin and Meaning of the Buddhist Flag". The Buddhist Council of Queensland. Retrieved 2 April 2015.
1 2 The Maha Bodhi, Volumes 98-99; Volumes 1891-1991. Maha Bodhi Society. 1892. p. 286.
1 2 Lopez, Jr., Donald S. (2002). A Modern Buddhist Bible: Essential Readings from East and West. Beacon Press. p. xiv. ISBN 9780807012437.
↑ Wilkinson, Phillip (2003). DK Eyewitness Books: Buddhism. Penguin Putnam. p. 64. ISBN 9780756668303.
↑ "The Buddhist Flag". Buddhanet. Retrieved 2 April 2015.
↑ http://flagspot.net/flags/buddhism.html

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Buddhist flag.

Buddhism topics

Outline Glossary Index

Foundations	Three Jewels Buddha Dharma Sangha Four Noble Truths Noble Eightfold Path Nirvana Middle Way

The Buddha	Tathāgata Birthday Four sights Physical characteristics Footprint Iconography in Laos and Thailand Films Miracles Family Suddhodāna (father) Māyā (mother) Mahapajapati Gotamī (aunt, adoptive mother) Yasodhara (wife) Rāhula (son) Ānanda (cousin) Devadatta (cousin) Places where the Buddha stayed Buddha in world religions

Key concepts	Dharma Three Marks of Existence Impermanence Dukkha Anatta Pratītyasamutpāda Skandha Karma Rebirth Saṃsāra Saṅkhāra Kleshas Ignorance Craving Five hindrances Ten Fetters Indriya Enlightenment Parinirvana Tathātā Dharmas Two truths doctrine Śūnyatā Bodhicitta Bodhisattva Buddha-nature Mindstream

Cosmology	Ten spiritual realms Six realms Heaven Human realm Asura realm Hungry Ghost realm Animal realm Hell Three planes of existence

Practices	Refuge Buddhist devotion Puja Offerings Prostration Chanting Merit Paritta Dāna Nekkhamma Śīla Five Precepts Bodhisattva vow Prātimokṣa Threefold Training Śīla Samadhi Prajñā Brahmavihara Mettā Karuṇā Mudita Upekkha Pāramitā Bodhipakkhiyādhammā Seven Factors of Enlightenment Sati Dhamma vicaya Pīti Passaddhi Vīrya Four Right Exertions Iddhipada Five Strengths Faith Mindfulness Satipatthana Dhyāna Bhavana Satya Sacca Meditation Mantras Kammaṭṭhāna Recollection Smarana Anapanasati Samatha Vipassana movement Shikantaza Zazen Kōan Mandala Tonglen Tantra Tertön Terma

Nirvana	Bodhi Buddhahood Pratyekabuddha Bodhisattva Four stages of enlightenment Sotāpanna Sakadagami Anāgāmi Arhat

Monasticism	Bhikkhu Bhikkhuni Śrāmaṇera Śrāmaṇerī Anagarika Ajahn Sayadaw Zen master Rōshi Lama Rinpoche Geshe Tulku Householder Upāsaka and Upāsikā Śrāvaka The ten principal disciples Shaolin Monastery

Major figures	Gautama Buddha Kaundinya Assaji Sāriputta Mahamoggallāna Mulian Ānanda Mahākassapa Anuruddha Mahākaccana Nanda Subhuti Punna Upali Mahapajapati Gotamī Khema Uppalavanna Asita Channa Yasa Buddhaghosa Nagasena Bodhidharma Nagarjuna Asanga Vasubandhu Atiśa Padmasambhava Nichiren Ambedkar Songtsen Gampo Emperor Wen of Sui Dalai Lama Panchen Lama Karmapa Shamarpa Naropa Xuanzang

Texts	Tripiṭaka Mahayana sutras Pāli Canon Chinese Buddhist canon Tibetan Buddhist canon

Branches	Theravada Mahayana Chan Buddhism Zen Seon Thiền Pure Land Tiantai Nichiren Madhyamaka Yogachara Navayana Vajrayana Tibetan Shingon Dzogchen Early Buddhist schools Pre-sectarian Buddhism Basic points unifying Theravāda and Mahāyāna

Countries	Afghanistan Bangladesh Bhutan Myanmar Cambodia China India Indonesia Japan Korea Laos Malaysia Maldives Mongolia Nepal Pakistan Philippines Russia Kalmykia Singapore Sri Lanka Taiwan Thailand Tibet Vietnam Middle East Iran Western countries Argentina Australia Brazil France United Kingdom United States Venezuela

History	Timeline Ashoka Buddhist councils History of Buddhism in India Decline of Buddhism in India Great Anti-Buddhist Persecution Greco-Buddhism Buddhism and the Roman world Buddhism in the West Silk Road transmission of Buddhism Persecution of Buddhists Banishment of Buddhist monks from Nepal Buddhist crisis Sinhalese Buddhist nationalism Buddhist modernism Vipassana movement 969 Movement Women in Buddhism

Philosophy	Abhidharma Logic Buddhology Eschatology Reality God Secular Buddhism Humanism Eight Consciousnesses Engaged Buddhism Socialism Economics Atomism Evolution Ethics The unanswered questions

Culture	Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi Temple of the Tooth Art Greco-Buddhist art Poetry Buddha statue Budai Symbolism Dharmachakra Flag Bhavacakra Swastika Thangka Prayer wheel Mala Mudra Mantra Om mani padme hum Funeral Music Holidays Vesak Uposatha Magha Puja Asalha Puja Rains retreat Kassaya Architecture Temple Vihara Wat Stupa Pagoda Candi Thai temple art and architecture Pilgrimage Lumbini Maya Devi Temple Bodh Gaya Sarnath Kushinagar Bodhi Tree Mahabodhi Temple Calendar Cuisine Vegetarianism

Miscellaneous	Lineage Maitreya Avalokiteśvara Guanyin Amitābha Brahmā Māra Dhammapada Vinaya Sutra Koliya Hinayana Sacred languages Pali Sanskrit Dharma talk Kalpa Abhijñā Ṛddhi Siddhi

Buddhism and:	Science Psychology Hinduism Jainism Judaism East Asian religions Christianity Influences Comparison Theosophy Gnosticism Violence Western philosophy

Lists	Buddhas Twenty-eight Buddhas Bodhisattvas Buddhists Suttas Books Temples Candi

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