International
Buddhist
Flag
Recognized by All Buddhist Traditions
The Buddhist flag, first hoisted
in 1885 in Sri Lanka, is a symbol of faith and peace used throughout the
world to represent the Buddhist faith.
The
six colours; Blue (nila), Yellow (pita), Red (lohita), White (odata),
Scarlet (manjestha), and the mixture of these six colours (prabaswara)
of the flag represent the colours of the aura that emanated from the
body of the Buddha when He attained Enlightenment under the Bodhi
Tree.
The
Horizontal Stripes represent the races of the world living
in harmony and the Vertical Stripes represent eternal world
peace. The colours symbolize the perfection of Buddhahood and the
Dharma.
The
Blue light that radiated from the Buddha's hair symbolizes the spirit
of Universal Compassion for all beings.
The
Yellow light that radiated from the Buddha's epidermis symbolizes
the Middle Way which avoids all extremes and brings balance and liberation.
The
Red light that radiated from the Buddha's flesh symbolizes the blessings
that the practice of the Buddha's Teaching brings.
The
White light that radiated from the Buddha's bones and teeth symbolizes
the purity of the Buddha's Teaching and the liberation it brings.
The Orange light that radiated from
the Buddha's palms, heels and lips symbolizes the unshakable Wisdom
of the Buddha's Teaching. The Combination Colour symbolizes the
universality of the Truth of the Buddha's Teaching. (Burmese Buddhist
replaced with Pink.)
Therefore,
the overall flag represents that:
Regardless of race, nationality, division
or colour, all sentient beings possess the potential of Buddhahood.
The six colours
are better interpreted as :
1. Blue: signifying the concept
of loving kindness and peace in Buddhism
2. Yellow: signifying the
Middle Path, that is, the complete absence of form and emptiness
3. Red: signifying
achievement, wisdom, virtue, fortune and dignity.
4. White: signifying
purity, emancipation, that the Dharma will always exist regardless
of time or space.
5. *Orange: The
essence of Buddhism which is full of wisdom, strength and dignity.
6. The combination
of these five colours symbolizes that it is the one and only Truth.
The horizontal bars signify peace
and harmony between all races through out the world while the vertical
bars represent eternal peace within the world. In simple terms, the
Buddhist Flag implies that there is no discrimination of races, nationality,
areas or skin colour; that every living being possess the Buddha Nature
and all have the potential to become a Buddha.
This following article
is contributed by Ven. Sobhita Maha Thero.
HISTORY OF THE BUDDHISTS'
FLAG
Flag has been by
people since the infancy of civilization. The purpose of using the flag
is an expression of Identity, Superiority or Victory According to Dhajagga
Sutta of Samyutta Nikaya, the Buddha has given certain instructions
to the monks using the flag (Dhaja) of Sakka, the King Deities as an
illustration. However, in the history of Buddhism, no evidence could
be traced of an internationally accepted Buddhist Flag until 1950.
It was the year
when the World Fellowship of Buddhists met in Colombo, Sri Lanka, where
the present six-coloured Buddhist Flag was officially adopted as the
international Buddhist symbol. The original concept of Buddhist Flagwas
first conceived in the minds of the members of Colombo Buddhist Committee,
some 75 years before the WFB Meeting.And the proposed flag was for the
first time ceremoniously hoisted at a Colombo temple call Dipaduttamaramaya
by Ven. Migettuwatte Gunananda - the well known debater on Vesak Day,
28 April. 1885.
On designing the
flag, credit must be given to the "Colombo Committee" headed by Mr.
Pujita Gunawardhana, as it is mentioned in a local newspaper called
"Sarasavi Sandaresa" on 17 April 1885. Later, Colonel Henry Steele Olcott
- an eminent Buddhist reformer - is said to have redesigned the flag
in the present Shape. Appreciating the work, as an "unique idea of the
Colombo brothers" he suggested the size should be as that of a country
national flag. This was unanimously approved by the superior monks and
the Buddhist committee.
This is how the
flag evolved into the present size from its original "inconvenient shape
of a ship's long flag." Consisted of six colours, the Buddhists' flag
viz. Blue (nila), Yellow (pita), Red (lohita), White (odata), Scarlet
(manjestha), and the mixture of these six colours (prabaswara) are significant
of the rays emanated from the Buddha's Body forming the six coloured
aura system (rasmi mala)
Many
people, including Buddhists, believe that their flag dates back to the
time of Dutugamunu (second-century BC). In fact, the flag was invented
in 1880 by an American journalist, Colonel Henry Steele Olcott.Olcott
was a fascinating character. A former soldier and lawyer, he set up
the Theosophical Society of New York. He
arrived in Sri Lanka with the renowned spiritualist Madame Blavatsky
on 17 February 1880- a day which was subsequently celebrated as Olcott
Day in independent Sri Lanka. He founded the Buddhist Theosophical Society,devised
a Buddhist catechism, encouraged Buddhist versions of Christmas carols
and cards, and inspired the founding of Buddhist schools and the YMBA
- the Young Men's Buddhist Association.
There
are six colours in the flag, but the human eyes can see only five. They
are described in the Scriptures as emanating from the aura around the
Buddha's head. There are 5 vertical stripes of red, yellow, blue, white
and orange. The sixth colour is a compound of the first 5,but for design
purposes its five ingredients are all shown in small horizontal stripes
on the fly.
However,
Olcott felt that local Buddhists in Sri Lanka needed a symbol to rally
around. His flag achieved that: it becamethe emblem of the international
Buddhist movement and is flown today worldwide in Buddhist buildings
and atBuddhist celebrations. When he died in 1907, Olcott's body was
shrouded in both the Buddhist and American flags before his cremation.
Sources:
An Introduction to Buddhism, Peter Harvey, CUP, 1990
Buddhism Transformed: Religious Change in SriLanka, Gombrich & Obeyesekere,
Princetown UP, 1988
A Popular Dictionary of Buddhism, Christmas Humphreys, Curzon,1984
The World of Buddhism, Bechert & Gombrich, Thames & Hudson,
1984
Here is another source
which I had 2nd thought:
The
Buddhist Flag was invented in 1952 at the World's Second Buddhists'
Fellowship Conference which was held in Japan. The flag was invented
to symbolize the special features of Buddhism. Its six colours were
taken from therays which radiated from the Holy Body of the Buddha immediately
after he attained enlightenment underthe Bodhi Tree at Buddhagaya in
India.
5. *
Pink replaced Orange For Burmese Buddhist
Here is a response from
Burma:
The fifth color of the Rays of the Buddha as symbolised in Sasana Flags
adopted in Burma is the light pink although it should be dark red colour,
known in Pali as Manjittha. As you know Mr.Henry S. Alcott originally
suggested the use of the well-defined colours of the Rays associated
with the Enlightenment of the Buddha. I wonder why other countries used
orange colour instead of dark red colour. If I know why we choose the
pink colour, I will let you know. From: Maung Lwin
Another comment from Canada:
Hello, Here is an interpretation of the Buddhist flag that make more
sense and also in agreement with Buddhist teachings. Attaining enlightenment
is seeing beyond our six sensors, eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body and
mind. The mind (or knowledge) is what you have gathered from the first
five. The five colour strips represent the first five sensors and the
sixth one with the combination of the previous five represent the mind.
This suggest that the origin of the flag must be long before Olcott.
I heard this from a "stream winner".
From: M Munidasa
