THE ORIGIN AND MEANING OF THE BUDDHIST FLAG

Buddhism is a religion of humility, focus on spirituality and wisdom, aims to liberate people from the world of volatility and suffering. Buddhism does not advocate the supremacy struggle, consolidation or expansion forces in the world affected this impermanence. Buddhism does not see heavy colorful forms and symbols, so the Buddhist flag has what role and position it like in the context of Buddhism today. For more than two thousand five hundred years of history Dharma Buddhist flag appeared when and where, what is its significance?
Buddhism originated flag

Buddhist flag we see today was born in 1880 in Ceylon (Sri Lanka). People with opinions giving Buddhism a flag is a former US Army colonel: Henry Steel Olcoott.

He arrived in Sri Lanka Olcoott first time in 1879, and shortly thereafter he became very passionate Buddhist. In 1880 he returned to Sri Lanka and the Colombo Buddhist Commission proposal gives Buddhism a flag. The form and color of the flag comes from his creative mind Olcoot, based on six halo of Buddha and the colors of the rainbow. The flag also symbolizes Luc, immediately six lines can regenerate or six types of all beings in samsara.

The flag was officially accepted on Sri Lankan soil on the occasion of Buddha's birthday April 28, 1885. However, sales to the date May 25, 1950, during an international Buddhist conference in Colombo (Sri Lanka ), with 26 participating countries, the new five-color flag was formally and unanimously approved, the unified voice of the Buddhist world.

Today, a common flag for all of Buddhism - the symbol of Peace, Compassion and Wisdom, regardless of color and race, without distinction between humans and other life all - was waving MOT in the territory of more than 50 countries worldwide. February 24 in 1951 monks Su Lien, representing the world's Buddhist Commission in Vietnam, to attend the Colombo conference had personally brought this precious flag of our homeland.

FORMS FLAG

Flag rectangle, divided into six sections vertically. Colors include shades of the rainbow, but only five selected colors: blue, yellow, red, white, orange (or saffron), sixth striped flag represents the synthesis of the color respectively. So Friday stripes repeat all five colors, but put horizontally.

Documents relating to the original proposal of Mr. H.S. Olcoott explanation of the flag because he suggested is indeed hard to find. These documents can still be kept in the archives of Ceylon (?). This article is based on a number of recent documents of the West. In the document it, how to interpret the color seems less coherent or use words not fit for much Dharma. Here is a summary of the symbolic meaning of the colors:

1) Blue color symbolizes «Meditation».

2) The color yellow symbolizes the "right thinking", could be «The thinking» (?) In the Noble Eightfold Path.

3) Red stands for "spiritual vitality" (?).

4) White symbolizes the «Faith» (?).

5) orange or saffron symbolize «intelligence» (?), This is also «Wisdom» (?).

6) Color Friday, synthesis of the color just mentioned, represents «acts without any discrimination".

The above documents may also have been based on his suggestions Olcoott (?). Anyway, the flag is only a symbol, and the meaning that we assign to it is because of us. The meaning of the flag will be a wider discussion in the second part of the article.

HENRY STEEL OLCOOTT, WHO ARE YOU?

At least H.S. Olcoott nor is it a totally anonymous. He was born on 2 - August 1832 in New Jersey (USA) in a very Protestant family and religious discipline. Right from childhood days his parents encouraged his interest in spiritual matters. His father was a merchant, but in 1951, the family went bankrupt, and he had to leave the university. After a hiatus education and living off relatives in Ohio, he returned to college and become an agricultural expert. He wrote reports and scientific research. Married in 1860, four children were born, but later the couple divorced in 1874.


When the American Civil War occurred, he joined the federal army, hold administrative positions rather important. To 1865, he applied for demobilized and returned to study law and become a lawyer. He continued writing.

1874 marked a major turning point in his life. That year was 42, he met a woman who is very strange and special, and the two friends together. Mrs. Helene Petrovna Blavatsky That is, a woman originally from Russia, belonging to a very noble family - perhaps even noble than the tsar's family at the time. She was very interested in mystical matters, had traveled many places in the world, including India and Tibet and wrote many books. Madame Blavatsky and Mr. Olcoott with one more friend William Quan Judge is standing up founded the Theosophical Society, a tradition that includes all religions. Olcoott He was elected President of this Assembly.

In 1878, the headquarters of the Theosophical Society in Adyar was transferred from the US, a province on the outskirts of Madras in India. This head office is still in operation to this day. But what is raised above all he Olcoott and Madame Blavatsky to the country on January Meters May 16, 1880, and the public is welcome Colombo very solemn because they had known him or had heard about him from before . May 25, he Olcoott and Blavatsky came to kneel in front of a giant Buddha statue at the temple and sung in English Wijananda Pa-li vows questions about Tam regulations (the Buddha, the refuge in the Dharma, Sangha ) and the five precepts (do not kill, do not steal, do not commit adultery, do not say nonsense, not drunk), to obtain refuge.

Public opinion generally attributed to the time he was nicknamed the "white Buddhists". Indeed he was one of the first Americans had taken refuge. Then, although he went to Sri Lanka several times, and each time only remain for a short time, he has established many Buddhist universities, such as the Ananda and Nalanda University, the Buddhist College Visakha Vidyalaya and Dharmaraja school ..., a total of nearly 400 Buddhist schools. He helps people recover traditional Sri Lankan Buddhism, against foreign influence by British colonists introduced to Sri Lanka. In addition, he has fans all movement against British colonial rule over this land. In July the same year, ie 1880, he left Colombo as a hero of the nation Sri Lanka. Then he turned back to the 1881, 1882 and 1884. In 1884 he left Sri Lanka he came straight London and demanded the British government to implement his six terms given in advocacy purposes Buddhists Meters lan oppressed and restricted living Buddha on their homeland. British authorities accepted only two terms only. The facts recounted above only the sole purpose of his presentation Olcoott enthusiasm for Buddhism in general and for Sri Lankan Buddhists in particular only. Not only did he have the advocate and help restore Buddhism to Sri Lanka but also pave the way for Buddhism in America anymore.

He died on February 17, 1907 at Adyar. It was up on him an American flag and a flag bearing the Buddhist then cremated. Since then, February 17 has become one of Sri Lanka holidays. Pupils and students together with the monks, Buddhism holds flag march, and laid a wreath at the foot of the offering memorandum memorial to his merit. Today, a major street in Colombo that bears his name.

1874 marked a major turning point in his life. That year was 42, he met a woman who is very strange and special, and the two friends together. Mrs. Helene Petrovna Blavatsky That is, a woman originally from Russia, belonging to a very noble family - perhaps even noble than the tsar's family at the time. She was very interested in mystical matters, had traveled many places in the world, including India and Tibet and wrote many books. Madame Blavatsky and Mr. Olcoott with one more friend William Quan Judge is standing up founded the Theosophical Society, a tradition that includes all religions. Olcoott He was elected President of this Assembly.

In 1878, the headquarters of the Theosophical Society in Adyar was transferred from the US, a province on the outskirts of Madras in India. This head office is still in operation to this day. But what is raised above all he Olcoott and Madame Blavatsky to the country on January Meters May 16, 1880, and the public is welcome Colombo very solemn because they had known him or had heard about him from before . May 25, he Olcoott and Blavatsky came to kneel in front of a giant Buddha statue at the temple and sung in English Wijananda Pa-li vows questions about Tam regulations (the Buddha, the refuge in the Dharma, Sangha ) and the five precepts (do not kill, do not steal, do not commit adultery, do not say nonsense, not drunk), to obtain refuge.

Public opinion generally attributed to the time he was nicknamed the "white Buddhists". Indeed he was one of the first Americans had taken refuge. Then, although he went to Sri Lanka several times, and each time only remain for a short time, he has established many Buddhist universities, such as the Ananda and Nalanda University, the Buddhist College Visakha Vidyalaya and Dharmaraja school ..., a total of nearly 400 Buddhist schools. He helps people recover traditional Sri Lankan Buddhism, against foreign influence by British colonists introduced to Sri Lanka. In addition, he has fans all movement against British colonial rule over this land. In July the same year, ie 1880, he left Colombo as a hero of the nation Sri Lanka. Then he turned back to the 1881, 1882 and 1884. In 1884 he left Sri Lanka he came straight London and demanded the British government to implement his six terms given in advocacy purposes Buddhists Meters lan oppressed and restricted living Buddha on their homeland. British authorities accepted only two terms only. The facts recounted above only the sole purpose of his presentation Olcoott enthusiasm for Buddhism in general and for Sri Lankan Buddhists in particular only. Not only did he have the advocate and help restore Buddhism to Sri Lanka but also pave the way for Buddhism in America anymore.

He died on February 17, 1907 at Adyar. It was up on him an American flag and a flag bearing the Buddhist then cremated. Since then, February 17 has become one of Sri Lanka holidays. Pupils and students together with the monks, Buddhism holds flag march, and laid a wreath at the foot of the offering memorandum memorial to his merit. Today, a major street in Colombo that bears his name.

THE MEANING OF THE BUDDHIST FLAG

How to explain the colors of the flag as described in the section above are based on several documents in French. In some documents in English, the other explanations than slightly, but still lack a coherent and unified. The following are common interpretations:

1) BLUE color symbolizes compassion.

2) YELLOW symbolizes the Middle Way.

3) RED stands for Ethics.

4) WHITE symbolizes the Dharma beyond space and time.

5) ORANGE symbolizes wisdom.

6) THE COMBINATION COLOR (the 6th color ) represents the absolute truth.

For some reason there are differences in the symbolic meaning of colors as shown, so we should not be so focused and precise in explaining each color. Consider Buddhist flag symbolizing Buddha's halo is enough. Scripture says that when Buddha attained enlightenment under the Bodhi tree, then his body became bright, bright light is shone on the head of the Buddha wide, forming a six-color radiant halo.

The flag is divided into six sections, or six vertical stripes, can symbolize the six types of beings, animals or the Clerk Clerk religion news (hell, hungry ghosts, animals, people, Asura and disasters) . Striped Friday synthesis of five colors, symbolizing harmony, does not distinguish between all beings. Buddhist flags such non-discriminatory nationality, color and race between people, but also advocated respect and harmony all forms and forms of life.

We can also see the Buddhist flag is the light of the rainbow. The colors on the flag are the colors of the rainbow. For Tibetan Buddhists, the rainbow symbolizes sambhogakaya (Sambhogakaya), or the embodiment of Buddha, the form of the Buddha.

After all, everyone will find a little of their national flag on the five-color flag of Buddhism. Buddhist flags do not pull up to identify or mark territory at all, it can only be pulled up in a very large place, a borderless Jiangshan, beyond all contention. Jiangshan Jiangshan were of compassion and generosity, of love and hope. Jiangshan that such large and vast space.

Nor Buddhist flag represents a doctrine or a pride at all. Buddhist flag is a symbol of peace, not a drop of blood stained, of a drop of blood, whether small creatures and most trivial. Buddhist flag was hoisted to remind us just sacrifice everything for the welfare and happiness of humanity and all living beings.

The flag does not call and do not provoke me to exhale to cope with an enemy at all. For Buddhists, the dangerous enemies and the most difficult to conquer an enemy who dwells within my mind, lurking in my body. Enemies in mind is ignorance, hatred, greed and attachment; enemies lurking in the body is bestial instincts of us.

CONCLUDE

A flag in general, just an icon and we can give it any meaning we like. For the Buddhist flag, so can we also see it with many cheerful colors that look like an ornament in the entrance, the door or on the Buddhist altar.

But who knows that, at some point, when we look at the Buddhist flag, our mind will suddenly lit up the aura of the Buddha, bright and colorful.

When I saw the flag, suddenly I will shop can get all six types of beings: from ghosts, demons hungry animals, from humans to saints and celestial beings, without distinction, not hate, no hatred or jealousy. It all came to me was fumbled in the darkness, like walking in a dream stay. Then our mind is agitated strongly by boundless compassion and wished we sow our love throughout the six realms of samsara.

Or maybe seeing Buddhist flags, our mind suddenly saw a light rainbow harmony, connecting our mind and the mind of the Buddha.

Only when done so, then perhaps then we may they have the strength to fully understand the true meaning of the Buddhist flag was.

Source: Hoasen library

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