International Buddhist Flag

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 colors; Blue (nila), Yellow (pita), Red (lohita), White (odata), Scarlet (manjestha), and the mixture of these six colors (prabaswara) of the flag represent the colors 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 colors 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 Color 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 color, all sentient beings possess the potential of Buddhahood.

The six colors are better interpreted as :

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 color; that every living being possess the Buddha Nature and all have the potential to become a Buddha.

This following article was 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-colored Buddhist Flag was officially adopted as the international Buddhist symbol. The original concept of Buddhist Flag was 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 colors, the Buddhists' flag viz. Blue (nila), Yellow (pita), Red (lohita), White (odata), Scarlet (manjestha), and the mixture of these six colors (prabaswara) are significant of the rays emanated from the Buddha's Body forming the six colored aura system (rasmi mala)

By Ven. Sobhita Maha Thero (MA Ph.D.)

Religious Adviser

Bodhiraja Buddhist Society

No 3 Jalan Ulu Siglap

Singapore 457122

Tel : (+65)64453007

Email: bodhiraj@singnet.com.sg

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 colors 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 color 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 became the emblem of the international Buddhist movement and is flown today worldwide in Buddhist buildings and at Buddhist 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 Sri Lanka, 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 colors were taken from the rays which radiated from the Holy Body of the Buddha immediately after he attained enlightenment under the Bodhi Tree at Buddhagaya in India.

5* Here is a response from Burma:

The fifth color of the Rays of the Buddha as symbolized in Sasana Flags adopted in Burma is the light pink although it should be dark red color, known in Pali as Manjittha. As you know Mr. Henry S. Olcott originally suggested the use of the well-defined colors of the Rays associated with the Enlightenment of the Buddha. I wonder why other countries used orange color instead of dark red color. If I know why we choose the pink color, I will let you know.

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 color 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".