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Buddhism

by zeljko heimer 04-JUL-1996

'Standard' Buddhist Flag
On Importance of Flags in Buddhism
Soka Gakai

'Standard' Buddhist Flag

It has Blue-Yellow-Red-White-Orange vertical stripes, each 1/6 of the distance from the hoist. The sixth stripe (? ) consists of 5 horizonial stripes of same color starting from the top. The right hand vertical orange stripe merges with the bottom horz. orange stripe. This is the flag depicted on the FLAG CHART published by Shipmate and authenticated by the Flag Research Center.
william grimes-wyatt 22-JAN-1996

On Importance of Flags in Buddhism

"FLAG is a recurring item of buddhist cult, dangling from the ceiling or temples' columns inside, or from a pole outside. Flags represent Buddha's virtues and mark out for him, in the same manner the military flags signalize the army's chief; flags also stand guard at Buddha's pictures. Buddhist scriptures list five types of flags: lion's, Makara monster's, dragon's, Garuda bird's, bull's. Flag is a traditional offering to Buddha by the devoutes, together with flowers and incense. At the same time flag represents the virtues of Buddha and the virtues the devout wants to obtain, therefore flag has a very important ritual meaning: it can prolong devout's life in order to let him/her increases his/her merits. This is the case of Indian Emperor Asoka (272-231 b.C.) who lived 12 years more after a serious illness so he could build new other reliquaries (stupa). A flag dangling into a temple at the moment of a devout's death, adds merits to him/her and even makes him/her be born again in on of Buddha's paradises. In fact flags are ornaments of famous Buddha Amithaba's paradise. In Tantric Buddhism adepts' head is touched by a flag, as it was an unction."

from "Enciclopedia delle Religioni", Garzanti, Milano 1989 (italian translation of "Knaurs grosser Religion fuehrer", Muenchen 1986)
giuseppe bottasini 3-DEC-1994

Soka Gakai

Soka Gakai International is a Buddhist lay organization in many nations of the world. In the past few years, the organizaton has flown a Blue-Yellow-Red vertical tri-colour. It is flown both in the US and in Japan. I am not sure about the UK or Germany. Groups with in the organization have had many flags, all dark blue with central white emblems.

bruce ward 2-APR-1996