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TheBuddhist flag is aflag designed in the late 19th century as a universal symbol ofBuddhism.[1] The flag's six vertical bands represent thefive colors of theaura which Buddhists believe emanated from the body of theBuddha when he attainedenlightenment.
The flag was originally designed in 1885 by the Colombo Committee, inColombo,Ceylon (nowSri Lanka). The committee consisted ofVen.Hikkaduwe Sri Sumangala Thera (chairman), Ven.Migettuwatte Gunananda Thera,Don Carolis Hewavitharana (father ofAnagarika 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 publicly hoisted onVesak day, 28 May 1885[1] at the Dipaduttamarama,Kotahena, by Ven. Migettuwatte Gunananda Thera.[3] This was the first Vesak public holiday underBritish rule.[3]
ColonelHenry Steel Olcott, an American journalist, founder and first president of theTheosophical 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 ofnational flags.[1]
In 1889, the modified flag was introduced to Japan by Anagarika Dharmapala and Olcott—who presented it toEmperor Meiji—and subsequently toMyanmar.[4]
At the 1950World Fellowship of Buddhists, the flag of Buddhists was adopted as the International Buddhist Flag.[5]
The flag's six vertical bands represent thesix colors of theaura which Buddhists believe emanated from the body of theBuddha when he attainedEnlightenment:[6][1]
The sixth vertical band, on the fly, is made up of a combination of the five other colors' rectangular bands, and represents a compound of said colors in the aura'sspectrum. This new, compound color is referred to as the Truth of the Buddha's teaching orPabbhassara(lit. 'essence of light').
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In 1963, the Catholic President ofSouth VietnamNgo Dinh Diem invoked a law prohibiting flags other than that of the nation, to ban the Buddhist flag from being flown onVesak, whenVatican flags had habitually flown at government events. This led to protests, which were ended by lethal firing of weapons, starting theBuddhist crisis.[9]
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