| Part of a series on |
| Buddhism |
|---|
 |
![The Buddhist flag alongside Dharmachakra flags (Thai Buddhist flag) and Thai flags in Wat Hiranyawat [th], Thailand (October 2021) Wat Hiranyawat (Temple of the Woven Buddha) wadhirayyaawaas (wadphrasaan aemsaay) - img 05.jpg](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/42/%28October_2021%29_Wat_Hiranyawat_%28Temple_of_the_Woven_Buddha%29_%E0%B8%A7%E0%B8%B1%E0%B8%94%E0%B8%AB%E0%B8%B4%E0%B8%A3%E0%B8%B1%E0%B8%8D%E0%B8%8D%E0%B8%B2%E0%B8%A7%E0%B8%B2%E0%B8%AA_%28%E0%B8%A7%E0%B8%B1%E0%B8%94%E0%B8%9E%E0%B8%A3%E0%B8%B0%E0%B8%AA%E0%B8%B2%E0%B8%99_%E0%B9%81%E0%B8%A1%E0%B9%88%E0%B8%AA%E0%B8%B2%E0%B8%A2%29_-_img_05.jpg/220px-%28October_2021%29_Wat_Hiranyawat_%28Temple_of_the_Woven_Buddha%29_%E0%B8%A7%E0%B8%B1%E0%B8%94%E0%B8%AB%E0%B8%B4%E0%B8%A3%E0%B8%B1%E0%B8%8D%E0%B8%8D%E0%B8%B2%E0%B8%A7%E0%B8%B2%E0%B8%AA_%28%E0%B8%A7%E0%B8%B1%E0%B8%94%E0%B8%9E%E0%B8%A3%E0%B8%B0%E0%B8%AA%E0%B8%B2%E0%B8%99_%E0%B9%81%E0%B8%A1%E0%B9%88%E0%B8%AA%E0%B8%B2%E0%B8%A2%29_-_img_05.jpg)
The Buddhist flag is a flag designed in the late 19th century as a universal symbol of Buddhism. [1] The flag's six vertical bands represent the five colors of the aura which Buddhists believe emanated from the body of the Buddha when he attained enlightenment.
The flag was originally designed in 1885 by the Colombo Committee, in Colombo, Ceylon (now Sri Lanka ). The committee consisted of Ven. Hikkaduwe Sri Sumangala Thera (chairman), Ven. Migettuwatte Gunananda Thera, Don Carolis Hewavitharana (father of Anagarika 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 on Vesak day, 28 May 1885 [1] at the Dipaduttamarama, Kotahena, by Ven. Migettuwatte Gunananda Thera. [3] This was the first Vesak public holiday under British rule. [3]
Colonel Henry Steel Olcott, an American journalist, founder and first president of the Theosophical 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 of national flags. [1]
In 1889, the modified flag was introduced to Japan by Anagarika Dharmapala and Olcott—who presented it to Emperor Meiji—and subsequently to Burma. [4]
At the 1950 World Fellowship of Buddhists, the flag of Buddhists was adopted as the International Buddhist Flag. [5]
The flag's six vertical bands represent the six colors of the aura which Buddhists believe emanated from the body of the Buddha when he attained Enlightenment: [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's spectrum. This new, compound color is referred to as the Truth of the Buddha's teaching or Pabbhassara (lit. 'essence of light').
 | This section needs additional citations for verification .(October 2018) |
In 1963, the Catholic President of South Vietnam Ngo Dinh Diem invoked a law prohibiting flags other than that of the nation, to ban the Buddhist flag from being flown on Vesak, when Vatican flags had habitually flown at government events. This led to protests, which were ended by lethal firing of weapons, starting the Buddhist crisis. [8]
Anagārika Dharmapāla was a Sri Lankan Buddhist revivalist and a writer.
Balangoda Ananda Maitreya Thero was a Sri Lankan Buddhist monk who was one of the most distinguished scholars and expositors of Theravada Buddhism in the twentieth century. He was highly respected by Sri Lankan Buddhists, who believed that he had achieved a higher level of spiritual development. Sri Lankan Buddhists also considered Balangoda Ananda Maitreya Thero as a Bodhisattva, who will attain Buddhahood in a future life.
The Maha Bodhi Society is a South Asian Buddhist society presently based in Kolkata, India. Founded by the Sri Lankan Buddhist leader Anagarika Dharmapala and the British journalist and poet Sir Edwin Arnold, its first office was in Bodh Gaya. The organization's efforts began in order to resuscitate Buddhism in India, and to restore the ancient Buddhist shrines at Bodh Gaya, Sarnath and Kushinara. The restoration and revival of the glory and sanctity of Bodh Gaya are also aims of Maha Bodhi Society.
Theravada Buddhism is the largest and official religion of Sri Lanka, practiced by 70.2% of the population as of 2012. Practitioners of Sri Lankan Buddhism can be found amongst the majority Sinhalese population as well as among the minority ethnic groups. Sri Lankan Buddhists share many similarities with Southeast Asian Buddhists, specifically Myanmar Buddhists and Thai Buddhists due to traditional and cultural exchange. Sri Lanka is one of five nations with a Theravada Buddhist majority.
In Buddhism, the Seven Factors of Awakening are:
The brahmavihārā is a series of four Buddhist virtues and the meditation practices made to cultivate them. They are also known as the four immeasurables or four infinite minds. The brahmavihārā are:
Bhikkhu Bodhi, born Jeffrey Block, is an American Theravada Buddhist monk ordained in Sri Lanka. He teaches in the New York and New Jersey area. He was appointed the second president of the Buddhist Publication Society and has edited and authored several publications grounded in the Theravada Buddhist tradition.
Theosophical teachings have borrowed some concepts and terms from Buddhism. Some theosophists like Helena Blavatsky, Helena Roerich and Henry Steel Olcott also became Buddhists. Henry Steel Olcott helped shape the design of the Buddhist flag. Tibetan Buddhism was popularised in the West at first mainly by Theosophists including Evans-Wentz and Alexandra David-Neel.
Sri Lanka is officially a Buddhist country, while Sri Lankans practice a variety of religions. As of the 2012 census, 70.2% of Sri Lankans were Buddhists, 12.6% were Hindus, 9.7% were Muslims, 7.4% were Christians. Buddhism is declared as the State religion of Sri Lanka and has been given special privileges in the Sri Lankan constitution such as the government is bound for protection and fostering of Buddhist Dharma throughout the nation. However, the constitution also provides for freedom of religion and right to equality among all its citizens. In 2008 Sri Lanka was the third most religious country in the world according to a Gallup poll, with 99% of Sri Lankans saying religion is an important part of their daily life.
Nyanaponika Thera or Nyanaponika Mahathera was a Sri Lankan Theravada Buddhist monk and scholar who, after ordaining in Sri Lanka, later became the co-founder of the Buddhist Publication Society and author of numerous seminal books and articles on Theravada Buddhism. He mentored and taught a whole generation of Western Buddhist leaders such as Bhikkhu Bodhi.
Pūrṇa Maitrāyanīputra, also simply known as Pūrṇa, was an arhat and one of the ten principal disciples of Gautama Buddha, foremost in preaching the dharma.
Don Carolis Hewavitharane Wijeyaguneratne (Sinhala: දොන් කරෝලිස් හේවාවිතාරණ)(1833 – 18 February 1906) was a Ceylonese businessman, industrialist, philanthropist and a pioneer of the Buddhist revival movement. He was the father of Anagarika Dharmapala, and founded a family of considerable influence.
Muhandiram Lansage Andiris Perera Dharmagunawardhana was a Sri Lankan businessman, a philanthropist, and a pioneer of the Buddhist revival movement. He was the grandfather of Anagarika Dharmapala.
Venerable Mapalagama Wipulasara Maha Thera was a Theravada Buddhist monk in Sri Lanka. He was also an artist and sculptor who has gained fame through his sculptures of Buddha statues that are worshiped in many places within Sri Lanka and abroad. He has held Exhibitions in Soviet Russia and China in the years 1961 and 1963 respectively.
Ven. Migettuwatte Gunananda Thera or Mohottiwatte Gunananda Thera was a Sri Lankan Sinhala Buddhist orator. He is known for leading the Buddhist side in debates between Buddhists and Christians in Baddegama, Udanwita, Waragoda, Liyanagemulla, Gampola, and Panadura, where the most famous of the debates took place. As a result of the debates, Buddhism in Sri Lanka saw a revival.
The Sri Lanka Maha Bodhi Centre is a Sri Lankan Buddhist establishment in Chennai, India. It is located in Egmore. It is run by the Sri Lanka Maha Bodhi Society and serves as a monument of friendship between Sri Lanka and India.
Hikkaduwe Sri Sumangala Thera was a Sri Lankan Buddhist monk, who was one of the pioneers of Sri Lankan Buddhist revivalist movement in the 19th century. He did a great service to improve the Buddhist Education in the country and was the founder of Vidyodaya Pirivena, Maligakanda in 1873, which was granted the university status later in 1959 by the Government of Sri Lanka. A veteran author and a fiery orator, he was a major figure in the Panadurawadaya, a religious debate held between Christian missionaries and Buddhist monks in 1873 at Panadura, Sri Lanka. He was well versed in Sinhala, Pali, Sanskrit, English, Buddhism, history, arithmetic, and archaeology and was one of the primary sources of information on Buddhism for the success of the Panadura debate.
The history of Theravāda Buddhism begins in ancient India, where it was one of the early Buddhist schools which arose after the first schism of the Buddhist monastic community. After establishing itself in the Sri Lankan Anuradhapura Kingdom, Theravāda spread throughout mainland Southeast Asia through the efforts of missionary monks and Southeast Asian kings.
