‘I’m the symbol of all Buddhists’
Early Buddhist texts contain
evidence to show that my ancestors have participated in many religious
events in India from ancient times. So there is no doubt that my origin
is in India. I am known as a piece of material, my body shape oblong or
square representing as an identity of a country’s emblem named flag.
  Flags are commonly used in various cultures, for both secular and
religious purposes. References show that they were used not only by men
but also by gods and other super-human beings. The Sakka king of gods as
well and other leading gods had their own flags. Buddhist texts mention
that the devotees used flags to honour the Bodhi-tree in India.
The branch of the sacred Bodhi-tree was brought to Sri Lanka
beautifully decorated with multicoloured flags. In keeping with this
age-old tradition of using flags, the Buddhists in Sri Lanka have
evolved a flag of their own to symbolise religious piety, solidarity and
unity. In the latter part of the 19th century, some eminent Buddhist
leaders, both clergy and lay, formed an organisation called the Colombo
Committee.
It is the committee which created me, the Buddhist flag made up of 6
colours. They paid attention to my well-being. Care and attention was
paid in transforming my body to a beautiful figure. A standard size was
adopted, similar to the size of the national flag. The first five
colours were long narrow bands of equal size in the following order -
blue, yellow, crimson, white and scarlet.
The 6th colour which is made up of a combination of the above five
colours is in the form of more squarely bands with blue at the beginning
and scarlet at the end. The early Buddhist texts records that the Buddha
possessed 32 signs. One of these signs are the aura-rays of splendour
and lustre emanating from his whole body. These colours have been
considered by Buddhists as a denoting sanctity of the great being the
Buddha. So the Colombo Committee was quite right in selecting these
colours for the Buddhist flag.
The first occasion of my appearance in public was when I was hoisted
at the temple Dipaduttamarama in Kotahena on Vesak Full Moon day which
fell on May 28, 1885. Besides its religious significance, another event
of great importance to the Buddhists of Sri Lanka marked the first
occasion under British rule of celebrating the Vesak full moon day as a
public holiday.
 By now I have undergone minor changes in my figure on the suggestion
of Henry Steel Olcott, who pioneered Buddhist education in Sri Lanka.
Modifications were made accordingly and unanimously approved by the
leading monks of the time.
I felt happy and proud as my picture appeared in the front pages of
leading newspapers in Sri Lanka. It is this modified flag that is now
used for all Buddhist functions.
This flag was introduced to Japan in 1889 by Anagarika Dharmapala and
Henry Steel Olcott and subsequently introduced to Burma. I still feel
young and proud as my 125th birthday falls on Adhi Vesak Full Moon day
on April 28, 2010.
The Buddhist flag that originated in Sri Lanka has been enjoying
international recognition as the emblem and symbol of Buddhist piety,
unity and solidarity and has now become the flag of all Buddhists around
the world.
- Tissa Hewavitarane
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