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Sunday, 25 April 2010

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‘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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