Buddhist Flag
First raised in 1880 on the soil of Sri Lanka, the Buddhist flag has since expanded in both representation and presentation. Today, the flag is flown across the globe on behalf of all followers of Buddha and his beliefs.
The design of the flag is a display of Buddha’s path to enlightenment whereby he was surrounded by an aura made up of five colors (blue, yellow, red, white, orange), all representing facets of the Buddhist faith.
The design and interpretation of the flag have taken on variations from region to region. In Tibet, monks wear maroon robes, as it is believed to represent a fusion of all flag colors, and thus elements of Buddhism. In Japan, the orange stripe is replaced with a pink one, commonly known as the Jodo Shinshu Sect of the Buddhist religion.
Highly recognizable not only by the color but the pattern, which is made up of five long horizontal lines followed by five vertical squares.
2010 Copyright, Jennifer Campos
