Ruins of a stupa containing the Buddha's relics

C. Buddhist Iconography — the Lotus, the 卍 Symbol, the Dharma Wheel and the Buddhist Flag

　　Buddhist imageries, representing the teachings of the Buddha, are often found carved on the walls of different Buddhist architectures, including the temple and the pagoda. The lotus, for example, symbolizes not only purity and openness, but also the state of enlightenment. Moreover, the Buddha's disciples—monastics and laity alike—were often depicted as sitting atop of the lotus to show the purity of their cultivation and the undefiled state of their minds.
　　卍 or “srivatsalaksana” is a traditional Indian symbol of auspiciousness, which often appears on the palms of the Buddha, the soles of his feet or his chest in Buddhist art. It is used to symbolize the Buddha nature that is inherent in the minds of every sentient being and the Buddhas as well.
　　“The Dharma Wheel” symbolizes the Buddha's teachings. When it is set in motion, it represents the spread of the Dharma as the sounds of the teaching reach every corner of every realm.
　　“The Buddhist Flag” has five colored vertical stripes and five colored horizontal stripes, representing the various aspects of the Buddha's teachings. While the vertical stripes are used to symbolize the unceasing nature of the Dharma, the five colors are chosen for their symbolic meanings:
· Blue: represents the undefiled mind and inner strength in seeking the Dharma from the Buddha, symbolizing the root of mindfulness and wisdom
· Yellow: represents a mind that is like the radiance of the Buddha's loving-kindness and compassion, symbolizing the diamond-like wisdom.
· Red: represents the diligent and unrelenting practices of the Buddha's teachings, symbolizing loving-kindness, compassion, and the one-pointed concentration of the mind in cultivation.
· White: represents the eradication of afflictions and oppression with a pure, undefiled mind, symbolizing wisdom of purity.
· Orange: represents tolerance for all kinds of humiliation and the safeguard against digression from the right path in life, symbolizing the wisdom of magnanimity.
　　Who officially designated the Buddhist flag? It was officially accepted as the International Buddhist Flag by the 1954 “World Buddhist Congress” in Sri Lanka, and has since been used uniformly in every Buddhist country.
　　Therefore, when we see depictions of people paying homage to the stupa, the Buddha's footprints, the bodhi tree or the diamond throne on Buddhist architecture and ancient artifacts, they are engaging in the auspicious act of faith and devotion by paying homage to the Buddha himself.

Stone Dharma Wheel ／ Bangkok National Museum Collection, Thailand	The Buddhist flag