‘Symbols; institutional, religious, commercial, are all around us. We respond to them based upon our experiences with the entity that the symbol represents, as well as the visual message conveyed by the graphics and an understood meaning. When an image which has a well-regarded meaning is then subverted or coopted to mean something completely different it creates misunderstanding or misinformation, in some cases it poses existential crises.
So it is with the swastika, an auspicious symbol in Hinduism, used to cleanse and sanctify a place as well as attract good luck, peace and prosperity. It has always been and still is a ritual word used for purification and sanctification. It is one of the 108 symbols of the deity Viṣṇu and represents the sun’s rays.
From the Sanskrit ancient term Svastika, we would get the word Swastika. “Su” means good,” “asti” denotes “to be” (happiness, fortune), and “ka” serves as a suffix.
In Buddhism it is reported that the symbol was placed on Śakyamuni Buddha’s chest by his disciples after his death and is therefore referred to as the ‘Heart’s Seal’. There are swastika figures on the Pillars of Ashoka in the 3rd century CE. With the Silk Road transmission of Buddhism, the Buddhist swastika spread to Tibet and China. Known as a “yung drung” in ancient Tibet, it was a graphical representation of eternity.
In Buddhism, there are many uses of the symbol. is usually found on the images of Buddha on his chest, palms, soles of feet. It is called the WAN symbol in Chinese and MANJI in Japanese. In South and East Asia – If you look at a map of any city you’ll notice many instances of the swastika, indicating the location of a Buddhist temple.
In early Buddhism the symbol represents the Buddha’s footsteps. In fact, it embodies the Dharma Wheel, also known as the Wheel of Law.
The swastika was also utilized by Buddhists to show the start of texts. It is a representation of omnipotence, fortune, and diversity.
The swastika used in Buddhism stands in opposition to the symbol of hate it holds in Euro-America today. In contrast, rather than hate it symbolizes harmony, peace, and well-being.
So how did the symbol of peace, good will, purification etc. become associate with the Nazi symbol that is associated with antisemitism, race hatred, cruelty, persecution, and genocide. There are many ways to understand this.
I will quote Liam Tomás O’Doherty, OSA, in a missive he shared after a conversation with several of his colleagues.
One story attributes the use of the Hakenkreuz, (crooked cross) to the German poet and nationalist, Guido von List in 1910. Others claim that Heinrich Schliemann, discovered the symbol in the site of ancient Troy, and he theorized that it was a symbol of great ancient religious importance to his Germanic ancestors. It became the symbol of the National Socialist Party in 1935.
The National Socialist German Workers’ Party (the Nazi party) adopted the Hakenkreuz (“hooked cross” – they never used the term “Swastika”) in 1920 and used it until the end of WWII in 1945. Twenty-five (25) years. In our day, the neo-Nazis again use the symbol in the same hateful way their predecessors used it a century ago.
But before that, it was widely used as a symbol of good luck in many places in Europe and worldwide.
Here’s where context comes in: The symbol first appears in archeological artifacts going back to the late paleolithic era, around 10,000 BC! That’s 12,000 years, compared with 25 years for the Nazis and for however long the neo-Nazis have been using it. The symbol has turned up not only in south and east Asia and Europe, but also in Africa and even among Native Americans.
I suggest you attend the event listed above to explore this in more depth.
Why is a reclamation of the swastika important? This occurs on several levels. The most immediate is that it is a symbol that is not only revered in the Dharmic traditions (Hindu, Buddhist and Jain). It is integral to the practice of these religions, especially Jain and Hindu. The symbol of the Jains is seen on the below left.
For Hindu’s, representations of the swastika are predominantly displayed during Diwali and other festivals, observances, and celebrations. When neighbors, or people driving by, see the swastika decorations they make incorrect assumptions about the people displaying it. Children have been assaulted in school and in their neighborhoods by other children who thought the Hindu Indian child’s parents were Nazis. See how the swastika is displayed during Diwali on the below right.
This is not inconsequential. Approximately 22% of the world’s population are of the Dharmic traditions, or over 1.4 billion people. By comparison, the population of the United States is a little over 4.2 % or 336 million people.
Up to this date there have been three bills introduced in state legislatures in the U.S. to formally designate the ‘swastika’ a hate symbol. These legislators do not recognize the distinction between the hakenkruez and the swastika. The bills have gone down in defeat because of the concerted efforts of the Hindu and Buddhist communities.
Anti-hate bills need to be passed. Hate crimes have grown disproportionately to crime in general. Antisemitism has spiked in the last six years. The incidents including assault, vandalism and harassment increased by more than a third in just one year and reached nearly 3,700 cases in 2022. (CNN). Anti-Asian hate crimes increased more than 73% in 2020, according to newly corrected FBI data. It’s a disproportionate uptick compared to hate crimes in general, which rose 13 percent. (NBC News)
The reclamation of the swastika begins with education. The anti-hate bills that have been introduced into state legislatures were intended for educational programs in schools. Rather than being forced to defeat bills that designate the swastika as a hate symbol which can then have the untoward effect of marginalizing and even threaten Hindus, Jains and Buddhist, programs that make a distinction between the swastika and hakenkruez can be passed.
By making a distinction between a symbol of light, peace and prosperity contrasted to one of bigotry, racial animus and hatred, we begin to reclaim a millennia old symbol of hope and good will. Simultaneously we have an opportunity to inform people about these traditions that are growing in North America and around the world.
If you live in the Capital District of New York join us at the Hindu temple in Albany this month, to learn more about the significance of the swastika in the Dharmic traditions and why this important. Tendai Buddhist Institute is one of the sponsors of the event.
Symbols are a visual language that orient how we perceive our physical and social environments. Learning more about this issue will provide you with a new perspective on a precious Dharmic teaching.
With Love and Gassho . . . Monshin