Time for me to talk more about the Swastika!!!

"Nazi Did Not Invent the Swastika!”

- Swastika has been used as a peaceful symbol for over 2,000 years in many parts of the world -

I wonder how I should go from here after I published the book "The Buddhist Swastika and Hitler's Cross."  My friends have suggested to give talks on swastika symbol at various places.  Based upon the advise, I will start to do so  Please let me know if you want me to speak!!!  You can reach me to my e-mail: tknakagaki@gmail.com.

So, this weekend, I will be speaking on the swastika symbol for Buddhist Summer Camp to various audience - Adult, children, teen and youth, at Chuang Yen Monastery in Camel, NY.  I will see how they will react to my talks.  They are Buddhist groups so I am sure this talk is not so controversial but it is nice for Buddhists to know what the symbol really means.

Research for Swastika symbol has been a great learning lessons for myself. Though I expected to find many swasikas in Asian Buddhist cultures, I did not expect that the swastika has been used in many other parts of the world.

To my surprise, the swastika symbol is the most common symbol among various religions and cultures in the world, and now it is the symbol missing when we have interfaith gatherings.

Why so common?  Is it accident?  Probably not.  Once we realize that the swastika is originally the symbol of the sun, it makes sense that the swastika has been valued in human history.  The sun is the center of our human activity, and source of life on the earth.

Here are some photos of the swastika in ancient society. I took photos when I visited Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC. Explanations are taken from the displays.

Terracotta neck-amphora (storage jar), Euboean (Greece), ca. 560 B.C.

Said to be from Capua

Terracotta tripod kothon (vessel for perfumed oil), Boeotian (Greece), second quarter of the 6th Century B.C.,

Attributed to the Group of Boeotian Dancers

Terracotta neck-amphora, Greek, Fourth quarter of the 8th Century B.C.

Terracotta bowl on high stand, Greek, Fourth quarter of the 8th Century B.C.

 In general, when we say "swastika," it refers to:

To take care of the swastika symbol is to respect our human culture in our world. In my opinion, the swastika is the world heritage symbol in the world.  It is wrong to think that swastika means Nazi's symbol which has known only for 80 years.  The swastika symbol is here with human race over 2500 years. Do you see these swastikas in Greece as evil?  

Peace,

TK

“Nazi Did Not Invent the Swastika!”

- Swastika has been used as a peaceful symbol for over 2,000 years in many parts of the world - 

If you want to know more, read “The Buddhist Swastika and Hitler’s Cross” by T.K. Nakagaki (2017).

😊Website for "The Buddhist Swastika and Hitler's Cross."

Interview by Japanese Media

"Nazi Did Not Invent the Swastika!”

- Swastika has been used as a peaceful symbol for over 2,000 years in many parts of the world -

Here is a interview by Japanese web news - "News Op-ed."  It is about 5 minutes (I talked about my book from 3.30), but basically all in Japanese.  You may try your Japanese ability.

The first part is the Vesak celebration by the Buddhist Council of New York.  The interview part was taken at Chogyesa Korean temple where I teach Dharma class once a month.

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0Bzbn63PiQeyRaUQzb1lEWGJXbGM

I am grateful for Japanese media to include my new book in the interview. Though I originally wrote this book in English, I was able to publish Japanese version earlier in 2013.  It is not a controversial issue in Japan. So it was not much trouble to publish it.  The book has received nice reviews in Japan. 

However here in America, the swastika has to be evil, unfavored and taboo.  That is one of the big reasons that I could not find a publisher.  In fact, I worked with one well-known publisher for 8 months with three editors but at the last stage one of the board members strongly opposed to publish my book.  I can guess why.  The publisher did not tell me who opposed and reasons why my book was refused, even all the editors were ready to publish it.   

This is what I expected to happen somewhere in my mind.  Why we cannot talk about the truth? It is a simple fact that the swastika has been used as a peaceful symbol for over 3,000 years in many parts of the world.  Nazi did not invent the swastika symbol.  What stops revealing true facts of the swastika, and pushes the illusive fact of the swastika symbol?

One of the big problems in our world today, I feel, is that many political leaders try to control the people based upon their ego and their own profits, gathering convenient facts, not based upon the truth.  They even created false fact, and manipulate the truth- it looks like the truth, but not really. This applies to the swastika symbol today in the west. At least I felt a lot of pressures to tell the true facts of the swastika symbol in America. 

There is one another point that I want to draw your attention. IF one steals something, he/she should return it in the same way it was before, with a possible apology.  For me it is simply a manner. In the case of swastika,  who stole the swastika symbol?  Who defiled the symbol? Why original swastika was blamed, instead of apologizing? Isn't it time for the western society to return the symbol where it should belong?

In any case, let us be always mindful to the truth and try not to be deceived by the false, so we do not live our lives, based on delusion, but the truth.  I am sure my book will be a real challenge to your understandings of the swastika symbol. You will see how little you understand the universal peaceful symbol.

Peace,

TK

“Nazi Did Not Invent the Swastika!”

- Swastika has been used as a peaceful symbol for over 2,000 years in many parts of the world - 

If you want to know more, read “The Buddhist Swastika and Hitler’s Cross” by T.K. Nakagaki (2017).

😊Website for "The Buddhist Swastika and Hitler's Cross."

Wonderful Review! Thank you!!!

"Nazi Did Not Invent the Swastika!”

- Swastika has been used as a peaceful symbol for over 2,000 years in many parts of the world -

I found a wonderful review from my long time Muslim friend who lives in West Virginia. Thank you!!!  I am glad to know that she really enjoyed my book.  I want to share her review with you.

5.0 out of 5 starsPOWERFUL AND COMPELLING; A CHALLENGE TO HITLER's LAST LIVING VICTORY OF PROPAGANDAByaminahyaquinon June 1, 2017Format: Paperback|Verified Purchase 

This is a big “little” book. Packed into its 150 pages is a veritable treasure of philosophy, religion, history, sociology and expedited cultural literacy.  

Because it is written so deeply and beautifully, it can be considered an authentically enlightening read by those who engage it as Abraham Joshua Heschel abjured by keeping in mind “the principle…to know what we see rather than to see what we know”. P.140 of the book, a quote from The Prophet.  

One can profitably encounter this work by suspending not one’s disbelief, as in a work of fiction, but one’s knee-jerk, deep-seated prejudices, and this in order to transcend the hideous nature of Hitler’s cultural misappropriation of symbols and concepts that have a vital history in Asia and elsewhere of thousands of years of holiness and beauty in the exact anthesis of meaning to Hitler’s perversions and hate-fueled genocidal ends.  

This work makes a scholarly and decisive foray into holocaust and comparative religious studies in more than one important way, but of particular note is the differentiation completely of Hitler’s hakenkreuz or “hook cross” from the ancient svastika, more commonly in English referred to as the swastika.  

When I visited Germany and saw the prominence of Christian cathedrals and churches in every single town, I wondered how it had been possible that each was not a central sanctuary for the Jews. The description of how the hooked cross or hakenkreuz supplanted the crucifixes is also a history of how the Nazis were corrupted from Christian values to Nazi hatred and it is chilling. Sadly, it is also the story of a good Christian gone amok, for in all my classes in religious studies over the years (and my Fordham degree) I had never read the doctrines of Martin Luther in his 60s, when he became a confirmed anti-Semite, and his last years’ writing fed the Nazi Beast in Germany.  

It is certainly beyond time to redirect the blame from a powerful ancient symbol of achieved virtue that was hijacked by a demagogue who murdered millions to he himself and the virulent fascist mob he intentionally misled and incited.  

As the holocaust survivors and hibakusha, or nuclear bomb survivors encourage us from The Buddhist Swastika and Hitler’s Cross , it becomes incumbent upon us to proactively wrest Hitler’s last victory from him, and restore to our hearts, minds and the knowledge of our lives and souls, the respectful and profoundly positive and sacred meaning of the svastika symbol, by , as so many other cultures have done all along, differentiating it from Hitler’s horribly disfigured hooked cross. 

I personally found the spiritual maturity, generosity and insightful scholarship of this book to be in complete harmony with the nature of its author, T.K. Nakagaki , whom I have known for many years from interfaith work in greater New York.

###

Shotoku Taishi, considered the Father of Japanese Buddhism, and reincarnation of Avalokitesvara (Kannon) to liberate all beings, said "Few human beings are utterly bad. They may be taught to follow it (truth)" - in the Article #2 of Seventeen Article Constitution in 604.  Human has potential to learn, and hope that the people are open to learn the true meaning and important history of Swastika and Aryan, not as illusively created meanings recently in the West. I take the view in Buddhism that all beings are potential to be enlightened.  

卍卍卍

Here are some Swastika  photos I took when I visited south India last fall (2016). 

They were found in the Nagarjunakonda, a historical Buddhist town (3rd Century).

Peace,

TK

“Nazi Did Not Invent the Swastika!”

- Swastika has been used as a peaceful symbol for over 2,000 years in many parts of the world - 

If you want to know more, read “The Buddhist Swastika and Hitler’s Cross” by T.K. Nakagaki (2017).

😊Website for "The Buddhist Swastika and Hitler's Cross."

Swastika in the Buddhist Scriptures

"Nazi Did Not Invent the Swastika!”

- Swastika has been used as a peaceful symbol for over 2,000 years in many parts of the world -

That photos of incense bowl with swastika and the Buddha statue with swastika on its chest (from the last blog) are placed on the Buddhist shrine at Buddhist Education Center where I have regular Dharma gathering on Sundays.

How important is the swastika for Buddhists? Does the Buddhist scriptures describe the swastika?

Many Buddhist scriptures talk about the swastika appearing on the chest of the Buddha. For examples, ...

The Sutra of the Practice and Original Raising『修行本起經』says,

The swastika shows the Buddha’s virtues. 萬字現佛徳。

The Great Jewel-Heap Sutra『大寶積經』says,

Both the front and back of the swastika have auspicious and lucky figures. 表裏皆有吉祥之相卍。

Ocean-like Sutra on Samadhi through Meditation on the Buddha『佛説觀佛三昧海經』states:

Within the swastika sign, revealing the practices with the Buddha’s 84,000 virtues… 於萬字印中。説佛八萬四千諸功徳行。... Those who see the light swastika of Buddha’s chest will remove their one hundred twenty trillions sins of birth-and-death. 見佛胸相光者。除却十二万億劫生死之罪。

From Garland Sutra『大方廣佛華嚴經』states：

From the swastika diamond-like adornment in his heart, spreads a great bright light. 於卍字金剛莊嚴心藏中放大光明。 

You can see that the swastika symbol represents great virtue of the Buddha, and reveal Buddha's teachings and practices like the bright light.

When we are talking about the swastika, we are talking about the very essential qualities of the Buddha. The word "Swastika" is derived from a Sanskrit term "Svastika" - Su (good/well)+ vasti (to be) +ka (prefix). Swastika is being good, opposite of evil/bad.

⇒  See The Buddhist Swastika and Hitler's Cross,  Chapter 1

Painting (Scroll) of the Buddha with Swastika (Chinese Scroll): This scroll was used for the ceremony by American Buddhist Confederation for a special prayer ceremony for Earth, Ocean and Sky in New York. (Photo by TK)

Ryoma-Kannon in Fukuyama City in Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan: My friend from Hiroshima, Japan sent me a photo (Photo by Rev. Kenjo Omori). This is a right turn swastika.

Tian Tan Buddha knows as The Big Buddha Statue in Hong Kong:  I visited there in March 2015.  You see the swastika on the Buddha's chest. (Photo by TK) 

Peace,

TK

“Nazi Did Not Invent the Swastika!”

- Swastika has been used as a peaceful symbol for over 2,000 years in many parts of the world - 

If you want to know more, read “The Buddhist Swastika and Hitler’s Cross” by T.K. Nakagaki (2017).

😊Website for "The Buddhist Swastika and Hitler's Cross."