#Buddhism #Swastika #Interfaith #Symbol #Dialogue & #Peace

This is a blog about TK's "The Buddhist Swastika and Hitler's Cross." #Swastika has a long history over a span of several thousand years as one of the world's most important auspicious symbols. However, beginning with its hijacking and misappropriation by Nazi Germany, it has also been used, and continues to be used, as a symbol of hate in the Western World. I hope to encourage more conversation and dialogue about this symbol as a way to peace, mutual understanding and reconciliation.

Sunday, January 24, 2021

L-Manji: Light of Peace to ALL #03 (English)

L-Manji #03 is available now to watch! Enjoy it and have a good weekend!

Saturday, January 9, 2021

New Year Greeting by Rev. TK Nakagaki

New Year's Greeting!

May the year 2021 be filled with happiness and peace, overcoming the difficulties from the Covid 19 pandemic.

With palms together,

TK Nakagaki

L-Manji 01 English 　”Breathe Deep”

Happy New Year!

This is the year we will resume various business in sharing the positive swastika.

L-Manji: Manji (10,000=countless) symbolizes the "sun." Countless lights from the sun break darkness, bring warmth, nurture all lives, and provide us energy. May the light of hope, wisdom, peace and compassion embrace us all. Let us work together to bring peace in our society, our world and our planet.

This is a New series of 2021 video for peace making. Because of the Corona pandemic, all the people on this planet has suffered last year, and we need to have strength, energy and peace in our mindful heart this year. That is why I have decided to make videos for peaceful mind this year. Hope my video(s) will help people who need to stabilize their mind and their lives.

With palms together,

Saturday, August 25, 2018

Now, I am back and my book will be republished in September 2018!!!

"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 -

My newly republished book (Sept 2018)

How have you been? I have not posted a post on this site for a while. Sorry but there is a reason to stop. Some of you may remember but my talk about my book of "the Buddhist Swastika and Hitler's Cross" was covered by the New Yorker Magazine in August last year ( "The History of a Controversial Symbol" ), and after that, i received an e-mail from Stone Bridge Press saying that they are interested in republishing my book. And then I agreed to republish it from the Stone Bridge Press, which also meant that I need to stop selling at Amazon and other places until my new version of the book is available.

Now, I can announce that my book "The Buddhist Swastika and Hitler's Cross" will be republished from Stone Bridge Press with additional subtitle "Rescuing a Symbol of Peace from the Forces of Hate." It will be available next month, September 25, 2018 !!! The cover page design is also different. I hope that you like it.

By the way, If you have my older black & white version of the book, it is now a rare item. Only two hundred books exist in this universe. If you have my older colored version, it is really rare. Only fifty copies exist in the entire universe!

Since my book will be republish soon, I will re-start my blog. I did not give up promoting the education of the Swastika symbol vs Hakenkreuz (Hitler's Hooked-Cross). I hope that you can join me to my blog again.

Here is a link to Stone Bridge Press as well as Amazon.com
I also created my book page which offers not only explanation about the book, but also see the updated events related my book.

Peace,

T.K.

“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”

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

Wednesday, October 25, 2017

Sad to see another hate crime incident

"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 -

Last week, CBS News (Oct.18, 2017) reported: "Staten Island Neighborhood Shocked After Swastika, Anti-Semitic Graffiti Are Scrawled On Garage."
http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2017/10/18/staten-island-swastika-garage/

it is always sad to see that the people hate other people because of their racial, sexual or religious orientation, and sad for me to see that the swastika symbol is used for hate crime or discrimination against a particular race. The original symbol of swastika that the Buddhists and Hinds have been used for over two thousand years is a sacred symbol with positive meaning - "good luck" "auspiciousness" and "blessings." It is the act of respecting the sacred symbol. ... Maybe, one way of looking at this incident is that this stupid guy wrote peaceful and blessing symbol in contrary to his intention, as a funny story (It may not be seen it this way yet at this point of history).

It is also always annoying me that people called the symbol as "swastika" when it is used for anti-semitism. In that case, it should be called "Hakenkreuz" or literally Hook-cross. The cross in the Europe has anti-Semitic usage in the long history such as crusades. Hillier himself never used the word "Swastika" but he always called it Hakenkreuz.

Only English translation is used the word "Swastika," In my opinion, it is a bad translation. Because of this double meaning of swastika, American and European people cannot tell the differences between Hitler's "Cross" and Eastern "Swastika." Eastern swastika has nothing to do with the Christian cross which has been used for crusade and anti-Judaism. I strongly feel that you need to make two entries for 卍 or 卐.

In Japan, Buddhist symbol 卍 is called "Manji"(character of thousand virtues) and Hitler's cross 卐 is called "Haakenkuroitsu" or "Kagi-juji"(hook-cross). Two words means two different symbol, though it looks the same.

Whoever draw the Hook-cross on the garage door in the news committed two bad karma - discrimination (hate crime) and disrespect / disgrace to the symbol (wrong usage!). Swastika is coming from the "Svastika" in Sanskrit as meaning of good, auspicious, good luck, virtues, and peace. It means when the media or people use the word swastika for bad meaning, they create negative karma as well, because it is the act of disrespect to the Sanskrit language and culture, where especially the swastika symbol has been important symbol in Indian and Asian culture.

On the other hands, I have seen the encouraging news a few months ago from New York Post (Aug. 24, 2017) - "Villagers refused to take down 'peaceful' swastika."
http://nypost.com/2017/08/24/village-refuses-to-take-down-swastika-because-its-good-luck/

Once you know the truth, you don't want to lie about it. In many cases in the West, it is just ignorance of the people about the swastika symbol, unless some people have ill intention to destroy the peaceful swastika symbol from the world, looking down and disrespect other cultures and religions.

In my opinion, we need more truths to be revealed in our illusive and delusive world, May the sacred swastika on the Buddha's chest illuminate all beings with the light of Wisdom and Compassion.

Tian Tan Buddha "Big Buddha" in Hong Kong

(Photo: TK Nakagaki)

Peace,

T.K.

“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).

http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2017/08/21/the-history-of-a-controversial-symbol

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

Sunday, October 8, 2017

Moon Festival & 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 -

Moon Festival ("o-tsukimi" in Japanese) is something I enjoy, especially eating moon-cakes!

It is also time for prayer of blessings, as it started as celebration of the harvest. This year, I was invited to join the opening day of the 4th Liberation Ceremony for Land and Water in New York by Chinese Buddhist community on October 5, held in Pearl River, NY. A few hundreds of monks, nuns and lay people gathered for the opening day.

My eyes nowadays go to the swastika symbol. The main Buddha statue in the main shrine has a big golden swastika on his chest. Several smaller shrines have the Buddhas with golden swastika on their chests as well. The decorated cloth also have many swastika designs. These swastikas symbolize auspiciousness, good virtues, good luck to chase away darkness.

After the service, the vegetarian food were served to all the participants. As desserts, I received the mooncake, whose cover has the design of swastikas. The swastika symbol is all over the place for this auspicious ceremony.

For my eyes, they were very beautiful and joyful. It is sad that the western people don't have the same eyes because of misappropriation of the symbol by Nazi Germany and hate group with wrong usage.

My responsibility is to share the truth of the swastika symbol in the Eastern religious traditions and to prevent from perpetuating ignorance about the swastika symbol. May the western society be aware of the firm and long existence of positive and sacred swastika symbol. Publishing is a great step for me!

Peace,

T.K.

“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).

http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2017/08/21/the-history-of-a-controversial-symbol

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

Tuesday, September 5, 2017

Formation of Manji Project Team!

"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 -

After the article by The New Yorker came out (August 21, 2017 issue), I have received various surprisingly positive feedback. I was expecting more negative responses, to tell the truth, yet I really have not received much negative comments. This result has made me feel more comfortable to share the truth of the swastika symbol in public.

I am hoping to arrange more public talks at various places from this fall. If you are interested, please feel free to contact tknakagaki@gmail.com. I am also interested in hearing your comments. If you are traveling different parts of the world and happen to find the swastika symbol, please take a photo and send it to me!

The person from Oklahoma sent me e-mail saying that in his native city of Bartlesville, Oklahoma an old bridge constructed in about the year 1905 also bears the swastika in its decoration. He promised to send me a photo when he returns. I am looking forward to seeing the photos.

The person who lives in New Jersey emailed me saying he will send me two pieces of basket with swastika symbol by Eastern Cherokee. I also got a person in Los Angeles area who sent me a long e-mail for her interest to be a supporter of my project.

My friends sent me congratulation messages for the article and book. Some of them admire my braveness to publish this book in spite of the norm of the society about the symbol.

I really appreciate those who took their time to reach me with their thoughtful comments. They really encourage me to go forward with swastika education project. Maybe I should think about forming "Manji project team" (Manji is a Japanese term for swastika) seriously for the purpose of providing education about swastika symbol.

Let me share some of my photos with swastika symbol when I went to South India and Sri Lanka last year.