Buddha + Hitler?

[Troyka]

Once I was going through the china town and saw this buddha picture and belly, I believe a Nazi sign. I think that may have different meaning there but yeah. What is it?

 

[Satori]

Swastika

The Swastika is a symbol that has become associated with Nazi Germany. Its origins, however, lie in the culture of many ancient cultures, symbolizing good fortune. Buddhism is a symbol of the Buddha's heart and mind, sometimes appearing on the Buddha's chest in sculptural representations.

Tibetan Buddhist and the Swastika

Tibetan Buddhas and Native Americans often depicted the swastika, originally called WAN, in their art. For centuries, it was a symbol of peace. Only after the Nazis took it for their purposes did the swastika fall into disrepute. If you are searching for Tibetan Buddha statues online, you will find that they sometimes have a swastika on their chests. There is no connection between these statues and the Third Reich.

 

[Troyka]

Thank you for the info!

 

[Satori]

You're very welcome!

 

[silver angel]

That's really interesting; I never knew Buddhists had symbols like that.

 

[Satori]

I didn't either until reading up on Buddhism recently. When I saw this post, I remembered having come across the subject, so I quickly searched for the answer. I've also heard people refer to the Tibetan swastika as being "inverted," instead of the Nazi one. But I think to most people. They look the same. It's terrible that Buddhists started as something wonderful later became something sinister when adulterated by the Nazis.

 

[thomas]

From our photo gallery

=> https://jref.com/gallery/showphoto.php/photo/256/password//sort/1/cat/500/page/3

 

[jeisan]

Yeah well, it used to be a good symbol until the nazis bastardized it. I think they actually inverted it to suit them, or maybe not I dunno. Now that I think about it, there was always two forms and whether it was going clockwise or counter-clockwise determined its meaning. Something like that, or maybe both, my brain is scrambled on this subject.

 

[mad pierrot]

If you ever look at a Japanese map of Japan, you'll probably notice hundreds of little "swastikas." They are the symbol used to mark locations of Buddhist temples in Japanese cartography, too.

 

[Gaki]

Some Notes on the History of the Wan (Swastika) Symbol
The English and German word Swastika is derived from the Sanskrit word: Svastikah, which means "being fortunate." The first part of the word, SVASTI-, can be divided into two parts: SU- (good; well), and -ASTI- (is.) The -ASTIKAH part just means "being". The word is associated with auspicious things in India 窶 because it means "auspicious." In India, both clockwise and counterclockwise swastikas were used, with different meanings.

Since the swastika is a simple symbol, it has been used, perhaps independently, by many human societies. One of the oldest known swastikas was painted on a paleolithic cave at least 10,000 years ago. About 2,000 years ago, when Buddhism was brought to China from India, the Chinese also borrowed the swastika and its sense of auspiciousness. In China, the swastika is considered to be a Chinese character with the reading of "Wan" (in Mandarin). It is also thought to be equivalent to another Chinese character with the same pronunciation, which means '"ten thousand; a large number; all."

The swastika symbol has been used for thousands of years among practically every group of humans on the planet. It was known to Germanic tribes as the "Cross of Thor," and it is interesting that the Nazis did not use that term, which is consistent with German history, but instead preferred to "steal" the Indian term "swastika." As the "Cross of Thor," the symbol was even brought to England by Scandinavian settlers in Lincolnshire and Yorkshire, long before Hitler. Even more interesting, the sign has been found on Jewish temples from 2000 years ago in Palestine, so Hitler was (inadvertently?) "stealing" a Jewish symbol as well as an Indian one.

In the Americas, the swastika was used by Native Americans in North, Central, and South America. According to Joe Hofler, who also refers to Dr. Kumbari of the museum of Urumqi in Xinjiang, China, the Indo-Aryans of the Germanic branch traveled into Europe around 2,000 BC and brought with them the swastika symbol (sun disk) of their religious art at that time as shown by excavations of Kurgan graves on the steppes of Russia and Indo-Aryan graves in Xinjiang, China.

and

"The Swastika" is the oldest cross and emblem in the world. It forms a combination of four "L's" standing for Luck, Light, Love and Life.

 

[bossel]

Originally posted by Gaki
"steal" the Indian term "swastika."

Actually, the term "Hakenkreuz" is most common in Germany, the swastika is only rarely used.
The Germanic connection (Cross of Thor) was probably not that important, for the swastika was seen by the Nazis also as an Aryan sign.

Here is a good site about the Nazis & their adoption & use of the swastika:
http://www.intelinet.org/swastika/swascont.htm

 

[Gaki]

Originally posted by bossel
Actually, the term "Hakenkreuz" is most common in Germany, swastika is only rarely used.
The Germanic connection (Cross of Thor) was probably not that important, for the swastika was seen by the Nazis also as an Aryan sign.

Ah ok i never knew that, the quotes i got were "Copy and paste" from websites. ^^;

 

[Satori]

Originally posted by Gaki:
the quotes i got were "Copy and paste" from websites.

Same here. But I am finding all this information very interesting!

 

[lineartube]

Lots of great stuff at symbols.com and for the symbol in question, there is:

Search for symbols: swastika

Search for symbols, signs, flags, glyphs and emblems matching the query: swastika

www.symbols.com

"The Swastika" is the oldest cross and emblem in the world. It forms a combination of four "L's" standing for Luck, Light, Love and Life.

...err... somehow I doubt that 3000 years ago people spoke and wrote contemporary English. Where did you get that??

 

[lexico]

"The Swastika" is the oldest cross and emblem in the world. It forms a combination of four "L's" standing for Luck, Light, Love and Life.

...err... somehow I doubt that 3000 years ago people spoke and wrote contemporary English. Where did you get that??

I think the second part as you have pointed out is fanciful reasoning; however, the whirling cross pattern appears in many cultures in either stone inscriptions or metal objects supposedly symbolising the sun and its flares as the neolithic and ancient peoples could also observe them during the solar eclipse. I've read one book of symbols and one lengthy article on this subject-- the turning wheel is an ancient and widespread symbol although its link to Love, Life, etc. is just humour. The "Light" and "Luck" symbolisms are meaningful, although the letter symbolism is quite off.

 

[Mycernius]

If any body is ever in the city of Coventry, visit the bombed cathedral. Near the front is the tomb of the first bishop of Coventry. If you look on his mitre you will find swastikas around the band.

 

[Sensuikan San]

Not much left to say!

... except to note that there are variations throughout the ancient and modern world - e.g. the "three legs" of the Isle of Man - which I believe go back to Norse (Viking) times...

ジョン