Thanks to Lion's Roar for profiling Rev. Dr. T.K. Nakagaki's mission to educate the west on the Buddhist swastika, an ancient symbol of peace with his new book The Buddhist Swastika and Hitler's Cross: Rescuing a Symbol of Peace from the Forces of Hate.
"Rev. Kenjitsu Nakagaki wants to educate the West about the history of the manji, a counterclockwise swastika that means “good fortune” in Japanese.
While the swastika is taboo in the West, it has been a part of Japanese culture since the introduction of Buddhism about 1,500 years ago. The word “swastika” comes from the Sanskrit for “good fortune” or “well-being.” During the Meiji Era (1868-1912), Nakagaki says the swastika was so commonly used, that it was standardized as a temple marker on maps.
In November, Google reignited controversy around the swastika when it accidentally used swastikas to identify certain hotels on maps. Google told HuffPost that the icons were “Buddhist symbols of worship” and the company was working to fix the problem."
Read the full article here: https://www.lionsroar.com/226988-2/
Photo by Davidlohr Bueso