Let us together, united as a Buddhist community, fly the Buddhist flag throughout the month of Wesak to honour the Buddha’s supreme Enlightenment and share the blessings and joy of the Dhamma with all beings around us.

The flag was first hoisted exactly 140 years ago today, on Wesak Day, 28 April 1885, in Sri Lanka.  Later in 1952, it was unanimously adopted at the World Fellowship of Buddhists conference as the universal symbol of Buddhist faith.

Each colour on the flag embodies the salient qualities of Buddhism:

BLUE : The Spirit of Universal Compassion

YELLOW : The Middle-Path

RED : The Blessings of living by the principles of Dhamma

WHITE : The Purity of the Buddha’s Teachings

ORANGE : The Wisdom of the Buddha’s Teachings

The sixth vertical stripe is termed ‘resplendent glory’.  It is the successful culmination of one’s practice as a Buddhist on the Middle-Path to experience for oneself the truth of Dhamma and ultimately, freedom from suffering.

As we celebrate ‘Buddha Day’, let us renew our commitment to leading a life of wisdom and compassion in accordance with His  teachings.  May the Buddha-Sāsana continue to flourish and endure for the welfare and happiness of all beings!