UPDATE: I’ve found a reference to the swastika on the chest in the Sutra of Innumerable Meanings, considered the preface to the Lotus Sutra. See this post.
Yesterday, while decorating the Hanamatsuri shrine, I noticed the symbol at the top of the structure. I already knew that this was a Buddhist symbol millennia before Fascists in Germany co-opted it, but I didn’t know the Buddhist meaning. So I asked Ven. Kenjo Igarashi what this mark of a Buddha means.
“The hairs on the chest of the Buddha are straight and form this pattern,” he said. “And they don’t collect lint.”
I like that story, but I can’t find any confirmation after a fairly lengthy effort to Google “Buddha’s chest hair” and “Swastika Buddha’s chest.”
One website – here – suggested that it was one of the marks of a Buddha:
卍 or 卐 (pronounced “manji” in Japan). A symbol originating in India (Skt. Svastikah, Jp. Kyōji 胸字). Means “to be fortunate.” The word stem SVASTI can be divided into SU (SV), meaning good or well, and ASTI (ASTIKAH), meaning is or being. In modern India, the word means auspicious. In Japan it is used as a symbol of Buddhist faith, one found frequently on statues of the Buddha (Nyorai) and Bodhisattva (Bosatsu), and one of the 32 Marks of the Buddha (Sanjūnisō 三十二相). It represents the ”possession of all virtues” in Japanese Buddhism, and is used on maps to denote temples.
But it wasn’t among the hair-related features:
- Mojōkōsō 毛上向相. Body hair is graceful and grows in upward direction.
- Ichi Ichiku Ichimōsō 一一孔一毛相. One hair grows from each pore of skin.
Among the trivia I picked up in my search was “swastika” vs “svastika”:
“In Sanskrit, the proper spelling of the word swastika is svastika. Sanskrit has no ‘w’. Literally, the word svastika is a statement of affirmation, “It is!” “Life is good!” “There is value” “There is meaning!” Svastika is a term that affirms the positive values of life. The word is made of su + as. “As” is the root of the verb “to be” of which the third person singular is, “asti,” “it is.” Su is a prefix used in Sanskrit to intensify meaning in a positive way, thus su+asti means literally, “it really is!” When combined, the ‘u’ changes into a ‘v’ thus giving the form svasti. The ending ka makes this verbal form into a noun. This is the linguistic morphology of the word, svastika.”
And this was my favorite explanation of the meaning of svastika (manji) in Buddhism:
“In Japanese Buddhism, the Manji is an ancient and important spiritual symbol.
The Manji (Sanscrit: Svastika) represents the harmonious interplay of the many opposites in life – heaven and earth, day and night, etc.
The horizontal line unites light and darkness, while the perpendicular line symbolically connects heaven and earth; and these two combined, form a cross representing the universe in harmony beyond the limits of time and space.
From this harmony comes the power that creates and nurtures all things.
The ‘trailing’ lines at the ends of the cross represent the truth that the universe and all things in it are in a perpetual state of flux.
There two types of Manji — one a mirror image of the other.
The ‘counterclock’ Manji — with the ‘trailing lines’ running from the ends of the central cross to the left (called “Omote“) — represents infinite mercy. This is the prevalent Buddhist Manji symbol in Japan.
The ‘clockwise’ Manji — with the ‘trailing lines’ running from the ends of the central cross to the right (called “Ura“) — represents intellect and strength.”