# Swastika: Nazi & Buddha **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 9, 2003, 11:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swastika-nazi-buddha/147492 "2003-01-09T11:26:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![SoulSearching](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@SoulSearching](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SoulSearching)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2003, 11:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swastika-nazi-buddha/147492/1 "2003-01-09T11:26:51Z")
Why do the Nazis use the swastika symbol? Buddha also uses the same symbol, thousands of years before the Nazis. I think it’s obvious the two have totally different perspectives. Enlighten me… ---
**Author:** ![Dunderman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecb155/32.png) [@Dunderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dunderman)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2003, 11:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swastika-nazi-buddha/147492/2 "2003-01-09T11:33:07Z")
It’s not just Buddhists. The symbol is a pretty basic one and has been used by native Americans, Indo-Europeans and Asians alike (probably Africans too, although I’ve never seen this mentioned). It was used by the [Aryans](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a5_269.html) and was common in the Nordic countries during pre-Christian times. The last two factors made it a good choice for a Nazi symbol. I could go into the clockwise-anticlockwise distinction, but I’m sure there’s some neo-pagan here to do that for me. ---
**Author:** ![APB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8e8cbc/32.png) [@APB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/APB)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2003, 11:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swastika-nazi-buddha/147492/3 "2003-01-09T11:35:04Z")
[http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a2\_156.html](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a2_156.html)