A Story of Gautama Buddha - As Told Through Postage Stamps

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Gautama Buddha's teaching have spread through out the world and his story deserve to be told and retold.

Many events from his life and about Buddhaism have been commemorated on postage stamps by many countries. This series is an attempt by a philatelist to comprehensively collect and document the postage stamps from around the world, and use them to illustrate the story about Buddhism. Collectively, this is " Buddhist Philately" – a specialized collection of Buddhism related postage stamps and philatelic material, writing about them and displaying them of exhibitions.

The author received a Silver Medal (Literature Philately) for this manuscript at the World Stamp Exhibition organized under the patronage of the Federation of International de Philatelie (FIP) at Baunding, Indonesia in Augest 2017.

Geography is not a boundary in "Buddhist Philately". The author has prepared a separate catalog of more than 4,200 stamps issued by nearly 151 countries and territories around the world (including former colonies).

An essential note to this week is that this write – up does not intend to explain or disscuss Gautama Buddha's teaching. I have not made any distinction in the various schools of Buddhism. Instead, this document exclusively focuses on how postage stamps can narrate the story of Gautama Buddha. The availability of stamps to illustrate the events in his life and his teaching sets the limit in the coverage.

As this write – up takes a philatelic perspective to the life of Gautama Buddha, this manuscript uses different types of philatelic material. These materials include mint stamps, classics, aerograms, pre – stamped envelopes, pre – stamped postcard, first – day covers, cindrella, , meter – mark, joint issues, pictorial cancellation, personalized stamps, self – adhesive stamps, omnibus issues, receiving marks, transit marks, 3-D stamp, sillk stamps, etc. The diversity of stamps in this book extends to errors, imperforate demonetized, color trials, gutter, booklet, misspent, redrawn, se – tenant, stamp used abroad, stamp – on – stamp, and so on.

A few of the chapters from this manuscript were published in The COROS Chronicle in Augest 2012 (issue no. 365). Additionally, "The Buddha – Light of Asia, Wisdom of the World : From a Philatelist's Eyes" was published in ECS Nepal (May 2012).

Only a few other publications related to "Buddha Philately" exist. These books only use postage stamps and not the philatelic variety. In January 2003(magh 2059), Bhikshu Sangharakshita Sangharam published a collection of article in Nepali on "Bishwa Hulak Ticket ma Buddha, Buddhadharma, Buddha Byaktiwa ra Sanskrit." Harry Goonawardena from Sri Lanka has also published " The Life of Lord Buddha" using postage stamps and photographs as illustrations (Buddhist Cultural Center, Vesak 2011). Tran Thanh Ly from Vietnam (living in Monstral, Canada) has written a book (not dated) titled Lich sir Phat Gido qua tem buru chinh (Buddhist History through Postage Stamps).

The next two publications were checklists of Buddhism related stamps John Wettenhall's (Tasmania, Australia) published lists of Buddhism related stamps in The Coros Chronicle in February and May 2004 (issue nos. 331 and 332). American Topical Association (ATA) has published checklist no. 857 with a list of 454 stamps, checklist no.520 on pagodes with a list of 173 stamps and checklist no 1072 on Angkor Wat with a list of 17 stamps.

Finally, I would be grateful to receive any suggestions and corrections and information about new or omitted relevant materials to improve this collection.