Swastika, a name derived from the Sanskrit svastika (meaning "welfare," from su - "well" + asti "He is"). As a symbol of prosperity and good fortune, the swastika was widely used throughout the ancient world (for example, appearing often on Mesopotamian coinage), including North and South America and has been used in Japan as a symbol of Buddhism since ancient times. To be precise, the symbol generally used by Japanese Buddhists is counterclockwise in direction and is called Manji in Japanese. The arms of the swastika, which point in a clockwise direction, are generally considered a solar symbol. It was this version (the Hakenkreuz) that was perverted by the Nazis. The sauvastika generally stands for night, and often for magical practices.
There is no anti-semetic or pro-nazi meaning behind the use of the symbol before 1910
I have visited a few families that are buddists (indian and asian). Sometimes I do see this symbol in their homes and sometimes during gatherings and wedding events.
It's a great misconception between the original and the Nazi-version. But nonetheless, people are very cautious on where to display it.
Nazis were mostly Germans, but not all Germans were nazis in WW2.
