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Symbolism of Swastika - Well-being

Photo du rédacteur: Charlotte Leroij Charlotte Leroij


"Swastika", comes from Sanskrit, meaning "conducive to well-being"


AS A SYMBOL:

We are, consciously or subconsciously meaning givers,

striving to make sense out of our surroundings

Symbols, such as gestures, words, objects

help us

conveying our experiences,

providing meaning,

and understanding that world


Even if they can share common trans-cultural roots of meaning,

Symbols are alive.

They evolve.

And their use and understanding may differ,

depending one where, by who, and when they are invoked.

A good example of this is

the ‘swastika’ sign.


In the Western world, it was a symbol of auspiciousness and good luck

until the 1930s

when it became a feature of Nazi symbolism as an emblem of the so-called Aryan race.

In India,

it is still a holy symbol

commonly used before entrances or on doorways of homes or temples


Many vivid discussions emerge from this symbol


How to respect the load and stigma this symbol carries

and at the same time,

recognize the wisdom it innately transmits ?

How is it possible to rescue a symbol of peace from the forces of hate?


The swastika is an ancient icon which is widely found,

in both,

human history and

the modern world.


Found in the archeological remains

of the Indus Valley Civilization (a Bronze Age civilization in the northwestern regions of South Asia)

and Samarra (a Late Neolithic archaeological culture of northern Mesopotamia),

as well as in early Byzantine and Christian artwork.

It is one of the most common symbols on Mesopotamian coins.

And has been of spiritual significance to Indian religions such as Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism



Because of the association of the right facing swastika with Nazism,

Buddhist swastika after the mid-20th century are

almost universally left-facing.


Yet, in Hinduism, for the sake of balance, it is used in both orientations


For some it is linked with the representation of the sun

And its perpetual movement of rotation,

symbolizing continuing creation,

symbolizing life, cycles,

the universe and its spinning constellations




AS A MUDRA :

How to do :

  • Join both of your hands crosswise at wrists

  • Breath in and out

Focusing on the junction of your hands

As a crossroad, you are about to pass

As a threshold, you are about to get through



Benefits:

It can be seen and used to symbolize

  • Our courage to go through an obstructed path

  • Our ability to state our boundaries and say No


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