
"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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