SACRED SYMBOLS – Keys to Unlock Their Meaning –
Selected Phrases by Paramhansa Yogananda
Published by yoganandaharmony.com
THELOTUSFLOWER:
Soul‐Unfoldment
ThelotusflowerisanancientdivinesymbolinIndia;itsunfoldingpetalssuggesttheexpansionofthesoul;thegrowthofitspurebeautyfromthemudofitsorigin
holdsabenignspiritualpromise.
~~~
THEEYES:Soul
Theeyesarethesymbolofyoursoul.
~~~
THECHRISTMASTREE:SpineandChakras
Thesevenlightedstarsorcentersofthespine,whichisthetreeoflife,
aresymbolizedbytheChristmastreewithitslights.
TREEOFLIFE:NervousSystem
TheTreeofLifesymbolizesthetree‐likenervoussystemthroughwhichthesapoflifeflows
sothattheblossomsofthesenseandthoughtsmayflourishforharvesting.
Ahumanbeingisanupturnedtree;thehairandthecranialnervesaretheroots,
thespinalcordisthetrunk,andtheafferentandefferentnerves
ramifyingfromthemarethebranches.
~~~
AUM:God
HissymbolisAum.Sphericalexpansion–thatiswhatAumdoes.
Expansionofsphericalsound.
~~~
COSMICSOUND:GodinCreation
RememberthatCosmicSound.Trytounderstandthesymbolofthatsound.
ThatsoundistherepresentativeofGodincreation.
12ASTROLOGICALSIGNS:
CosmicMan
Thetwelveastralsignsofthezodiac[are]thesymbolicCosmicMan.
~~~
HOROSCOPE:KarmicPattern
Onattainingeverhigher,divinestatesofconsciousness,thedevoteefindsthathisseedsofpastactions(karma),
assymbolizedbytheplanetarypositionsinhishoroscope,becomedestroyed:roastedintheblazingfireofwisdom.
~~~
BREATH:MortalEnslavement
Heknowshisrealnatureisboundneitherbyphysicalencasementnorbybreath,
symbolofthemortalenslavementtoair,tonature'selementalcompulsions.
SWAN:Discrimination
Asthesymbolofdiscrimination,thewhitehansaswanisthoughtof
asabletoseparatethetruesomanectarfromamixtureofmilkandwater.
~~~
SKIN:InnerCleanliness
Atrulybeautifulskinisasymbolofinternalcleanliness.
~~~
BEAUTIFULTEMPLES:WondersofGod
Manytemplesofworshiparemasterpiecesofgraceandbeauty,theirlinesremindersinmajesticstone
oftheformlesswondersofGod.Nosymbol,however,canreplacetheRealityitrepresents.
Godmustbeexperiencedinthesoul.
CHURCH:God‐Contact
ThechurchisasymbolofGod‐contact.
~~~
WINEANDBREAD:CosmicEnergyandChristConsciousness
ThereareceremoniesinChristianchurchesinwhichpeopledrinkblessedwine
asthebloodofJesusChristandblessedbreadashisflesh.
Thisissymbolical.Thisceremonyshouldremindtruedevoteesthatbylearningthetechniqueofmeditation
fromaChrist‐likesoul,theycanlearntoeatorabsorbChristConsciousness(bread)
intheirconsciousnessanddrinkorrechargeintheirlives
thebloodorCosmicEnergypresentinChristConsciousness,andthusattaineverlastinglife.
INDIANDEITIES
AlltheimagesofgodsinIndiaaresymbolic.Wemustlookbeyondtheirshapes
tothehiddenmeaningstheyrepresent.
~~~
KALI:Nature
KaliisasymbolofGodintheaspectofeternalMotherNature....
Kalirepresentstheeternalprincipleinnature.Sheistraditionallypicturedasafour‐armedwoman,standingontheformoftheGodShivaortheInfinite,
becausenatureorthephenomenalworldisrootedintheNoumenon.
Thefourarmssymbolizecardinalattributes,twobeneficent,twodestructive,
indicatingtheessentialdualityofmatterorcreation.
~~~
SARASWATI:Wisdom
Saraswati,goddessofwisdom,issymbolizedasperformingonthevina,
motherofallstringedinstruments.
ELEMENTSINCEREMONIES:BodilyElements
AgroupofmyAmericanstudents,garbedinHinduceremonialclothes,
chantedtheancienthymnsasanofferingwasmadeofflowers,water,andfire:
symbolsofthebodilyelementsandtheirreleaseintheInfiniteSource.
~~~
RELIGIOUSCEREMONIES:Wisdom
Religiousceremoniesaresymbolsofwisdom.Toidolizethesymbol
bythemechanicalperformanceofceremonieswithoutunderstandingtheirsignificance
isoflittleuse.
~~~
DOVE:
HolySpirit;AumVibration
ThedoveasaChristiansymbolrepresentstheHolySpirit
orSacredVibration.
MICROCOSM:God
Godisdefinitelysymbolizedinthemicro‐cosmicthought,astralandphysicalvibrations.
~~~
SATAN:NotSymbolic
TherewasatimewhenIusedtobelieveSatanwasasymbolicalforce,
ametaphysicaldelusion,butnowIknowandaddmytestimony
tothetestimonyofJesusChristthatSatanisresponsible
forallthecreationofevilonearthandinthemindsofmen.
~~~
BAPTISM:InnerPurification
Theceremonyofbaptismbywatersymbolizesthepurificationnecessarytospirituality.
WATERBAPTISM:
BaptismbyHolyGhost
These(waterbaptismandcleanliness)butprepareforandsymbolizethespiritualbaptism,
theBaptismbytheHolyGhost.
~~~
HALO:SpiritualAdvancement
Thegloryornimbusaroundtheheadofthesaints
isasymbolicwitnessoftheircapacitytorenderdivinehomage.
~~~
NORMALDREAM:PresentMentalState
Donottrytodecipherthemeaningofeverydream–justrememberthatitprobablysymbolizes
yourpresentmentalorphysicalstate;henceyoumustadjustyourthoughtsandactions
ifyouwouldclarifyorimproveyourdreams.
~~~
OUTERPOISE:HighInnerIdentification
IfyoucanholdyourPeaceandbecalmlyactive,andactivelycalm
inallthatyoudo,andnomatterwhathappens;
ifyoureyesandyourwholeattitudealwaysreflectrestfulnessandpoise,
throughallexperiencesandseemingdisturbances;ifevengreatfailureorgreatsuccess
cannotruffleyou;thenthesearetheoutwardsymbolsthatyouhaveidentifiedyourself
withtheRealInnerSelfwhichdwellsalways
intheInnerChamberofPeace.
~~~
~~~
SPIRITUALEYE:CosmicEnergy,ChristConsciousness,
CosmicConsciousness
TheAstraleyeisspokenofasthespiritualeye,orthethirdeyeseeninmeditation.ThiseyeisopenedbytheGuru.
JesussawthiseyeasthestarryDovewhenJohntheBaptistbaptizedhim.
ThelittlestarinthecenteristhesymbolizedmouthoftheDove,
anditstwowingsarethetwoblueandgoldenlights.Thespiritualeyeismadeofthewhitestar
palpitatingintheheartoftheopalbluelightsurroundedbyagoldenring.
ThespiritualeyeistheepitomeoftheHolySpirit(HolyVibrationandCosmicEnergy)
inthehumanbody.ThegoldenringrepresentsCosmicEnergy,whilethebluereflectsChristConsciousness.
Throughthistunnelonecancrossthewhitestar,tunnelsintheChristandCosmicEyes,andpenetratesallwallsofmatter.Throughtheraysonecanreachtheabsoluteunmanifestedkingdom
ofEver‐NewPureBlessednessofSpirit.
~~~