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.

~~~