S ACRED S YMBOLS

Keys to Unlock Their Meaning

Selected Phrases
by Paramhansa Yogananda
Published by yoganandaharmony.com

THELOTUSFLOWER:
SoulUnfoldment
ThelotusflowerisanancientdivinesymbolinIndia;
itsunfoldingpetalssuggesttheexpansionofthesoul;
thegrowthofitspurebeautyfromthemudofitsorigin
holdsabenignspiritualpromise.

~~~

THEEYES:
Soul
Theeyesarethesymbol
ofyoursoul.

~~~

THECHRISTMASTREE:
SpineandChakras
Thesevenlightedstarsorcentersofthespine,
whichisthetreeoflife,
aresymbolizedbytheChristmastree
withitslights.


TREEOFLIFE:
NervousSystem
TheTreeofLifesymbolizesthetreelikenervoussystem
throughwhichthesapoflifeflows
sothattheblossomsofthesenseandthoughts
mayflourishforharvesting.
Ahumanbeingisanupturnedtree;
thehairandthecranialnervesaretheroots,
thespinalcordisthetrunk,
andtheafferentandefferentnerves
ramifyingfromthemarethebranches.

~~~

AUM:
God
HissymbolisAum.
SphericalexpansionthatiswhatAumdoes.
Expansionofsphericalsound.

~~~

COSMICSOUND:
GodinCreation
RememberthatCosmicSound.
Trytounderstandthesymbolofthatsound.
ThatsoundistherepresentativeofGodincreation.

12ASTROLOGICALSIGNS:
CosmicMan
Thetwelveastralsignsofthezodiac
[are]thesymbolicCosmicMan.

~~~

HOROSCOPE:
KarmicPattern
Onattainingeverhigher,divinestatesofconsciousness,
thedevoteefindsthathisseedsofpastactions(karma),
assymbolizedbytheplanetarypositions
inhishoroscope,becomedestroyed:
roastedintheblazingfireofwisdom.

~~~

BREATH:
MortalEnslavement
Heknowshisrealnatureisbound
neitherbyphysicalencasementnorbybreath,
symbolofthemortalenslavementtoair,
tonature'selementalcompulsions.

SWAN:
Discrimination
Asthesymbolofdiscrimination,
thewhitehansaswanisthoughtof
asabletoseparatethetruesomanectar
fromamixtureofmilkandwater.

~~~

SKIN:
InnerCleanliness
Atrulybeautifulskin
isasymbolofinternalcleanliness.

~~~

BEAUTIFULTEMPLES:
WondersofGod
Manytemplesofworship
aremasterpiecesofgraceandbeauty,
theirlinesremindersinmajesticstone
oftheformlesswondersofGod.
Nosymbol,however,canreplacetheRealityitrepresents.
Godmustbeexperiencedinthesoul.

CHURCH:
GodContact
Thechurch
isasymbolofGodcontact.

~~~

WINEANDBREAD:
CosmicEnergyandChristConsciousness
ThereareceremoniesinChristianchurches
inwhichpeopledrinkblessedwine
asthebloodofJesusChrist
andblessedbreadashisflesh.
Thisissymbolical.
Thisceremonyshouldremindtruedevotees
thatbylearningthetechniqueofmeditation
fromaChristlikesoul,
theycanlearntoeatorabsorb
ChristConsciousness(bread)
intheirconsciousness
anddrinkorrechargeintheirlives
thebloodorCosmicEnergy
presentinChristConsciousness,
andthusattaineverlastinglife.


INDIANDEITIES
AlltheimagesofgodsinIndiaaresymbolic.
Wemustlookbeyondtheirshapes
tothehiddenmeaningstheyrepresent.

~~~

KALI:
Nature
KaliisasymbolofGod
intheaspectofeternalMotherNature....
Kalirepresentstheeternalprincipleinnature.
Sheistraditionallypicturedasafourarmedwoman,
standingontheformoftheGodShivaortheInfinite,
becausenatureorthephenomenalworld
isrootedintheNoumenon.
Thefourarmssymbolizecardinalattributes,
twobeneficent,twodestructive,
indicatingtheessentialdualityofmatterorcreation.

~~~

SARASWATI:
Wisdom
Saraswati,goddessofwisdom,
issymbolizedasperformingonthevina,
motherofallstringedinstruments.


ELEMENTSINCEREMONIES:
BodilyElements
AgroupofmyAmericanstudents,
garbedinHinduceremonialclothes,
chantedtheancienthymns
asanofferingwasmade
offlowers,water,andfire:
symbolsofthebodilyelements
andtheirreleaseintheInfiniteSource.

~~~

RELIGIOUSCEREMONIES:
Wisdom
Religiousceremoniesaresymbolsofwisdom.
Toidolizethesymbol
bythemechanicalperformanceofceremonies
withoutunderstandingtheirsignificance
isoflittleuse.

~~~

DOVE:
HolySpirit;AumVibration
ThedoveasaChristiansymbol
representstheHolySpirit
orSacredVibration.


MICROCOSM:
God
Godisdefinitelysymbolized
inthemicrocosmicthought,
astralandphysicalvibrations.

~~~

SATAN:
NotSymbolic
TherewasatimewhenIusedtobelieve
Satanwasasymbolicalforce,
ametaphysicaldelusion,
butnowIknowandaddmytestimony
tothetestimonyofJesusChrist
thatSatanisresponsible
forallthecreationofevilonearth
andinthemindsofmen.

~~~

BAPTISM:
InnerPurification
Theceremonyofbaptismbywater
symbolizesthepurification
necessarytospirituality.

WATERBAPTISM:
BaptismbyHolyGhost
These(waterbaptismandcleanliness)
butprepareforandsymbolizethespiritualbaptism,
theBaptismbytheHolyGhost.

~~~

HALO:
SpiritualAdvancement
Thegloryornimbus
aroundtheheadofthesaints
isasymbolicwitnessoftheircapacity
torenderdivinehomage.

~~~

NORMALDREAM:
PresentMentalState
Donottrytodecipherthemeaningofeverydream
justrememberthatitprobablysymbolizes
yourpresentmentalorphysicalstate;
henceyoumustadjustyourthoughtsandactions
ifyouwouldclarifyorimproveyourdreams.

~~~

OUTERPOISE:
HighInnerIdentification
IfyoucanholdyourPeace
andbecalmlyactive,andactivelycalm
inallthatyoudo,
andnomatterwhathappens;
ifyoureyesandyourwholeattitude
alwaysreflectrestfulnessandpoise,
throughallexperiencesandseemingdisturbances;
ifevengreatfailureorgreatsuccess
cannotruffleyou;
thenthesearetheoutwardsymbols
thatyouhaveidentifiedyourself
withtheRealInnerSelf
whichdwellsalways
intheInnerChamberofPeace.

~~~

~~~

SPIRITUALEYE:
CosmicEnergy,ChristConsciousness,
CosmicConsciousness
TheAstraleyeisspokenofasthespiritualeye,
orthethirdeyeseeninmeditation.
ThiseyeisopenedbytheGuru.
JesussawthiseyeasthestarryDove
whenJohntheBaptistbaptizedhim.
Thelittlestarinthecenter
isthesymbolizedmouthoftheDove,
anditstwowingsarethetwoblueandgoldenlights.
Thespiritualeyeismadeofthewhitestar
palpitatingintheheartoftheopalbluelight
surroundedbyagoldenring.
Thespiritualeyeistheepitome
oftheHolySpirit(HolyVibrationandCosmicEnergy)
inthehumanbody.
ThegoldenringrepresentsCosmicEnergy,
whilethebluereflectsChristConsciousness.
Throughthistunnelonecancrossthewhitestar,
tunnelsintheChristandCosmicEyes,
andpenetratesallwallsofmatter.
Throughtheraysonecanreachthe
absoluteunmanifestedkingdom
ofEverNewPureBlessednessofSpirit.

~~~