youtu.be/sMryYE4k5cU?list=UUF11RXKNddeKLoQkC6QMgXAThe swastika has held a place of great importance in India and Asia for thousands of years, and is widely used by Hindus, Jains and Buddhists. The swastika is to be seen everywhere across the Indian sub-continent: sculptured into temples both ancient and modern, decorating buildings, houses, shops, painted onto public buses, in taxis - even decorating the dashboards of the three-wheeler motor rickshaws. Many religious and spiritual books display the symbol. It may well be the most prevalent symbol one will see in India. However, the swastika is not limited to India and Asia. Evidence suggests that the swastika was in use in many other cultures too. For example: The ancient city of Troy, in the northwest of present-day Turkey The Iron Age Koban culture of the Caucasus in Asia minor On prehistoric Vinca artefacts from South-Eastern Europe Amongst the ancient Hittites who lived in the area of present day Syria In Ein Gedi, near Israels Dead Sea In the Tang Dynasty of China In the 13th Century Amiens Cathedral in France In ancient Greek architectural designs On Native American Indian artefacts including those of the Navajo and Hopi On pre-Christian Anglo-Saxon and Druidic artefacts The swastika was also used widely in the pre-National Socialist Germany twentieth century: Dust-covers of books by Rudyard Kipling and other authors Boy Scouts badges in Britain from 1911 to 1922 Bank notes printed by the 1917 Russian Provisional Government Emblem of the British National War Savings Committee Planes of the Finnish Air force and Army from 1918 until 1944 Latvian Air Force, 1918 until 1934 The Icelandic Steamship Company, Eimskip, from 1914 The Theosophical Society, founded in New York in 1875 The swastika has been seen as a symbol for good luck by people in both ancient and modern times. A closer look at the etymology of this Sanskrit word, however, reveals a deeper meaning. When the Sanskrit scholar and spiritual teacher, P.R. Sarkar visited Germany in 1979 he gave the following interpretation of the word: su - means good asti - means to be, to exist ik - means what is in existence, and will continue to exist a - denotes feminine gender So Swastika means a good existence that is not to be destroyed and that remains in a good condition. He went on to say that its deeper meaning is permanent victory. In the context of the cultural origins of the swastika, this means the victory of dharma - the fundamental spiritual nature of humanity.
Posted on: Tue, 07 Oct 2014 22:50:27 +0000
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