Why Understanding Religious Symbology is the Key to Your Spiritual Progress

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24 thoughts on “Why Understanding Religious Symbology is the Key to Your Spiritual Progress”

  1. Hey Desika,

    Tis a beauty. I will be printing this out as it is going to become part of the family and community monthly havans. I specially like this article for children to be taught the meaning of these symbols and rituals.

    Cheers,
    Anmol

  2. This is an excellent post! I really enjoyed learning about the deeper symbology of these Hindu traditions. I agree with you that mindfulness is so necessary to apply to any ritual – religious or personal. By drawing on the religious symbology of our upbringing, we can also begin to create personal ritual that creates a path of spiritual awakening.

    Blessings,
    Andrea

    (stumbled! :-) )

  3. To Anmol: Print away my friend, print away! :-) Your browser’s print functionality should print it out nicely without the sidebars, comments or ads. I thank you very much for your appreciation. You are very correct that we should teach our kids proper and deeper meaning of rituals which increases understanding and appreciation, and prevents rebellious attitude from arising. Kids know, and have the capacity to know more than what most adults give them credit for.

    To Andrea: Thanks a lot for the stumble! I completely agree with you that proper understanding of rituals will let a person to become more independent in his/her thinking and approach to spirituality and eventually to his/her own Self. Inner independence and freedom are the goals of all spiritual practices anyway.

    Thanks to both of you for your thoughtful comments.

    Cheers,
    -Desika

  4. Desika,

    It’s so true that many people “go through the motions” of rituals they were taught to do, but were never necessarily taught why they work the way the way or what they are meant to represent.

    It’s the energy of the conscious intent that powers any ritual, so not only does this post help inform or enhance that, it’s also helpful for those who wish to adopt, to create, to invent their own personal rituals.

  6. To Slade: You are so correct about the “conscious intent.” For example, take the chanting of Mantras. Most people (including myself until sometime ago) recite mantras without having an intent of why they are chanting a mantra. If someone wants to chant Lakshmi mantra (Divine Energy that creates Abundance), just chanting the mantra without the intent may delay the manifestation of abundance. It is all about one’s internal state of being (or the state of consciousness). Instead of rote chanting, having a focused intent during the chanting and carrying that consciousness the rest of the day will change one’s internal state to that of abundance which then rearranges the world around to bring about its manifestation. In Telugu (one of the Indian languages), there is a saying which goes, “Even mother won’t feed a baby without it’s crying or asking.”

    As always, I really appreciate your thoughtful comments which helps in my further contemplation.

    To Shamelle: I am very happy that this article led to your further contemplation and knowing about Symbology. I thank you for your appreciation.

    - Desika

  7. Fantastic post that I’m glad I stumbled upon. It answers a number of questions that I had but didn’t even know I had!

    It had me thinking back to childhood in the UK and the complete ignorance I and many of my peers had about Indian culture, I shudder with embarrassment of some of the nonsense we used to think.

    Thanks.

  8. Hi Tim,

    I am glad that my article was able to answer some of your questions.

    I my opinion, it is the lack of knowledge of the symbolism in various religions, and reading scriptures and symbols literally is the reason for today’s strife in the world. For example, most people think Hinduism is polytheistic religion, but it is not–it is monistic (different from monotheistic) in its primary philosophy, and in practice, it advocates infinite paths to realize the infinite. Therefore, a true Hindu believes that all religions, when practiced correctly with their essence in mind, will lead to the infinite. That is why there is no proselytization in Hinduism. Moreover, Hinduism was never a religion and we never called ourselves Hindus. Even the word, “Hindu” was coined, as far as I know, by the Persians. Before that caught on, Hinduism was just known as “Sanatana Dharma” (pronounced, sanAtana dharma), “The Eternal Way of Life.”

    Thank you for your candor and thoughtfulness in your comment.

    -Desika

  9. Thank You so much for posting this meanigful article. I myself an Indian and always wondered what these symbols meant. I new there was a deeper meaning and today I know. Thanks to you. I am passing on this article to all my family and friends since they are in the same boat as I am. we practice but don’t know why and hence produce a generation full of ignorance since it is practised without knowing the real meaning.

    Namaste,
    Falguni

  10. Dear Falguni,

    I am very happy that my article was able help you.

    Time is rapidly approaching for all humanity to go beyond external rituals, dogma, doctrine and all societal conditioning in order to live a life of freedom and joy. Let’s all collectively achieve that.

    Love and Light,
    -Desika

  11. Interesting personal take on “Namaste”. I have understood it as a compound of two Sanskrit words, namah (to bow, salutations) and te (thee, you). So, in essence it means, similar to what you correctly paraphrased, “the divinity in me recognizes and bows to the divinity in you”.

    Also, the significance of ashes (vibhuti) applied to the forehead by Shiva devotees and sadhus belonging to Shaiva sects signifies two things: first that our “ego” (more accurately ahamkar, or sense of a separate individual doer) must be reduced to ash, and second, a reminder that the body and the world is impermanent by its very nature. Ashes to ashes, dust to dust.

    You might already know all this, but I thought I’d enlighten your readers (ha!)

    – Vikram

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  17. Acne Solutions,

    Is it not the attitude, of the past 2000+ years of, “My way is better and I hate your way,” the reason for the ever escalating turmoil in the world? This attitude is seen not only in religious (though it is most prevalent and much more deep rooted there), but also in political, racial and all aspects of human life. Why not you live your way and let others live in theirs?

    Every religion has its symbology or parables. Why not explore the inner meanings of symbology in your own religion, so that you can go deeper into the practice of your own faith?

    Thanks for your thought provoking comment,
    Desika

  18. Hi

    Great post, your comment on Hinduism is very much true as Hinduism is not a religion and a way of life
    It is a great ocean in which many rivers of various schools of thought have converged and yet maintained their own identity

    In addition to to what you have mentioned in your article I could like to add some more things like lightning of camphor in front if the god at the end of the pooja actually symblosises

  19. In continuation to the obove

    denotes the actual cremation of the mortal body and reminds us when we are burnt nothing remains remains as the champhor when burnt
    Kindly correct me if I am wrong

  20. Dear Vinaya,

    Thank you for sharing the camphor symbology. I go one step further and say that lighting of the camphor indicates the ascension of the physical body into light (i.e. increases it’s vibratory frequency) as demonstrated by our great Siddhas like Kriya Babaji, Siddhar Thirumoolar, etc.

    Thanks again for adding your thoughts. It was invaluable, for I had forgotten to write about it in the article.

    Desika

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