First Impressions are EVERYTHING…..or are they?

First Impressions are EVERYTHING…..or are

they?

Would this offend you?

In both Hindu and Buddhist religions, the Swastika is a symbol of good luck. A “YES” to life.

Give your first impression a second chance….

A bit of history…. Swastika is derived from the Sanskrit word: Svastikah, which means

"being fortunate." The first part of the word, SVASTI-, can be divided into two parts: SU- (good; well), and -ASTI- (is.) The -ASTIKAH part just means "being".

The word SWASTIKA stems from the Sanskrit, an ancient Indian language: SVASTIKAH, which means 'being happy'. In India the word is related to things of good fortune because it means being happy. The cause of all life and all manifestations of life is movement.

One of the oldest known swastikas was painted on a paleolithic cave at least 10,000 years ago. About 2,000 years ago, when Buddhism was brought to China from India, the Chinese also borrowed the swastika and its sense of auspiciousness. In China, the swastika is considered to be a Chinese character with the reading of "Wan" (in Mandarin). It is also thought to be equivalent to another Chinese character with the same pronunciation, which means '"ten thousand; a large number; all."

Ganesha – god of success.

History continued…

The swastika is considered extremely holy and auspicious by all Hindus, and is regularly used to decorate items related to Hindu culture.

It is used in all Hindu yantras and religious designs. Throughout the subcontinent of India, it can be seen on the sides of temples, religious scriptures, gift items, and letterheads. The Hindu god Ganesh is often shown sitting on a lotus flower on a bed of swastikas.

Ganesha – god of success.

The swastika is one of the 108 symbols of Hindu deity Vishnu and represents the Sun's rays, upon which life depends. Its use as a Sun symbol can first be seen in its representation of the god Surya. The swastika is used in all Hindu yantras and religious designs. Swastika is also considered as a symbolic representation of Ganesha, in Hinduism. Ganesha as per Hindu rites is offered first offerings and as such in every pooja, at first Swastika is made with Sindoor during any religious rites of Hindu.

The right-hand swastika is one of the 108 symbols of the god Vishnu as well as a symbol of the sun and of the sun god Surya. The symbol imitates in the rotation of its arms the course taken daily by the sun, which appears in the Northern Hemisphere to pass from east, then south, to west.)

The left-hand swastika (called a sauvastika) usually represents the terrifying goddess Kali, night and magic. However, this form of the swastika is not "evil" and it is the form most commonly used in Buddhism.

In Hinduism, the two symbols represent the two forms of the creator god Brahma: facing right it represents the evolution of the universe (Pravritti), facing left it represents the involution of the universe (Nivritti). It is also seen as pointing in all four directions (north, east, south and west) and thus signifies stability and groundedness. Its use as a sun symbol can first be seen in its representation of the god Surya.

Uses of the Swastika….

Weddings Pujas Rituals and Rites Birth ceremony Death ceremony

True Meanings of the Swastika…..In Hinduism and Buddhism

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NkrtLl6rh3I&bpctr=1363048743

Works Cited…

Sonlocdong. (n.d.). Swastika: The True Meaning. Retrieved from YouTuube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NkrtLl6rh3I&bpctr=1363048743

*, Swastika 380 *. "YouTube - Swastika in India.." YouTube - Broadcast Yourself. Web. 10 June 2011. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5b1tSH-RLaA>.

"Swastika." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 08 June 2011. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swastika>.

"Falun Dafa - The Falun Emblem." Stanford University. Web. 10 June 2011. <http://www.stanford.edu/group/falun/eng/falun.htm>.

Thomas Wilson, Curator, Department of Prehistoric Anthropology, U.S. National Museum, Chapter "The Swastika, the earliest known symbol and its migrations; with observations on the migration of certain industries in prehistoric times, " from "Report of National Museum" (1894), pp. 757-1030.