Swastika Symbol: How It Transformed From Good To Evil
When you see the swastika, how does it make you feel? Anger? Sadness? What if everything you thought you knew about the swastika was wrong? Join us as we explore the history of this hated symbol and its origins as a spiritual icon of peace and well-being.
The swastika symbol, the cross with tips bent in a clockwise direction, was a symbol of good fortune in many countries and cultures around the world. The moment it was hijacked by the Nazis of the western world, it became synonymous with fascism. The speed of the transformation of the significance of the swastika symbol still leaves a begging question: “How did it happen?”
“Swastika” is a Sanskrit (an ancient Indian language) word meaning “well-being”, “good luck”, or “good existence”. This word has different names in different countries and cultures. For example, the Chinese call it “wan”, in England it is known as “fylfot”, it is called “manji” in Japan and “hakenkreuz” in Germany.
It is generally assumed to be an Indian sign that has been used by the Hindus, the Jains and the Buddhists for millennia. India is highly revered as a sacred home to lots of temples. Many people from all over the world -particularly other Asian regions -who traveled to India on their pilgrimage were so inspired by the positive association of the swastika that they began to use it back in their homes. By the dawn of the twentieth century, the swastika symbol had become an icon of good luck.
How The Swastika Became A Symbol Of Evil
The swastika had been in use for at least five thousand years before Adolf Hitler adopted it for the design of the Nazi flag. Some people are still wondering if the swastika symbol used by the ancient Indians was the same as the one used by Hitler. Some claim there are two different symbols, with the Hitler version being inverted and twisted out of shape. Well, they are the same symbol. What the Nazis did was color-code it and turn it into their personal motif. The question now becomes, “Out of all the symbols in the world, why did Hitler go for the swastika?”
Opportunists have always been on the lookout for ways to rip off others for their personal benefit. For example, turmeric was used for healing purposes but today, opportunists try to sieve out what they think is the most active ingredient and package it to be sold at a higher rate? a phenomenon called “reductionism”. However, conventional wisdom has made it clear that excessive use of anything is bad, including turmeric. Holistic living is fast losing the battle with reductionism; people much prefer to pop a tablet of vitamin C into their mouth than cut a slice from a fresh orange.
Hitler must have been fascinated by the metaphysics associated with the use of the symbol which made him adopt it. However, instead of adopting the symbol with its all of its beliefs, he chose a fraction of it -much like the reductionists do in our modern age.
Why Germans Were Swayed By The Nazi Swastika
The use of the swastika by the Germans was strengthened by the work of a 19th-century German scholar who noticed similarities between German language and Sanskrit through the translation of old Indian texts. They came to a conclusion that Germans and Indians must have shared a common ancestry. Furthermore, they imagined a race of white warriors that were god-like, which they called the Aryans.
What they failed to understand was that the moment you attain “Arya avastha”, you wouldn’t be able to cause harm to even the smallest of the world’s beings, never mind plot a grand scheme to butcher humans. This lack of understanding is one of the reasons behind the unhappiness and anxiety plaguing the world today.
Swastika Now Associated With The Memories Of WWII
When Hitler and his Nazi army flew the swastika flag, the distinctive hooked cross (Hakenkreuz) on a white circle and red background, it automatically became the most hated symbol of the 20th century. The Jewish people see it as a symbol of suppression, fear, and extermination. Embittered by its negative connotations, the Germans banned the use of the swastika after the war and in 2007 tried to influence an EU-wide ban -which failed.
We have a lot to learn from history. Love and compassion are important but we need to seek a deeper understanding of how races have evolved and how religions are manufactured.