WHAT IS THE RELATION BETWEEN SYMBOLISM OF SNAKE & SPIRITUALISM?KUNDALINI AWAKENING-02
- Chida nanda
- Dec 3, 2016
- 9 min read
SYMBOLISM OF SNAKE;--
06 FACTS;--
1-Medical organizations often have two snakes entwined around a staff as a symbol. This is also a yogic symbol: two snakes meeting at six different places, and at the top is a symbol for Ida and Pingala going through the Sushumna.
2-Only if you are anti-life, you think the snake is an agent of the devil. If you are for life, the snake is definitely an agent of the Divine. 3-The symbolism of snakes and the spiritual process in India are deeply intertwined. It is actually so in every part of the world, because wherever people became aware, they naturally recognized the sensitivity of the snake to a certain type of energy, to meditativeness.
4-It is just that priests and pandits have given a lot of bad press to the snake for ages.
Even if you look at Christianity, they are talking about how a snake wrongly tempted Eve to eat the apple, and a lot of trouble happened because of that. It depends from which end you look at it. The snake tempted Eve to eat the fruit of knowledge, which you are desperately trying to do with your children! That is why you send them to school. That is what the snake did. And it is because of this that life happened. It is only because the snake induced Eve into eating the fruit of knowledge, life happened on this planet, according to the story. What is wrong with that?
5-The snake put some sense into this dumb couple who did not know what to do with each other. They did not know anything about anything. According to the story, you and I are here today only because the snake put some sense into them.
6-Only if you are anti-life, you think the snake is an agent of the devil. If you are for life, the snake is definitely an agent of the Divine. Someone who induced life on this planet, would you call him an agent of the devil or Divine? Anybody with a little sense, with some zest for life, would naturally say it must be Divine. Only somebody who is making the very life process into an evil process would make a snake into an agent of the devil.
WHY IS THE SNAKE ,AN AGENT OF DIVINE ?--
06 FACTS;-- 1-Kundalini awakening is possible if we accept; --- Shape of our spinal cord is just similar to snake- ; see shape of hood at root of spine & see shape of hood at head ( crown chakra )both ... 2-All the shapes of the universe are ---- in kundalini form (the mother goddess) may be shape of a wall, movement of water, .flame of fire,or blow of wind etc. 3-Lord Shiva and Snakes share a curious connection with each other. In almost all depiction of Lord Shiva and his accompaniments, there is always a serpent seen wound around his neck. Along with his Trishul and Dumru, the serpent is a constant companion of Lord Shiv because shakti takes this form. 4-When a sadhak starts his sadhna -- the colour of kundalini is black (during meditation) & afterwards silver white. 5-Three main nadi of human body are also three form of kundalini-- 1-Ida --Chandra nadi ---Shakti 2-Pingla----Surya nadi---Shanker 3-Sushumna-- - -Brahma nadi----Shiv (Nirakar) We are accquainted with two nadis in our life .We are unaware of Sushumna; which is beyond time and space .We can realize ;--
During Breathing --SA sound During Exhaling ---HA sound 5-1-When the consciousness of ida and pingala are activated, the vibration of the movement of the life force produces the vibration of Ham Sa----
6-Snakes fascinate and terrify most of us. Because of this near universal reaction, and because snakes have played such important roles in the mythology of just about every religion, we know they have relevance to the psycho-spiritual life of every human being.
SYMBOLISM OF SNAKE & SPIRITUALISM;--
IN HINDU MYTHOLOGY;--
There are the seven basic forces and gods, In Hindu mythology.viz.;--
1. Dreaming force - Indra
2. Illusory force - Shakti
3. Voluntary force (ready to assist in any offshore situation)- Brahma
4. Semi voluntary force - Vishnu
5. Involuntary force(Done without will)- Shiva
6. Status(the situation at a particular time ) altering force - Shani
7. Compulsive force - Yama.
DESCRIPTION;--
04 FACTS;-
1-Gods with snakes:--It is obvious that of the seven basic gods only Vishnu and Shiva are associated with snakes. A-Vishnu has five or seven headed Shesha. B-Shiva has a single headed cobra around his neck or upper arms. Thus, the snakes have something to do with the Semi voluntary and Involuntary forces. It must be mentioned here that the Involuntary force is just the negative half of the Semi voluntary force.
2-The Semi voluntary force and the serpent:(THE REASON BEHIND;-Vishnu has five or seven headed Shesha. )
2-1-In this, there is a layer of Voluntary force trapped between two layers of Involuntary force. Beyond the two layers of Involuntary force are the positive and negative attitudes, which act as walls of this force. The central layer of Voluntary force is what we call 'I'. It is the reference state for our thoughts and movements and emotions are produced in reference to it.
2 -2-Whenever there are changes in our comfort we raise or lower our reference state to avoid production of emotions. Since this movement is limited by our positive and negative attitudes the graph of movement of the reference state looks like the movement of a serpent. Thus, Vishnu is prominently associated with the serpent Shesha.
2-3-The Semi voluntary force is the default force and the other forces are just modifications of this force. Thus, Vishnu enables us to select any of the remaining six gods. Because Vishnu gives us seven options the serpent has seven heads indicating the seven options that we have. Since Indra and Yama are supposed to play a role after our death only, our options may be just five and thus Shesha may have just five heads.
3-The Involuntary force:--(THE REASON BEHIND;-Shiva has a single headed small cobra.)The Involuntary force is just the negative half of the Semi voluntary force. The movement of the reference state here is minimal and the option is just one. Thus, Shiva has a single headed small cobra around his neck or upper arms. Thus, in Hindu mythology snake is symbolic of our reference state (The stable and pure form of a substance) 'I'.
3-Thus is Hinduism’s Shakti (Illusory force) personified as Kundalini, a Sanskrit word meaning “circular power.” It is said the sleeping serpent-goddess is coiled in the pelvis and can be awakened through spiritual exercises, especially yoga. When aroused, she rises up through the spinal chakras until she reaches the head, completely transforming the individual along the way.
4-“If all symbols are really functions and signs of things imbued with energy, then the serpent or snake is, by analogy, symbolic of energy itself — of force pure and simple…”In Hinduism, kundalini, or serpent fire, is coiled at the base of the spine. As we mature emotionally and spiritually, the energy rises, stimulating the chakras, which are emotional, mental, and spiritual energy centres. This is also shown in the worldwide symbol of the spiral. This flow of energy is indispensable for good health.
IN BUDDHISM;-
1-Snakes are a pan cultural symbolism. They come from prehistoric beliefs that get lost in time. However in Buddhism there is symbolism with the snake and the world tree (bodhi tree) which is believed to be chthonic(relating to or inhabiting the underworld).. 2-The Snakes can be a cobra or an elephant (seen as the trunk coming out of water) both of which are symbols for wisdom. Also the cool shade that the tree and the cobra's hood provided Buddha when in meditation is symbolic of Nirvana. So it's symbolic of Nirvana and wisdom here on mother earth.
IN OTHER RELIGIONS;---
06 FACTS;-
1-Snakes are also associated with divine revelation. Evidence from shrines and oracular sites of the Goddess in Babylon, Sumer, Anatolia, Egypt, Greece, and Rome suggests that sacred serpents were kept and fed by priestesses who were consulted for prophecy. Perhaps it is this association that led Philo of Alexandria to believe that the snake was the most spiritual of animals.
2-Throughout history the snakes have had many legends surrounding them, linking them to creation, fertility and transformation. Nowhere are the differences between cultures and religions more sharply emphasized than in their attitudes towards Snake.
3-On one level, the differences relate to sexuality. We see the snake enticing Eve in the Garden of Eden ( IN BIBLE). But the apple the snake gave Eve was from the Tree of Knowledge.
ADAM-EVE STORY-A-God created the first man Adam and then created the first woman, Eve. God put Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden to care and nuture the land. He told Adam and Eve that they could eat from any fruit from the trees except for the tree of good and evil. God warned them that if they ate from the tree they would die.
B-One day Satan came disguised as a snake and spoke to Eve, convincing her to eat the fruit from the tree of good and evil. Eve told the serpent that God said they should not eat it and they would die if they did, but Satan tempted Eve to eat saying that she would become like God if she did. Eve believed the lie and took a bite of the fruit. She then gave some to Adam for him to eat. Adam and Eve, now knowing that they had sinned, immediately felt ashamed and tried to hide from God.
4-Snake was also considered to represent inner vision. Christian lore sees the snake rising from the chalice (the wine cup used in the Christian Eucharist) of St. John, wound around a cross sometimes portrayed with a woman’s head to depict lust and temptation .More repressive (preventing the expression or awareness of thoughts) belief systems have linked snake to evil.
5-Being symbolized as Vinata the Indian goddess, or shown as the legs of Cernunnos the Celtic fertility god. and the Greeks, in their own understanding of this, used the snake as a symbol of healing and wisdom.
6-In Israel the snake was regarded as the earth mother and played a role in fertility. In Egypt the cobra was known for its ability to expand the upper neck into a disc shape by spreading its ribs, symbolizing immortality.
IS THERE A CONNECTION BETWEENTHE SNAKE & THE FEMININE PRINCIPLE?--
Throughout history the connection between the snake and the feminine principle has been profound and intimate: from Eve to the Serpent Lady of Ashtoreth and Kadesh; from Ishtar, the Babylonian Lady of Vision to the Serpent Goddess of Crete; from Kebhut, the goddess of freshness who played a part in Egyptian funerary ceremonies to the asp that transported Cleopatra to the afterlife; from Greece’s ancient Earth Mother Gaea to the Golden Age’s Queen, Hera, and her step-daughter Athena, goddess of wisdom; from east to west, serpents have always tempted, personified, accompanied, awakened, transformed, and empowered women and goddesses.
IS SNAKE A SYMBOL OF TRANSFORMATION & THE PERPETUAL RENEWAL ?
09 FACTS;--
1-A snake is one of the most versatile of all creatures. It can live in the ground or in a tree, in the desert or in the water, but it is primarily considered a chthonic creature, i.e. as pertaining to the earth and the spirits of the underworld. This accounts for its association with the physical death of the body; however, because it periodically sheds its skin and emerges as if reborn, it is also seen as a symbol of transformation and the perpetual (never ending ) capacity for renewal.
2-As Snake sheds its skin so we can shed our illusions and limitations. Then we are able to use our vitality and desires to achieve wholeness.
3- For time immemorial people have associated Snake with both male and female aspects of sexuality. In religions where sexuality, in both its physical and spiritual aspects is celebrated, Snake has been held with honour.
4-The shedding of the skin is also associated with astral travel and out of body experiences. The eyes of a snake are always open and are protected by immobile transparent scales. Before shedding their skin the snakes markings become obscure and the eyes appear opaque or blue, giving them a trance like appearance as if they are looking right through you. Learning how to see into the hearts of others is part of what we are taught by snake.
5-On the deepest level Snake’s skin shedding symbolizes death and rebirth, an idea which is depicted by the image of a snake swallowing its own tail, a symbol of eternity.
6-The Snakes medicine is not to be treated lightly. Its meaning touches on the deepest mysteries in life. If you are ready to shed your own skin, Snake is ready and waiting to guide you through the spiral path of transformation. On a material level snake is vitality, on an emotional level ambition and dreams, on a mental level intellect and power, and on the highest level, the spiritual level wisdom, understanding and wholeness.
7-Snakes / serpent’s power includes – Being the messenger of the Rainbow Serpent, wisdom, healing, initiation, elusiveness(hard to express), manipulation of lightning, transmutation (the state of being changed into another form), exploration of the mysteries of life, primitive or elemental energy, protection from religious persecution (hostility and ill-treatment ), goddess energy, psychic energy, creative power, immortality and the connection to, the magic cord by which the shaman (A person enter a trance state during a ritual, and practise divination and healing) travels to the soul world.
8-Snake medicine is the energy of wholeness, cosmic consciousness, and the ability to experience anything willingly and without resistance. It is the knowledge that all things are equal in creation, that all is one.
9-Snake is a powerful animal guide, a symbol of transformation and healing. The snake is wisdom expressed through healing. This is a protector and guardian. If snake has come into our life, our creative forces are awakening.Our intuition will strengthen and be more accurate.
...SHIVOHAM....-
