World Religions

	Gye Nyame is an Adinkra symbol of the Akan people of Ghana, West Africa. It is translated to mean the omnipotence, immortality and supremacy of God. This unique and beautiful symbol is ubiquitous in Ghana, but is also widely accepted by many African-Americans as a symbol that reflects their faith and heritage.

	The most commonly used symbol for the Baha’i faith is the 9 pointed star. The number “nine” is significant for Baha’ís for many reasons. Nine years after the announcement of the Báb in Shiraz, Bahá’u’lláh received the intimation of his mission in the dungeon in Teheran. Nine, as the highest single-digit number, symbolizes completeness. The Arabic alphabet can be used to represent numbers, attaching a numerical value to words. The numerical value of Bahá is 9.
	The Wheel of “Dharma” is one of the most important Buddhist symbols, it represents dharma, the Buddha’s teaching of the path to enlightenment, since the early period of Indian Buddhism. It is also sometimes translated as wheel of doctrine or wheel of law.

	This is the principal symbol of the Christian religion, recalling the crucifixion of Jesus Christ and the redeeming benefits of his passion and death. The cross is thus a sign both of Christ himself and of the faith of Christians. In ceremonial usage, making a sign of the cross may be, according to the context, an act of profession of faith, a prayer, a dedication, or a benediction.

	The water symbol – Though this worldview, Confucianism, is recognized as one of the eleven main living religions, it has no standard symbol or icon representing its belief system. Quite often, though, this Chinese ideogram for water is utilized. It represents the ‘source of life’ in Chinese philosophy.

	“Om” is the most important Hindu symbol. Its prolonged intonation is associated with the primeval sound through which the universe was created. It is thought to contain all things. It consists of three syllables — a-u-m — which are sounded progressively from the throat to the lips. The three sounds are considered to symbolize many items, but perhaps most importantly, the three states of consciousness – waking, dreaming and deep sleep. The entire symbol represents the fourth state, which is the awareness of one’s own spiritual identity. Aum is the most important mantra and is thus chanted at the beginning of many prayers, mantras and rituals.

	There are no official Islamic symbols, but several symbols have a special place in Islam. The star and crescent is the best-known symbol used to represent Islam and features prominently on the flags of many countries in the Islamic world, notably Turkey and Pakistan. It was a originally a polytheistic icon and was adopted during the spread of Islam. The symbol is attributed to cultural diffusion and the spread of Islam to the Ottoman Turks who ruled a large area and also put the crescent moon and star symbol on their flag. It has since become associated with Islam.
	The Jain Symbol is a congregation of various symbols, each having a deeper meaning. This symbol was adopted by all sects of Jainism while commemorating the 2500th anniversary of the nirvana of Lord Mahavira.

	The Star of David is a generally recognized symbol of Jewish identity and Judaism. It is named after King David of ancient Israel and its earliest known communal usage began in the Middle Ages, alongside the more ancient symbol of the menorah. Geometrically it is the hexagram. With the establishment of the state of Israel in 1948, the Star of David on the Flag of Israel has also become a symbol of Israel and has become associated with the Zionists.

	In Native American spirituality, the Medicine Wheel represents harmony and connections and is considered a major symbol of peaceful interaction among all living beings on Earth. Within the Medicine Wheel are The Four Cardinal Directions and the Four Sacred Colors. The Circle represents the Circle of Life and the Center of the Circle, the Eternal Fire.

	The Khanda is an important symbol of Sikhism. In the centre of the insignia is the two-edged sword which symbolizes the Creative Power of God. It is the Sovereign Power over life and death. One edge of the Sword symbolizes divine justice; the other edge symbolizes Freedom. On the outside we see two swords: the Sword of Spiritual Sovereignty (Piri) and the Sword of Political Sovereignty (Miri). There must always be a balance between the two, and this is emphasized by a circle inside. This circle embraces Divine Manifestation, without beginning or end, neither first nor last, timeless, absolute.

	The most common Shinto symbol, which represents a torii (shrine gate). A torii stands at the entrance of shrine precincts that are regarded as the home of the kami. At the core of Shinto are beliefs in the mysterious creating and harmonizing power (musubi) of kami and in the truthful way (makoto) of kami. The nature of kami cannot be fully explained in words, because kami transcends the cognitive faculty of man.

	This Taoist symbol represents the balance of opposites in the universe. When they are equally present, all is calm. When the other outweighs one, there is confusion and disarray. The two swirling shapes inside the symbol denote change, which is the only constant entity in the universe. According to one saying, ‘yin’ (darker side) represents the breath that formed the earth; ‘yang’ (the bright part) denotes the breath that formed the heavens. Another view is that ‘yin’ represents the feminine aspects while ‘yang’ represents the masculine part. Generally speaking yin and yan can symbolize any two opposing forces in nature.

Information, thanks to : http://aibtv.com/

WORLD RELIGIONS – Symbols

World Religions