BAHÁ'Í BUDDHISM CHRISTIANITY. The Symbol

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1 BAHÁ'Í The 9-pointed star is a symbol of faith. The Bahá'í Faith is founded on the teachings of Bahá'u'lláh. In the 19 th century, while imprisoned, he received the revelation of his mission nine years after The Bab, the holy messenger, announced the prophecy. Nine symbolizes completeness. Since the Bahá'í Faith claims to be the fulfillment of the expectations of all prior religions, this symbol reflects that sense of fulfillment. There is a single personal creator/god, who is eternal, omnipotent, omniscient and omnipresent and who created everything and controls all phenomena that modern science reveals about the origins of the universe and life. God has sent, and will continue to send, great prophets to humanity. Literal interpretations of heaven, hell and resurrection are rejected. See BUDDHISM The Wheel of Dharma (or Wheel of Law) represents the Buddha s teaching of the Path to Enlightenment. It has three elements: the rim represents the element of limitation; the hub is the axis of the world; the eight spokes are the Eightfold Path set down by the Buddha, which leads to the cessation of all suffering. See Buddhism is a philosophical system that has many traditions and sects. Buddhists believe that the world is a place of suffering and that as we release our attachments (to desire and to the form of things), we can attain Nirvana a state of liberation and freedom from suffering. Buddhists commonly believe in reincarnation, the repetitive cycles of birth, living, dying and rebirth in which we take with us from one lifetime to another the lessons and mistakes from each past life. See CHRISTIANITY The fish was chosen because it is common to the many, many denominations or branches of Christianity. The cross on the other hand is expressed differently from one denomination to the other how to choose one?

2 Also, the fish stands for the community of Christ; early believers, who, facing persecution, wanted a safe or private way to tell others of their affiliation. For more on the symbol, see As with other faiths, there are a wide variety of beliefs in the Christian tradition. All believe that there is one God, and that God created the entire Universe and everything that is in it and that Jesus is the Son of God. Within these beliefs there is variation on how much of his actions and teachings were representative of a firstcentury Jewish teacher (rabbi) and how much went beyond. Most hold belief in the Holy Spirit, which refers to God s presence with us and with the rest of His creation. See CONFUCIANISM Confucianism is an ethical, moral and philosophical system teaching a basic set of principles and values so that one s behavior is self-regulating and reflecting the highest human potential. It teaches that harmony, in one s personal, family, social and political relationships, is found by following the right actions of piety and respect, ritual and righteousness. No images are used to represent Confucius, only a plaque on which is written his name. The symbol chosen to represent Confucianism on this website is the Chinese ideogram for water, which is seen as a source of life in Chinese philosophy. HINDUISM Hindus share a belief in the authority of the Vedas (the oldest Indian sacred texts) and the Brahmans (priests); reincarnation (the soul is reborn into another body after death); karma (the effect in each lifetime of the choices and decisions from past lives. Most Hindus venerate one or more deities, but regard these as manifestations of Ultimate Reality, Brahman (known as the Source, Cause, and ground of all things). It is not a deistic term. "Brahman is of the nature of truth, knowledge and infinity." a necessary reality, eternal (i.e., beyond the purview of temporality). Brahman is both immanently present in the realm of materiality,

3 interpenetrating the whole of reality as the sustaining essence that gives it structure, meaning and existential being, yet Brahman is simultaneously the transcendent origin of all things (thus, pantheistic). Brahman is the Source, the Final Goal, and the Final Cause. See The Om, or Aum, is a mystical or sacred syllable in the Indian religions including Hinduism, Sikhism, Jainism and Buddhism, and Bön (a Tibetan tradition). The symbol represents both the un-manifest and manifest aspects of God, encompasses all... it represents Brahman, the impersonal Absolute of Hinduism omnipotent, omnipresent, and the source of all manifest existence. See Beliefs. ISLAM THE BELIEFS Islam is the monotheistic religion based on the living habits and sayings of Prophet Muhammad, who lived in the 7 th century. The word Islam means submission to God. An adherent of Islam is called a Muslim, meaning one who submits wholly to the will of Allah, the Arabic word for God. Muslims believe that their sacred text, The Qur an, (Koran) is the verbatim word of Allah. Muslims believe that, over time, previous messages and revelations have been changed and corrupted, but the Qur an is God s final and unaltered revelation. Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable. They also believe that Islam is the completed and universal version of a primordial faith that was revealed at many times and places before, including through the prophets Abraham, Moses and Jesus. Religious practices are defined by the Five Pillars of Islam (five obligatory acts of worship), and by following Islamic law which touches on virtually every aspect of life and society, encompassing everything from banking and welfare to warfare and the environment. Central to Islamic belief is that only Allah is divine and worthy of being worshipped. Arabic script or characters can be regarded as visually representing Islam, such as the word for Allah, which is the symbol used by this web site. Islam itself has few traditional symbols. The star and crescent moon symbol, perhaps the best-known symbol used to represent Islam, are not recognized as a traditional symbols by Muslim. The crescent was not a symbol used for Islam by Muhammad or any other early Muslim rulers, as the Islamic religion is, in fact, against appointing "Holy Symbols". Early Islamic coins therefore were covered with Arabic writing, but contained no visual symbols. See

4 JAINISM The hand often has several intricate aspects and appears with other symbols. The palm of the hand is for assurance and to encourage mindfulness (to stop and think before speaking or acting so that all possible violence is avoided). A wheel in the center of the hand symbolizes the cycles of reincarnation, helping us remember the cyclic consequences of not being mindful. The 24 spokes represent the wisdom of 24 enlightened souls, which can liberate a soul from reincarnation. The word Ahimsa (non-violence) appears in the center of the wheel. Ahimsa is seen as the first of the five great vows, prescribed by Jain religion. See Beliefs for the others. Jains believe that the universe and everything in it is eternal. Nothing that exists now was ever created, nor will it be destroyed. The universe consists of three realms: the heavens, the earthly realm and the hells. They believe in a perfect universal presence, and multiple deities who dwell in the heavens. The Five Great Vows are: Ahimsa (do not injure, abuse, oppress, enslave, torment, insult, torture, or kill any creature or living being); Satya (wholesome and pleasant truthfulness); Achaurya or Asteya (no stealing taking or touching only what belongs to you, and when accepting as gifts or alms, taking only what is necessary also, honest in thought, word, and action); Brahmacharya (celibacy/chastity [householders must limit their relationship with the spouse]); and Aparigraha (renouncing all attachments to anything that pleases the five senses). More at JUDAISM The six-pointed Star of David is said to symbolize God's rule over the universe in all six directions: north, south, east, west, up and down. The use of the star is relatively new in the history of the Jews. Ultimate reality is a single, all-powerful God. This belief made the Jews unique among other ancient Semitic peoples and became the legacy Judaism has passed

5 on to the entire Western world. In Jewish belief, God is The First Being (brought everything into existence and continues to sustain them), infinite (beyond space), boundless, omnipresent, eternal (no beginning, no ending, God transcends time), incorporeal (non-physical), just, merciful and forgiving, omniscient, omnipotent, the Author of truth, goodness, purity and holiness. God's name in Hebrew is YHWH, which means, "I am." More at NATIVE AFRICAN GYE NYAME, which means Except for God", is an Adinkra symbol of the omnipotence and supremacy of God, and is ubiquitous in Ghana. Other translations of the word include Except for what God allows to happen" or "Unless God allows it to happen". Currently, it is by far the most popular for use in decoration, a reflection on the deeply religious character of the Ghanaian people. See Native African spiritual beliefs are part of a several-thousand year cultural history and are as varied as the tribes and peoples themselves. Many appear to believe that there is a single Supreme Being who requires obedience and who is in a covenant relationship with a tribe. Individual people can call up on the Supreme Being in personal terms. In some traditions, the Supreme Being can take on other forms, some believe in reincarnation (rebirth following death) and in karma (the effect of choices made in previous lifetimes). All traditional African peoples agree in an afterlife; an individual s soul lives on after death. See NATIVE AMERICAN The Four Cardinal Directions with the Eternal or Sacred Fire in the center was chosen to represent the Native American spirituality because it has the elements that are most common to the most tribes and nations. The colors of the Four Directions vary somewhat from tribe to tribe.

6 A prayer attributed to Chief Seattle giving honor to the Four Directions can be seen at An explanation of the use of the Four Directions and the Eternal Fire as symbols can be seen at As with all faith traditions, there is great variation of the beliefs, and yet there are common threads. Common to all tribes is that all of life is connected in some way, there is a strong sense that behind all individual spirits and personifications of the divine, there is a single creative (animating) life-force, sometimes called the Great Mystery, which expresses itself throughout the universe, in every human, animal, tree and grain of sand. Every story, too, is a working out of this life force (see NEO-PAGANISM For Neo-pagans, the pentacle represents their five main elements or factors, which are necessary to sustain life: earth, air, fire, water, and spirit. The pentacle represents what pagans will sometimes call auma or everything, the all, etc. The pentacle represents the circle of life, which has no beginning and no end. It is also a symbol of balance, in the way that each element balances with the other. In Pagan practices, the position (or orientation) of a pentacle represents what it will be used for. For example, an upside down pentacle is often called the banishing pentacle and is used to sent energy away whereas an upright pentacle can be considered an invoking pentacle and be used to call energy forth. See the article at Beliefs are extremely diverse and include polytheism, animism, pantheism and other paradigms. The spirituality can be entirely modern in origin or an attempt to accurately revive or reconstruct indigenous, ethnic religions as found in historical and folkloric sources. The umbrella term, Neopaganism or Neo-Paganism, identifies a wide variety of modern religious movements, particularly those influenced by European pre-christian Pagan. The largest Neo-pagan religion is Wicca. Other large groups include Neo-Druidism, Germanic Neo-paganism and Slavic Neo-paganism.

7 SHINTOISM The Torii, a traditional Japanese gate, is a common symbol found at the entry of Shinto shrines. See or Shintoism is based on the worship of spirits known Kami. Kami is the divine spirit found in all things in heaven and earth, mountains and rivers, sun and moon, plants, animals, and human beings... and especially at Mount Fuji and in the cherry blossoms, bonsai trees, formal gardens, and Sakaki (the holy tree). Kami created everything in heavens and on earth, and every creature, made by the Kami, is beautiful and perfect; Kami can only create beautiful and perfect creatures. See more at SIKHISM The Ek-Onkar symbol means There is one God. Many Gurdwaras a Sikh place of worship (Gurdwara means Guru s home or A Place of God ), Sikh organizations, and Sikh individuals use this symbol on letters and other documents. The constant repetition of Ek-Onkar is done so that Sikhs are constantly reminded that there is only one God in the universe. Sikhs believe in a single, Formless God, with many names, who can be known through meditation. The goal of every Sikh is to build a close, loving relationship with God. Sikhs believe that all people are equal in the eyes of God. They believe in karma (the effect of choices made in a previous lifetime) and in reincarnation (the repetitive cycle of being born, dying, being born). For more about the beliefs and practices, see

8 TAOISM The circle represents the Tao the undifferentiated Unity out of which all of existence arises. The black and white halves within the circle represent the Yin (feminine) and Yang (masculine) primordial energies whose interplay gives birth to the manifest world; all of life is created by dualities that are interdependent. The Tao is called the Way and is seen as the flow of the Universe. The supreme being, or ultimate truth, is beyond words or conceptual understanding. ZOROASTRIAN The Sacred or Holy Fire represents purity, the symbol of truth and the energy of creation. Zoroastrian rituals are conducted before a sacred fire. Fire as a symbol of Ahura Mazda and His light is cherished. Light is seen as energy, a natural force that is powerful and necessary for survival. The winged symbol now associated with Zoroastrianism and more commonly known by people outside of the faith is known as the Faravahar All Zoroastrians believe in one god, one supreme being Ahura Mazda, who communicates with humans by Attributes (Bounteous Immortals), which are sometimes described as concepts and sometimes they are personified. Some Zoroastrians believe in a conflict between good (Ahura Mazda) and evil (Angra Mainyu). More on and