Swastika: How a holy symbol became unholy.

                                            

Swastika  is  the  Oldest  known  symbol  in  the  world.  

The  swastika  is  an  ancient  symbol  that  has  been  used  for  over  3,000 years. (That even predates  the  ancient  Egyptian  symbol, the Ankh!) Artifacts  such  as  pottery  and  coins from ancient  Troy  show  that  the  swastika  was  a  commonly  used  symbol  as  far  back  as 1000 BCE. The  image of  the  swastika  was  used  by  many cultures  around  the  world,  including  in  China, Japan,  India, and  southern  Europe. By the Middle  ages, the  swastika  was  a  well  known  symbol  and  was  called  by  many  different names. In  India  it  is  called  Swastika.

                                            

China – wan
England- fylfot
Germany – hakenkreuz 
Greece-  Tetraskelion and  gammadion

Hinduism  and  Buddhism
The  swastika  was  and   is  a  major  symbol  of  Hinduism  and  Buddhism : representing  eternity, particularly  the  eternal  and  ever-present  force of  the  Brahman,  the  supreme  consciousness.  It  is  also  a  symbol  of  the  presence  of  goodness,  as  well  as  representing  strength  and  protection.
Though  it  is  not  known  for  exactly  how  long, even  Native  Americans   have  long  used  the  symbol  of  the  swastika.
                          

                                                   

The  Meaning

The  word "swastika" comes from the Sanskrit svastika - "su" meaning "good," "asti" meaning "to be," and "ka" as a suffix.   and  represents  life, sun,  power,  strength,  and   good  luck. Even  in  the  early  twentieth   century, the   swastika  was  still  a   symbol  with  positive connotations. For  instance, the   swastika  was  a  common  decoration  that  often  adorned cigarette  cases,  postcards,  coins , and  buildings.

A  Change  in Meaning : Hitler and  the Nazis

In  the  beginning  of  the  twentieth  century, the  swastika  was  a   common  symbol  of  German  nationalism.  In 1920, Adolf  Hitler  decided that the Nazi Party needed its own  insignia  and  flag. For Hitler, the new flag had  to  be "a  symbol  of  our own struggle" as well as "highly effective as a poster." 
On August 7, 1920, at the Salzburg Congress, the  red  flag with  a  white  circle  and  black swastika  became  the  official  emblem  of  the  Nazi Party.
Because  of  the  Nazis' flag, the  swastika  soon  became  a  symbol  of  hate,  antisemitism, violence,  death,  and  murder.
                                 

What  Does  the  Swastika  Mean   Now?

 For 3,000 years, the  swastika  meant  life  and  good  luck. But  because  of  the Nazis, it  has  taken  on  a  meaning  of  death  and  hate. These   conflicting   meanings   have  caused   many  problems  in  today's  society.  But  there  is  this  story : One  time  a   guy  went to  make  some  photocopies  of  some  Hindu Gods  for  his  temple. While  standing  in  line to  pay  for  the  photocopies, some  people behind  him  in  line  noticed  that  one  of  the  pictures  had  a  swastika. They  called  him  a Nazi.

For Buddhists  and  Hindus, the  swastika  is  still  a  very  religious  symbol  that   is  used  in  every  single  religious  ritual.
Unfortunately, the Nazis were so  effective  at their use of the swastika emblem, that many do  not  even  know   any  other  meaning  for  the  swastika  or  even  care  to  check  for  its 
origin.                 
 Well  I  am  not  religious  at  all  but  I   just  don't  like   the  power  evil  has  on  goodness...so   I  shared  this  post.             
                               

                  

 

P.S : By  the  way  swastika, let  it  be  right  facing or  left  means  the  same :  the  center  represents  the  sun  and  the  four  limbs  represent  the   eternal  winds.