Roots of Asia- V - The Hierophant

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Picture: http://i.imgur.com/Cs61h.jpg

Description: A floating man's face looks over a landscape. A creek flows between two hills. Outt of the creek, and all around, giant Lotus flowers and trees grow.

Symbols: The pink lotus, which has many petals, is probably the thousand petal lotus or Sahasrara chakra, which symbolizes the highest spiritual attainment of oneness. Trees are a significant Buddhist symbol, as the Buddha achieved enlightenment under one.

First Impression: It's a beautiful card, but for some reason I feel disconnected from it. I'm having problems relating it to the Hierophant.

A Conversation: I could not find myself connecting to this card, so I hand it to my fiance and ask. "What do you see?" He holds it for one second and replies. "I see the sky reflecting itself. Like, the sky is a big open nothing and it looks down and sees a big open nothing and they are two big open nothings, well...really one big open nothing." "Wow." I reply and he hands the card back and says with a hint of insecurity "Is that what you were looking for?" I laugh. "I wasn't looking for anything. So, yes."

Reflection: Upon thinking on my fiance's words and the symbolism I researched, I now see the Hierophant in this card. How could I not before!? The man in the sky is a man who has reached enlightenment. He has the full awareness of the present and interconnectedness of all and can guide us. The way he teaches is by showing, not telling. His life and joy are the proof for his ways.

Keywords: Insight-Knowledge (from the Thai Cards), Teacher, Sacred Teachings
 

Mi-Shell

LWB text translation from German to English

This is for the folks, that only have the German version of the deck and are struggggling with translations.
The Hierophant:
This card shows good action when the Lotus grows up from the Earth and, visible for all, is starting to bloom, the results of good actions become visible.The recognition, that live has to be lived according to the law of causality leads us to the threshold of enlightenment.the fights of life, the watchfulness coming from experiences and the ability to choose wisely lead us to the portal of enlightenment.
Key words:
the inner teacher, transmitter of the Sacred,
holding on to principles
all duality which we have to dissolve - for example outer and inner sacredness
.............................................................................................................................

my personal notes to this text:
- the Lotus flower grows with its roots deep in the gunky brackish waters filled with debris and offal and ..... nowadays plastic garbage.....
But it is growing into a beautiful regal flower and in Buddhism is a synonym for personal growth. It is seen as the vessel of the faith.
- (causalities are to be understood as cause and effect/ Karma)
- "Right Action" = to practice and committing to what in Buddhist teachings are considered right actions - is one of the fundamental teachings of the faith. - It implies moral as well as spiritual integrity.
 

Mi-Shell

What I see in the image:
below:
The dark and convoluted world in which we live
The dark and convoluted mind with which we struggggggle every day, trying as best as we can to follow and emulate the Buddha's teachings - the dharma.
The endless flow of thoughts from our brain during meditation and us- trying to reign it in, still it......
middle ground:
The Lotus flowers emerging from the never the less fertile watery ground. Each Flower symbolizing one of the teachings budding - or already flowering within us.
the central flower - the sanga, the Buddhist community each petal standing for one of the individuals, that make up its whole. and succeeding together to form a fully opened flower which in its cup contains the waters of quiet we need to advance in meditation.
Above:
the Buddha = our own Buddha nature - each of us is a Buddha, but many do not know that -This is one of the teachings....
The mind - head - all the thoughts are dissolved the mind is open....
Benevolence in the facial expression, while looking down at the world and the followers, that sought refuge in the faith.
 

Thoughtful

The Hierophant looks down from a position of spiritual power and knowledge. The white glow from the chakra upon his head tells us he has reached enlightenment, he now wishes to teach us and show us the way. Another white chakra glows in his solar plexus the seat of personal power and vitality. If you look carefully at this chakra you see his cup of goodness flowing down to us.
Below him are where we reside, little houses are shown, verdant growth is seen and beautiful lotus flowers standing tall but unopened. We are the lotus flowers standing in the mire of our earthly living and yet we have the capacity to reach out, open our spiritual selves and come to full bloom.
He teaches us to be aware of our own personal power and vitality and pour our cup out to others.
First we need to control our own solar plexus the seat of which our every day thoughts, feelings, traumas, anger are housed. We need to take care not to let the human side fester within us, but to cleanse and clear the temple of our body.
We have the same power as the Heirophant if we would just be aware of it, he has stepped in our shoes and longs to show us the way.
He is the Father figure within each one of us, the teacher, the spiritual guardian.
There is much more in this card and l am sure others will come with their thoughts on the Heirophant. So glad this has now started and look forward to everyone's observations.