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EDITORIAL  Vedic Roots Of Modern Society BY MARK ROMAN EDITORIAL, Jan 23 (VNN) — The Vedic Roots of Modern Cultural Phenomena Part I: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone The story of Harry Potter is a theological drama which portrays in simple symbolic fashion a metaphysical understanding which is both literal oþ ô ô and represents an initiatory teaching as practiced in the ancient mystery schools of the near east (Egypt, Babylon, Rome, etc.) This form of worship seeks to offer sacrifice and reverence to the Sun by participation in and meditation upon its symbolic journey into death and rebirth. This has the two-fold aspect of illustrating the theological principle of the soul's separation from God and subsequent liberation from the bondage of matter, as well as acknowledging the incarnation of the Supreme Absolute in the material world in the form of the Sun which gives life and light to all living beings. This particular theological understanding derives itself from the Vedic teaching originally practiced in the ancient world, and now found predominantly in the Indian subcontinent. The Sun-God, according to the Vedas, is a direct incarnation of the Supreme Lord Vishnu in the form of Surya-Narayana and is the chief deity worshipped in the daily rituals practiced for the purification of sins. The Sun occupies a particular place, because while other of the principle planets also share worship and respect, their presiding deities belong to the class of Devas, or "demigods," fantastically powerful celestial beings who rule over different aspects of the material creation. These beings, although exalted, are subject to the influence of material nature and inevitably succumb to the process of death and transmigration, either after their lifespan ends, or for some at the dissolution of the material universe, when the congregate elements of matter are merged back into the body of Lo Harry Potter is indeed, "Hari Pater" or "God the Father," and he struggles and overcomes the power of darkness symbolized by Voldemort, or "Baal de Mort" the Lord of Death. He does this, like Parsival, the fool of the Tarot, by his innocence. He does not selfishly desire the Sorcerer's Stone, also known as the Holy Graal. This desire is the root cause of our bondage, improper desire which consists of the misidentification of the eternal soul with the temporal material elements, and the subsequent attraction or aversion for the products of material nature. Harry, however, is the symbol of purity, the transcendent Sun-God Himself, and he grasps within his hand that which is coveted by all men, the Graal, symbol of eternal life incarnate in a material form, which can grant all the desires of a person who possesses it but which holds no attraction for the truly wise. This stone symbolizes principally spiritual perfection in and of itself, but also refers to an actual object apparent Harry goes through a process of initiation having its roots as well in the ancient Vedic Dharma. He is marked on the forehead as a child, and the marking not only a form of tilaka, or a marking signifying his initiation into the mysteries of God, but also shows his symbolism as the Sun-God, for the marking is a "Lightning Bolt" also known as the Sig Rune, which symbolizes the Sun in the Elder Futhark Rune system, and comes down to our recent history in the Solar cult society which captured the government of Germany, marking their most dreaded troops with the twin Sig SS insignia, and brandishing the Swastika, the ancient symbol of Good fortune (which has now become distorted from recent experience) while they chanted "Sieg Heil", or "Hail to the Sun." Harry is taken from the muggles, also called sudras, the profane or uninitiated, and sent to the ashrama of the wizard, or spiritual master, where he is taught sorcery, for which he shows a natural aptitude. The schools of the various students: Gryfindorf (Lion), Slytherin (Serpent), Hufenpuf (Dragon), Ravenclaw (Eagle)-symbolize the four material elements or motivating forces (air, earth, fire and water), with the exception of the fifth, or ether, which merely acts as the accomodating space for the actions of the others. They also apparently symbolize the predominant banners of the major secret societies warring throughout history, and can also be taken to represent the division of human society into the segments of priest or intellectual class, administrative martial class, agricultural or mercantile class, and laborers. According to ancient philosophers, these are the natural divisions inherent within human society and the occupational duties for which people are train These multiple layers of symbolism are common in this genre of writings, and are designed to illustrate many different aspects of reality at once, so a story having its source within the movement of celestial bodies can be used to describe specific material events while at the same time instructing the initiated into the more profound spiritual truths. Harry's name of Potter, as stated at the outset, illustrates the multidimensional nature of the story, as the title Pater, or Father, was the seventh and highest degree of initiation in the Persian cult of Mithras practiced widely in the Roman empire. This position within the cult comes down through the ages in the office of Pope within the Roman Catholic Church, with the supreme Pontiff also adopting the Mithraic markings of the rank of Pater, complete with the red hat, shepherd's staff, and ring worn by those achieving this level within the order. Their worshipable deity was, of course, the Sun-God, who was referred to as Mithras, a sanskrit word for the same deity. The Persian Zend-Avesta, the sacred scripture of Zoroastrianism, again displays the same coherent theological understanding coming from the Vedas, as Mithras is stated therein to be separate and distinct from the other demigods controlling material affairs. He is thought to be an expansion of the Supreme Absolute The list of correspondences within the Harry Potter stories to traditional metaphysical teachings from a wide variety of sources is extensive, and my purpose in writing this article is only to touch upon the basics of such an analysis so I can expand upon it in future articles and delve into the symbolism inherent within many of our present-day artistic endeavors. Anyone wishing to correspond can contact me at Starpromo@aol.com. Thank you, Mark Roman  Comment on this storyContact VNN about this storySend this story to a friend
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