The Swastika Stone near Ilkley, Yorkshire

The swastika, or more correctly svastika, is one of the most powerful symbols of the Jain dharma. It has even a higher status in Jainism than in the Buddhist or even Hindu traditions.  This reflects its ancient roots in Indic civilisation as a life-affirming symbol.  The word svastika means 'well-being' in Sanskrit and in Jainism is associated with Suparsva, the seventh of twenty-four Tirthankaras ('path-finders') of whom Bhagvan Mahavira was the last.  As an auspicious sign, the svastika adorns nearly all Jain temples and holy books.  Ceremonies, at temples and in the home, often involve the creation of svastika marks with rice, the staple of life.

In Jainism, the svastika has several layers of meaning.  It represents the indestructibility of life and, for Jains believe that life energy can neither be created nor destroyed.  As a wheel, the svastika depicts a universe that turns continuously through the cycles of time. The turning of the wheel can also be interpreted as a representation of samsara, the cycle of birth, death and rebirth through which all beings must pass until they reach enlightenment.  As in other Indic - and north European - traditions, the image of the svastika implies the sun, the source of life energy for our planet.

The svastika also has two meanings very specific to Jain doctrine.  First, each arm represents the four gati, the destinies or categories of rebirth: manushya (human), tiryancha (animal or plant), deva (celestial being) and nirjara (infernal being).  Secondly, the arms signify the Fourfold Order of the Jain sangha (community): male ascetics, female ascetics, lay men and lay women, all mutually dependent.

As a representation of life, the four destinies and the Fourfold Order, the svastika is a central component of the Pratika (pictured), a universal symbol of the Jain dharma.  The outline of the Pratika represents the boundaries of the inhabited universe, the hand an expression of ahimsa, the ideal of non-violence and perfect peace.  Above the svastika, the three circles represent the Triratna: the Three Jewels of Right Faith, Right Knowledge and Right Action.  The crescent demarcates the place of liberated souls, whilst the uppermost circle signifies the Jina, a fully enlightened being who has escaped samsara.

In the West, especially, the image of the svastika has become associated with a genocidal political ideology and movement of the mid-twentieth century.  In both theory and practice, this movement represents the opposite of the true meaning of the svastika, which is an ancient expression of life, peace and harmony with nature.