"the castle, fortress or stronghold is the near-universal symbol of humanity's inner refuge, the cavern of the heart, that place of privileged intercourse between the soul and its god, or the absolute. . .
in the bhagavad gita (5: 13), the 'castle with nine gates' is a metaphor for the body of the yogi, closed to feelings for and attachments to the outside world, and therefore safeguarding his inner spiritual concentration. . .
just as in stories and in dreams, castles are usually set either upon hilltops, or in forest glades. they are strongly built and hard to come at. they convey the feeling of security, as do houses in general, but at a far higher level. they are symbols of protection.
yet their locations in some measure set them apart in the middle of fields, woods or hill country. what they immure is isolated from the rest of the world and assumes an aura of remoteness which makes it as desirable as it is inaccessible. . .
spiritual transcendence is the castle's protection. castles are deemed to shelter some mysterious and intangible force. they appear in enchanted forests and mountains, themselves laden with the power of holiness, and magically vanish like mirages on the approach of some knight errant. . . the castle symbolizes the realization of the heart's desire."
from the penguin dictionary of symbols by jean chevalier and alain gheerbrant
No comments:
Post a Comment