Spiritual Function
The Sun is arguably the most significant religious symbol in the Baha'i faith. That's because it is the symbol of Gods word. This is the most comprehensive and infallible truth made available to humans through dispensations. However, it is not the only source of truth.
You will find that most other religious symbols are effected by the Sun. Symbols such as leaves, trees, clouds, water, and soil are all illumined by the Sun. Other symbols, like the moon, provide truth by reflecting the Suns light. That's why the articles for each symbol in the Multi Fest Symbolism Resource have a section dedicated to defining that symbols relation to the sun. [text]
Practical Application
The applications of the Sun analogy are to numerous to discuss in a short article. In truth you would have to understand almost all of the other religious symbols in order to fully understand the Sun. So, I will limit my discussion to one of the more versatile applications. It's also a personal favorite of mine.
The understanding of the symbol of the Sun should lead one to remain true to the wider inclusive loyalty. Most people are made to navigate a storm of loyalties. Sometimes we end up caught between competing loyalties like country, employer, political party and self. But, if we remain loyal to the Sun of truth, we will minimize the contradictions between these forces. [text]
Relation to the Sun
The Multi Fest Symbolism Resource maintains a framework throughout each article. That framework includes a section describing the ways in which each symbol relates to the Sun. This doesn't make quite as much sense when you are actually writing the article about the Sun. But, I decided to keep this section for the sake of maintaining the framework.
Related Quotes
"It is a lovely day, the sun shines brightly upon the earth, giving light and warmth to all creatures. The Sun of Truth is also shining, giving light and warmth to the souls of men." Abdu'l-Baha
"Even as the clouds hide the sun and the sky from our gaze, even so did the humanity of Christ hide from men His real Divine character." Baha'u'llah
"The Divine Reality may be likened to the sun and the Holy Spirit to the rays of the sun. As the rays of the sun bring the light and warmth of the sun to the earth, giving life to all created beings, so do the “Manifestations” bring the power of the Holy Spirit from the Divine Sun of Reality to give light and life to the souls of men. " Abdu'l-Baha
Related Symbols