Carl Jung on the Sun as God.

Carl Jung on the Sun as God.

Psychology of the Unconscious

[Carl Jung on the Sun as God.]

The sun is, as Renan remarked, really the only rational representation of God, whether we take the point of view of the barbarians of other ages or that of the modern physical sciences.

In both cases the sun is the parent God, mythologically predominantly the Father God, from whom all living things draw life; He is the fructifier and creator of all that lives, the source of energy of our world.

The discord into which the soul of man has fallen through the action of moral laws can be resolved into complete harmony through the sun as the natural
object which obeys no human moral law.

The sun is not only beneficial, but also destructive; therefore the zodiacal representation of the August heat is the herd-devouring lion whom the Jewish hero Samson killed in order to free the parched earth from this plague.

Yet it is the harmonious and inherent nature of the sun to scorch, and its scorching power seems natural to men It shines equally on the just and on the unjust, and allows useful living objects to flourish as well as harmful ones.

Therefore, the sun is adapted as is nothing else to represent the visible God of this world.

That is to say, that driving strength of our own soul, which we call libido, and whose nature it is to allow the useful and injurious, the good and the bad to proceed.

That this comparison is no mere play of words is taught us by the mystics.

When by looking inwards (introversion) and going down into the depths of their own being they find “in their heart” the image of the Sun, they find their own love or libido, which with reason, I might say with physical reason, is called the Sun, for our source of energy and life is the Sun.

Thus our life substance, as an energic process, is entirely Sun.

Of what special sort this “Sun energy” seen inwardly by the mystic is, is shown by an example taken from the Hindu mythology.

From the explanation of Part III of the “Shvetashvataropanishad” we take the following quotation, which relates to the Rudra :

(2) “Yea, the one Rudra who all these worlds with ruling power doth rule, stands not for any second. Behind those that are born he stands, at ending time ingathers all the worlds he hath evolved, protector (he).

(3) “He hath eyes on all sides, on all sides surely hath faces, arms surely on all sides, on all sides feet. With arms, with wings he tricks them out, creating heaven and earth, the only God.

(4) “Who of the gods is both the source and growth, the Lord of all, the Rudra Mighty seer; who brought the shining germ of old into existence may he with reason pure conjoin us.”

These attributes allow us clearly to discern the all-creator and in him the Sun, which has wings and with a thousand eyes scans the world. ~Carl Jung, Psychology of the Unconscious, Pages 127-129.
[Carl Jung on the Sun and God.]

The sun is, as Renan remarked, really the only rational representation of God, whether we take the point of view of the barbarians of other ages or that of the modern physical sciences.

In both cases the sun is the parent God, mythologically predominantly the Father God, from whom all living things draw life; He is the fructifier and creator of all that lives, the source of energy of our world.

The discord into which the soul of man has fallen through the action of moral laws can be resolved into complete harmony through the sun as the natural
object which obeys no human moral law.

The sun is not only beneficial, but also destructive; therefore the zodiacal representation of the August heat is the herd-devouring lion whom the Jewish hero Samson killed in order to free the parched earth from this plague.

Yet it is the harmonious and inherent nature of the sun to scorch, and its scorching power seems natural to men It shines equally on the just and on the unjust, and allows useful living objects to flourish as well as harmful ones.

Therefore, the sun is adapted as is nothing else to represent the visible God of this world.

That is to say, that driving strength of our own soul, which we call libido, and whose nature it is to allow the useful and injurious, the good and the bad to proceed.

That this comparison is no mere play of words is taught us by the mystics.

When by looking inwards (introversion) and going down into the depths of their own being they find “in their heart” the image of the Sun, they find their own love or libido, which with reason, I might say with physical reason, is called the Sun, for our source of energy and life is the Sun.

Thus our life substance, as an energic process, is entirely Sun.

Of what special sort this “Sun energy” seen inwardly by the mystic is, is shown by an example taken from the Hindu mythology.

From the explanation of Part III of the “Shvetashvataropanishad” we take the following quotation, which relates to the Rudra :

(2) “Yea, the one Rudra who all these worlds with ruling power doth rule, stands not for any second. Behind those that are born he stands, at ending time ingathers all the worlds he hath evolved, protector (he).

(3) “He hath eyes on all sides, on all sides surely hath faces, arms surely on all sides, on all sides feet. With arms, with wings he tricks them out, creating heaven and earth, the only God.

(4) “Who of the gods is both the source and growth, the Lord of all, the Rudra Mighty seer; who brought the shining germ of old into existence may he with reason pure conjoin us.”

These attributes allow us clearly to discern the all-creator and in him the Sun, which has wings and with a thousand eyes scans the world. ~Carl Jung, Psychology of the Unconscious, Pages 127-129.