The Sphinx: Symbol of Enlightenment

Recently, I finished watching the following documentary called The Mystery of the Sphinx:



It was hosted by Charlton Heston and came out in 1993. Unlike most documentaries, this one had an interesting presentation and was well-made. The documentary follows the research of John Anthony West who contends that the Sphinx is much older than contemporary Egyptologists believed. West bases his contention on the heavy water erosion marks on the Sphinx and in 1989 even sought the help of geologist Robert Schoch of Boston University to verify his theory.

The details of the investigation by West and Schoch are the basis of the documentary, so I will not focus on that here. Aside from their research though, something worth noting is the reaction of Egyptologists and archaeologists to the findings. In short, none of them accepted West's and Schoch's findings despite the evidence. It just shows that being a scientist does not necessarily mean that one is objective. They can also fall prey to cherished theories and more often than not they are unwilling to let go of them, even going so far as to attack and discredit anyone or anything that threatens to change the status quo.

John Anthony West is not the only researcher to attribute something more to the Sphinx. Graham Hancock and Robert Bauval have postulated about the Orion connection of the pyramids at Giza and the Sphinx. Drunvalo Melchizedek, in his books The Ancient Secret of the Flower of Life Volumes 1 & 2, mentions that there are vast underground tunnels and complexes that can be reached through an entrance at the right forepaw of the Sphinx. Edgar Cayce also mentions this, and limited imaging surveys around the area of the Sphinx have indeed shown hints of an underground man-made room under the right paw of the Sphinx. In her book Initiation in the Great Pyramid, Dr. Earlyne Chaney recounts the life story of one of her previous incarnations as an Egyptian initiate in the Order of Melchizedek. At the end of her last initiation, she steps out into the dawn through a doorway located in one of the paws of the Sphinx.

Aside from these and other tantalizing hints about the Sphinx's history and purpose, there have also been a lot of theories about what the Sphinx symbolizes. Usually, the Sphinx is said to be the symbol of strength, leadership and guardianship, qualities that theoretically should be present in a ruling pharaoh.

Personally, I also have a theory. I believe the Sphinx is a symbol of enlightenment, a fully realized person. In Master Choa Kok Sui's book Achieving Oneness with the Higher Soul, he explains that the headdress of the pharaoh had a cobra in the front to symbolize the raised kundalini, meaning that the pharaoh was an enlightened ruler (at least theoretically) because when the kundalini is awakened and reaches the head, one becomes enlightened. What does this have to do with the Sphinx?

The frontispiece of the book Call Adonoi by Albert Schutz has a drawning entitled "Exaltation of the Sun." It features a lion on land at the edge of the sea raised up on its hind legs, front paws touching the sun with stars along the spine of the lion. At the horizon of the sea, half of the moon is visible while the other half is covered by water. The interpretation is as follows:

"The sun, symbol of the heart and wisdom, is raised by the lion above the moon; only half of the moon (understanding) can rise above materialistic matters (i.e., the sea). The procreative energies of the body are symbolized by the lion, and the gates of expanded perceptions are the stars."

The kundalini is often referred to as the procreative energy of the body, therefore the lion is another symbol for the kundalini. Why the heart, when the kundalini is supposed to rise to the head? In the Meditation on Twin Hearts, it's explained that the heart is the gateway to the crown. The crown chakra cannot activate if the heart chakra is not activated. This is also why several esoteric texts make mention of the "sacred space of the heart."

The human head on the Sphinx is much smaller in proportion to the size of the body of the lion, leading some to speculate that the original head may have been that of a lion but heavy weathering (since it's more exposed than the rest of the statue) may have led later people to re-carve it into a human head.

I'm sure there is much more to the Sphinx than what I postulated because Master Choa was writing a book about it although unfortunately he passed away before it could be published. Nevertheless, considering the other aspects of the Sphinx, such as the fact that it faces the rising sun and is located near the Great Pyramid (long supposed to be a site of initiation), it seems all these different pieces fit together.

When will the Sphinx finally give up her secrets? No one knows for sure, or if there is anyone that does know, that person isn't talking. Nevertheless, we move on with our lives, with our spiritual practice, while the Sphinx continues to stand, a mute guardian waiting to greet the rising sun.