 The lion symbolizes power and sovereignty and is
associated with the sun, with gold and with the penetrating strength of
light and of the Word.
Krishna is the lion among wild creatures, the
Buddha is the lion of the Shakyas and Christ is the lion of Judah.
Buddha uses the lion as a throne. It is the power of the Shakti that is
divine energy. It is the shape of the avatar Nara-simba (the Man-Lion),
symbol of strength and courage and destroyer of evil and ignorance. As
power of the Dharma, the lion corresponds to Vairochana and to
Manjushri, the bearer of knowledge. When Buddha taught the Dharma, his
voice was the lion-roar revealing the strength of the Law.
Symbol of power, the lion is also the symbol of justice. This is why
lions decorated Solomon’s throne as well as the thrones of the Kings of
France and of medieval bishops. It is also the symbol of Christ as
judge and it is the emblem of Saint Mark, the Evangelist. According to
medieval iconography, only the head and the forequarters of the lion of
Judah are associated with Christ’s divine nature.
 Negative meaning is also associated with the lion: according to Saint
John of the Cross, the raging of the lion’s angry appetite is a symbol
of instinctual and uncontrolled strength.
In the Far East, the lion has great affinities with the dragon. It plays a protective part against evil influences.
Hindu iconography sees the lion as a solar animal and an expression of
the Word. It expresses the terrifying aspect of Maya, the power of
manifestation.
In Ancient Egypt, lions, considered to be solar animals, are often
depicted in pairs, one looking to the east and the other to the west,
in the axis of the Sun’s course, symbolizing yesterday and tomorrow.
They often represent the strength that ensures the cycle of day and
night, of exertion and rest.
Thus the lion has come not only to symbolize the return of the Sun and
rejuvenation of strength, but also rebirth itself. The Knight with the
Lion, in Arthurian legends, is practically the only evidence of the
presence of the lion in Celtic symbolism.
The Muslims see in Ali, Muhammad’s son-in-law, the lion of Allah. The
Pseudo-Dionysus the Aeropagite explained that theology gave certain
angels the shape of a lion because this appearance expressed the
authority and irresistible strength of holy intelligence. He also
quoted the Book of Revelations in which the first of the four living
creatures given eyes in front and in back, surrounding the throne of
Heaven, is described as a lion.
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