John 6:1-13
1. After these things Jesus went away to the other side of the Sea of Galilee (or Tiberias). 2. A large crowd followed Him, because they saw the signs which He was performing on those who were sick. 3. Then Jesus went up on the mountain, and there He sat down with His disciples. 4. Now the Passover, the feast of the Jews, was near. 5. Therefore Jesus, lifting up His eyes and seeing that a large crowd was coming to Him, said to Philip, “Where are we to buy bread, so that these may eat?” 6. This He was saying to test him, for He Himself knew what He was intending to do. 7. Philip answered Him, “Two hundred denarii worth of bread is not sufficient for them, for everyone to receive a little.” 8. One of His disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to Him, 9.“There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what are these for so many people?” 10. Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand. 11. Jesus then took the loaves, and having given thanks, He distributed to those who were seated; likewise also of the fish as much as they wanted. 12. When they were filled, He said to His disciples, “Gather up the leftover fragments so that nothing will be lost.” 13. So they gathered them up, and filled twelve baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves which were left over by those who had eaten.

The feeding of the 5000 corresponds to the Anahata Chakra, the heart center, of the Indian tradition.

In the Indian tradition, the Heart is the seat of the Prana (corresponding to the Pneuma/Spirit in the Gospel). The Heart center (Anahata) is where the process of breath control starts (Pranayama). This process will lead to the ultimate spiritual experience as described in the Indian sacred texts: merging the individual psyche with the transcendental Self.

Control the breath in the heart’s region and make it pervade the nadis entire; They who can do this will gain a body that no fire can burn. – Tirumantiram 726
Knowledge of Science of Breath Leads to Immortality. – Tirumantiram 571

Jesus is seated on the mountain covered with grass

John 6:3 – And Jesus went up into the mountain, and there he sat with his disciples.
John 6:10 – Now there was much grass in the place.

In the Indian tradition it is recommended to start the meditative process of breath control by sitting on a seat made of kusha grass ().
According to early Buddhist accounts, the kusha grass was used by Buddha for his meditation seat when he attained enlightenment. In the Hindu episode of the churning of the ocean of milk, the mountain stands for concentration of mind, or meditation.

Jesus takes the loaves of bread

Touch is the sense associated with Anahata chakra, the hands are its work organ.

John 6:11 – Jesus then took the loaves, and having given thanks, He distributed to those who were seated; likewise also of the fish as much as they wanted.

The two fish

The fish represents Matsya, one of the five Ms of the Panchamakara. Matsya means fish, also symbolically the breath. The two fish are the two nadis Ida and Pingala associated in the Gospel of John with Andrew and Philip respectively corresponding to the inhalation and exhalation of breath.

Andrew, Philip and Simon are all from the city of Bethsaida meaning “house of fish”. They are associated with the three main nadis of the Indian tradition originating at the base of the spine: Ida, Pingala and Sushumna (John 1:44 – 12:21).

The matsya literally means “fish”, but it symbolically signifies the inhalation and exhalation of breath. It has been said that the two nadis, ida and pingala, have two fishes, inhalation and exhalation moving constantly up and down. It is enjoined that a sadhaka should stop their erratic movement by performing khumbhaka through pranayama, so that the blocked channel of the central nadi (sushumna) could be opened for the ascent of the kundalini shakti. This is symbolically called “the eating of the fish” matsya-bhaksana, and such aspirants are known as matsya-sadhaka. – From the book Essays on the Tirumandiram by T.N. Ganapathy & KR. Arumugam

The Agamasara declares that Matsya, fish, refer to the absorption into the medial channel of the breaths moving in the right and left channels of the subtle body. These breaths, styled as two fish swimming in the Ganges and Yamuna rivers (associated with Pingala and Ida nadis respectively), are to be swallowed into the central sushumna channel, the Saraswati river. – David Gordon White, in Kiss of the Yogini p254

In the process of breath control, The two nadis Ida and Pingala (the two fish) will eventually have to be controlled for the process of the ascent of the kundalini to start. This is symbolized in the Gospel by the leftovers: 12 baskets of bread but no fish remains after the crowd has eaten.

The bread

The bread represents Mudra, one of the five Ms of the Panchamakara. Mudra means parched grain (symbolized by the loaves of bread), also gesture (symbolized by Jesus taking the loaves), and allegorically spiritual company, satsang (symbolized by the crowd of 5000). The bread represents the upper Bindu (the body of Christ). The fish represents the lower Bindu (The breath, Prana). The movement of the Bindu is closely connected with the circulation of the life energy in the form of the breath. By merging the lower Bindu with the upper Bindu, the nectar flows and immortality is achieved.

Tirumantiram 1965 – Merging of Bodily Bindu in Cosmic Bindu; Coursing upward, Bindu that is Prana vital, Merging it in Divine Bindu That the “Swan” in cranium (Sahasrara) is; There, uniting in Nadanta, The luminous Bindu is in body absorbed.

The event of the bread and the fish on the fire at the end of the Gospel will conclude the symbolism of the feeding of the 5000:

Learn more about the symbol of the fish at the end of the Gospel.

The Pneuma of the Gospel is associated with the Prana of the Indian tradition

The Greek word Pneuma () means: a movement of air, the breath, the wind, the spirit.
The Sanskrit word Prana means: the breath of life, the breath, the life force, the wind, the spirit.

12 is the number associated with the breath.

12 finger length is the prana breath – Tirumantiram 728

In the Indian tradition the life force exists into two forms: Prana situated above the navel and Apana situated below the navel. Apana pulls prana, and prana pulls apana. The adept of Yoga joins both to awaken the Kundalini.

24 occurrences of the word Pneuma (, the breath/spirit) are found in the Gospel:
– 12 are located above the Heart center (Representing Prana, inhalation)
– 12 are located below the Heart center (Representing Apana, exhalation)

The two fish, the five breads and the twelve baskets

We have seen above that the 2 fish, ida and pingala, Andrew and Phillip are associated in the Indian tradition with inhalation and exhalation and represent the moon and the sun.

In the monistic or pneumatic perspective of the yoga-based Indian gno-seologies, it is ultimately breath, breathing in and breathing out, that unites the microcosm to the macrocosm – David Gordon White, The Alchemical Body P46

The feeding of the 5000 miracle is a symbol of the union of the microcosm with the macrocosm.

The 5 breads represent the 5 known planets of the Greeks: Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn. The bread is later in the Gospel of John mentioned as “coming from heaven”.

John 6:51 “I am the living bread that came down out of heaven; if anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread also which I will give for the life of the world is My flesh.”.

The 12 baskets represent the 12 signs of the zodiac, symbolic of the entire cosmos.

Jesus is seated “on the mountain”. The word for mountain in the original Greek text of the Gospel is “Oros” (). In Sanskrit, Ora means “horoscope”.

The ‘Daressy Zodiac’
The ‘Zodiac of Cairo’ or the ‘Daressy Zodiac’ dates from the Roman Imperial Period (27 BC to AD 284). It contains, in the outer ring, the Greek zodiac with the 12 signs of the zodiac. In the centre are the busts of the Sun and the Moon gods, and a serpent. In the symbolism of the Feeding of the 5000, the 12 signs of the zodiac stand for the 12 baskets of bread, the serpent stand for Jesus, the sun stand for Philip, the moon stand for Andrew.