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Video Information: Vishranti Shivir, 8.9.19, Chandigarh, Punjab, India
Context:
¬ Why do we have images of Avatars and Prophets?
¬ What was the need to use the image of the Prophet as the solution?
¬ What does it mean to be the son of God?
¬ What is the mind?
¬ At what point does an image become a hindrance?
Music Credits: Milind Date
~~~~~
Be a part of the Live Sessions: https://acharyaprashant.org/hi/enquir...
Want to read Acharya Prashant's Books?
Get Free Delivery: https://acharyaprashant.org/en/books?...
Read 3 handpicked wisdom articles, just for you: https://acharyaprashant.org/en/articl...
~~~~~
Video Information: Vishranti Shivir, 8.9.19, Chandigarh, Punjab, India
Context:
¬ Why do we have images of Avatars and Prophets?
¬ What was the need to use the image of the Prophet as the solution?
¬ What does it mean to be the son of God?
¬ What is the mind?
¬ At what point does an image become a hindrance?
Music Credits: Milind Date
~~~~~
Category
📚
LearningTranscript
00:00We have spoken during the MAG sessions a couple of months back, the first letter I sent, in
00:17regards to images, okay?
00:23There is in my mind frequently still the image or story of Jesus Christ.
00:34I spent about a year identifying as a Christian and coming close to him, but still there is
00:46a, I want to understand the right role of an image.
00:53In your answer you gave to me, you mentioned that they were given with a noble purpose,
00:58a noble cause, but man's ego co-ops everything.
01:03So sometimes I can tell when I'm speaking with people and I think about what I've said
01:10afterwards.
01:11I can see that I'm tiptoeing a fine line between taking it too seriously, perhaps.
01:21So I just was hoping for some clarity with this, the right role of an image.
01:27I understand the simple answer would be a pointing or something like that, but in the
01:33reality of my life there is an emotional, some kind of connection or something there,
01:41and I just want to make sure that before I leave here, that this understanding is, it's
01:47in the right place.
01:49Do you hear where I'm coming from?
01:53Yeah.
01:54There is no one answer to this, Jamie.
02:01The intention has to be right, you see.
02:06Obviously you understand that the image was given as an image buster because the mind
02:15is anyway full of nonsensical images.
02:19So a pristine image was given to us as a solution to the various miscellaneous, random and harmful
02:35images.
02:39And what was the need to use the image as a solution?
02:44Because we would not accept anything else.
02:48We are a sucker for images.
02:53All we want is images, thoughts, stories, myths.
03:02Were it possible to rid us of images using any other means?
03:07The other means would have been surely deployed.
03:12But we proved to our well-wishers that we are obstinate beings who would not submit
03:22to or acquiesce to any other method.
03:27We were left with no choice.
03:31The well-wishers said, alright, if images is what you would have, I will give you a
03:38special image.
03:40So the special image was provided.
03:42Obviously its purpose is to rid you of the miscellaneous stuff that is there in the mind.
03:51Now what after that?
03:57It depends on the mind, the personality.
04:05In an ideal sense, and ideas are ideas, they do not go too far.
04:12In an ideal sense, the image should dissolve having served its purpose.
04:20Actually the purpose never gets fully or absolutely served.
04:27Even if temporarily the mind is cleansed of images, its tendency to imagine it still remains.
04:40Even if images are cleared off, the tendency to imagine it, that still remains.
04:46So you need protection against that tendency.
04:53Now the lovely and pure image that helped you in the first case, obviously is again
05:03the solution.
05:06So then there is a need to stay put with the image.
05:11The image could be of Christ or Krishna.
05:14If one sees that getting rid of the image makes one vulnerable to the same old diseases,
05:27and many people do find it that way.
05:30They say as long as I am with the image, the world is at bay.
05:36As long as I abandon the image and I am on my own, the old things again start bugging
05:42me and occupying me.
05:44Now that's not a great condition.
05:50That just proves that unfortunately the bodily tendencies are too strong.
05:55But what can one do about it?
05:56The body is the body.
05:57You cannot change your DNA.
06:00So in that case, yes, there is no option but to stick to the image.
06:06Stick to the image lifelong, as millions and billions of people have done in history
06:15across continents, across religious affiliations, be it the image of the Buddha, be it the image
06:21of Christ, be it the image of Ram or Krishna, be it the symbolism of Islam.
06:30It has been happening everywhere.
06:33Imagery has been imagining in some sense or the other.
06:39Even if the image is not that of a face, like in Islam, there is some other kind of imagery.
06:51Even a word is an image, is it not?
06:53So even if you stick to the holy word, you are still sticking to some image.
06:59In that sense, there is no option but to be an idol worshipper of some sort.
07:07Even if you do not worship an idol made of wood or stone or metal, you are worshipping
07:13an idol made of worldly stuff, stuff that comes from words.
07:22Don't words conjure up images?
07:24Does the image have to be of concrete?
07:27The word itself is an image, is it not?
07:29So that way.
07:32So it's a tricky situation, you see.
07:35Best thing would be to depend as little on the image as possible, but practically if
07:43you do require the image, don't insist on depriving yourself of the image.
07:53Being with the image is obviously a problem, but far, far, far bigger problem is being
08:00with the multifarious demonic images that the world stuffs in your mind.
08:07So choosing between these two, which image to keep, the image of Jesus or all the images
08:16that the world wants to load me with, the choice is obvious.
08:21One has to be with Jesus.
08:24But at the same time, if possible, try to go to the Father.
08:33There there is no image, right?
08:36Jesus is the image of Father.
08:40That's what is meant by Him being the Son.
08:42Jesus is the image of the Father, Sakaar, Sagun.
08:49If possible, go a little beyond Jesus, go to the Father and there there is no image.
08:55And Jesus so poignantly said, you cannot go to the Father, but through me.
09:03I am the truth, the way and the life.
09:05If you have to go to the Father, you have to pass through me.
09:09He said you have to go through me.
09:10He didn't say stop at me.
09:13So it's great to go to Jesus and if you stay with Jesus all your life, that itself is so
09:19beautiful and wonderful.
09:21But even more fascinating would be if you can go to the Father and there you will not
09:28find any image.
09:35The admiration or the fondness returns primarily when speaking with people.
09:44It's more of a, because of the tradition that I'm familiar with, using His words to point
09:56to things has proved to be helpful in relating with people.
10:03But then I start to remember the story and then.
10:14As long as it is delivering the goods, no harm, as long as.
10:20But a point will come when you will find that not only is the image becoming an obstruction,
10:25something even more nefarious is happening.
10:29You will find that you are customizing the image to suit your personal egoistic needs.
10:35Once you detect that, that's a major alarm, major alarm.
10:43Now you are not merely with the image, you are actually distorting the image to suit
10:48personal needs.
10:50If you detect that, then you should just jump up and do something very very urgent and take
10:55it as a drastic measure.
11:00It's a very fine thing, a tightrope walk to be with the image and yet not sully the image.
11:13That's why, you know, if the mind can somehow get centered on the one imageless truth, nothing
11:24beats that, that's the ultimate.
11:28That does not usually happen.
11:31So one has to stay with the idol or the image or the word.
11:36Best would be word goes, only silence remains.
11:40Best would be the idol goes and only the formless remains.
11:44Best would be the image goes and only the nameless imageless remains.
11:48That does not easily happen.
11:51If you are staying put with the image, just make sure that you respect the image, worship
12:00the image and never dare to distort the image, never.
12:15What has happened is, man has not merely taken the images that the scriptures have given
12:19us.
12:21Man has amplified those images.
12:24Man has created myths and stories, so much so that we do not even know what was the original
12:33stuff that the messenger, the prophet or the scripture gave us.
12:40Man has superimposed so much of his own content on the scripture, we do not know what is happening.
12:46And that was not merely a historical process.
12:49It is happening every day in our own minds.
12:53Let's say he is a Krishna worshipper and she is a Krishna worshipper.
12:57The image of Krishna in his mind will be different from the Krishna she worships.
13:02They both have created their customised Krishna images and that to me is highly dangerous.
13:11Even if you can stick to the Krishna image that the Bhagavad Purana gives you, it is
13:16probably alright.
13:18But we do not even stick to the Krishna that Bhagavatam gives us.
13:23We create Krishnas of our own fantasies and that is very dangerous.
13:29Now the ego is exploiting even Krishna.
13:41So best is stick to Nirakar Krishna, the one formless truth.
13:52If you cannot do that, then at least be very very respectful to the image.
13:57Don't lay your dirty hands on it.
14:00Don't try to disfigure it.
14:03You never say you are disfiguring it.
14:04You say always that you are giving it a more attractive figure.
14:11We never say we are distorting it.
14:13We always say we are decorating it.
14:15But your decoration is distortion.
14:17So don't try to decorate the images that have been given.
14:25Hands off.
14:27Let the image be as it is.
14:29If there is the holy word, don't try to add to it or don't try to take away anything from
14:36it.
14:37Don't load it with your own personal interpretations.
14:39The word is the word.
14:41There is a reason why it has been put that way, worded that way.
14:47Don't try to give it a convenient spin.
14:52Are you getting it?
14:56You have to be very cautious whether you are listening to the teacher or whether you
15:01are superimposing your own intentions upon the teacher.