Religion and Vision: Seeing the Divine in Hinduism

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Religion and Vision:

Seeing the Divine in Hinduism

By Genesis Lantigua Diaz

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Introduction

Diana L. Eck’s Darsan: Seeing the Divine Image in India introduces Western readers to Hinduism and helps the reader appreciate and value Hindu approaches to worship. Eck, professor of religion and Indian studies at Harvard University, composes a text filled with definitions of Hindu worship terms. One of these terms is Darsan. Darsan is the Indian word for seeing, more specifically spiritual seeing. Eck argues that in contrast to Christianity and Islam which emphasize hearing the divine (listening to the word of God or Allah), Hinduism emphasizes seeing the divine. In Hinduism, the “central act of worship” is to see and to be seen by the divine. 


“The central act of Hindu worship, from the point of view of the lay person, is to stand in the presence of the deity and to behold the image with one’s own eyes, to see and be seen by the deity” Eck, 3.

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Idols or Icons in Hinduism

In Hinduism the definition of an idol differs from that one of Mosaic religions. In Christianity, Judaism and Islam idol worship is viewed as something that is unpleasant to God, with the exception of some Christians (example: Orthodox and Roman Catholics) who accept and/or worship images of biblical saints and figures. The God worshiped by these Western religions cannot be seen by the carnal eye and anything that is created and worshiped is considered idolatry, a detestable sin.

Hinduism has a different approach to the word idol. Although Hindus use the word idol to represent the statues, images and artistic representations of the Hindu gods, they do not associate idol worship to an immoral action, as Western religions do. Instead, idols are viewed as a gate to access the gods. Hindu temples and the streets of India are not simply decorated for aesthetic purposes, they are adorned with sacred objects that bring the worshiper closer to the deity.


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Darsan

Darsan in Hinduism is used to represent a variety of beautiful and sacred objects. Pilgrims from all over the country of India and the world travel in order to find darsan. Darsan can include temples, statues, festivals and also specific landmarks and people. It is believed that as the pilgrim sees, or more specifically stares at the image, he is staring and seeing the god behind the image. In Hinduism, seeing is not simply looking at. But instead, it is a way of touching and knowing. Eck compares our English expression of “seeing the point” to state we know or understand an argument. The same notation applies to Hinduism. Seeing a god is also knowing a god. Images are a way to intimately interact with what cannot otherwise be seen. These images are “seen, bathed, adorned, touched and honored” (Eck, 46) in a way to represent doing so to the deity behind the image. It is a more sensual form of worship than that of prayer and sacrificial rituals. Eck brings up that many Hindus feel that the gods stare back at them as they stare into the beauty of the images. Hindus admire those pilgrims who have sacrificed their loved ones and homes in order to find Darsan. These pilgrims are also sacred in Hinduism. An example of someone who holds darsan for Hindus is Mahatma Gandhi. These admirable pilgrims are treated with hospitality and many great crowds gather around them in order for Hindus to show their admiration and respect. Places such as the Himalayas and some rivers are so desirable to the eye that it is believe these are home to the gods. Admiring the beauty of the world, both created by man and created in nature, is a way of appreciating the gods in Hinduism, and thus becoming connected to the gods.

#DianaLEck #vision

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