Smells and Bells

What should we see? What should we hold witness to?  "Since, in the Hindu understanding, the deity is present in the image, the visual apprehension of the image is charged with religious meaning. Beholding the image is an act of worship, and through the eyes one gains the blessings of the divine" (Eck, 3) After reading this quote, I started to think about the power of sight and what it means to see. According to Eck blessings are to be received through the eye; making the eye the orifice or connecting point in which the divine 'touches' a person. Te eye itself is an organ which depends on the brain's interpretations of the outside world. No matter the culture, a brain (normally) can see what is there - but can it feel what cannot be seen? Through the eye, the divine may be able to 'physically' touch, not the eye itself, but rather, the mind of the devout. Most know the phrase "eyes are the window to the soul" - so would the opening o...

In Professor Nelson’s lecture, he explained that vision can be a synesthetic experience. One of these connections is between vision and touch is expressed many times through language, using specific phrases such as, ‘I felt his/her gaze’.   This expression uses language of touch to express the feeling of being watched or observed by another individual.   Diane Eck discusses the connection between touch and vision in her book Darsan: Seeing the Divine Image in India .   She explains that the eye of the devotee touches the deity to understand what is being touched; in fact they are ‘touching truth’.   The Vision group spoke extensively on this subject during their presentation, describing it as ‘an exchange of glances’.   The exchange is a contact between devotee and deity that takes place through the eyes of both individuals.   Eck describes the eyes of Gods as unblinking and there are ceremonies that surround the ‘opening’ of a deity’s eyes.   She des...