Symbols and signs are very important, but also sometimes very difficult for an outsider to understand. In Mormon culture we have all kinds of symbols: the statue of Angel Moroni on top of our temples, the bread and water of the sacrament, the way we dress, and much of our artwork and what is written in the scriptures can be symbolic. There are probably some other really obvious things that I am missing as well, but I am not as prone to notice them as an outsider might be because I have grown up with them all my life. Yet, I understand what these symbols mean, and the outsider most likely will not.
Buddhism and Hinduism as I have already begun to see, are full of symbols and signs, and as of now I have only learned what a few of them mean. For instance, in Hinduism, Gods are often depicted with multiple arms. This isn't to say that that God literally has that many arms, but that that is the number of powers which that God holds. In another case I read of, there was a figure with three heads looking three different directions - again, not saying that the God literally has that many heads, but symbolizing that the God can see the past, the present, and the future.
I still have a lot of learning to do about Buddhist and Hindi symbols, and I hope that when we are in India people will be willing to explain them to me, because I'm sure there will be many that I do not understand.
Symbols are very important in our world, and I think we use them more than we realize. Symbols are also important in the world of film. They are often difficult to use, but when used become very powerful. Symbols in film can be things that are symbols in real life, or they can be things specific to, or invented for the film. This will be something for me to consider as I make my film in India, but it most likely will not be something I can prepare for. Instead it will probably be something I have to discover while I'm there. But I should be intent on looking for it or else I may not notice it.
I just learned something from reading your post! I didn't know that the Hindu gods depicted with multiple arms are just a symbol for the gods having many powers. I thought they literally thought the gods had lots of arms. That's cool to understand better! Thanks!
ReplyDeleteIt's extremely interesting to me to realize that from a Hindu perspective, the whole universe is an illusion. I wonder what generates that illusions ... and if there is a symbolic meaning in everything because of it, whether we're talking gods with many arms or a glass of water sitting on a table.
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