What is the Gnostic understanding of the image of Narasimha killing the demon Hiranyakashipu?
🕉 It is said “An image paints a story of a thousand words” and this image of Narasimha is no exception.
🕉 This image contains a lot of symbolism that teaches us about the Self and the Ego.
🕉 Narasimha here represents our true Self, the spiritual soul, while the demon represents our illusionary Ego.
🕉 Most people identify themselves with their Ego, which is a combination of body and mind. They do not realise that their true identity is the soul and their original nature is spirit.
🕉 The Ego however can behave like a monster or demon causing people a lot of suffering. Identifying themselves with their bodies, people become slaves of their bodily needs. Similarly by identifying with their minds they become enslaved to thoughts and desires. Subject to such whims they know no peace!
🕉 The yogi or devotee must gain mastery of themselves and overcome the illusion of ego, and identity with the Soul rather than the body or mind. The false ego must be slain or destroyed. This is what is represented here, the True Self victorious over the false ego of body and mind.
We need to talk…
👉 There will never be world peace. It’s IMPOSSIBLE! Unfortunately it’s just not the nature of the physical universe.Things are always changing, new placing the old, birth and death, decay and disease.
👉 Even if we had a peaceful society nature still isn’t peaceful and it wouldn’t leave us alone. There would still be earthquakes, viruses, volcanoes, asteroids, solar flares etc.
👉 But we don’t have a peaceful society, never had and never will, it’s not in human nature. Different people will have different ideas and values, and different desires, all of which are competing.
👉 The universe is in constant motion. The universe is dancing!
👉 If we are too dependent on our environment and looking to external phenomena for our own happiness, then we too will never be at peace.Peace comes from within, from the soul and the presence of God.
👉 To attain peace each individual needs to practice letting-go and non-attachment of the material universe.
👉 But society is made up of individuals, so if enough people did this we would have a more peaceful society at least!
muku 19:18 27–08–2020 Bengaluru, Karnataka
