A discussion of the rich symbolism of Hinduism, ranging from the familiar symbols of Om and lotus to the representation of India?s great deities, incarnations and saints, and including such scriptures as the Adhyatma Ramayana. The practical implications of the forms and traditions are stressed in a volume of interest to both beginners and advanced students.
The important thing is how much less you think of the body, of yourself as matter -- as dead, dull, insentient matter; how much more you think of yourself as shining immortal being. The more you think of yourself as spirit, the more eager you will be to be absolutely free from matter, body and senses. This is the intense desire to be free.
-Swami Vivekananda