During a photo shoot, where my focus was to bring out the intensity of her watchful eyes, I also had an opportunity to delve deeper into philosophy of Creation and Creators act of observing Himself through mortals eyes.
Ponder over the statement “I am a liar” – If I am really a liar, them I am telling the truth, so how can I be a liar? If am telling the truth that I am a liar, then I am not lying, so how can I be a liar? Staying within the rules of grammar, it is impossible to get out of the circular tangle because the sentence that “I am a Liar” creates an inescapable loop.
M.C. Escher (1892-1972), a famous artist is known for his impossible constructions. “Drawing Hands” is a lithograph he printed in 1948. It depicts a sheet of paper out of which two hands arise on a flat surface, facing each other in the paradoxical act of drawing each other into existence. It creates a tangle in trying to decipher, who is drawing whom! The tangle can only be resolved by jumping out of the loop. Only with an outsiders view, one can realize that it is the hand of Escher that is drawing the two hands. The two hands drawing each other is just a paradox in creation.
Escher’s drawing of two hands.
A friend who meets for coffee, in the excitement keeps talking, only becoming aware after an hour, saying “Sorry, I have been talking about myself for the last hour. We should talk about you. So tell me what do you think about me?”
Here again it is a tangle, though that of the ego. Only you as another person can help break from the conversation by choosing not to talk about the friend.
Tangles giving self reference are common in everyday life. We cannot solve our problems from the state of understanding from which they were created. Solutions require a change of view.
The spiritual philosophy of Sikhs, Sufis and Advait Hinduism have a common thread that Consciousness is the only pervading reality of creation. The world existence is false, being like a wave on the surface of ocean, existing only for a moment and then subsiding into the stillness of water. The sub-stratum of creation is Consciousness, which is the only reality, with its creative appearance being totally false. Most of us encounter a big challenge in comprehending this simple philosophy because it means our existence, which appears to be real, is to be accepted as unreal! Here again appears the tangle. To break away it requires to view oneself as being different from the existing body. It is through this changed view that one realizes the existence to be a mere disturbance in the sub-stratum of the Consciousness.
These spiritual traditions proclaim Consciousness created us as beings, in order to experience Himself through His own momentary creation. Through our eyes, He desires to watch Himself.
On page 294 of Adi Granth, Guru Arjan Dev summarizes this entire philosophy in a few lines.
With these thoughts I leave with the photos that were created to bring about the intensity in her eyes.
Comments(23)
pratap sjb rana says:
February 26, 2014 at 6:30 PMcaptivating.. intense.. love it
mandeep says:
February 26, 2014 at 8:31 PMOsm shoot bhaiya…..keep up……//
Harawant Singh says:
February 27, 2014 at 9:58 AMThese pictures reminded me of the Afgan girl made famous by Time magazine.
Noted the difference when the pictures are seen in various sizes. On this page, the 2nd picture strikes your nerve but when seen enlarged, the 1st picture knocks you off. Superb photography.
What to say of the photographer??
Manpreet Singh says:
February 27, 2014 at 10:06 AMFrom a Banker to philosopher, this writing reminds me of Rajneesh and of course several of Adi Granth
Srikanth says:
February 27, 2014 at 12:57 PMIt’s a shame we use the term “enjoy yourself” so casually. In fact “enjoy your Self” is really the essence of happiness.
The fact that only I control how I define myself and how I relate to the world around me is incredibly empowering. Cogito Ergo Sum.
Having started my inward journey, I keep asking myself how I can help others discover this incredibly powerful truth. You’ve taken a great step through an innovative medium. {Hat-tip}.
On a separate note, while I was wowed by the technical brilliance of these pictures, I felt a little more natural emotion from the models would’ve taken these pictures to a sublime level. Great work, keep it up!
mustafa says:
March 9, 2015 at 11:16 PMAgree with srikanth..the model did not deserve ur brilliance!
Surupa Chatterjee says:
February 27, 2014 at 3:56 PMFirst thank you for the arresting sketch and then the insight and its funny I am reading this on Shivratri the day Shiva is worshipped. Quoting from speaking tree…
(In the yogic tradition, Shiva is not worshipped as a god but considered as the Adi Guru, the first Guru from whom know-ledge originated. For the ascetics that is the day he became one with Kailash; he became like a mountain — absolutely still. After many millennia in meditation, one day He became absolutely still; that day is Mahashivratri.
Shiva is referred to as Triambaka because he has a third eye, the eye of vision. The two eyes are sensory organs; they feed the mind with nonsense because what you see is not the truth. You see a person, you think something about him; but you are not able to see the Shiva in him. These two eyes don’t see the truth, so another eye, an eye of deeper penetration, has to be opened. In our tradition, knowing doesn’t mean reading books, knowing doesn’t mean listening to someone, knowing doesn’t mean getting information from here and there. Knowing means opening up a new vision into life. )
I loved the stunning expressive eyes of your post and also the text….Your photography is a journey into yourself and as you share you take us a bit on it and also help us in seeking ours…….
Regards
Surupa
Janet Cropper says:
February 27, 2014 at 6:06 PMGreat post Amardeep. Love it!
Adarsh Goindi says:
March 1, 2014 at 11:42 AMCompletely agree with you “In all form, He Himself is pervading” ” through all eyes, He himself is watching”. My philosophy says our existence is a paradox, He is supreme who has created us n it is He who makes us see what he wants us to see, it is He who makes us do want he wants us to do….Guru Arjan Dev says ” Sarab Kala Kar Khelai Khel ” – with absolute power, He plays his play. ” Mol na pa-i-ai gunah amol ” – His value cannot be estimated; His virtues are invaluable. I believe eyes are His window to view the world and express, for the expression of eyes is greater than words. Your work is commendable and expressions are everything.
Dr. H.B.S. Seth says:
October 24, 2014 at 8:12 AMHAM NAHIEN CHANGE BURA NAHIEN KOYE, PRANVAT NANAK, STHIR NAHIEN KOYE
Dr. H.B.S. Seth says:
October 24, 2014 at 8:18 AMJIS KE SIR UOPER TU SWAMI, SO DUKH KESA PAWE, BOL NA JANE MAYA MADH MATA MARNA CHEET NA AWE.
Dr muktinder singh says:
October 24, 2014 at 9:10 PMGuru Amar das ji has beutifully converesed with Mind through eyes in Anand Sahib
E Netr-oh mere-oh har tum meh jot dhari
Har bib avar na dekhoh koi
Nadri Har nihalia Eh Vish sansar tum dekhde eh har ka roop hai
M Bugi Ansari says:
March 4, 2015 at 3:51 PMGREAT Images-
Ravinder Kaur says:
March 4, 2015 at 3:51 PMAs usual your photography is intense. Excellent Amardeep
amarjeet kaur says:
March 4, 2015 at 8:10 PMTo tell anything two or three eyes are not needed, only one can speek enough when the person in front of her or his is looking eyes from special angles……… BEAUTIFUL PHOTO CAPTURES…..
Ruchika Singh says:
March 4, 2015 at 8:10 PMWhoa excellent work as always…It’s intense yet scary at the same time. Great capture and so true he knows it all the one above.
Jim Faist says:
March 4, 2015 at 8:12 PMGreat images, wonderful words of perception.
Baljit S Sidhu MD says:
March 4, 2015 at 8:39 PMThank you for this lovely post. I also enjoyed the comments of Surupa Chatterjee and Adarsh Goindi
Karamjeet Singh says:
March 4, 2015 at 9:07 PMAt times I wonder how nature created so beautiful things,eyes being the wonderous of all-crystal clear and expressive.Its the poets and photographers who bring out the intensity of their expressions,you being one of them.It created a synergy of responses that is another story.Good luck and good going…
Salman Rashid says:
March 8, 2015 at 2:43 PMUfffff! Speechless!
Dhruv Jolly says:
August 16, 2017 at 2:50 PMTibetan Knots … _/|\_
Desh Sidhu says:
August 17, 2017 at 3:50 AMYou are very gifted. We are not the illusion, but makers of this illusion. Gurbani is my basis of existence and your words are echoed in Gurbani many times over
Ajay Tripathi says:
August 22, 2017 at 6:48 PMAmazing photography!
But more than that is the doctrine of “I am a liar”!