Since ancient times there has been use of images, painting and idols for ‘yog’ and meditation with the Divine. Such imagery is intended to facilitate visualized meditation. A physical image such as a sculpture or painting or a mental image visualized in meditation allows to approach the Infinite through finite symbols and interact with divinity.
Such symbols correspond to psychological or spiritual truths, and every gesture, posture, color, or object associated stands for a particular attribute or power.
A few symbols have universal significance, but others are esoteric, with meanings not readily obvious or easily understood. Interpretations and explanations of symbols and even modern reinterpretations can convey valid new insights.
