Hindu vision : forms of the formless

To the Hindu, the entire universe is a living being, and through the visual arts - ritualistic, compelling, often stunningly beautiful - that holistic awareness is made available to all. Long rejected by the West as alien and bizarre, Hindu imagery speaks a language that is at last beginning to be understood. Its extraordinary symbolism - elephant-headed and multi-armed deities, fierce demons and fabulous creatures - is a sophisticated iconography conveying universal religious truths. Uniting sensuousness and spirituality, passion and detachment, Hinduism celebrates the fullness of life, and teaches the indivisibility of body and soul, time and eternity. Alistair Shearer is a teacher of meditation and a historian of oriental art, who writes and lectures on the sacred function of art and architecture. His other books include "Buddha: The Intelligent Heart" (1992).