Vision – Mind’s Fetters upon the Soul?

My Visit to the Dilwara Temples

India’s rich architectural heritage draws people from all over the world. The Red Fort and the Jama Masjid in Delhi, the rock-cut caves of Ajanta, the Meenakshi temple in Madurai, and the Taj Mahal, Agra Fort, and Fatehpur Sikhri in Agra are just a few of the many architectural marvels that adorn the diverse landscapes of this country. I had the happy chance of visiting one such marvel on my trip to Mount Abu – the Jain Dilwara Temples.

The Jain Dilwara temples of India were built between 11^th and 13^th century AD and are located about 2.5 kms from Mount Abu, Rajasthan. The complex consists of five legendary marble temples that are the sacred pilgrimage place of the Jains. Some consider them to be one of the most beautiful Jain pilgrimage sites in the world. The marble temples have a magnificent entranceway, and the simplicity in architecture reflects Jain values like honesty and frugality[1]. The temples are cradled by a range of forested hills which only add to the heavenly experience of being in the midst of such divine architecture.

Jains are known to have built some beautiful temples at other locations in Rajasthan but it is said that none come close to the Dilwara temples in terms of beauty, style, intricacies, and architectural perfection. Personally, even without having visited any of the other Jain temples, I would not dare to question this claim.

At the main Vimal Vasahi temple which was dedicated to the first Jain Tirthankara, Adinath, each pillar, arch, corridor, and mandap is uniquely carved with such intricate details that seem humanly impossible – and to think that the temple was built at a time when the only tools available to man were hammer and chisel! The carvings feature designs of lotus-buds, petals, flowers, and scenes from Jain and Hindu mythology.

As I stood at the centre of the main mandap in the Vimal Vasahi temple, gazing in awe at the beautiful carvings of the dome my friend proclaimed, how with all our resources, technical know-how, and intelligence it would be impossible to create a monument even remotely as fabulous as the Jain Dilwara Temples. Surely he was right, though I could not help but wonder why? On further contemplation I could only think of one possible reason why with such unlimited capabilities we might have become so limited in our abilities. The answer lies in the very educational system that makes us capable today. It lies in our upbringing and in our incredibly structured manner of thinking and rationalizing. We are told that before you create you must visualize. We try to visualize everything – life, career, marriage, the size of our business, the new house. We are repeatedly told that success cannot be achieved without a vision. I would be foolish to claim that this teaching does not have considerable merit – however I cannot help but notice that in the process of excessive visualization we lose something. We sacrifice our abilities to achieve the impossible; that which cannot be visualized. That which has never been.

The Jain Dilwara temples are unbelievably marvellous, but they could never have been if the creators of the temples decided to sketch out every last rose-bud that was to be carved onto the pillars of the temples. With our uncanny ability to visualize and plan our lives to the very last T, must we not factor in the possibility of the impossible? Must we not let our imaginations run wild and our creations wilder?

Does the mind put fetters upon the soul?

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[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dilwara_Temples