In Hinduism, Shiva is depicted with three eyes. The third
eye has deep symbolism and meaning. Shiva stands for the Supreme Brahman and
Shakti (Mother Goddess) is the creative force or the energy that emanates spontaneously
from the Supreme Brahman. All creation happens due to this energy.
Shiva’s two eyes like ours can only see duality and when he
keeps them open, the world of maya continues to exist.
However, his third eye can only experience unity, so when he
opens his third eye, the cosmos which can exist only in duality along with its
creator – maya – will return to the plenum from which it was projected.
As long as Shiva’s third eye is open, there can be no
duality. When the third eye is open all that has name and form disappears into the
formless Brahman.
When Shiva closes the third eye and opens the two eyes,
there is duality. There is the other. There is form and name. There is cosmos.
There are planets and the universes.
The two eyes of humans stand for duality, form, name,
desire, anger….passion….senses…. and ignorance. Only when we are able to open the
third eye that we will be able to see through all these veils that are stopping
us from realizing the Supreme Truth.
Third eye is the knowledge that will destroy all kinds of
ignorance and help a living being go beyond the world of names and forms.