Acharya Prashant explains that the world is filled with sensory objects that constantly distract the ego from its true goal of peace. Since the ultimate truth is formless and cannot be perceived by the senses, the ego finds itself in a predicament where it is surrounded by what it does not need while being unable to see what it truly desires. To overcome this, lovers of truth and wise beings use these very sensory objects as symbols or reminders of the divine. This is the origin of symbolism in spirituality; every object, from a drop of oil to a bird, can serve as a pointer toward the eternal truth if one has the eyes of love.