SO GENTLE A THING
So gentle a thing, the rain,
yet quenches the fire’s thirst.
The eternal cycle
of birth and desolution,
and earth the grave,
and the womb.
Oh Mighty Gods,
we are but ants
beneath the toes
of Brahman.
My mind has been much on the fires here in the PNW.
Thanks for stopping by.
Kev
“Spirituality is often a wordless, silent subject and art is a trustworthy passport to this still place.” – Michael A. Franklin – Artist and Teacher, Naropa University
Yogas, the Vedas tell us, are mental, physical, and spiritual practices. They were brought to light thousands of years ago by seers from the ancient Indian subcontinent. Yogas are aimed at achieving a clearer perception of reality and uniting the human spirit with the Divine.
There are many, many different schools and approaches to yoga. The Bhagavad Gita alludes to three: Karma yoga (action), Bhakti yoga (devotion), and Jnana yoga (knowledge).
Reflecting on my own journey of combining my art making and my spiritual practice, I feel the most in common with Jnana yoga. The practice of Jnana yoga seeks the union of the Self (Atman) and Ultimate Reality (Brahman) through knowledge.
My practice encourages me to study and seek inspiration from various visual manifestations of the Divine including yantras (Tantric mystical diagrams) and Tantric paintings, such as the small, exquisite abstracts from Rajasthan.
Also, in the Yoga Sutras, the sage Patanjali presents yoga as the suppression of the active mind. For me, this means getting out of my own way to allow myself to create an energetic and unrestrained arena of art making where I experience a liberating alternate consciousness and sense of union.
Since beginning to work in these modes, my experience of art making is more productive, more satisfying and more grounded. It has also led me to evolve a more original and (to me) meaningful vocabulary and has intensified my commitment to my spiritual journey.
Thanks for stopping by! Please post your thoughts!
Kev
SOME MORNINGS
Some mornings I awaken,
half awaken,
to shadows on the wall,
to half seen silhouettes,
or to the morning music
of sunlight through blinds.
There is a word
for that golden time
on the threshold of consciousness,
Hypnagogia,
and a lot of science
explaining why.
I am inspired
by shadows on the wall
half seen silhouettes
or the morning music
of sunlight through blinds.
A few weeks back, at the end of a dream I was dreaming, a voice from nowhere in particular said: “I am that which sees what is seen.”
What is that which sees what is seen?
Our brain (whatever that is) “seeing” signals converted by our retinas?
Atman, our luminous, eternal self?
Must one preclude the other?
I’m bored with the argument.
“Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world.” – Albert Einstein “The Saturday Evening Post” interview, 1929.
I dig science. And Maya and the Dreamtime too. I think a lot about my creative goals and what I want to say. And, also, at times, I make art out of shadows on the wall, half seen silhouettes, or the morning music of sunlight passing through the blinds.
I’m just reentering my own creative life after a very satisfying month spent art directing a feature film on the East Coast.
Thanks for looking in! – Kev
Agni – Sanskrit: अग्नि – Vedic deity. Also: Fire – In ritual and practice, Agni is the messenger who conveys offerings to the Universe. Agni is fire, lightning, and sun. Though of ancient origin, Agni, and his wife Svāhā, are still venerated and invoked at Hindu births, weddings and funerals.
In my practice, I find it useful, comforting and inspiring to venerate and contemplate Agni.
HOMA
Agni,
Oh, mouth of the gods.
Vedic fire.
Triangle of flame.
Receiver. Conveyer. Transformer.
Divine messenger. Divine energy.
Agni, that/who swiftly bears
all to Mahadev.
Thanks for looking in! – Kev
ART, PRACTICE, & 