Is shunning sin and clinging to virtue a sure way to reach the Divine or is that way too simplistic thinking? IS it possible that virtue can be more binding than vice? Ganesh Varadharajan explores, drawing inspiration from Sri Aurobindo.
Is the adoption of fake-meat a desirable new vegetarian trend? Shruti Bakshi argues that it’s a call not to our humanity, but to our senses. Authentic vegetarianism is a reflection of a satvik mind that is life-sensitive and feels a respect for Nature. It must not be a feel-good fad.
Ganesh Varadharajan explores how perception is our tool for understanding the world and ourselves but that clarity of perception depends on our connectedness with our true selves and not with the ego-personality.
In this exclusive series for LWP, Rohit Kumar describes his experiences of scaling not only the treacherous external terrain, but also the inner, slippery one. A good foothold on the rocks requires a good foothold in one’s inner being that provides the resilience and humility to journey on. And as with life, it is not about the destination but the journey on which one often meets people that inspire and humble us.
“One must be spontaneous in order to be divine.
One must be perfectly simple in order to be spontaneous.
One must be absolutely sincere in order to be perfectly simple.
To be absolutely sincere is not to have any division, any contradiction in one’s being.”
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Dear LWP Readers,
This month’s World Population Day (11 July) was a reminder of the population problems the world and especially India, faces. World population, currently at 7.5 billion people, is expected, by the United Nations, to reach 9.7 billion by 2050. This does not bode well for the state of the world’s natural resources which we already appear to be over-using – the Global Footprint Network estimates that we are using the equivalent of 1.5 planets for our resources and to absorb our waste.
Ironically however, it is not the most populated countries that consume most of the world’s natural resources. Studies have found that with lesser population, levels of education and affluence rise, and concomitantly, so does the use of natural resources per person.
So the future resource-sufficiency of the world depends not only on population control by developing countries, but also lifestyle changes in developed countries. The latter need to embrace less resource intensive lifestyles including lowering meat consumption given how adversely that affects the environment.
For India, which is estimated by the UN to have a larger population than China by 2024, the population problem is complex and worrying.
India’s problem
One of the first things that strikes most foreigners about India when they step off the plane, is the sheer number of people everywhere. With a staggering 1.25 billion strong population, the quality of life for citizens is severely impacted in everything from transportation to education.
The 2 main reasons for this overpopulation have been 1) Economic and 2) Social
While most of these factors are slowly losing their grip as the government under PM Modi is working towards the economic development of the under-privileged and changing social attitudes among them regarding the desirability of a male child, there is one factor that still holds strong – marriage as a necessary rite of passage.
India culture still prizes an assembly line kind of unfolding of an individual life: study hard, get a good degree, get a good job, get married, have children, live some more, die. Any deviation from this model is not viewed favourably.
This social rigidity, while having its benefits in giving us relatively strong and stable family structures, has the downside of stifling creativity, risk-taking and trail-blazing, not to mention, leading to an exploding population. Because let’s face it, when most people have children, their potential out-of-the-box business ideas get shelved straight away. Suddenly it’s all about school fees and funding family vacations. The millions of youth that could be working on business ideas, are cajoled into “settling down” with spouse and kids. The result – higher population and fewer potential Steve Jobs. Just take the example of our PM Narendra Modi – had he not shunned the traditional family man mould, we would not have the dynamic and transformational leader we have for the country.
If we want to be a more creative society with better standards of living, this is something we need to think about.
Population as reflection of mind
In India we have known since Vedic times that the external world is a reflection of the internal world. Everything is within us which is to say that whatever is within is what we perceive as manifesting externally. The fact that there are too many people in the world in that sense is then a reflection of there being too much ‘person’ within us. That is to say that there is too much identity, ego, doer – the ‘person feeling’ – within us which has its outer reflection in the unprecedented number of human beings on the planet.
That is the real ‘weight on the planet’ so to speak. Too much person within us. Not necessarily too many bodies around us.
Thus the population problem needs to be dealt not only on social and economic fronts, but also spiritual. As we know, as people turn within, they naturally give up compulsive consumption as the need to satisfy the ‘me’ entity diminishes.
One thing is for sure – population and strain on the planet’s resources requires everyone to look hard at their lives and implement changes. Ultimately if we can at least be more conscious about our choices and not blindly follow tradition – whether it is eating meat or getting married – then we have a chance of dealing with the world’s problems effectively.
What are your thoughts on these issues? Do write in or leave your comments on LWP.
Weekly Digest
Here’s some other highlights from the past week on LWP:
– In ‘Indian Yogi Vs. New Age Spirituality’, I looked at how Indian yogis (like Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev, quoted in the article) consider new-age messages like “love yourself”, “be compassionate”, etc to be nothing but games we play with ourselves. Such psychological tricks may appeal to conscience but do not really elevate consciousness which requires transcending tendencies – whether bad or good.
– Last Sunday’s newsletter was about Soldier-Saints, in reference to the 3 part exclusive interview with Maj Gen GD Bakshi where we explored themes of spirituality against the backdrop of war and conflict.
As always, I look forward to your comments, feedback, suggestions and article contributions. Do share this with those you think may be interested so that they can also and join the wiser-living movement!
Wishing you a lovely Sunday wherever in the world you may be!
Per capita water availability in India has come down 75% since 1947
25% of India is turning into a desert
By 2030 we will have only 50% of the water we need for our survival
If you live in India and consume water, this is a problem.
The Reason
India’s rivers are drying up – perennial rivers are turning seasonal and many tributaries have vanished.
Godavari went dry at its source in 2016
According to the World Wildlife Fund, Ganga is one of the most endangered rivers
Kaveri and Narmada have shrunk by 40-60%
What is Rally for Rivers?
A campaign spearheaded by the Isha Foundation to raise awareness about India’s depleting rivers. It was officially announced on 9 July. It involves:
Raising awareness of the problem across institutions and communities within India
Highlighting solutions to stabilise and rejuvenate our rivers through a “River Rejuvenation Policy Recommendation” to be submitted to the Government of India
Gathering and presenting public support for the Recommendation to the government – support will be gathered in the form of missed calls received to the number 80009 80009 (see more information below on ‘what you can do’)
Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev, founder of the Isha Foundation will be driving across India, from Kanyakumai to the Himalayas starting 3 September, until 2 October, conducting over 20 events in major cities. Government leaders and celebrities will be participating in various legs of the journey.
What solutions does the River Rejuvenation Policy Recommendation propose?
The Recommendation focuses on the planting of more trees and protecting river banks. As per the recommendation, trees must be planted for a width of one kilometre on either side of every major river:
Native trees to be grown on government-owned land
Fruit trees to be grown organically on private lands (and no ploughing). Farmers will need to be subsidised for the first few years to be incentivised to grow fruit tress.
Trees help to:
protect the top soil
normalise rainfall since they store carbon
keep water flowing as tree roots make the soil porous increasing the soil’s ability to hold water which is then released slowly (ensuring rivers can flow even in the dry season)
What you can do
Give a missed call to +91 80009 80009. This registers like a signature on a petition.
Share this information with others.
Commit to consuming ~30% fruits in your diet so that farmers are incentivised to grow fruit tress (this will also be beneficial for your own health).
Learn more about our rivers, the foundations and one of the most significant features of the Indian civilisation since ancient times. Read more on the Isha Foundation website and check out some of the articles on Indian rivers on LWP:
Disclaimer: I am writing this article just as a seeker, as someone who eventually developed that strong urge to explore beyond the physical world. I am not a follower of any particular spiritual ideology or Guru ji as such, though I respect them all.
I will share my experience of visiting Sadhguru’s Isha Yoga Centre and will try answering questions that seem to generally bother people – Is there really something Divine there? Will you automatically start meditating there for hours? Is there any undesired commercialization? etc.
The background
Rajeev Sharma and KK Sharma, two of the people dearest to me, knowingly or unknowingly triggered that first restlessness in me about spirituality about a year ago. Though their approaches towards meditation were relatively different, yet both seemed to eventually converge at the same point.
Spirituality, for most beginners, commences with the excitement of wanting to know the unknown. However, this mystic infatuation with meditation /spirituality lasts for a few days until one switches attention to something new and more exciting when the meditation just doesn’t seem to work despite one’s best efforts. Hence one very conveniently concludes, “Life is anyway short, just go with the flow and enjoy your pizza, mate!” I, and the people around me also probably thought that I would go down the same lane.
But I was wrong!
Here I was at Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev’s ashram, after a year of lengthy discussions, some deep digging into books/media and watching lots of videos related to this quest of ‘going beyond the physical world’.
Why Sadhguru?
As stated at the outset, I am not associated with any particular spiritual group/institution as such and I will probably be happy to keep it that way. But of all the people that I heard, read and saw on various platforms, I was drawn towards Sadhguru for what he spoke – every single word just made so much sense. And after going through a few books of Sadhguru, I decided to take a leap of faith, straight to Sadhguru’s ‘energy centre’.
Blessings at 36000 ft
About an hour or so on my flight to Coimbatore from New Delhi, just as I started to feel a little uncomfortable, I was shifted from standard seats to the ones adjacent to the emergency exit door (with relatively better leg room ) as all those seats were unoccupied and probably because I was the only one on the flight travelling alone. Then, I was the first to be served the wonderful corporate meal. Very small incidents, but since I was on a spiritual travel, I concluded, as I enjoyed my paneer wrap, that Sadhguru’s magic had begun.
The first few hours
Image credit: author
Image credit: author
“Namaskaram Anna!” These polite words welcomed me as I entered the beautiful premises of the Isha Yoga Centre, Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev’s meditation centre at Coimbatore.
The people at the Help Desk at the main entrance were really very helpful and they quickly completed all the formalities and handed over an ID card which read ‘Nadhi’ (Cottage) beside my name.
On my way to my room at Nadhi cottage, I could feel the extremely soothing vibes as everyone there was so calm and smiling. After checking into my room, I immediately rushed through the map and the instruction leaflet which had information about the various activities that happen throughout the day at the centre.
Testing my luck
Soon after checking in, I was informed that it was Poornima (full moon night) that day and hence a special pooja was scheduled in the evening at the Linga Bhairavi temple in the premises.
I was really happy at the thought of participating in a special pooja that I had not even been aware of! “Sadhguru’s magic, Rahul, Sadhguru’s magic”, I whispered to myself.
And since everything seemed to be going so well that day, with utmost excitement I decided to ask the obvious question, “Will I meet Sadhguru? Will he be there?”
“No Anna,” said the guy at the help desk very politely, “Though Sadhguru is in the ashram today, yesterday only he met everyone at Satsang and since his diary is full of meetings/work assignments planned months ago, your meeting looks unlikely”.
I felt a bit sad. But since there were still three more days to go, I was still hopeful.
Amidst these thoughts, I headed straight to the Linga Bhairavi temple. Actually, when you reach Isha Yoga Centre, your eyes immediately begin searching for the two popular mystic energy spots – the Linga Bhairavi temple and of course, the energy powerhouse, the Dhyanalinga, located besides the latest attraction, the 112 ft Adiyogi statue (unveiled by the honorable Prime Minister in March 2017). One wishes to be in these spots as quickly as possible and preferably at all the three at the same time which, at least for now, is definitely beyond my capabilities (though with continued meditation, who knows)! Such was my excitement, having read so much about the mystic meditative energy around these spots.
Linga Bhairavi temple
Source: lingabhairavi.org
Source: lingabhairavi.org
Around 7 pm, on my way to the Linga Bhairavi temple for the special pooja , I passed by the Dhyanalinga. As so much was happening in my first hours at the centre, my thoughts almost froze and I was just witnessing everything, including the Dhyanlinga without any judgement or feeling, just kind of numbly, you can say.
As I reached the Linga Bhairavi temple, hundreds of shining ghee (clarified butter) lamps greeted me. It all looked so spectacular that I literally didn’t bat an eyelid for a few seconds. As everyone calmly sat down and took their positions, pooja and mantra chants began and I actually felt a rush of energy just sitting there.
Source: lingabhairavi.org
Linga Bhairavi, in the words of Sadhguru, is an extremely powerful feminine energy form which is very responsive for people seeking prosperity and well-being. But there is a spiritual side to Linga Bhairavi Devi as well. As I learnt from various people at the ashram, those who find it difficult to meditate when sitting in front of the Dhyanalinga, are advised to first spend some time at the Linga Bhairavi temple as the energy there helps one to focus, and is especially beneficial during the very initial days of meditation.
Dhyanalinga
The Dhyanalinga, in the words of Sadhguru, is the largest mercury based living linga (a form or symbol) in the world which is the centre of infinite energy. In spiritual terms, in the Dhyanalinga, all aspects of life have been woven in the form of seven chakras energized to their peak and locked by Sadhguru after three years of the intense process of prana prathistha.
The Dhyanalinga is enshrined in a dome shaped structure of earth colour and natural stone and is in fact considered to be the best spot to meditate by the ashram-ites, because the energy of the Dhyanlinga is said to naturally aid you in your dhyan (meditation).
So much has been said and written about the unbound energy around the Dhyanalinga that for many, including myself, the Dhyanalinga is the primary reason to visit Isha Yoga Centre, at least for the first visit.
Adiyogi
Adiyogi bust at the Isha Yoga Centre, Coimbatore, India (the largest bust in the world)
Shiva is, as we know, among the most popular and widely worshiped Indian Gods. However, after digging into the origins of yoga and meditation, including some of Sadhguru’s writings, I learnt that in yogic culture, Shiva is not considered to be a God but the first yogi – the originator of yoga and the first guru (teacher) who experienced what we call ‘Enlightenment’ and Samadhi for the first time.
Hence, as a mark of respect and as a reminder to the world to move towards liberation through exploring the inner instead of the outer world, Sadhguru consecrated the 112 ft tall face of Adiyogi.
While I didn’t find anyone meditating in front of or around Adiyogi’s huge bust, there was hardly anyone visiting Isha Yoga Centre that did not spend 5-10 minutes in Adiyogi’s vicinity.
The Teerthakunds – Suryakund and Chandrakund
Source: isha.sadhguru.org
There are two Teerthakunds or sacred water pools for purifying oneself within the Dhyanalinga complex – Suryakund for men and Chandrakund for women.
I can obviously speak of the Suryakund only that I visited, which itself looks like a divine water pool with three Shivalingas immersed in water. Ideally, men are supposed to take a dip at the Suryakund before going for meditation at the Dhyanalinga or the Linga Bhairavi temple. On the first day, I went there just for the sake of adventure but because of the powerful energy that I felt there, I could not help but take the holy bath again and again, even just before check-out.
The strong presence of the king cobra
Image credit: author
No matter where you are at Isha Yoga Centre or whatever direction you are facing, you can very strongly feel the presence of snakes (namely, king cobra) in various forms – be it representations on lamps, walls, pillars, at the Suryakund, or at the Dhyanalinga. On inquiring, I learnt that Sadhguru considers snakes, especially the king cobra to be the most sensitive animal/reptile when it comes to meditative energy. Sadhguru has also mentioned about this in his book Mystic’s Musings.
Besides, since the Velliangiri Hills, where the Isha Yoga Centre is situated, are reportedly home to king cobras, the original inhabitants, in a way, Sadhguru has paid tribute to them.
Luckily, I too spotted a beautiful water snake, swimming his way through the lotuses in the pond between the Nandi statue and the Suryakund.
Image credit: livingwiseproject.com
My experience
First things first, of all the locations/energy spots at the Isha Yoga Centre mentioned above, for me the Linga Bhairavi temple definitely needs another mention as I spent the maximum amount of time there and not exactly by choice. I mean there is something really very magnetic there, something very soothing and very, very positive, that keeps pulling you and you just can’t resist going there.
Sitting right in front of Linga Bhairavi Devi, I could actually meditate for the longest time. More than the duration, it’s the feeling that engulfed me while meditating there. On the one hand, I was kind of blank, absolutely calm while at the very same time I could feel extreme joy and an unfamiliar sort of power within. Until my last day there, I could not get enough of meditation at the Linga Bhairavi temple. That mystic feeling is still with me.
As for the Dhyanalinga, I had read so much about it before going to Coimbatore that I had almost made up my mind in advance that as soon as I would sit near the Dhyanalinga, I would feel something out of the world, something really Divine. But honestly and unfortunately, I didn’t feel anything of that sort. Yes, the whole ambiance around the Dhyanalinga is very peaceful and calm with everyone sitting in sadhana completely in peace and I too went to sit there again and again, at least 8-9 times in three days, to have that out-of-the-world feeling that some people have written about online, but I was probably not fortunate enough. In fact, as I have mentioned above, I could feel strange energy goosebumps (giving a feeling of extreme joy) at the Linga Bhairavi temple and even while chanting mantras at the Suryakund, but not at the Dhyanalinga.
FAQs
Finally to answer some common questions as promised at the start of the article:
Is there really something Divine there? Divine I don’t know but yes, I felt an extreme rush of positive energy at some spots, especially at the Linga Bhairavi temple.
Will you see something beyond the physical there? I myself didn’t see or feel anything of that sort.
Will you automatically start meditating there for hours?The whole atmosphere at the Isha Yoga Centre is such that meditation is all that you think of while there.
What exactly is taught at the Isha Yoga Centre?There are a number of yoga programmes of varied durations happening there. Primarily, introductory programmes include Inner Engineering and Hatha Yoga while advanced programmes include Shoonya Intensive, Bhava Spandana and Samyama. Details about these programmes are available here. I didn’t attend any programme as such but one can still participate in a number of activities even without attending any programme. Among the various things that I saw and learnt there, Aumkar meditation (the correct way of uttering the sounds “Aa” , “Uu” and “Mm” ) and the knowledge about the various scientific facts hidden in the Mahabharta are really worth mentioning. Besides, I am now addicted to the Nirvana Shatkam mantra and the Brahmanand Swaroopa Isha chant. They are mesmerising, really.
Is there any undesired commercialization? No, not at all. This was one concern that a few people have written about online and in fact it was also bothering me. But I am happy to write here that there is no culture of commercialisation at Isha Yoga centre. No one asks you for donation anywhere, except for a mere Rs.20 at the Suryakund which I think is legitimate for the maintenance required there.
Is it fine to travel with family? What about food?There are absolutely no issues here. It’s just that you go to such a place for a specific purpose, to spend maximum time meditating and hence kids can be a distraction, otherwise the stay is extremely safe and comfortable. You can book your stay at Nalanda or Nadhi cottages based on your requirement. As for the food, two meals a day are covered in your stay where you will be served simple and healthy South Indian food. For the compulsive foodies like myself, there is Peppervine Eatery within the premises which offers various delicious dishes / deserts / fresh fruit juices at a nominal price.
Image credit: author
On a lighter note…
My three days were very well spent at the Isha Yoga Centre, although it would probably have been an altogether different experience had I met Sadhguru.
Nevertheless, many old questions were answered, some new ones started sprouting but a phone call at the time of check-out brought me back to square one. It was my lovely wife Nishtha. “Coimbatore’s silk sarees are world famous,” she said. I was supposed to understand the rest and act accordingly. Which I obviously did, to make sure that inner peace is maintained back home!
Read this and other articles in the LivingWise Project Digest– available as an ebook and a glossy coffee table magazine
It’s wonderful to see the LWP community growing week by week, sustained by the interest of you, the Readers as well as our gifted contributors – gifted not only in writing talent, but also in inspiration and vision and their ability to communicate the same.
As LWP is very much about you dear Readers, I would love to hear your feedback from time to time. Do share any comments to help us know how we’re doing and to help us know and serve you better.
As usual, the weekly digest is included further below in the newsletter.
(FYI, if you’ve been forwarded this email, you can sign up to receive these newsletters directly)
Soldier-Saints
This week, we concluded the three part series of an interview with Major General GD Bakshi on Soldiers & Spirituality. You can watch Parts 1, 2 and 3 on LWP or on our YouTube channel.
The interview explored areas that have not been discussed much in modern media, namely the role of spirituality in the lives of soldiers. This is despite the fact that soldiers have one of the closest relationships with death, which would understandably serve as a strong natural impetus to enquire into the nature of life and one’s own mortality, the basis of spirituality.
The interview started with GD Bakshi telling us about his Guru Swami Parvananda Saraswati and his meditation experiences under the Swami’s guidance. Following a near death experience, GD Bakshi came to the realisation that an ascetic’s life was not for him and that he should return to his worldly life to fulfil his karma.
In Part 3 of the interview, GD Bakshi discussed the soldier-saint (sant-sipahi) tradition in India where the one who meditated, picked up the sword. He discussed the relevance of the epics Ramayana and Mahabharata in modern times and the importance of the teachings of the Gita as well as yoga and meditation, to hep soldiers maintain their balance and calm on the battlefield and overcome their fears on the frontline.
A soldier’s spiritual life is not much examined as spirituality is usually associated with peace. But that would be taking a very stunted view of spirituality which cannot really exclude any aspect of life. In intense situations like conflict and war, in fact, it should only become more immediately relevant and meaningful. We were lucky to have had the chance to speak to a soldier who is also well acquainted with spiritual traditions to be able to unearth some wonderful insights on the theme.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts on this interview so far – do continue to write in with your comments.
Weekly Digest
Here’s some other highlights from the past week on LWP (scroll down for more):
– LWP shared some insights on the significance of idol worship, an important part of Hinduism. Images, symbols and idols feature as an important part of the human psyche and emotional landscape and their dismissal in the realm of devotion is wholly misplaced.
– Dr Vineet Aggarwal discussed the place of ‘faith’ in modern times and it’s significance in the context of a belief in humanity rather than a belief in the superiority of one or the other religion.
– Beloo Mehra shared her reflections on the harmony of spaces. What is it that makes us linger in some places and not others? What gives harmony and space to spaces – physical and mental?
– Ranjan Bakshi shared his review of the book, Ten Sutras for a Great Life by RA Krishna
– Last Sunday, I gave a talk on Facebook Live, hosted by the Indic Book Club, on my book From Dior to Dharma as well as on the purpose and vision of LWP. You can check it out here.
As always, I look forward to your comments, feedback, suggestions and article contributions. Do share this with those you think may be interested so that they can also and join the wiser-living movement!
Wishing you a lovely Sunday wherever in the world you may be!
Sifting through the news nowadays, one gets a feeling that we are living in a doomsday scenario. There are countries that don’t want to let their neighbours in peace even after years of conflict, religious extremists seem to be multiplying exponentially and old viruses are attacking new susceptible populations with renewed vigour. It would seem as if the days gone by were way more conducive than the current age and surely the world is headed towards Armageddon.
But is it really?
If you open the chapters of history you would find that such natural as well as man-made calamities have always been a part of the human narrative. A majority of Europe was once wiped out by the plague that ushered in the Dark Ages; wars for the holy land have been fought right since the inception of the modern western religions; and the colonial ambitions of erstwhile superpowers have kept the world on the edge for a greater part of the previous century.
Even the so-called golden ages in various parts of the world were pockmarked by rebellions and atrocities. Case in point – hundreds of slaves perished while building the pyramids for Egyptian Pharaohs – not really a good way to die building someone else’s tomb eh? How about Alexander, the great, who brought the light of western civilization to the east – surely we wouldn’t let the massacre of tens of thousands of people in Persia, Afghanistan and modern Pakistan stand in the way of his greatness?
And then of course there were the Spanish conquistadors, who along with discovering Latin America also brought with them the small-pox, effectively decimating a majority of the native population that had never been exposed to the virus. Or if you prefer something closer to home, should we talk about the alleged limb-amputation of workers who built the Taj Mahal, the international symbol of our nation, or the caste system that turned thousands of hard-working Hindus into untouchables at the very moment of India’s golden age?
Some of you may have guessed by now the point I am trying to make – such strife and conflict has been a part of human diasporas since time immemorial but does that imply that it will always remain so? Is there a way we can change the situation? I don’t have a ready-made answer but I have something that I find is lacking in a majority of us today – Faith.
Faith in the inherent goodness of humanity and the infinite possibilities it possesses to rise above its animal instincts. For each despot who has shed the blood of innocents there has also been a healer to stitch the bleeding wounds. To counter the autocracy of Egyptians we got a Moses; to unify a nation drowning in internecine conflicts we got a Chanakya; to counter the tyranny of Mughals there was the birth of Khalsa; and to protest against the apartheid practiced by the colonials we did get a Gandhi and a Mandela.
Many people today argue that religion and nationalism has only led to strife and conflict but I beg to differ. It is the blind faith in the superiority of one’s own community/religion/race/colour/language or country that has led to these problems.
Faith, when kept away from hubris, has worked wonders all through the history of the world and you can clearly see its effect on all those who tried to clean up others’ mess. Faith has not only resulted in the development of humanity and civilization but also given it its most stupendous achievements. It is faith that gave us the soul-stirring poetry of Mirabai, Kabir and Rumi. Faith has given us music (Carnatic music/Shabads of Gurbani/church choirs), dance (Bharatnatyam/Indonesian ballet/Manipuri), calligraphy (Arabic/Tibetan/Japanese) and writing (epics of Gilgamesh/Mahabharat/Odyssey).
It is faith that has given us such masterpieces as the works of Michelangelo or the Chola’s Nataraja. It is faith that helped build structures like the Angkor Wat of Cambodia or the biggest monolithic rock-cut Kailash Cave of India. It is faith in the unity of life that makes people follow the strict vegetarianism of Jainism or open langars in the Gurudwaras. And of course it is only because of faith that thousands of people even today continue to serve unknown strangers whether it is through animal shelters, old age homes or orphanages.
What makes the saviours different from the tyrants? What inspires some people to do good even while facing peril to their own lives while others do not think twice before torturing people in gas chambers? What makes some of us think about the ‘good of all’ rather than the ‘good of self’?
I believe the answer lies in Faith – not the kind that fills your head with grandiose notions of superiority, but the kind that fills your heart with humility. Maybe the fault does not lie in faith, but our interpretation of it. Maybe if we try to open our hearts we may find the world around us changing as well.
Maybe faith is really all we need to make this world a better place.
It was not the first time I saw this view of my small garden in the back of the house. I see it daily, both when I am out in the garden and when I sit at my desk. But that day was special.
It was special because that moment brought a sense of deep quiet and peace within as I let that view sink in to me. There were a few small birds flying around the champa trees and the bushes nearby, making lovely sounds, calling each other, playing, resting on the thin branches, enjoying their freedom.
I sat there, in my chair; just sat there. For several minutes. Taking in the view, enjoying the sounds of the birds, the peace of it all.
I don’t know for sure or perhaps I am unable to fully express what I was feeling in those moments. Perhaps it was some type of peace, a sense of harmony. Perhaps it was one of those moments when everything feels perfect, everything around you, everything within you, everything is just the way as it should be. There is no need to fuss over anything, no need to shift anything. As if there is nothing to disturb this moment, this sense of peace.
Have you ever felt that? Surely, you must have. We must thank all the gods for such moments, rare as they are in the noisy worlds we live in – within and without.
A few minutes later, a part of me wanted to go out in the garden and take pictures of the view. Even thought of taking the pictures of the birds who were still playing and singing. How foolish of me, I immediately said to myself. As if pictures would preserve the ‘feel’ of the moment for me.
Still I could not resist taking one shot on my phone, from this side of the window. The one you see above.
The moment passed. Only to be followed by another moment, of a reflection. Reflection on spaces and harmony. And on art.
Today, a few days later, as I sit by the same window, trying to give voice to that reflection I see the same tree and the same bushes, though there are no birds at the moment, I try to recall to my awareness that moment of quiet and peace from the other day.
Maybe writing out this reflection on spaces and harmony will bring its own harmony. After all, minds are spaces too, and creating a sense of harmony in our mental spaces is an art, a very important art that we all have to learn one way or the other if we want to experience more of these moments of peace and quietude.
So I begin.
You walk into a space — a home, a room, a garden, a temple, an ashram, a workplace or any other public place — and you instantly, spontaneously feel a sense of all-pervading harmony, a quiet ambience, an effortless beauty. Nothing is amiss, everything is perfectly placed where it should be. Nothing is obtrusive, nothing is jarring, everything is quietly at home in its natural place.
You walk into another space and instantly you feel that something isn’t right. There is a sense of disorder, an artificiality to the whole arrangement of the space, a feel of uncomfortable ugliness despite the outward prettiness and ‘designer-like’ placement of objects.
You must have experienced this, haven’t you? I surely have. Many times.
In fact, I have experienced this sense of harmony (or disharmony) even in empty spaces. For example, a few years ago when we were looking for a house to purchase, many times we would walk into an empty house for sale and just upon entering the house I would immediately ‘know’ whether or not I would even consider the house any further. Spaces, even empty spaces have their auras, sort of like an energy around them.
Personally speaking, how I feel in a particular space generally figures as one of the main criteria for deciding how much time I want to spend there. This could be a richly decorated home of a relative or a humble half-demolished temple in a village I am only visiting for an afternoon. I have experienced a discomforting sense of disharmony at a five-star hotel and felt a deeply calming sense of joy at an almost decrepit building that serves as a guest house.
This feeling or perception of order or disorder, a sense of harmony or chaos, is not about the physical appearance — the size of the space, the form, placement and outer charm and prettiness of objects or furniture in the space — though these things may be part of it. But only a very small part. The bigger part is about what the space makes one feel inwardly.
What is it that makes one space feel harmoniously beautiful, even though it may be very simply arranged with most inexpensive objects? And what makes another space, sometimes even the best-designed space, furnished with most expensive ‘designer’ furniture and object d’art, feel jarring, out of order almost?
Is it the aura of the person who lives, works, moves in the space? Or the aura of the person who looks after the space, its cleaning, upkeep, etc? Is it something about the way in which things are arranged in the space? Or the consciousness of the space itself, the consciousness hidden in everything that is there in the space?
Or is it the state of the mind of the person walking into the space? The sense of harmony he or she brings to the space?
It is perhaps everything, each of these things. And more.
It takes an artist to make a space harmoniously beautiful.
“If you ask me, I believe that all those who produce something artistic are artists! A word depends upon the way it is used, upon what one puts into it. One may put into it all that one wants. For instance, in Japan there are gardeners who spend their time correcting the forms of trees so that in the landscape they make a beautiful picture. By all kinds of trimmings, props, etc. they adjust the forms of trees. They give them special forms so that each form may be just what is needed in the landscape. A tree is planted in a garden at the spot where it is needed and moreover, it is given the form that’s required for it to go well with the whole set-up. And they succeed in doing wonderful things. You have but to take a photograph of the garden, it is a real picture, it is so good. Well, I certainly call the man an artist. One may call him a gardener but he is an artist….
“All those who have a sure and developed sense of harmony in all its forms, and the harmony of all the forms among themselves, are necessarily artists, whatever may be the type of their production.”
– The Mother, CWM, Vol 8, p. 324 (emphasis added)
It perhaps takes an artist to ‘know’ a space. To feel a space. To experience the harmony.
But what is this sense of harmony? Can it only be felt? Can we grow in our sense of harmony? Of perceiving? Of creating harmony? In our spaces, outer and inner?
Maybe in some other moment of grace, sitting by the window in front of the garden view, when my mind is in a state of harmony I shall be blessed with an insight into some of these questions.
The article was first published on the author’s blog and later contributed to LWP.
What you can do
As stated at the outset, I am not associated with any particular spiritual group/institution as such and I will probably be happy to keep it that way. But of all the people that I heard, read and saw on various platforms, I was drawn towards Sadhguru for what he spoke – every single word just made so much sense. And after going through a few books of Sadhguru, I decided to take a leap of faith, straight to Sadhguru’s ‘energy centre’.
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