Where there’s light, there’s also darkness, and together they weave a beautiful world for us to exist. As we waddle along, we realise that the light is beautiful because of the darkness and vice versa. No ?
Tag: light
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This View.
And I am here now. Far from this view but happily at home with my puppies. New projects await and the mangoes too.
Like the view above and how it would manifest so differently in the light of each day, my state of mind too seems to be straddling very different worlds every so often, especially over the last one year. As they say change is the most constant thing and I have come to believe that it is a valuable thing to embrace and enjoy. As enriching as it is, living between two very different scenarios is a touch unsettling, at least for me. It’s a very small price though for the life lessons and education that come with it.
So here I am now. Far from this view but I can see it still.
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Being the Self
Janaka : “Who is that Self ?”
Yajnavalkya : “The Self, pure awareness, shines as the light within the heart, surrounded by the senses…
…Only seeming to think, seeming to move, the self neither sleeps nor wakes nor dreams.
~ Brihadaranyaka Upanishad – 7 (translated by Eknath Easwaran)
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It’s been a really busy last few weeks and I’ve been drawing a lot of inspiration and calm from this translation of the Upanishads.
So simply, articulately written. Highly recommend.
Needless to say, I’m thrilled the rains are visiting more often, and I’m going to be back next week with a Monsoon Colours Post.
Hope everyone is enjoying the comforting blanket of the cloudy skies and the lovely warmth of the peek-a-boo October sunshine.
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iphone Journal : A Cup of Tea.
Thought I should have a little column on the blog to share some iphone captures.
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Nirvaya – Dissolving in Divinity
"I looked for my body, butit was hidden within the LingaI looked for the Linga, butit was hidden within my bodyI looked intently at the Linga within meand saw a great Light."" The Sharana on the mountain tipis like the light set on the door sill:he knows inside, he looks outsidehe knows, he forgetshe sees, he does not seehe transcends subject, object and knowledge…"~ Hadappa Lingamma (Vol-5, verse 1297 ) translated by Basrur Subba Rao
gateway
Nirvaya is inspired by the profound & abstract Kannada Vachanas or poetry of the 12th women mystics called Sharanes
Dance and original photo art merge and sometimes move parallely whilst translating the profound concepts of 3 lesser known women mystics- Lingamma, Muktayakka, Molige Mahadevi & the radical poet Akkamahadevi. Their philosophy is Linga- advaita or monistic Shaivism, with roots in the Vedas and Kashmiri monistic Shaivism.
~ Madhu Nataraj
When Madhu sounded off the idea behind Nirvaya, six months back, I was so taken by the idea and the abstract-ness it presented. I like to work with fluidity and abstract thoughts through certain phases. I like to watch them grow, take form, unite, disintegrate, and come back together at some unexpected point in time. Besides, the idea of exploring the thoughts and profound poetry by the lesser known 12th century women mystics from Karnataka was divine. So I jumped at the opportunity and we started working not knowing where the collaboration would lead us. She would create the movements and I, the visuals along with other incredibly talented artists bringing in the major pieces such as music, vocals, stage design, film and costume.
Somewhere we would all surely meet as we had done in our past collaborations, with the process itself being a testimony to the soul of Nirvaya.
Madhu Nataraj, my dear friend is a great dancer who is known for her pioneering presence in the dance scenario, internationally.She will be presenting Nirvaya as a part of the "Mad & Divine" conference at Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan in Chennai on Friday, the 23rd Dec 2011. Please do come if you are in Chennai.
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Linger
I was driving back home the other day and made a quick stop to capture the colors of a rain water puddle and take in the fragrance of the rain washed air. Along comes a little boy and floats his paperboat and runs back into his house at a nearby construction site.He squeals in excitement when he sees me taking a picture of his boat. We exchange happy smiles and I drive back lingering on how little it takes to open our hearts to the ephemeral beauty and hope that surrounds us only if we could stop a moment, breathe. slow down and listen. -
Life in the Stillness
"My quest, through the magic of light and shadow, is to isolate, to simplify and to give emphasis to form with the greatest clarity. To indicate the idealproportion, to reveal sculptural mass and the dominating spirit is my goal."
Working with still life is really a kind of meditation. Playing in the landscape of light, shadow and the simple forms does something to calm the nerves. Perhaps it is the silent life in the stillness of these things.
