Tagged: canvas
The soul is the empty canvas of the painter
There is “cause and effect.” That is known as Karma. This is not a belief. It is something that we could observe in life. An action powered by our intentions will have a consequence in the Totality, in life because there is interdependence, interbeingness.
Because the return comes back to the “doer” then there is “someone” who receives the fruit. That someone is what is known as the soul. It is the essence, which goes beyond a simple lifetime, but could extend to several lifetimes. That is how “reincarnation” comes into being, not as another belief, but as a natural consequence of observing cause and effect and the understanding of the soul’s immortality.
What is the “reason” why Tom was born around unfit parents? How come Jerry was a silver spoon child?
Cause and effect.
Otherwise we could believe that God selected those scenarios for Tom and Jerry… and they only have one lifetime to “shape up” and become believers or, they could be “punished forever.” 🙂
There is no “good or bad” but just cause and effect, as everything is necessary in the Totality just as it is, however the consequences are experienced by the “doer.”
If my intentions are to enhance my ego and to forget about the common good, then the consequence will be an obvious separation from the totality of life which means greater ego colored by a sense of pride. That will cause suffering which in turn will allow the person to realize that it is time to change his ways.
That is why suffering is not “bad.”
This “process” could take many lifetimes. Nevertheless, just like the phases of the moon, every human being will enjoy a time of fullness and a time of emptiness.
Guaranteed or your money back… 🙂
The range of experiences is complete for everyone, but at different times.
The soul is eternal and so is consciousness and life.
The soul even though is individual, it is not individuality; it is part of a totality, just like a piece of a jigsaw puzzle. The piece by itself is worthless unless it is in relationship with other pieces to make up a story, a reality… life.
The above is the paradox of the soul.
Nevertheless, the experience of “nothingness” or “emptiness” as Zen or Buddhism puts it… is nothing else but the experience of the soul.
The empty canvas.
Then we could make sense of some religions believing that we are “souls” and others not bothering about concepts and merely saying that we are “nothing,” “empty.”
For a person without experience, those 2 apparent belief systems are contradictory. But going beyond the words and definitions, we could see that it is the same thing.
Same talk different words.
Experience is everything.
A soul is an empty canvas. Many empty canvases will only reflect emptiness, silence, void, peace, etc.
When the painter known as “Life” for some and “God” for others, arrives to paint its colors and shapes over those canvases, then a personality appears. Every canvas has a different theme according to experiences in a lifetime.
That is the game.
The painter will paint. The canvases will let themselves be painted on… until it gets to be “blank” again… then we could call that death, debt or last breath… the canvas is meant to be painted again… and life will do so and “I” will be born out of the ashes again, but with different colors and a different theme….but the same old canvas.
I could put the above explanation, to be surrounded by religious beliefs. I could even say that if you don’t join my selective group, you will be lost forever… and punished in top of that!
But then, we wouldn’t be able to smile, to live life to the fullest and in fear of not being enough or doing enough… etc.
I wouldn’t do that to you ! 🙂 Life wouldn’t either. Games are meant to be fun, entertaining.
Smile.
That is the game… Enjoy it! 🙂
Emotional art, ain’t art :-)
Every time someone expresses creativity for the sake of it, without a motive (outer or inner) or to comply with a duty, at that point we are witnessing art in its “purest” form.
In a way everyone is an artist.
Nevertheless as the world changes, most forms of expression considered “art” at this time, are nothing but emotional outlets from the artist. In other words, his or her emotions have an expression instead of being bottled up in the self. Emotional release is what they may be.
That sort of “art” is not creative. It is not original but just a felt reaction with an expression.
Would you consider a boxing fighter an artist? 🙂 If that fighter is able to express his negative emotions as to become angry, that boxer will become fearsome; that expression through a punch is an emotional outlet although, this boxer is not using a canvas or a guitar or paper and ink to express; this trained fighter is indeed expressing emotions and “creating” or pretending to create some “work of art” in another human being’s nose. 🙂
Creative art is meant to uplift human beings by expressing the greatness of the human spirit and not by showing emotional upheavals. Nevertheless, nowadays an “artist” merely displays his own emotional outbursts through a song composition or a painting. When others identify with that emotional issue, that is a “seller,” that is considered to be a successful artist.
I have noticed this in my travels. There are some countries where music is about expressing romantic suffering: “You left me for another. You destroyed our love. I suffered for you,” etc. After hearing these songs over and over in the radio or while traveling in buses, we could even start singing those songs… and believing in them… Easy religion!
🙂
Songs are a powerful mean to “brainwash” individuals who are not aware of what is going on. The same with a painting or a photograph. The more shocking those are, the greater the chances that those will be sold or viewed.
In our world, many times we do not realize all the complexes and “hang ups” that we posses in our psyche. The expression of that cannot be called art in my book, perhaps therapy but never art.
In a spiritual sense, these emotional outlets when unchecked, are a source of issues which will not allow us to freed ourselves from cyclical needy and dependent behavior. Sort of like being addicted.
A musician composing music because that “makes him feel good” is not in the same category as those who compose music because of it. No words to express reasons. The former will have a “needy” relationship as long as he feels good. That could become addictive. The later, will do so as a true expression. His “feeling good” is not dependent on creating music..
Please note that under this condition, no matter how much meditation or yoga or love one may have with God, those addictive behaviors, “hang ups,” emotions, etc. will come up every time we connect with another human being.
That is why some may express that God is in their hearts, but their behavior with other human beings, do not show that. That is their expression (their art) of that so called love, will not show love but other emotions. Then this “spiritual artist” is lacking an important ingredient and that is to be able to go deeper into himself to find the skeletons of the past which need to be taken care of.
Those inner complexes change from person to person. Let me give an example. In Peru social classes are determined by a combination of the way someone looks, their last name, his/her parents social position, and how much wealth someone has. Thus, someone who has accumulated money by selling widgets in the market will not be able to “fit in” in the “jet set.”
In the USA, (the melting pot) is mostly about money. You buy anything with money (except happiness,) you belong.
In India, social classes begin from the time that someone is born into a particular cast. When we look at how this affect us “now” in our perceptions, then we are doing something useful with us. We are freeing ourselves from those ideas.
As long as I have not observed how those issues (complexes) are affecting my life, my views, my expectations and how much they have “brainwashed me,” until that point of inner observation is reached, I will keep suffering from the consequence of believing in those things without my realization.
That is why in Spirituality when we hear spiritual knowledge, we could only learn when we observe in ourselves that which is being explained to us. Then, we understand.
A spiritual artist is like a sculptor. We are sculpting ourselves every time we go deep into those complexes and lingering emotions. The master piece will happen. It is a continuous work in progress and the expression of that transformation is truly the most delicate fine art.
It is the story on how the ugly duckling transforms into a beautiful swan. That is art.
Exploring the Depth of Living 