Art

“As the soul passes in this body from infancy to youth to old age, at death the soul passes into into yet another body. Such changes do not bewilder those of steady mind.”

Bhagavad Gita 2.13

Dutch master Johannes Vermeer (1632-1675) has painted a girl studying herself in a mirror. The oversized pearl necklace tells us she is an aristocrat, but breeding cannot insulate her from the uncertainty of what she sees. Dressing is an everyday act, yet she seems uncertain what to make of her own reflection. Is this repetitive, predictable image all there is?

Intuitively, we sense more to ourselves than the commonplace. Our immortality lies just below the surface, just beyond the reflection in a mirror. To better perceive the reality beneath everyday appearances, India’s wisdom texts invite us to chant the clarifying mantra Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. For further discussion and good company, come join us at one of our gatherings for kirtan, discussion, and a peek behind the mirror.

Fondly,
Yogesvara

“There is another world: eternal, immortal, beyond matter. When all in this world dissolves, that world remains.”

Bhagavad Gita 8.20

“Starry Night” (1889) is the work of post-impressionist artist Vincent Van Gogh. It was, he wrote, an attempt to express a nature “purer” than city life. In the swirling night sky, blazing stars and bright crescent moon we find hints of another dimension, something “purer” than what our senses normally perceive. To gain a clearer vision of that other nature, the Sanskrit texts encourage chanting the maha-mantra (“great mantra”) Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare—and keeping company with fellow yogis who also seek a vision of that eternal realm. Join our newsletter to received updates on gatherings and lively discussion about worlds outside everyday experience.

With affection,
Yogesvara

“The Thinker” by August Rodin depicts a man tormented by mental uncertainty. Completed in 1902, the six-foot-tall sculpture portrays Italian poet Dante Alighieri in front of the gates of hell, pondering his own poem “The Divine Comedy.” Dante’s poem proposes that we create our own heaven and hell, and as we observe the thinker’s intense deliberation we feel his torment. Will humanity cultivate an open mind about the greater mystery of life, or are we forever doomed to the hell of our prejudices and fears?

A strong mind can be a great asset, particularly when we seek to champion an unpopular position. The Bhagavad Gita cautions that it can also be our worst adversary. Too often, a stubborn mind stops us from listening to those who disagree with our ideas. Fear of being wrong reinforces our familiar patterns of thought and behavior, however self-destructive. This verse indirectly advocates keeping an open mind about unfamiliar or uncomfortable perspectives. An open mind is the gateway to freedom, since freedom lies not in being right and insisting on our rightness but in knowing we are protected by Krishna dwelling in our hearts—a resource that empowers us to set aside the need to “win” and become available to serve others.

The word “mantra” refers to a sound that liberates those who chant it from their minds. For a glimpse into the life of the open mind, try chanting each morning: Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare / Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.

Fondly,
Yogesvara

“For those who see Me in everything and see everything in Me, I am never lost — nor are they ever lost to Me.”

Bhagavad Gita 6.30

Sculptor Henry Moore (1898-1986) collected rocks and shells and studied their holes and hollow spaces, searching for what he called nature’s invisible “principles of form and rhythm.” His series of reclining figures (like the one above from 1951) is as much about the mystery of what cannot be see — the spaces between things — as about what the eye perceives.

That’s a good metaphor for the life of a Krishna devotee, who learns to see divinity and meaning in the invisible spaces of life. Slow down, breathe and peer deeper into the mystery of the everyday. You will be surprised at how much beauty there is, looking you in the eye.

To cultivate a vision of life’s hidden realities, the Vedic texts recommend chanting Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.