Music and Painting Combined Together in Action

To read the article in Russian scroll…

Yesterday I conducted a work-shop “The Influence of Music and Painting on the Inner State and Personal Development” for adults and children in one of the music schools in our city. I told the parents about how music and painting are used in the modern world to relieve stress, what kind of music is considered healing, how one can use music and painting in daily life to relieve tension and bring our inner state into balance. The parents were also told about the influence of color on a person’s state, about how one can learn the real internal state by color and how one can be driven into a state of calmness or, on the contrary, dynamics through color.

The main part of the work-shop was devoted to

The True Path

 

When we are following Our Path, the supreme power is supporting us. “It is called a Benevolent Beginning, – remembered he the words of the old man. – Beginners are lucky. As life wants the man to follow his Path” (“Alchemic” by Paulo Koello). Under the words “One’s Own Path” Koello, according to “Alchemic”, means “one’s own destination in life”.

Perhaps, I love life so much because everything I am doing is a pleasure for me. (Confucius: “Start doing what you like and you will have to work not a day in your life”). And if it so, does not it mean that the path which I am going along is true (for me)? (And, consequently, if there is no joy and content, then, obviously, the true destination is still lying somewhere waiting until it is found). As I see it now, the idea that life should be joy, that one should live but not merely exist settled in my mind already in my teen years. From there, photography, translation, painting, knitting, teaching, etc. have taken their roots… and it seems to be just the beginning :).

Koello continues saying that every person is constantly given signs showing him the true (for him) path (in the same way “luck” in one’s deeds also testifies to the right way), “You will find the way there following the sings which God marks everyone’s path with. You should only be able to read what is written for you”.

I remember when I read “Alchemic” for the first time most part of it was an amazing discovery for me (though only some theory based on somebody else’s life and not mine). And today I can prove the author’s idea of the signs with the examples from my own life (I think because I have become more observant :)).

Some 5 years ago it was very difficult for me to make the choice – the choice of the future path in life (two opposite ways were lying in front of me). I really tried to prolong the situation watching how it was becoming worse. Once in the evening, when I was reading a book (“The Fifth Mountain”, again by Koello) and unexpectedly for myself read in one of its paragraphs of how important it was for the main character to make the choice and of how he finally made it, I found the solution to my problem. And now, after 5 years, I am so happy that I made that very choice.

This autumn, life again put me in front of the necessity to choose my way (one thing is to choose apples at the market and absolutely another one is to choose one’s path in life). I was offered interesting work (for 3-4 months) the interview for which I had passed at the beginning of 2006. The money offered was good but the work was some 1000 km away from the native city and, consequently, from my husband and all the other things I was busy with here. First, like 5 years before, I tried to solve the question logically having drawn a table with two columns: pros and cons.

Are religions flowers on the same tree?

 

As I can see my post on the Painting of Buddha caused many ideas, questions and arguments. And all I have read in the comments made me dwell on the idea of all the religions depicted as flowers on one tree.

First of all, no Great Master/Prophet/Teacher has ever created any religion. Religions were created by men. Some of these men even could not understand the ideas expressed by the Master and, therefore, were sure that other people would not understand Him either – in such a way new interpretations appeared. As Goldmare has mentioned in his comment, “It’s a terrible thing – I had a friend in one of my old schools who abandoned Christianity because she saw how all the denominations couldn’t agree”. Some other men, seeing that the teaching really influenced people, used it in their politics including some parts into it which were beneficial for them. For example, let’s take Christianity. Paul even was not Christ’s disciple. He has never heard the words uttered by Christ Himself. On the other hand, he was in touch with Romans ruling in the country at that time. The greatest part of the Bible is written by him… Mohammed never wrote Koran. After His death his nearest and dearest were killed by, so to speak, Mohammed’s followers…

Then how can we understand what is really true in the Scriptures and what is not? What we, ordinary people, should follow and what not? Already when I was a teenager I was sure that there should be some True Values /Dharma/ that men should follow and after I had got acquainted with different cultures and religions I came to the conclusion that these values are the ones which are the same in all the religions. That was one of my spiritual achievements.

After I had started practicing Sahaja Yoga, this idea developed into a new dimension. There were
Great Masters/Prophets on the Earth who came at different time to different places but each of them tried to teach people almost the same values: there should not be greediness, stealing, lying, adultery, etc. but there should be forgiveness, love, generosity, creativity, etc. Of course, each Master emphasized only some of the qualities but that is the whole idea! Christ appeared in Jerusalem at the time He was needed the most there as people had been losing morality. By the example of His all life He was teaching that one should have compassion and forgiveness. These were the qualities He came to work out on the Earth. Mohammed appeared on the Earth in 570 in Mekka. Can you remember, please, what was going in Arabia at that time? There were many tribes who were at war with each other often and who were worshipping different idols (though in the same place – Kaaba). Yes, there was some notion of Allah but He was considered to be abstract and transcendent. The Great Deed by Mohammed, first of all, was that He announced Allah the only All-mighty God. By the way, he respected the teachings of Christ and said that Koran was only for Arabians as those were they at that time who needed the rules given by Him. And there is nothing in the Teaching of Mohammed that contradicts the teaching of Christ if we look deeper. For example, Mohammed allowed Arabian men to take several wives. Nothing strange. Many men had been killed in battles and if Mohammed had not allowed polygamy (which is not allowed in Christianity), prostitution would have been prospering.

By the way, why should one limit the list of the Great Masters only by the ones mentioned above? Why not take into consideration the teachings of Raja Djanaka, Abraham, Moses, Zaratustra, Lao-Tzu, Confucius, Socrates, Guru Nanaka, Sai Baba from Shirdi. There were also Great Masters even before Christ: Buddha, Rama, Krishna, Mahavira.

In a word, there is one and the same Almighty God (though each of us can call and depict Him differently: the Creator, All-pervading Energy, Allah, Supreme Power, etc.) and He is the personification of all the virtues. For us, people, not to lose the path to these virtues, to spiritual growth, Prophets and Great Masters were sent to Earth for them to work out different aspects of one and the same God in people. Thus, Great Masters/Prophets are flowers on the Earth planted by God for people to teach from each of them. And as Axinia has mentioned, there is a part of God in each of us. Therefore, I see the aim of my life in the development of these virtues in myself for God to see His reflection in me. And the real meaning of the words “All the religions are flowers on the same tree” is the following: there is one tree, one God, and there are many interpretations of Him and ways to Him but the aim is the same and the path to it is also the same – spiritual growth. And all the religions are flowers as if we separate seeds from tares in each of the religion there really will appear a beautiful flower.

photo by the author

A Problem or a Motivation to Act?

Today, while talking with my comrade on the phone about everyday life, I drew her attention to the fact that joy should be within, that shopping, discos, trips to other cities and countries elevate our mood but not for a long time. To my statement she reacted with a question, “What does it mean “joy within”?” I replied that it is the ability of a person to see joy. If one needs something extraordinary (sky diving or mountaineering) to go beyond despondency at least for some time, another can see joy at his every step whether it is the first snow or a letter written to a friend. Almost having agreed with me, my comrade made one more question, “And what about problems? How one can be happy when he is almost sunk in problems?”

Obviously, the saying “Everything done is for the better” has existed since long ago not for nothing. Of course, one can realize it with his mind and go on about it at every “negative” event – may be such self-inspiration will work out. But one can also look at his life from aside like a viewer when he watches an interesting movie and, I am sure, it is possible to see a happy ending in every twist of life. Thus, all the problems are for our benefit, for our correction. We try not to repeat previous mistakes, not to turn out in foolish situations and in such a way we are growing. And if we do understand it, life is joy for us. Everything that makes us upset is just a myth, an illusion. And if we ourselves have this joy, cheerfulness of the Spirit, it is passing itself on to the people surrounding us. And we become… – the centre of attraction for all positive.

I know it is quite easy to build theories like I am doing. Then, it is high time for examples! I have recently read a story told by one Sahaja Yogi from Arab Emirates. “When I came to Dubai I did not have work, went to various interviews and tried to find a job in some big company. I was upset as many companies offered me very low salary and such offers were not interesting for me. One of those days I came to an interview to a leading tourist company. They told me that they would contact me but I did not get any answer during a long time. Meanwhile I got an offer to fill the position of a sales manager in another company and I agreed. I had completely forgotten about the tourist company thinking that the work of a sales manager had been prepared for me by life. During that time I got a chance to book airplane tickets for a Sahaja collective from Dubai for them to go to the international festival. I wished more opportunities would appear for me to help my relatives, friends and acquaintances! Believe it or not, once the top secretary of that tourist company called me and said that the president of the company would like to meet me. I was taken aback and could not guess the reasons for that. I went there, met with him and he told me that he had heard about me from some airplane companies and then he offered me the position of the director’s assistant in one of their branch offices. It was like a dream for me. And I immediately accepted the offer”.

For the examples from my life, please, go to “A Problem or a Motivation to Act? Part 2”.

Thought for the day: “The person who starts living for the soul is like a person who brings light into a dark house. The darkness immediately disperses. Be persistent in such life and complete enlightenment will take place in you” (Buddhist wisdom).

photo by the author

What Restrains Us from Changing Life?

The inscription says: The Saloon of Haircuts. Photo by the author

Most people spend two thirds of their lives at work. Most of them treat their work only as their duty and not as some joyful time spending. The paradox is that on retiring, many people lose motivation to live.

But are many of us really satisfied with what they are doing? For most people to have work equals to have stability. Thus, fear appears – the fear of losing work or inability to find it. And when fear has come we are already ready to do what we do not like – just to have money.

The trick is that stability should be within the person as nothing in our life can be 100 per cent stable, the place of work as well. Otherwise, there wouldn’t be any development. When we reach the state when we can not endure the conditions we are put in, we start seeking for better life, for more joy, for happiness. And it happens as each of us having reached something at some point wants to get more.

Therefore, not the work should be regarded as value number one but the spiritual growth as when we ourselves are balanced we can see the wider choice of “positions” lying in front of us, we can choose from various opportunities. If you do what you really like, you are never tired. The goal which is not so difficult to achieve.

Today my friend and I were discussing the work of her husband.