I feel so amazed whenever I finish creating a piece of art. Seeing the canvas filled up with something that didn’t exist before seems surreal. It is astonishing to witness how a thought that pops in the mind expresses itself via this medium. Art can be so contemplative.
There is always something to create as inspiration is everywhere. Last month I bought a bunch of canvasses to paint on. I unwrapped those to kick off with a painting titled ‘The Nine Blessings.’ This artwork draws its inspiration from the second verse of Vivekachudamani by Adi Shankaracarya. He is one of the most revered thinkers and philosophers of the 7th century.
Verse 2 of Vivekachudamani
जन्तूनां नरजन्म दुर्लभमतः पुंस्त्वं ततो विप्रता
तस्माद्वैदिकधर्ममार्गपरता विद्वत्त्वमस्मात्परम् ।
आत्मानात्मविवेचनं स्वनुभवो ब्रह्मात्मना संस्थितिः
मुक्तिर्नो शतजन्मकोटिसुकृतैः पुण्यैर्विना लभ्यते ॥
jantūnāṃ narajanma durlabhamataḥ puṃstvaṃ tato vipratā
tasmādvaidikadharmamārgaparatā vidvattvamasmātparam,
ātmānātmavivecanaṃ svanubhavo brahmātmanā saṃsthitiḥ
muktirno śatajanmakoṭisukṛtaiḥ puṇyairvinā labhyate. (2)2. For all living creatures, a human birth is indeed rare; much more difficult it is to attain full manhood; rarer than this is a sāttvika attitude in life. Even after gaining all these rare chances, to have steadfastness on the path of spiritual activity as explained in Vaidika literature is yet rarer; much more so, to have a correct knowledge of the deep significances of the scriptures. Discrimination between the Real and the unreal, a personal experience of spiritual glory and ultimately to get fully established in the living consciousness that the Self in me is the Self in all – these come only later on and culminate in one’s Liberation. This kind of a perfect Liberation cannot be had without merits earned in hundred crores of lives, lived intelligently.
Adi Shankaracarya explains in this verse the rarity of being born as a human. Achieving the right temperament for self-realization is even rarer. This verse essentially indicates the nine rare blessings of a highly evolved human being.
Vivekachudamani translates to ‘The Crown Jewel of Discrimination.’ It expounds the knowledge of Advaita Vedanta guiding us toward correct understanding between the subjective and objective aspects of Human experience.
I began studying Vivekachudamani in the fall of last year by listening to the commentary by Swami Chinmayananda. It is a complementary text to study along with the Advanced Vedanta Course that I am presently enrolled in.
Bluishmuse 