WE ARE EXPLORING THE PRACTICE OF HEAVENLINESS
+ In this post we conclude our brief exploration of the
style of the Artist, one of the 12 styles of the Mandala process. Ed Bastian writes:
Through the arts,
we also encounter beliefs, images, beings, shapes, colors, smells and sounds
that take us beyond our comfort zone. Some of these we even find frightening or
repulsive. But these are also great opportunities for psychological and
spiritual growth. We might find depictions of archetypes that have lain hidden
in our unconscious minds and which are thereby released. Through the arts, we
find comprehensive expressions of all that it means to be human, all the
potentialities for good and evil within us, and the capacities for
transcendence that are imbedded in our infinite human potential.
+ The Arts are so important. We really do need art and plenty of it. Our
“infinite human potential” is often, maybe always, achieved through art. So, let’s not be afraid to allow art of all
kinds to have its say even when it is challenging, provocative or disturbing. We need it.
Perhaps the mission of the artist is expressed well by a
teacher of journalism who told journalists to “comfort the afflicted and
afflict the comfortable.” I know I need
artists to do both the comforting and the afflicting from time to time.
+ The 12 styles of Mandala: Creating An Authentic Spiritual
Path: An InterSpiritual Process by Edward Bastian are listed in SE206.
+ To get inspired and illuminated by Ed Bastian, I invite you to set aside some time for these videos:
+ I would love it if you offered a guest post on this practice or any practice. And, I have work to do on my Heavenliness page. Maybe you can help. Send an email with the subject “Heavenliness” or “Guest Post” to John@abundancetrek.com
+ You can always find a link to any of the
Spiritual Explorations posts by going to http://abundancetrek.com/sepostsaccess.html
