ART-GARDENS
Aphorisms on Art by Sri Chinmoy
1.
A new art will give you new pleasure. New pleasure is another name for self-transcendence.
2.
Because you are a sincere seeker-artist, God will give you the capacity to avoid frustrating and contradictory paths. He will lead you along a single path, the path of aspiration-trees with inspiration-flowers.
3.
For a God-manifesting artist, there will always be a world of inner sunshine.
4.
Do not be curious; do not be anxious. Lo, a new art world is dawning to glorify and satisfy you.
5.
If you are an earth-bound artist, then you have to turn toward the Truth-Beauty. If you are a Heaven-free artist, then the Truth. Beauty will turn towards you.
6.
A spiritual artist sees stark frustration as a signal to try harder than ever.
7.
A human artist wants to radiate his artwork through his imagination. A divine artist wishes to radiate his artwork with what he inwardly and really is.
8.
Do not listen to your mind. Do not tolerate your mind. Lo, you will overnight become the master-artist of your life.
9.
O artist, I tell you a supreme secret: Your outer success may temporarily be enjoyable, but your inner progress will everlastingly be profitable.
10.
O artist, because you live in the divided thought-world, your mind-power is useless and your heart-power is hopeless.
11.
The divine artist who, at every moment, offers the beauty and purity of his artwork to his Inner Pilot knows that his inner joy can never have any equal.
12.
Because you have not corrected and simplified your difficult life, you are finding that it is an extremely difficult task to become a good artist.
13.
The artist who sees through himself before and after completing each of his pieces of art is going to be the artist unparalleled.
14.
Do you want to cancel your past mistakes? Then ask your mind to learn the art of unlearning, and ask your heart to learn the art of crying.
15.
If you want to see yourself extremely beautiful, then sit down on your inner mountain peak and start painting your life.
16.
Truth-consciousness is a form of divine art. This art frightens the desiring mind and inspires the aspiring heart.
17.
Each unnecessary thought is a colossal failure in the mental art. Therefore, ask your mind to house only necessary thoughts.
18.
An iota of impurity is a damaging reality in the psychic art. Therefore, ask your heart not to give shelter to impure feelings.
19.
The human art is to see the world and possess the world. The divine art is to love God the creation and sing the song of inseparable oneness with God the Creator.
20.
Each act is a piece of art. The supreme Artist, my Beloved Supreme, has already completed the supreme Art. Right before me, He has placed His Eternity's Lamp. But alas, I have not yet started my own art work, and I do not know when I shall start. My art work is to illumine my inner life, placing the Lamp inside the depth of my heart. My art work is to guide my outer life, carrying that Lamp with me.
Published in Jharna-Kala Art Quarterly, pages 7-8, Vol. 3, No. 3.
