“To be enlightened
is to be intimate with all things.”
Dogen Zengi
A Perennial Wisdom
Since the seventeenth century, the idea of a philosophia perennis—a perennial wisdom—has intrigued philosophers, theologians, and spiritual seekers alike. This notion assumes that one set of fundamental beliefs underlies the world’s major religions. Although terms vary, these basic ideas suggest that: (1) One Reality is the source, core and substratum of the created world; (2) Human beings may know this Reality directly through spiritual intuition; and (3) Union with this Essence-Ground is the goal of human life.
These beliefs underlie our explorations at the Living Arts Center, too. Like underwater roots that join lilies in a pond, the ideas listed below form the living matrix that holds us together.
- One divine power permeates the creation. This power is known by—and responds to—various names.
- It’s possible for human beings to directly experience the divine indwelling. Direct spiritual experience unfolds through feeling—through wordless self-sensing—and cannot be known through thought alone.
- Limiting, unexamined mental habits (the “ego”) originate as protective strategies, but they also block direct experience of our divine essence.
- Paradoxically, inquiry into the ego’s distress can, in time, reveal our sacred core.
- Symbols—images, short word-phrases and physical gestures—are like bridges. They help connect ordinary awareness to our deep inner life. Symbols make tangible those aspects of our inner world that are often missed by the thinking mind.
- Practices enacted solely to acquire personal power strengthen the ego. In contrast, spiritual practices that are enacted for the betterment of all beings return us to our divine core.
- Mental stillness, gentle self-inquiry, and spiritual surrender unveil our true identity as abodes of unconditioned love.
If you believe that there is no indwelling God, that the world is only an illusion, that the ego must be killed, or that spirituality is a cosmic battle between good and evil, you will be more at home in other communities. If you resonate with the basic beliefs above, we look forward to hearing from you!
Communitas
Rooted in the perennial wisdom, open to individuals with diverse spiritual backgrounds, our groups resemble a “communitas.” This term was coined by British anthropologist Victor Turner who lived and worked among the Ndembu people in Northern Rhodesia (now Zambia) during the 1950’s. There, he observed a unique kind of fellowship that arose during their rituals. He named this communal experience, “communitas,” to distinguish it from the kinds of relationships that formed during everyday life.
Inside their villages, the Ndembu followed strict rules of kinship and differences of rank were observed, but during their rituals—which took place outside their villages—the distinctions that divided them were temporarily forgotten. During rites of passage, for example, initiates shed their clothing and lived together naked in the forest. Free of the outer signs that usually distinguished them from one another, they bonded through their common humanity. To this group of equals, the elders revealed the sacred symbols of their people.
After Victor Turner left Africa, he discovered communitas in other cultures, too—in monasteries, utopian communities, and among Christian pilgrims, for example. These Westerners were seldom unclothed, of course, but they often met as equals, and encouraged emotional “nakedness”—being open and undefended.
Our expressive art groups form a kind of communitas. Temporarily leaving behind our daily life with its roles, rules, and hierarchies, we meet as equals as we share our spiritual journeys. During these groups, we do not focus on the distinctions that could divide us. Although we come from various spiritual backgrounds, we sit together in one sacred circle. Using simple art supplies, we record the rich words and images that arise spontaneously within us, including the symbols that derive from our own spiritual traditions.
According to Victor Turner, wherever communitas is, there we are likely to find an extravagant, playful display of human creativity, especially of symbol-making. And so it is, wherever Living Arts Center gatherings meet.
Creating Intimacy
During our meetings, we cultivate an atmosphere of safety and intimacy. The word “intimacy” comes from the Latin, intimus, meaning “inmost.” Whether we write, draw, dance, or construct with multimedia, we usually share our inmost experiences with group members. Each time we do, our intimacy with ourselves becomes intimacy with others.
When we give feedback to one another, we also foster intimacy. This we do by speaking from the embodied awareness that lies below our surface mind. Aware of how another person’s creativity touches us, we share what we feel as we gaze upon their artistic expression.
In order to foster intimacy while giving feedback, we make statements about ourselves, not about the artists or their creations. For example:
- Instead of offering, “You’re better at dancing than you think,” we might say, “I feel clear-minded and free, watching your movements.”
- Rather than saying, “Your drawing tells me that you need energy work,” we could disclose, “Looking upon the dark tangle you drew, I feel anxious.”
- Instead of declaring, “That figure you constructed is a shamanic archetype,” we could offer, “Seeing your image I’m excited, sensing that a primal power is near.”
In these examples, we share something tender, deep, and real about ourselves. Intimate with our inner life, not only while we create art, but also while responding to the creations of others, we help warmheartedness and belonging flourish in our meetings.