THE ART OF LIVING SOULFULLY

         "SOUL" IS ABOUT BEING RECEPTIVE. SOUL IS ABOUT BREATH AND BREATHING

 

Feeling awareness. Listening in deeply. Experiencing directly. Sensing.

It is not about gaining understanding by reasoning and asking "what" or "how" or "why", outside one's own subjective experience. Nor can one understand by reading about it. Words can only be pointers. Images, music, poetry, prayers and parables, stories and myths, are more able to convey "soul".

That is why I made a documentary of my art, life story, spiritual practices and inner discoveries.

Inviting a wit(h)nessing. Taking to heart. Activating Self- inquiry. Intimacy. Inviting a "change of heart".

Soul is about sensing vibrations, atmospheres, energy-forms and words. Taking the outer experiences or strange unknown words or ideas inwardly in the heart space. Taking in thoughts, ideas and sensations. "Understanding" comes as a way of inner knowing through inquiring, contemplating and listening in. Then "knowing" comes from the inside. By expressing and moving with the insights they can become embodied, integrated. Lived through.

The soul is not a thing, a concept, an idea. "Soul" has to be invited in to come alive in body and mind,

like lightening a candle, or the two candles on Shabbat.

"Soul" has to do with Heart, Breath, Connectedness, Love, Beauty, Eros, the stream of consciousness, sensuousness, a sense of the sacred, the Mystery, Presence, the numinous. Intimacy." Being loved" and being "at home". A Chassid (a devout Jew) in a story by Martin Buber says: "As my heart beats in my chest, so breathes my heart in God's Heart".

Deep in the heart a God-spark, seed of Bliss, the hidden true Self resides. One can learn to see
from the heart. This inner Light/Love spark can be kindled and awakened more. From the depth,
this space or "Face", the inner fire of love, compassion equanimity and joy can "burn". With this indestructible Light we can cooperate, it can expand and we can cultivate its unconditional Love.
This "clear seeing and unconditional loving" can transform, transmute, integrate the lower "animal" parts (the Nefesh soul) of our soul/being, our unrefined wild life forces which can run "beastly".
And we can draw in (Ruach soul) more angelic, pure qualities and energies (Neshamma soul). Bridging heaven (higher more invisible soul manifestations as Chaya soul and closeness to the One, Yechida soul) and earth (Shechinah/Presence). We can learn to center in this open loving Heart/Soul Space and "follow the path of Beauty". Keeping on polishing our mirror (Body/Mind field).

Travelling through layers of soul. Connected to worlds/states of consciousness. We journey through a multidimensional reality. Life becomes a process of soul-making, soul-work, inner-work.

Soul is all about Inwardness, inviting God/Source to be Godding in and through us.

 

           A poem by Vimala Thakar

 

The Movement of Life

 

I

live in life

Ideas can not hold me

 

I

move with life

Ideals can not contain me

 

I

breathe in life

Knowledge can not arrest me

 

I

am the rhythm of life

Time can not bind me

 

I

am the perfume of life

Duality can not catch me

 

I am One with life

Death can not kill me

 

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