Daaji's Travel Diaries - Paris, May 14, 2024, part 2

2024.35 - Thursday, 20 June 2024

Dear ones,

Making the inexpressible expressible

On May 14, at 12 noon at the Maison de l’Amerique Latine, Daaji conducted a meditation, after which he was interviewed by Guila Clara Kessous, the UNESCO Artist for Peace, and Ambassador for Peace of the Universal Circle of Ambassadors of Peace (Geneva). This interview was organized by Dr. Kessous as part of the forum, “Art & Human Dignity: Human Rights and Healing Arts for a Culture of Peace,” under the patronage of UNESCO, in partnership with the Jameel Arts & Health Lab in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO), and the Global Peace Education Network (GPEN).

Dr. Kessous started by asking Daaji, “What would be your definition of art?”

Daaji replied, “It's very difficult to define, but I would say to make the inexpressible expressible through visual graphics. For example, when we talk philosophically that animal man becomes human, and human man becomes humane, and this humane quality is now advancing to become divine or angelic, in the words of Babuji, how can you express this visually in art form? Someone is in love and is dancing away with songs that expresses their inner state, which otherwise would be difficult to put on paper. So art, to me, is a way to express your deepest feelings, which cannot otherwise be expressed in words.” Taking the example of Ganesh, Daaji explained how we may succeed in representing certain things visually, like Ganesh’s joy, and his animal and human aspects; but others cannot be expressed, for example, the state beyond bliss. When words fail, art can help us to a certain extent. But after some level, it’s difficult.

Ms. Kessous responded, “So it’s a way to connect the intangible with the tangible,” to which Daaji concurred.

Art expresses outward, meditation takes us inward

She then asked, “Can art help to connect with the power of oneself and the power of others, just as in meditation?”

Daaji’s reply was, “For the artist, art can become a creative thing for centering oneself, just like sportspeople who get absorbed in playing tennis or badminton or football. They are so happy, because they are in the flow. A similar thing happens to a flautist or a violinist or an artist. And meditation is also a kind of a flow, but it is going inward. Artistic expression is always to present things outward. They are two different directions.

“I can go inward to express something outward, to a certain extent. Art, through representation on a canvas, on a wall, in the form of painting, for example, can also be a powerful tool, but it cannot match the state of meditation because the directions are different. In meditation, we are connected at the deepest level.

“If we join hands and make a big circle, we are connected through our hands, not through our hearts. Meditation takes us in, purifies the heart, and connects the hearts of individuals. This is my understanding so far.”

Unconditioning the heart

Dr. Kessous’ next question was, “If art is a way to translate something intangible, something sacred, something divine, can you say that the art of the heart could go through meditation?”

Daaji responded, “Well, the heart can help us express, to a certain extent, the beauty of Divinity. How can you express the moment of creation, for example? You know, in physics, they talk about the Big Bang theory—there was a singularity, and from this singularity there was a burst of energy. And that energy was so powerful it ended up creating physical objects throughout the universe. How can one represent that moment on paper? Because creation is a continuous process, a dynamic process. Once you have created an artwork, it becomes static. So, we have limitations when it comes to art. In that case we would have to create multiple paintings, like a movie, the continuous depiction of the unfolding of creation.

“To me, the heart can be utilized for many things. Heart should be unconditioned. For example, how would I describe beauty on paper? Maybe in a certain way. How would a mother describe beauty on paper? It will be different from mine. How will you describe beauty on paper? And someone else? We will all attribute beauty based on our backgrounds, our conditioning.

“There are 700 to 800 people here. We look at each other, screening and filtering everyone. The first thing that strikes our mind: this is a woman, this is a man. I may forget the name, but I‘ll remember the gender. Next, if I’m sharp enough, I can describe the dress. People who have a great interest in watches will not miss out the type of watch you are wearing. Lovers of jewelry will not miss the kind of jewelry you are wearing. And a cobbler will look at your shoes, and judge the kind of person you are based on your shoes.

“We are in the business of reading hearts, so with closed eyes we look at the hearts. The heart can be felt only when we close our eyes. The heart can perceive things when we close our eyes. Art we do with open eyes. But whatever we do, the heart always gives the right signal, and this signaling from the heart must be protected. If we don’t have an unbiased heart-mind, it will always be tainted. My feelings, my perception will always be wrong. The purer the heart, the better the signals it will give to represent something as it is.

What makes an artist?

Dr. Kessous then asked him, “You are such a creative person. We are all amazed at the way you help us to go deeper in the understanding of ourselves and our modern world. Would you consider yourself an artist?”

Daaji responded, “Human beings are multifaceted personalities, and when we include the heart, the aspect of creativity is infinite. You can write a lovely book, you can paint, you can play music, you can sit quietly and listen to music like nobody else, and you can sit quietly for days without being disturbed, without asking for anything else. You can sit under a tree and gaze at the stars at night. These are all aspects of your individuality.

“But I’d like to go beyond this individuality, which is also an aspect of ego. It limits us. Artists, flautists, violinists are limited professions in the arts. When we become individuals without personas, without any masks, and go deeper in our hearts, many things come out in the form of creativity.

“If I say, ‘I’m an artist,’ it will not be the honest truth using the traditional definition. An artist is one who expresses something on paper or on a canvas, or through music, and I can do none of that. Yet I do feel that I am an artist from inside, but not only an artist. This multifaceted thing that God has given to us means that we are all infinite; there is no limit to our creativity. Being an artist is a beautiful thing, it represents creativity; but just to create one thing limits us. Van Gogh and all the great composers were also limited. Opening the heart creates infinity in front of us. That is the role of meditation.”

How to become multifaceted and infinitely creative?

Dr. Kessous concluded by asking, “What could be an advice to the younger generations to release this creativity and to allow ourselves to be multifaceted and go beyond art?”

Daaji responded with, “Going beyond this, the question would be: Where will you go? What is beyond myself? What is beyond my heart? What is beyond my mind? The Creator. I’m just a drop of water. Imagine you are at the seaside, on the beach. Water sprays on you, though you are twenty feet from the ocean, and some falls on your palm. You are so happy with it. What must be going through that water drop, if it has consciousness? That I’m separated from my mother, the ocean. Unfortunately, this water droplet does not cry. We are also droplets, separated from the ocean of consciousness. We are not aware that we are separate, but we do feel the pain of separation, and this pain is such that no one can fulfill it unless and until the drop falls back once again in the ocean; until this lifeforce once again merges with the Ultimate. And this possibility exists for one and all.

“Solve this problem in such a way that all other problems in life disappear, otherwise you will keep struggling, trying to solve one problem after another. If we can solve the main problem, then no problems will ever bother us. First, identify what is the major problem.

“Second, all individuals without an exception, be it human, bird, animal or plant, all seek happiness. No one seeks unhappiness, no one seeks misery; we all want to become happy. Can you remain happy under restless conditions, where there is violence, where you don't know what’s going to happen next? You can't be. Though you have everything, because of this unpredictability, you will not have happiness. That means absence of restlessness, which means harmony within and outside. Can you be harmonious within without peace in your heart? Is peace possible without a contemplative mind? Is a contemplative mind possible without having a focused mind? And is a focused mind possible without exercising your mind? And the only exercise to arrive at a focused mind is meditation. Now you can connect the dots. Those who really want to become happy, in the true sense, have no other choice but to meditate. Meditate on things you love; it need not just be God. Express yourself through art, make art your meditation and refer to the heart all the time, center your focus in the heart, and let the creativity flow outward.”

To know more about Daaji's day-to-day activities, visit - www.daaji.org/glimpses

In the next bulletin, we will bring you the forum organized by 4 per 1000 and Heartfulness Institute at the Maison de l’Amerique Latine.