the speaking tree - The Self And The Cosmic Blueprint
Pranav Khullar
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As i looked up from my camping tent at night, on the way to Pindari Glacier, i was drawn to the twinkle and glitter of the star patterns above. They seemed to beckon to me to reach out beyond my temporal existence and its desires, and search for something more meaningful; more soulful. How beautiful the sky looked! There seemed to be a cosmic connect between the matrix of the stars above and my mind-matrix. The stars seemed to show me a way out of the confusion of my mind. My head was clearing up, definitley , just looking up at the star-filled sky .Stars as metaphors
Stars have long been the driving metaphor for metaphysical speculation; something that makes one feel one needs to reach out beyond all the littleness, and understand the essential oneness of all under a common sky . In comprehending the vastness of the universe, we would realise there is a deeper grid inside of us as well, which we have to navigate, rather than merely skimming through existence.
I recollect Joseph Campbell alluding to this metaphorical turn, from an interest in the sky-heavens above, to the parallel vastness of the soul inside of man, as the point at which myth metamorphosed into philosophy . It is in this understanding of the “...inner reaches of outer space ...“ that one finds the sky above an inspiration for contemplation and reflection.
Dreamers and poets
Different cultures have found different patterns in the sky , the elite and the commoner alike have sworn by the stars; astronomers and astrologers have varying notions of the movement of the planets; the religious calendars of different faiths are all lunar or solar-based systems; dreamers and poets are drawn to the sky and we all seem to look up instinctively either in thanksgiving or in trouble. Ironically enough, the firmament is one of the few meeting places left where scientific enquiry and religious faith seem to coalesce quite naturally .
Music of the spheres
Pythagaros spoke about the music in the spacing of the spheres, essentially pointing to the interconnectedness of all things, vibrating at different frequencies in a cosmic harmony , which the vedas define as Rta or cosmic rhythm. It is this cosmic connec tion which the ancients felt was the trigger for the greater search of humanity; h for the greater purpose of the search for the greater purpose of life. The vast and unending spaces of the sky provide a natural catalyst for such an inner search that leads one to plumb the depths of one's being to know the divinity within.
Cosmopolitan outlook
Looking at this cosmic blueprint amidst the clear sky of the mountains, i realised that it maps out or charts not merely our geographical oneness, but our spiritual oneness as well. The word `cosmopolitan', derived from the root-word `cosmos', sketches out the fact that we are not merely citizens of any one country , but are all united in the borderless cosmos.Common sky It is this recognition of oneness under a common sky which will revive our cosmic consciousness and bring us closer to each other. This cosmic blueprint is also the cue for the search for the Self amid the selves which the mind has fragmented us into.
Post your comments at speakingtree.in The Speaking Tree is also available as an 8 page newspaper every Sunday for Rs 3. Book your copy of The Speaking Tree with your newspaper vendor or SMS STREE to 58888.
Stars have long been the driving metaphor for metaphysical speculation; something that makes one feel one needs to reach out beyond all the littleness, and understand the essential oneness of all under a common sky . In comprehending the vastness of the universe, we would realise there is a deeper grid inside of us as well, which we have to navigate, rather than merely skimming through existence.
I recollect Joseph Campbell alluding to this metaphorical turn, from an interest in the sky-heavens above, to the parallel vastness of the soul inside of man, as the point at which myth metamorphosed into philosophy . It is in this understanding of the “...inner reaches of outer space ...“ that one finds the sky above an inspiration for contemplation and reflection.
Dreamers and poets
Different cultures have found different patterns in the sky , the elite and the commoner alike have sworn by the stars; astronomers and astrologers have varying notions of the movement of the planets; the religious calendars of different faiths are all lunar or solar-based systems; dreamers and poets are drawn to the sky and we all seem to look up instinctively either in thanksgiving or in trouble. Ironically enough, the firmament is one of the few meeting places left where scientific enquiry and religious faith seem to coalesce quite naturally .
Music of the spheres
Pythagaros spoke about the music in the spacing of the spheres, essentially pointing to the interconnectedness of all things, vibrating at different frequencies in a cosmic harmony , which the vedas define as Rta or cosmic rhythm. It is this cosmic connec tion which the ancients felt was the trigger for the greater search of humanity; h for the greater purpose of the search for the greater purpose of life. The vast and unending spaces of the sky provide a natural catalyst for such an inner search that leads one to plumb the depths of one's being to know the divinity within.
Cosmopolitan outlook
Looking at this cosmic blueprint amidst the clear sky of the mountains, i realised that it maps out or charts not merely our geographical oneness, but our spiritual oneness as well. The word `cosmopolitan', derived from the root-word `cosmos', sketches out the fact that we are not merely citizens of any one country , but are all united in the borderless cosmos.Common sky It is this recognition of oneness under a common sky which will revive our cosmic consciousness and bring us closer to each other. This cosmic blueprint is also the cue for the search for the Self amid the selves which the mind has fragmented us into.
Post your comments at speakingtree.in The Speaking Tree is also available as an 8 page newspaper every Sunday for Rs 3. Book your copy of The Speaking Tree with your newspaper vendor or SMS STREE to 58888.
