We do, after all, live only in the moment. Often this sounds like an accusation. You should not live only in the moment; think of the future, be conscious of your responsibility. In many modern societies, living in the moment is considered a kind of dreaminess: unproductive and escapist. For those who have time — beyond mere survival in a capitalist, socialist, or otherwise organized economy — to set aside some time for themselves, the great driving force seems to…
Contemporary art is obsessed with the “next step”: the avant-garde, the unprecedented, the new and unique. But in the hunt for the new, we lose sight of something essential: artistic practice itself. Artistic practice is not only about crossing boundaries. It belongs to those who use art for self-exploration, spiritual practice, healing, therapy, or craft. Yet in today’s culture, especially in the West, we act as though progress were the only thing that counts. At its core, however, art is…
When I began reading the Upanishads, I realized that the inner path I had embarked upon was leading me into an extraordinarily beautiful inner landscape. Discovering that this inner landscape is connected to cosmic consciousness made me aware of the important work I must undertake—what people often call “inner work.” As I committed myself to this inner work, I focused on how I was feeling, who I am, and what I must face. What are my shadows? My insecurities? My…
Many of my friends have a strong will, they are creative, create, make, act, do… They confront the world with their own will and add themselves or refuse to accept it as it is. This generates creativity, change. It is the power of Shakti, the creative energy of the universe. I am different, I observe, try to understand the world as it is. I don’t want to change it, even though I see a lot of suffering and injustice, I…
Karl Marx and Charles Darwin shaped the worldview of the twentieth century. But in India a movement emerged that freed itself from colonial shackles and revived the wisdom of Indian philosophy.
Yesterday I ended the year with a shared meditation. It was beautiful, calm, concentrated. And in a moment I want to go to the sea, swim a little; this seems a good start to me. I let a little of how I have lived over the past years and decades pass before my inner eye. I have lived in different places in different countries. That was exciting: different customs and practices, languages, cultures, different sensory impressions, from nature and food…
Autobahns have always been special places for me. Most of the time, I was not under time pressure; rarely did I have to get from A to B within a certain time. Rather, autobahns are travel routes. There, I find myself in in-between states, a kind of no-man’s-land with infinitely many possibilities. This opens up spaces for thought. Often they are simply empty. The brain is occupied with moving safely through traffic. It is a pleasant kind of occupation; consciousness…
