Raiders of the Lost Spark

Since my early days as a hopeful student of fine art/art history (eventually I went into Classics instead, however), I have loved the art of the Renaissance and Baroque periods. Of special interest are works with either a devotional or mythological theme. On my weekend visit to Ottawa’s National Gallery, I was transfixed by the below piece. Lacking the gentleness of a Madonna or the sensuality of a Venus, this painting by Hans Baldung was rather shocking in comparison to the works of his contemporaries.

Eve, the Serpent, and Death c. 1510-1515

The themes of the Fall of Man and the Dance of Death can be seen in this work, influenced by the Protestant Reformation and Renaissance humanism. This painting is evocative and erotic. Lust and death are linked, as an seductive Eve, apple in hand, grasps the tail of the serpent while casting a veiled glance at a fallen Adam, who, in a decomposed state, has been transformed into the figure of Death. Baldung, a Northern Renaissance artist, produced several memento mori in painting and print, incorporating both secular and religious iconography.

Hakini Mudra
Powers the brain. Helps Thinking and Concentration.

Considering the fact that I have a myriad of accomplishments and goals which I hope to accomplish in the near future, this mudra seems appropriate to work with. I will be experimenting with it over the next week when I am experiencing challenges in the distraction department.

Historically speaking, mudras have been spiritual gestures from the iconography/devotional practice of Indian religions, Dharma, and Taoism. I am curious if any non-dogmatic studies have been done on benefit of this mudra work.

• The Saint with Two Bodies (Swami Pranabananda) was able to appear in two places at once.
• The Perfume Saint (Ghanda Baba) had the ability to astrally-project scent and permeated odorless blossoms with rose and jasmine.
• The Levitating Saint (Bhaduri Mahasaya) was able to defy the law of gravity as a yogi’s body was purported to lose its grossness after certain pranayamas.
• The Sleepless Saint (Ram Gopal) took residence in a cave, engaging in yoga union for twenty hours daily, never sleeping.
• The Fasting Saint (Giri Bala) employed a certain yogic technique that allowed her to survive without eating. It was a Kriya technique that freed the body from its dependence on mortal food – the use of a mantra and breathing exercises.
• The Catholic Stigmatist (Therese Neumann) – although German, not Indian – was cured of blindness as a child. As an adult, she abstained from food and water, except for a daily consecrated host, slept for a mere hour or two a night, and experienced the stigmata.

Unwavering faith and devotion is also a part of the yogi’s journey. Mukunda demonstrated his deep trust on many occasions as a young devotee under his guru Sri Yukteswar.

• Yogananda claimed to only need inheritance from the Heavenly Father; his older brother Ananta sent him and a fellow disciple on train to a selected town without money or means to return home; so moved was Ananta upon their return (having not begged for food nor rupees, circumstance amply provided them) that he asked Yogananda to initiate him into Kriya Yoga.
• While awaiting the return of his guru by train, Yogananda received a telepathic message that he would be late, and sure to his vision, his guru arrived on the train of his instruction.
• When asked by his sister Roma to assist in bringing her husband Satish around to spiritual matters, Yogananda implores the Divine Mother to provide nourishment for them without request. At the temple they are visiting, they are treated to a lavish meal and Satish begins to change his ways.

In describing his guru Sri Yukteswar, Yogananda said, “A master – one who has realized himself as the omnipotent soul, not the body – perceives in all men a striking similarity.” The goal of yoga is divine union; a true master seeks union in both the earthly and the heavenly realms. With mastery come the disappearance of separation and the return of original oneness.