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Rublev, TSK, and the 21st CenturyBalder said Nov 13, 2008, 7:39 AM: |
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The following post is by Linda Hollier, a member of the Integral Life website. You may read her original blog entry here. There was a time, when viewing the icon with eyes influenced by my Christian upbringing, I could only see the traditional aspects of the Father, the Son and The Holy Spirit. Having contemplated it for many hours I was even privileged to view the original which hangs in the Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow. A time of disillusionment with traditional religion saw me packing away my much loved icon. However, thanks to the writings of Thomas Merton, Brother Wayne Teasdale and Ken Wilber, I was over a period of time exposed to a wealth of spiritual traditions. Personal inquiry, travel and practice led to me opening myself to the All - the One and the Many. In my icon of the Holy Trinity, tentatively brought out again, I could now see the similarities and differences with the Buddha, the Dharma and the Sangha of Buddhism, and the concept of “satsang” in the Advaita Vedanta tradition, in which is there is highest truth, a teacher of the truth and a group of practitioners studying this truth. This eventually led to the realization that the transcendent, the manifest and the great web of life can be expressed in terms and symbols influenced by culture and tradition. The 3 faces of God had been revealed and seen. In a sense, I guess I had reached the seventh stage of the seven stages of deep dialogue. And then last week, after following a number of links mentioned by Balder a new insight dawned. Reading “Excerpt from an Orientation to TSK (in Sacred Dimensions of Time and Space)” I was particularly struck by the following paragraph under “Dialogue of Being” which I quote here in full: “The key to activating the vision is inquiry. We can use imagination, visualization, speculation, common sense - whatever helps to sharpen our questions and awaken our intelligence. Good questions are an invitation to knowledge to sit at our table as our honoured guest. Having accepted our invitation, knowledge brings with it time and space. If we treat all three with appreciation and respect, they soon begin to speak among themselves, giving us the rare privilege of listening in.”  How aptly this paragraph described my much loved icon in which three angels appeared to Abraham and Sarah. “Space grows more spacious” was none other than the many mansions depicted behind the one figure. “Time begins to show us new faces” threw new light on the figure traditionally meant to represent Jesus and the tree behind him representing the cyclical rhythms of nature.”Knowledge has patiently held itself available” and is as solid as the mountain depicted behind the third figure. Rublev, TSK and the 21st Century had met each other. |
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