Re-Posted September 23, 2013

I have created drawings that illustrate various metaphysical concepts. The first series is more in the shape of somewhat-symmetrical, circular drawings that often have central and peripheral elements. In India such drawings are called "mandalas." Mine are less precise and exhibit more spontaneity than most mandalas now search-able via the internet. I acknowledge that these are acts of poetry, philosophy, playfulness and art, because the way I envision it as being transcends mere rational description.

There's a certain point in intellectual development that the ability to think along rational lines has culminated in an existential stand-off. On the level of pure reason, it is not possible to really have fun. That requires an infusion of an aesthetic sense, and, happily, the mind is far more emotional, imaginative, and artistic than it is reasoning. Hey, I value thinking rationally---I'm a product of a tradition that values it, too! Also, I rather like doing it, and I get just an edge of pleasure (mixed with anxiety) noticing that not all that many people enjoy critical thinking.

But I hold with the character "Lucky" in Waiting for Godot---or at least my interpretation of the soliloquy of Lucky: There is a certain game of scholarship that, if played out to its utmost, is dry and ludicrous. So we need juice---what in Sanskrit is called "rasa." We need emotions, under the guidance of rationality, but also appealing to the rational to stretch itself a bit to know, deeply, the absolute importance of feeling, imagination, play, movement, energy, love, compassion, and other aspects that transcend mere knowledge and rationality. The heart has reasons that reason knows not of, said Blaise Pascal, the 18th century philosopher, and these "reasons of the heart" are often not even able to be described by the rational mind---indeed, sometimes not even by the conscious mind!

The theme is balance: It is possible to entertain both a lively rationality and a lively non-rational, multi-dimensional, playful, aethetic, exploratory attitude towards life. The following series speaks to this new synthesis. Enjoy.

Some mandalas that I haven't given explanations too are elsewhere on my website and my blog.