Rural Reflections
Something poignant about a lone gas station out in the middle of nowhere.
Edward Hopper caught the feeling in a painting of a gas station surrounded by trees on countryside road.
The reflections of the trees in the windows is a view of another world when set against the background of colorful signage, notices, and advertisements.
Maya in Nature and the Nature of Maya
If one looks at nature abstractly, one can see it is made up of line, color and form. Plato spoke of “form“. And Indian philosophy talks of Maya, the consensual reality that is a dream of our mortal bodies. Yogananda warns us not to get caught up in Maya and how easy it is to see it as real.
My photograph is a homage to the Abstract Expressionist artist, Mark Rothko, a hero of sorts for me. He was reaching for spirituality, too, but did not follow Hindu thought. However, in his paintings, which I try to emulate in photography, one can see color, shape and form. This is a step away from the dream of life or “Maya” and a step towards the spiritual.
Next time, when looking at nature, try looking beyond the scene to the formal elements, and see how the dream of life is a delusion in which our minds spend most of their time.
Happy New Year!
Wishing each and everyone of you a New Year full of blessings of love, peace and health!
The Infinity of Spring
Light embraces each flower
encasing it in color
energizing each blade of grass,
an infinity of green,
creating the world we see,
the dream screen
photons of energy
we drink with our eyes,
as our total being,
like the infinity of blossoms,
is caressed by the Light.
