Musings on Peace, Harmony and the Art of Spaces

The other day I was working at my desk, fully absorbed in reading a big document on my laptop, highlighting some points, trying to make sense of others, when I suddenly looked up. And this is the view I saw from the window by which my desk is placed.

A view from the window by my desk, one afternoon

It was not the first time I saw this view of my small garden in the back of the house. I see it daily, both when I am out in the garden and when I sit at my desk. But that day was a bit special.

It was special because the moment that day brought with it a sense of quiet and peace as I let that view sink in to me. There were a few small birds flying around the champa trees and the bushes nearby, making lovely sounds, calling each other, playing, resting on the thin branches, enjoying their freedom.

I sat there, in my chair, just sat there. For several minutes. Taking in the view, enjoying the sounds of the birds, the peace of it all.

I don't know what I was feeling in those moments. Perhaps it was some type of peace, a sense of harmony. Perhaps it was one of those moments when everything feels perfect, everything around you, everything within you, everything is just the way as it should be. There is no need to fuss over anything, no need to shift anything. As if there is nothing to disturb this moment, this sense of peace.

Have you ever felt that? Surely, you must have. Thank the gods for such moments, rare as they are in the noisy worlds we live in - within and without.

A few minutes later, a part of me wanted to go out in the garden and take pictures of the view. Even thought of taking the pictures of the birds who were still playing and singing. How foolish of me, I immediately said to myself. As if pictures would preserve the 'feel' of the moment for me. 

But still I couldn't not resist taking one shot on my phone, from this side of the window itself. The one you see above. 

The moment passed. Only to be followed by another moment, of a reflection. Reflection on spaces and harmony. And on art.

Today, a few days later, as I sit by the same window, trying to give voice to that reflection I see the same tree and the same bushes, though there are no birds at the moment, I try to recall to my awareness that moment of quiet and peace from the other day.

Maybe writing out this reflection on spaces and harmony will bring its own harmony. Afterall, minds are spaces too, and creating a sense of harmony in our mental spaces is an art, a very important art that we all have to learn one way or the other if we want to experience more of these moments of peace and quietude.

So I begin.

You walk into a space -- a home, a room, a garden, a temple, an ashram, a workplace or any other public place -- and you instantly, spontaneously feel a sense of all-pervading harmony, a quiet ambience, an effortless beauty. Nothing is amiss, everything is perfectly placed where it should be. Nothing is obtrusive, nothing is jarring, everything is quietly at home in its natural place.

And you walk into another space and instantly you feel that something isn't right. There is a sense of disorder, an artificiality to the whole arrangement of the space, a feel of uncomfortable ugliness despite the outward prettiness and 'designer-like' placement of objects.

What? You haven't experienced it? You must have. Think, think.

Well, I surely have. Many times.

In fact, I have experienced this sense of harmony (or disharmony) even in empty spaces. For example, a few years ago when we were looking for a house to purchase, many times we would walk into an empty house for sale and just upon entering the house I would immediately 'know' whether or not I would even consider the house any further. Spaces, even empty spaces have their auras, sort of like an energy around them.

Personally speaking, how I feel in a particular space generally figures as one of the main criteria for deciding how much time I want to spend there. This could be a richly decorated home of a relative or a humble half-demolished temple in a village I am only visiting for an afternoon. I have experienced a discomforting sense of disharmony at a five-star hotel and felt a deeply calming sense of joy at an almost decrepit building that serves as a guest house.

This feeling or perception of order or disorder, a sense of harmony or chaos, is not about the physical appearance -- the size of the space, the form, placement and outer charm and prettiness of objects or furniture in the space -- though these things may be part of it. But only a very small part. The bigger part is about what the space makes one feel inwardly.

What is it that makes one space feel harmoniously beautiful, even though it may be very simply arranged with most inexpensive objects? And what makes another space, sometimes even the most well-designed space, furnished with most expensive 'designer' furniture and object d'art, feel jarring, out of order almost?

Is it the aura of the person who lives, works, moves in the space? Or the aura of the person who looks after the space, its cleaning, upkeep, etc? Is it something about 'the way' things are arranged in the space? Or the consciousness of the space itself, the consciousness hidden in everything that is there in the space?

Or is it the state of the mind of the person walking into the space? The sense of harmony he or she brings to the space?

It is perhaps every thing. And more.

It takes an artist to make a space harmoniously beautiful.

If you ask me, I believe that all those who produce something artistic are artists! A word depends upon the way it is used, upon what one puts into it. One may put into it all that one wants. For instance, in Japan there are gardeners who spend their time correcting the forms of trees so that in the landscape they make a beautiful picture. By all kinds of trimmings, props, etc. they adjust the forms of trees. They give them special forms so that each form may be just what is needed in the landscape. A tree is planted in a garden at the spot where it is needed and moreover, it is given the form that’s required for it to go well with the whole set-up. And they succeed in doing wonderful things. You have but to take a photograph of the garden, it is a real picture, it is so good. Well, I certainly call the man an artist. One may call him a gardener but he is an artist....

All those who have a sure and developed sense of harmony in all its forms, and the harmony of all the forms among themselves, are necessarily artists, whatever may be the type of their production. (The Mother, CWM, Vol 8, p. 324)

It perhaps takes an artist to 'know' a space. To feel a space. To experience the harmony.

But what is this sense of harmony? Can it only be felt? Can we grow in our sense of harmony? Of perceiving? Of creating harmony? In our spaces, outer and inner?

Maybe in some other moment of grace, sitting by the window in front of the garden view, when my mind is in a state of harmony I shall be blessed with an insight into some of these questions.

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Linking with ABC Wednesday, P: P is for Peace.

De-cluttering on My Mind

A new post in the series: Reminders to self

Prologue

As you can see I am blogging daily now, at least am trying to do so for a week-long challenge at Write Tribe. Though I generally prefer to write at my own pace, I have learned that once in a while participating in such "daily writing" challenges can help me get some necessary practice and develop greater confidence in writing something substantive even under the pressure of a deadline. I hope I will make it through these 7 days.

For this particular week-long challenge the only restriction the participants have is in the form of the different "type" of post they are asked to write for each day of the week.  Other than that, participants are free to use that "type" to write anything of their choice as long as it fits within the day's type. And of course, there is plenty of room for interpreting the "type" itself.

For the first day, we were asked to write a "List." And I wrote this.

For the second day, the type was "Answer a question" to which my response was this post.

Today, we are asked to write a review. 

In the past I have written about a few books and movies on this blog (for a few film-related posts, see here, here and here). In fact, my "list" post was also a sort of a review of the movie, Haider, though it can't be really categorized as a review. Somehow I am not really fond of writing reviews but prefer to present my interpretive or reflective take on books or movies that I find significant for some special reason.

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For this review post, I invite readers to revisit with me an old post of mine. Again, it is not really a review of a film, but an interpretive look at the set decor of the film. Surprised? Well, don't be. For the last few days I have been actively de-cluttering and re-organizing some of the spaces in my home. I have been mostly removing objects, simplifying things, and creating cleaner and lighter spaces. So it is not really a surprise for me that after eliminating many different ideas for this review post, I felt drawn to revisiting and revising this old post focusing on this very idea of de-cluttering.

Since films are primarily a visual medium, a lot of thought and planning goes into planning, setting up and portrayal of the backdrop or background against which the film's characters play out their roles and become part of a story. In many ways, the visual backdrop becomes an integral part of the story's narrative because it sets the tone for the contexts and spaces in which the characters move, live out their parts and connect with one another.

The star of this post is a Hindi film called Listen Amaya. With a stellar cast like Deepti Naval and Farooq Sheikh it sounded promising. I must add that I wasn't disappointed when I watched the film, it is actually quite interesting and different from the usual masala and formula films dished out by the Hindi film industry. The story-line is sensitive and delicate, though at times I felt that some parts were handled in a rather “filmy” and somewhat clichéd manner. But as I mentioned this is not really a critical review of the film.

So the real star of the post is the visual backdrop of the film. The opening credits of the film clearly mention that the whole set decor of the film was done by Fabindia, and obviously I was expecting a certain kind of visual sensibility and aesthetic appeal. And in a way it generated my curiosity about the film. In fact, the visual backdrop of the film was a key aspect of the film why a few people familiar with my taste in home decor and interior design had recommended the film in the first place. If you are familiar with Fabindia, you know that there is a specific visual appeal and characteristic to the whole range of their products.

Personally speaking, I like that kind of aesthetic very much – the whole hand-woven, hand-made quality and look of fabrics, furnishings, combined with somewhat bold and rustic looking old-wood furniture and home accessories made of natural  material and with an earthy-feel. Mostly, it is the Indian touch and feel of some of these products that appeals to me very much.

But then sometimes too much of a good thing can also be....well, simply too much.

  

(Too many objects crowding up a tiny corner; that tall display stand in the bedroom makes the space stuffy and dark.)

That is at least how I felt when exposed to an overdose of all the Fabindia stuff in pretty much every shot of the film Listen Amaya. It sort of became a bit distracting and irritating to see an over-abundance of the “ethnic-chic-decorated” look. Since most of the film is shot in the interior locations (home settings such as living room, bedroom, kitchen, and coffee shop), there were plenty of occasions for the filmmakers to showcase the Fabindia style of home decor. And boy, did they use them all?!

At times I was wondering if the filmmakers had ever heard of the word “restraint.” I mean, why zoom in so many times on the coasters and that serving tray? Perhaps it was the nature of their contract with Fabindia that compelled them to highlight everything in the set decor which was from Fabindia – from coffee mugs to serving trays to table coasters to kitchen utensils, from bookshelves to beds to chairs to sofa sets to wall decor to all other doo-dads that filled up the living spaces of the characters in the film. The result was that the spaces shown in the film felt artificial, crowded, stuffy and over done. At least for my taste they did.

           

(The tall shelf on the wall seems redundant, unnecessarily crowding up the space.)

As much as I like the Fabindia style (though I will also admit I have perhaps only a couple of objects in my home that were purchased from Fabindia – I generally prefer more direct and local sources than a retail chain outlet) does it mean that I would want to live in a “Fabindia style” museum which doesn’t allow my eyes or mind any visual and spatial relief? Certainly NO. And after seeing this film's visual backdrop I have become a bit more aware of how I want my living spaces to look and feel. My style (if I can call it that) involves more of a mix-and-match of different looks and styles with an aim to create a somewhat cleaner, natural, balanced and minimally decorated look.

A living space is not “decorated” by merely lining up all the products bought from your favourite store(s). A beautiful and comfortable living space is put together over a period of time in a deliberate and thoughtful manner. And a conscious and deliberate process of creating a living space (whether it is a room or a corner of the room) includes not only the process of adding objects, but also eliminating and removing those objects that don’t fit in that space. Maybe that is another word – “remove” – which the set designers of Listen Amaya could have benefited from when planning the overall visual appeal of the film’s sets. Sometimes simply by removing a bit of the “stuff and fluff” and creating a visual relief can enhance the overall appeal of the space.

But then all this is perhaps a subjective view. And others may feel very differently about everything I have said here. No issues there. Really!

Reminder to self

However, what is perhaps most relevant and worth remembering is that these ideas of restraint and removing the fluff are not just limited to creating harmonious living spaces on the outside. The same principles apply to the spaces inside of us, where we live when we are by ourselves. Our minds, our thoughts, our emotions, our real inner living spaces. How do we practice restraint there? How do we remove the extra “stuff and fluff” from there so that we have cleaner, more harmonious and beautifully balanced inner spaces in which we dwell?

“Things in which we do not take joy are either a burden upon our minds to be got rid of at any cost; or they are useful, and therefore in temporary and partial relation to us, becoming burdensome when their utility is lost; or they are like wandering vagabonds, loitering for a moment on the outskirts of our recognition, and then passing on. A thing is only completely our own when it is a thing of joy to us.” (Rabindranath Tagore)

And this, I believe, is truly the key to a true “interior decor” – both of ourselves and our living spaces, of our inner and outer homes.

Epilogue

This is the 200th post on this blog. I am actually quite happy that it turned out to be the 200th post because the theme of de-cluttering, simplifying and cleaning up our outer and inner spaces is a perfect fit with the guiding spirit of this blog. To create beauty, to experience beauty we also need to remove the redundant, ignore the inessential, and eliminate the excessive.

 Picture credits: All stills from the film Listen Amaya are courtesy of Facebook page of Fabindia. 

All pictures of my home, courtesy Suhas Mehra

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To see previous post in the series, Reminders to self, click here.

To see all posts in the series, click here.

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Linking this to Write Tribe: Write a Review

(The original post, titled "On Harmonious Living Spaces - Outer and Inner" was published on August 27, 2013)

Of Spaces and Lives

A new post in the series - When a Picture Leads

The bookcases filled, the tabletops decorated, the walls adorned, the shelves artfully arranged. I like it all, enjoy it all and care for it all. 

Yet sometimes a feeling enters, quite quietly, a sort of a longing to escape from it all. Of wanting to give it up, almost all. 

To experience the simplicity, the emptiness, the barrenness almost.

To be in a space that has all the room for stuff of life, yet is content with simply being. Unadorned, untouched.

Balancing the simplicity of minimalism and simplicity of fullness - my ongoing struggle with designing my space, my life.

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This post is inspired by the two pictures, shown above, of the two vases by Japanese American artist, Isamu Noguchi. I first saw these pictures a few years ago on the WWW, and since then I have simply loved the simplicity of these designs. Noguchi designed these vases in 1952 and called each of these simply as "vase". Perfect. Simple. Timeless. 

To see the previous posts in this series "When a Picture Leads", click here.

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Linking this post with WriteTribe 100 words on Saturday prompt: quite quietly

2 Objects of Joy

That's enough. I give up. I am giving in to the temptation. The temptation of wanting to possess. Beautiful objects, beautiful things. Not for me, but for my home. (Same difference?).

When I started this blog almost a year ago (it will be a year on April 14) I had decided that I would never want this blog to promote or have any role whatsoever in promoting a mindless "buy more, consume more" mindset. Even though the inspiration behind the blog does recognize and accept the inner beauty of form, I didn't and don't want this blog to become a vehicle for showcasing pictures of beautiful objects from exclusive designers or expensive brands. So far I have also been able to avoid the trap of writing blogs on topics or themes sponsored by product brands and other companies interested in promoting themselves for free via the blogger community.

But the temptation is now too great. In my frequent travels through virtual world, I see such beautiful pictures of beautiful things on different websites or blogs I visit. So what about my resolve? Well, okay, I am still not going to start writing my posts to promote different product brands. That will be totally against the spirit of this blog. But once in a while one is permitted some indulgence, no?

Plus I have a reasonably good reason to give in to the temptation, at least that's what my mind tells me.

You see, I have a casual interest in creating harmoniously beautiful living spaces for myself and my family and I have my own ideas on how to do it. And it is this interest that also drives me to browse through some interior design and lifestyle blogs. I don't follow any particular design trends (I find them too limiting and I like freedom), nor do I like to spend exorbitant amounts of money on beautifying my living spaces (mostly because I don't have it). I just go by what feels right to me, what feels beautiful and comfortable and creates a harmonious and serene ambiance.

I try to follow as much as possible the advise of the Mother about taking care of material objects,*** which requires that I don't keep too much stuff in my house which I know I won't be able to take care of. I must keep a check on how much stuff I accumulate, because stuff always has a tendency to accumulate! For the most part I am able to go by my self-made rule which goes something like this - "practice restraint and mindfulness and not allow the spaces and objects in those spaces to overwhelm the people living in those spaces". So while I try to satisfy my desire to make my living space beautiful I also try to be mindful of how I do it. While I give in to some temptation, I also try to practice some restraint and self-control. At least as much as I can.

But today I am giving in to the temptation. Partly or fully, mindlessly or mindfully, let the reader decide.

“The only way to get rid of a temptation is to yield to it. ” 

― Oscar Wilde, The Picture of Dorian Gray

I am starting a new series today - Things of Beauty. I did a post earlier with the same title (in singular), the opening sentence of which actually provides a good inspirational and philosophical context for this new series. I had opened that post with a quote from Rabindranath Tagore:

“Things in which we do not take joy are either a burden upon our minds to be got rid of at any cost; or they are useful, and therefore in temporary and partial relation to us, becoming burdensome when their utility is lost; or they are like wandering vagabonds, loitering for a moment on the outskirts of our recognition, and then passing on. A thing is only completely our own when it is a thing of joy to us.”

This new series will showcase some objects which I would very much want to possess for the sheer joy of having them around, near me, so whenever I want I can see them, touch them, feel them. Some day, whenever that some day might be.

Because I am not into brands or labels, I will try to ensure as much as possible that almost all of the objects showcased in the series are what marketing people call as "unbranded"...at least to my knowledge. Or let me put it this way, because I don't see myself going out to expensive boutiques or exclusive stores - real or virtual - to verify if these objects are some big-ticket designer items or their replicas, I will consider them as "unbranded". My only criteria for picking these objects will be whether they appeal to my sense of beauty, and if they are the kinds of things that I would perhaps some day like to acquire for my home. And because something in me tells me that these things of beauty will bring me joy for ever.

Let me also add that if at all this series promotes "buy more, consume more" mindset I sincerely hope it will be a mindset of mindful consumption, the definition of which I leave it upon the reader to decide. For I personally like to go by the advice of the Oscar Wilde - "To define is to limit." And as I said earlier, I like freedom when it comes to decorate my living spaces!

So with all this long preface, rationalization and justification for starting this new series, I feel I am now happily ready to share two such "things of beauty" for this first post in the series.

The first...

Source

What a cute little planter this is! I mean, look at it. How can anyone say no to this one? It is one of those things that every gardener should have it! Well, I don't know about every gardener, but I should definitely have it, I think. Actually I am quite sure that I should have it...I will have it some day. If I keep saying it like this with such hope, one day it will appear in my home! Obviously because it is a natural object made into a planter with some human handling, mine will not probably look exactly like this. Depending on the size and texture of the pumice stone used for making my planter, mine will perhaps look even better. Or at least I can hope it will :)

The second...

Source

Now, isn't that a great looking wind-chime? I already have...let me count...5 wind chimes (including a very special one from Svaram) in my outdoor living space - made of 3 different materials, but I would love to have this one too. I don't have one made out of little seashells. But that's not the reason, or at least not the only reason for wanting to have this wind-chime. I am taken in by the sheer charm and simplicity of this piece. The little touch of wicker on the top adds so much beauty to it, I think. And since I live quite close to the sea, I think it would make perfect sense to have such a wind-chime making its pleasing sea-shell sound in my courtyard. Now that I have also discovered a rational argument for possessing it, what more can I say in my defense? Done...this wind-chime too goes on my "must have" list!

O alright, their reasonably decent look-alike might also work.

Well, folks, that's it for this joyful post. Two objects of beauty on my "must-have" list for my home...garden, actually. Objects that will surely bring more joy to my home and garden!

One last, but certainly not the least, thing before I close. It is more of a disclaimer, actually. By saying what I have said in this post about my personal decisions regarding what I don't do through this blog, I do not, in any way, intend to make any judgmental comment on any of the blogs which review, endorse, promote or write for various product labels or brands. Some of these writings serve good purpose, I am sure. I am merely stating my personal preference, my personal bias, if you will, about what I think I should or shouldn't do via my blog. To each his/her own, that's how it is in the blogging community as I am beginning to understand it a little bit. No judgments of any kind, no imposing of personal biases of any kind. Completely democratic, completely free. That's what keeps this whole exercise of blogging meaningful and relevant - for bloggers, readers and the larger social-cultural context. Having said all this, let me also offer in advance my apologies to anyone who might have felt any sense of discomfort or displeasure at reading any part of this post.

More objects of beauty and joy to come in the future posts in this series...whenever inspiration strikes!



*** Here is the Mother's advice:

"Not to take care of material things which one uses is a sign of inconscience and ignorance. You have no right to use any material object whatsoever if you do not take care of it. You must take care of it not because you are attached to it, but because it manifests something of the Divine Consciousness."

~ Collected Works, Volume 14

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Linking this post to ABC Wednesday: J is for Joy.

Verb in the Garden

1 - Devi with the Ivy

"A garden without its statue is like a sentence without its verb."

~  Joseph W. Beach 

My little nephew, who is almost two years now, likes to speak in sentences without much use of verbs. That's okay for a baby. Even okay for casual speech or writing by an adult :)

But for a garden, it is absolutely no no. A garden of whichever size - small, medium or big, even a balcony or terrace garden with only potted plants - always needs its verb, I mean its sculpture. While a verb generally represents an action or being in motion, a garden sculpture is something that provides a type of groundedness for all the delicate green stuff around, in a way it makes it more bound to the place, the earth itself. This is what I have always sort of intuitively felt.

A garden sculpture doesn't have to be an expensive statue in granite or some other massive marvel in stone, even small beautifully carved terracotta figurines or other object d'art made of natural material that provides a sculptural interest can work wonders in beautifying our little green living spaces.

Ok, that's enough of my little amateur landscape design tip. It is time now for a few more pictures from my somewhat wild and over-grown tiny little garden, with its appropriate verbs and wines!

2 - Amidst the greens, yellows, reds and whites

3 - Guardian 

4 - Seated in a corner

And I have saved the best for last.

The picture below is NOT from my garden, but oh how I wish it would be! I am not sure, however, if I can create something like this or if I even want to create something like this in the little open space I have. But this is an image of a serene Japanese garden that I have always found so beautifully inspiring and aesthetically pleasing, just looking at it I feel trasported to a quiet place within.

5 - Tranquil

Knowing that a place like this exists is enough to give me joy, peace and contentment. Why wish to possess it?

Picture credits: 1-4 are photos from my garden, 1,2, 3 - Suhas Mehra, 4 - Sugrutha Kamat,
5 - Source unknown 

"God is at Home....

....it's We Who Have Gone Out for a Walk."

The above quote from Miester Eckhart came to my attention just at an appropriate time. Deepavali or Diwali is just around the corner. The festival of Lights. 

And like in almost all Indian homes there is some activity going on at my home too. After taking stock of my sufficiently large collection of diyas and candles, which include those leftover from the last couple of Diwalis as well as or the new ones that were acquired over the year, I have decided that I don't need to purchase any more of these for this year's festival of lights.

Over the last few days some neglected corners of the home are getting cleaned and spruced up. I have been trying to bring some newness to a few corners, moving a few things around, re-organizing and re-arranging, and even adding a little bit of quiet glitz to certain areas.

All this preparation to remind that God is at Home, Light is at Home, the Inner Home, the Home Within. It only gets hidden under the darkness or dullness. We need to clean up, dust off and polish those dark areas, those hidden corners, make room for the Light to shine through.   

Walk back to the home, the home within, to the Light Within. 

Search for that Harmony - Inner and Outer.

(Photos clicked by me at home)

With this post I am starting a new series- "Reminders to self." A self-explanatory title.

A Thing of Beauty...

Rabindranath Tagore once wrote: “Things in which we do not take joy are either a burden upon our minds to be got rid of at any cost; or they are useful, and therefore in temporary and partial relation to us, becoming burdensome when their utility is lost; or they are like wandering vagabonds, loitering for a moment on the outskirts of our recognition, and then passing on. A thing is only completely our own when it is a thing of joy to us.”

Beautiful words from Gurudev. And how profoundly meaning and immensely helpful this thought can be to us every time we feel the urge to simply grab one more object from the shopping mall! We really own something when it is a thing of joy to us, and only then that thing becomes beautifully and completely our own. But perhaps when something is indeed a source of joy to us, the urge to own it also disappears and all that remains is the feeling of joy that arises because of the mere existence of that thing. Truly, we may possess something only when we have mastered the urge to possess...because then all is anyway ours to enjoy, simply because it exists.

Easier said than remembered every time we go shopping! Easier remembered than actually practiced!

These words could also have some significant implications for designing our living spaces, be it our homes, gardens, a room or even a small corner. More on that in a later post...for now let me close this with a picture of a small corner of our humble garden that is always a thing of joy for me and my husband.

....is a Joy for Ever.