Thou.... Thou

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“Thou … Thou … 2012” is an extension of my earlier approach to the concept dedicated to “Thou”, the most dear and loving address to God almighty. It is noteworthy that the term “Thou” is used for one's near and dear ones, wherein “You” would be utterly inappropriate, as it indicates distance between the devotee and Him.

 

The traditional philosophical concept is that there is an intrinsic relationship between “Thou” and “Thine”. The human doer “I” staying out of this ambit. It is He who is the over all doer and the entire universe is His creation. What is Thine is mine only in a limited sense and is an egotistic manifestation. 

 

The wise man says “Idan na mum” (this is not mine). It's only a temporary charge that lets people say – “This is mine – property, relatives (wife, son, daughter, brother, sister etc. etc.) Of course, these connections define “I” and boost our ego. The wise therefore have denied that things belong to us and by this method controlled the ego, which is the perpetual cause of conflict in families, society and the world at large. All wars have been man made disasters created by “ego” and the idea of 'thine' and 'mine'.

 

Guru Nanak, the revered sage, learnt this truth – that  all things belong to Him, the Creator, who is also the doer while weighing and giving out rations to soldiers – a job he had been given by his princely state. One day his mind was riveted to the numerical “Tera”(Thirteen). He couldn't proceed beyond it. Others thought, he had gone mad. But  the enlightened Nanak said, “Now I have understood All things belong to Him (Tera or thine). That man was only the via-media. He is like the flute, that plays out the song. But the song does not belong to him. It is the main doer (Karta) who provides the song. The flute receives it and transmits it to its audience.

 

My earlier series of paintings were focused on “Thou” to which my visual tributes were paid. The present series of paintings have maintained the same approach and therefore are an extension of the same approach into 2012 as I feel that  payingtributes to Him is an unlimited exercise in man's expression of his gratitude to his Creator, who is both the doer (Karta) and the deed (Karma) that results in the manifestation of His Will.

 

And look at the range of his creations  from flowers and fruits, men, women, animals to stars and galaxies  infinitum …

 

Today's world is the cruel victim of the very idea of 'mine', the sole source of conflict in every walk of life. Aggression, violence, bloodshed vast destruction … are just the net outcome of going by the idea of 'I' and 'mine'. The path Guru Nanak showed is most relevant in today's world which is asserting its “I' and fighting for “mine”

 

'Thou… Thou… 2012” is an humble attempt to counter the “I” and negate the idea of “mine” for the sake of World peace.

 

HEMRAJ