‘Constant Primordial Awareness’

पीपल लीफ The Pipal Leaf

gold & white watercolour poster, on paper, 22" x 30",

by बालाजी श्रीनिवासन Balaji Srinivasan, 2015

The elements :

• श्री यंत्र Sri Yantra in the background (supporting the position of अथि-रहस्य योगिनी the ‘Athi-Rahasya Yogini, the presiding deity of the eighth chakra — सर्वसिद्धिप्रधा Sarvasiddhippradha)
• लज्जा गौरी Lajja Gowri in the centre (the embodiment of ह्रीं बीज the Hreem bija, the cosmic mother in her bloom)
• पिनाका Pinaka in its broken state ('अराई मणि' 'Arai mani’ symbolising the male, attached to the string ↭ XII)
• 'अरसिलाई' 'Arasilai’ the feminine shown in clusters as a pipal tree
• पंच तन्मात्राएं Pancha tanmatras shown in the form of the cupid's arrows
• अंडाल Andal’s vision of पंच तन्मात्राएं the Pancha tanmatras as a reflection of the divine shown as the peacock feather, Clitoria, koel, काया Kaya flower and the cranberry.
• The stability between pleasure and pain is symbolized with the अशोक Ashoka blossoms.
• The omnipresence and omniscience of the vision are symbolized by the bronze age motif (सिंधु घाटी Indus valley) of पीपल pipal leaf, filigree pipal leaf and the realistic pipal leaves and the Buddhist tantric symbol — विश्ववज्र, the Viśvavajra (विश्व • Viśva, ‘universe’ + Vajra • वज्र, ‘thunderbolt’) — and the जैन Jaina symbol of the ह्रीं बीजा Hreem bija.

‘Primordial Awareness’ (2007), 12 x 12 in., acrylic on canvas.

The Seer is the soul of the artist,

Magus through ages untold,

Transmuting the lead of matter

Into bullets of spiritual gold.

The ego picks up the weapon of art,

Childlike, it plays with the trigger.

Blowing the head off its contracted self,

Awareness is suddenly bigger.

By slaying the ego and stunning

The chatter of thoughts as they rise,

Great art shuts out distractions

Delighting the heart through the eyes.

— Alex Grey