“The Field” | Anthony Satori
“Whatever exists, animate or inanimate, is born through the union of the field and its knower. They alone see truly, who see the spirit of God the same in every creature. Seeing the same God everywhere, they do not harm themselves or others. Thus they attain the supreme goal.”
– The Bhagavad Gita
“Shy Venus” | Anthony Satori
“What’s wrong is not a problem with the great discoveries of science. Information is always better than ignorance, no matter what information or what ignorance. What is wrong is the belief behind the information, the belief that information will change the world. It won’t. Information without human understanding is like an answer without its question: meaningless. And human understanding is only possible through the arts and humanities. It is the work of art that creates the human perspective in which information turns to truth.”
– Archibald MacLeish
One of the most startling revelations of quantum physics over the last century has been the assertion that, at the most fundamental levels of existence, there are virtually no inexorable truths or inherent meanings – just pure energy. Put another way: the closer we get to the subatomic realm, the more we discover that the cosmos seems to be made up entirely of nothing more than field equations and mathematical probabilities. All of the numbers, all of the wave functions, all of the raw data – all that they actually seem to be doing is merely suggesting or indicating a probability that some or other discrete particle, phenomenon, or event will occur at some particular point in time and space. Beyond this, there is, arguably, essentially nothing – that is, no “thing” – or perhaps more accurately, some varying probability of “everything.”
It seems that it is only when a conscious mind observes a particular particle or phenomenon that it becomes – almost mystically – transformed from a probabilistic wave function into something that is truly unique, measurable, and discrete. Conscious awareness alone, then, seems to be the singular mechanism in the universe which has the power to transform pure energy into something which has substance, meaning, and truth. And it is the arts and humanities – encompassing, in my view, acts of creativity, kindness, and love, and experiences of transcendence, enlightenment, and spiritual revelation – which, at their best, connect us most directly with this higher consciousness in our human nature, and thereby empower us to become the most effective co-creators of our own universe.
Let us then strive to use these profound gifts mindfully, compassionately, nobly, and constructively. Let us endeavor to make this the best of all possible worlds.
“Enzo Revisited” | Anthony Satori
“There are only four questions of value in life: What is sacred? Of what is the spirit made? What is worth living for, and what is worth dying for? The answer to each is the same: Only love.”
– Lord Byron
“Columns” | Anthony Satori
“Looking down on empty streets, all she can see, are the dreams all made solid, are the dreams all made real. All of the buildings, all of the cars, were all just a dream in somebody’s head.”
– Peter Gabriel
“Love” | Anthony Satori
“Life is a song – sing it. Life is a game – play it. Life is a challenge – meet it. Life is a dream – realize it. Life is a sacrifice – offer it. Life is love – enjoy it.”
– Sai Baba
“Mystic Sky” | Anthony Satori
“This was the stillness of the eternal beginning, the world as it had always been: in a state of non-being. There I was, now, the first human being to recognize that this was the world, but who did not know that in this moment he had also first really created it. There, the cosmic meaning of consciousness became overwhelmingly clear to me: What nature leaves imperfect, art perfects, say the alchemists. In an invisible act of creation, I, Man, had put the stamp of perfection on the world, by giving it objective existence.
My old Pueblo friend came to my mind. He thought that the raison d’etre of his pueblo had been to help their Father, the Sun, to cross the sky each day. I had envied him for the fullness of meaning in that belief, and I had been looking about without hope for a myth of our own.
Now I knew what it was, and I knew, even more, that Man is indispensable for the completion of Creation. I knew that, in fact, he himself is the second Creator of the world, who alone has given to the world its objective existence – without which, unheard, unseen, silently, through hundreds of millions of years, it would have gone on in the profoundest night of non-being, down to its unknown end. Human consciousness created objective existence and meaning, and Man thereby found his indispensable place in the great process of Being.”
– C. G. Jung
“Vibrations” | Anthony Satori
“In string theory, all particles are vibrations on a tiny rubber band; physics is the harmonies on the string; chemistry is the melodies we play on vibrating strings; the universe is a symphony of strings, and the ‘Mind of God’ is cosmic music resonating in 11-dimensional hyperspace.”
– Michio Kaku
“Three Snowmen” | Anthony Satori
How often do we take the time to really look at things, even something as simple as a holiday card? If we were to slow down, we might see and appreciate some pretty remarkable details. Such as the fact that the placement of each and every one of the gold-colored “snowflakes” on this card’s image was arranged by someone’s hand. Or the fact that the design of the center snowman’s scarf is a combination of red- and blue-checkered patterns with small gold diamonds placed carefully among them. Or we may notice that among the background of blue-lit snow, almost invisible upon first viewing, you can see the silhouettes of fir trees painted softly in the shadows. Every detail of this picture was carefully chosen, painted, drawn, and glued, and the feeling it elicits is one of happiness, peace, and warmth. How easy would it be to receive this card, to look at it once, and then to merely discard it, without ever taking the time to ruminate on its composition, let alone the journey it has taken?
This picture has followed such an amazing path – from an inspiration in someone’s mind, to a creative thought carefully formulated into an image, to an expression finally manifested in colors and shapes carefully laid out on the page. Even after its creation, it continued its adventure through multiple organizations of various sizes and forms – perhaps a card company, a print shop, a distributor, a warehouse, a supermarket – moving every step along the way through the hands of, and in the care of, another person or set of people. And then, at long last, it was chosen by a person, just for you, and it was sent on its final race through the postal service, tousled among all of the bills and envelopes and catalogues and coupons, to finally land in your hands, right now, in this moment. These three happy little snowmen have had quite a journey!
Let us resolve, then, to slow down and to take the time to soak in the beauties and subtleties hiding in plain view all around us. Let us make a deliberate choice to appreciate the meaning and wonder bursting forth in the details of even the smallest, seemingly insignificant objects and experiences that come our way. Let us make a point to inhale deeply of the life-energy in everything around us – nature, art, music, food – and, most importantly of all, let us strive to appreciate the beauty and life-force pulsing from within ourselves and from within everyone around us.
“Sacred Awe” | Anthony Satori
“I don’t know exactly what a prayer is. I do know how to pay attention, how to be idle and blessed, how to stroll through the fields, which is what I have been doing all day. Tell me, what else should I have done? Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?”
– Mary Oliver
Happy New Year, everyone! May you have health, happiness, peace, and prosperity – and, above all, love – in this, your one wild and precious life.
“Gingerbread Man” | Anthony Satori
“Love is the joy of the good, the wonder of the wise, the amazement of the Gods.”
– Plato
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to everyone! I wish you all an abundance of joy, wonder, and amazement in your lives.
Satori Circle | Art & Culture 