There are many interesting connections between being an artist and being a spiritual seeker. The other day it struck me that there is a kind of “spiritual” color wheel—I’m given to these musings from time to time. I shared my thoughts with Devi, and she suggested that it might make an interesting blog. So, whether you enjoy this one or not, it isn’t my fault. The karma, good or bad, is on Devi.
A color wheel is one of a painter’s most useful tools. It shows the relationships between various hues and helps you mix all the colors you might need. A color wheel starts with the three primary colors, red, blue, and yellow. All other colors can be mixed from these three. Most color wheels show not only the three primary colors, but also the secondary colors—purple, green, and orange—that you get when you combine the primaries with each other. Think of the rainbow, Divine Mother’s palette, from which She creates all the varied tints and blends of this lovely world.
Now, let’s talk about my musings on a spiritual color wheel. There also seem to be three primary elements on our spiritual path: Meditation, Service, and Attunement. For fun, we’ll assign them the colors blue, red, and yellow. From these three basic spiritual components, you can create a beautiful and vibrant canvas of life.
Meditation is the turning of the life-force inward in focused concentration on God and your own deepest Self. When done properly, a profound mental stillness will illuminate subtle realities that aren’t perceivable through the senses. Meditation also opens the doorway that allows us to exit the ego and attain a state of Christ consciousness, the experience of unity with all creation.
Service is right action done with right motivation for the benefit of others rather than one’s self. Selfless service expands the heart and breaks the chains of slavish self-interest.
Attunement allows the Guru not only to guide us, but more importantly, to bless and magnetize our efforts, so that eventually we can work our way out of the maze of maya.
These primaries, also, can be mixed to produce the secondary shades of a spiritual life. Meditation plus Attunement produces discipleship. It is our compass, our inward guide, helping us sail the treacherous seas of life. As Yogananda’s heartening chant says, “I have made Thee polestar of my life. Though my sea is dark and my stars are gone, still I see the path through Thy mercy.”
Meditation plus Service produces uplifted self-offering, centered in divine compassion. When we combine these two, intuition will guide us to the right decisions, and infuse our efforts with God’s infinite power.
Finally, Attunement plus Service produces dharma, and will ensure that our thoughts, words, and actions are aligned to God’s will. Then our actions will be free of the darkening shadows of ego.
Meditation, Service, and Attunement: As with a painter’s color wheel, you can mix all the right attitudes and actions from these three spiritual primaries. Keep them pure and vibrant, and you will begin to paint the portrait of a saint on the canvas of your life.
In God’s beauty,
Nayaswami Jyotish
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28 Comments
Beautiful blog! Devi ji did get good karma, but I was blinded by all the colours! Keep inspiring :)
Gracias, lo encontré muy interesante, bellisimo, senti mucha armonia con los colores, ademas pedagogico para nosotros los estudiantes de esta maravillosa enseñanza.
Such an interesting conceptualization–a solid extended metaphor, I think! I especially like that you have matched the colors appropriately, symbolically, with their spiritual elements. I’m prompted to go further and contemplate the possible spiritual identities of the tertiary colors.
Loved your colorwheel!!!!
So clearly and interestingly you have explained the spiritual path, the way to make life colourful and beautiful. Thank you!
Dear Jyotishji,
I just love the colour wheel and your spread of colours the beautiful pointers. Wonderful. Thank you.
ilango
Thank you Dear brother, just what the Doctor ordered
Jai Beloved Guru ❤
Beautiful, very very nice
You did a great job with the Spiritual color wheel, Jyotish. I painted cars for decades …. in fact , once I painted one for Swami. But I never thought of the color wheel in this way …. thanks for the colorful enlightenment, my frriend.
This was simply delightful. Thank you, Jyotish.
Devi was right.
Glad that Devi encouraged you to share your color thoughts and guidance with us. It is truly inspired and wise.
Thank you
Thank you Jyotish. Mixing meditation, service and devotion in just the right combination must produce blissonite!
Ooo, I like this a lot, Jyotish! Devi gets a lot of good karma for this one. :-)
This is such a great blog! Thank you Jyotish & Devi!
Very creative and helpful.
This is really neat. Thanks to Devi and you!
So clear and motivating!
Dear Nayaswami Jyotish Ji,
Thank you! Very beautiful blog. Thanks to Devi ji too for helping in getting this blog out :)
It’s colourful and it’s quite a nice feeling whilst reading
Joy
Prem
So….it’s all Devi’s fault we got treated to such a cool blog! Thanks to you both for bringing this artistic weaving together.
Nothing less than a Divine Masterpiece!!! Thank you both so much for the artistry of your leadership!
Great! Beautifully explained! Got new insight through this colourful blog . Keep inspiring by giving such creative insights.
Just beautiful, Jyotish. It would be wonderful if you take this further into something like a video or a book . Adding activities or animations showing the various blends of colors, and maybe something about the connection of white and black as the presence and absence of color, would make your insights “hit home” even more profoundly.
Thank you Jyotish for the colorful fun blog. It might be a fun thing to add to the new classes :) Susan P.
Dear Jyotish ji,
The very thougt of combining all the three Primary colours of Spirituality, gives the beautiful colour, Joy!!!
This is a wonderful way of expressing the Joy of every spiritual quality.
Thanks a lot to you and to Devi ji !!. We all share that good karma:)
Wow!! This is fabulous! What a beautiful way to put it, in God’s beauty indeed! Thank you so much Jyotish and Devi for all you are and share with us all!! :)
Devi definitely gets some (more!) good karma for suggesting you write this blog. And you, Jyotish, get a big atta-boy for a wonderful, inspiring blog. Thank you both so much!
We knew painting could be soulful, but you have taken it to a new level, filled with wisdom…and lots of fun too! Blessings to you and Devi and i look forward to seeing you both in person soon!