Ep131: Art & Spirituality - Rupert Spira & Henry Shukman

Guru Viking Podcast

A dialogue between Rupert Spira, a teacher of the direct path method of Advaita and an internationally acclaimed ceramic artist; and Henry Shukman, Zen teacher and award winning poet and writer. Well known as influential spiritual teachers, both men have also had prestigious careers in the arts, and in this episode they discuss the intersection of art and spirituality. Rupert and Henry consider such issues as the true purpose of art, narrative as a healing device, art as interruption of the subject object distinction, the darshan of Rembrandt, and how Chekov relates to the Vedantic witness. Rupert and Henry also reflect on their own artistic careers, including the importance of mentors, finding one’s unique voice, and the relationship between discipline and spontaneity. … Video version at: https://www.guruviking.com/podcast/ep131-art-spirituality-rupert-spira-henry-shukman Also available on Youtube, iTunes, & Spotify – search ‘Guru Viking Podcast’. … Topics include: 00:00 - Intro 00:56 - Art and awakening 02:34 - Rupert Spira as a ceramic artist 03:03 - Henry Shukman as a poet and author 03:40 - Differences between Spira and Shukman 06:09 - The purpose of art 11:06 - What Henry discovered in poetry 19:07 - Intimacy and collapsing the subject-object distinction through art 25:40 - Tang Dynasty poetry and interrupting linearity 27:37 - Imagination vs conceptualisation 30:57 - Using concepts to point to the pre-conceptual 33:36 - Art as interruption and portal 35:53 - Narrative as a healing device 36:33 - The disinterested affection of great art 42:44 - Rembrandt’s darshan 44:24 - Irony and sympathy of the vedantic witness 47:00 - The most real and essential thing in life 50:14 - The power of apprenticeship in Rupert’s life 55:00 - Liberation from the teacher and finding your own voice 58:37 - Henry’s poetry apprenticeship 01:00:58 - Discipline and spontaneity 01:02:38 - Finding a teacher 01:05:20 - The death of Zen 01:07:20 - The real lineage 01:14:55 - The artistic process 01:17:26 - What makes effective art and an effective artist? 01:18:14 - The master’s eye view … To find out more about Rupert Spira, visit: - https://www.guruviking.com/podcast/ep124-art-of-awakening-rupert-spira - https://rupertspira.com/ To find out more about Henry Shukman, visit: - https://www.guruviking.com/search?q=shukman - https://originallove.org/ … For more interviews, videos, and more visit: - www.guruviking.com … Music ‘Deva Dasi’ by Steve James