‘The inner world is fluid, there is no separation there.’
Churning Of
Project Synopsis
written by Mudita Aeron
Our senses are the bridge that connects our inner world with everything outside of us.
We experience the external world using our senses. Their function is to bring outside information inward, which the brain processes in many ways to fulfill different purposes, essentially, to keep us safe and comfortable. In doing so, they have the important task of making choices. The external world is rough and unforgiving, and there is safety in choices, in being anchored.
The senses say yes or no. They like something and dislike the other. They find discomfort in jolts, surprises, and unfamiliarity, while security, attachment, and identification bring pleasure.
It is the fundamental nature of senses to make distinctions. Thus our senses are home to dualities.
But the inner world is fluid, there is no separation there.
Devoid of trepidation from inertia and action, it is a place of unparalleled lightness and buoyancy, where all matter dissolves into a whole. The differences dissipate, and everything becomes one.
Consider the air that touches the outer layer of our skin. In that state, there is no clear distinction between it and our bodies, just as there is no clear line in the fading echo of a sound. The sound merges with the silence, blurring the boundaries.
This state can be attained by dis-identification from the senses and complete withdrawal from them. The physical limitations that are a consequence of sensory awareness are then removed, paving way for a new limitless reality.
In this series of portraits, presented as four diptychs–Omnipotence, Infinity, Abstraction, and Gravity–I explore the dual nature of human existence in contrast to its state of oneness, juxtaposing external chaos with inner calm.
The Ocean
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A note on dualism and non-dualism
What is ‘Churning Of The Ocean’?
1 / Omnipotence
2 / Infinity
A note on dualism and non-dualism
Dualism is the quality of having two parts. It’s like a split. If you split anything whole you get two, when you have two that’s dual. The material world as we know it, is dual in nature. Every aspect has two parts - light-shade, tall-short, good-bad, yes-no, life-death, and so on.
Dualism arises from creation, no creation is possible without it. Creating means making new, which will require moving away from one by adding something to one or splitting one into two.
With dualism also comes chaos.
When you have one, there is only one. Oneness has a quality of completeness. There is clarity and calmness in oneness. When there isn’t one but two, it opens a road to possibilities, presenting options, and the inevitability of having to succumb to a choice. And with choice come questions. It’s like splitting an atom, a fission reaction that gives rise to wonder, doubt, fear, hope, desire, and more. When this happens, the mind loses its centre and begins to waver.
Creation begets dualism which causes chaos.
Guided by, and relying completely on the senses, our approach to tackle duality inevitably starts with a seemingly worthy but ultimately futile effort to keep only one side of the equation - the part that keeps us safe, brings pleasure and avoids discomfort at all costs - while completely letting go of the other.
Rooted in ancient Eastern wisdom, spiritual traditions address this struggle in great depth by espousing the philosophy and practice of non-dualism.
They are not concerned with removing either part of the duality or demonise it, because there is an innate understanding that this is not possible, you cannot do away with one without eliminating the other.
Non-dualism is the ability to internalise this fundamental equation and thus be able to extinguish the difference between the two seemingly separate parts and see them as whole.
No one aspect of duality can be perceived without the other; essentially, they are the same. Their distinction comes from them being together, and even though they appear split, they are not. Shadow is a direct consequence of light, tall has no meaning in the absence of short, one cannot appreciate goodness without having the awareness of bad, you cannot say yes to one thing without saying no to another and life cannot exist without the inevitability of death. One part loses its meaning without the other.
They are joined together in essence.
The key to experiencing their beauty is found in balancing the two forces with diligence and sophistication, by not leaning too much towards either side and going beyond the boundaries of separation.
Such a state, where you embrace duality by rising above it, is considered a highly coveted state to aspire to, in these traditions. Accessing a space that is unbounded, where duality fades away by clearly recognising the two parts as one, because ultimately, it is that.
3 / Abstraction
4 / Gravity
What is ‘Churning of the Ocean’?
Churning of the Ocean, or Churning of the Milk Ocean (Samudra Manthan in Sanskrit), is a significant episode depicted in Hindu mythological texts.
In this episode, the manual practice of centrifugation or churning milk to extract butter is used metaphorically, to illustrate the mind’s enormous effort to centre itself amidst dual forces and transcend to its state of oneness.
The process involves two people on opposite sides of a bucket filled with milk, each pulling on ropes coiled loosely around a churning pole stationed at the centre. As the pole twists clockwise and anti-clockwise continuously over a certain period of time, the milk begins to separate, and the butter element emerges. This task cannot be completed successfully without the cooperation of both sides; as together they need to balance the pole while maintaining a steady rhythm throughout the movement and be in complete synchronisation.
The mythological version of this process unfolds as a grand-scale operation, where the supreme godhead, Lord Vishnu, suggests to the demigod Indra - who has lost his kingdom in a spat with a sage - that the only way to regain his kingdom is to procure the nectar of immortality by churning the Ocean of Milk, and to accomplish this task, he will need the strength of both demons on one end and divine beings on the other for the act of churning.
So, an army of gods and demons is assembled, all working towards the common goal of attaining the nectar. Lord Vishnu also becomes involved, lending his thousand-hooded pet cobra as the churning rope, and he himself takes the form of a tortoise, positioning himself at the bottom of the holy mountain (used as the churning rod) to keep it steady and prevent it from sinking into the bottomless ocean.
The event, steeped in symbolism, represents the mind’s undertaking (the act of churning) of utilizing duality constructively (the strength of gods and demons), to attain a state of oneness, where doubts and chaos have disappeared and clarity has emerged (nectar of immortality), ultimately leading to the goal of liberation (regaining the lost kingdom).
Background References
The four sets of images aim to highlight the dual aspect of existence as well as its state of transcendence. To communicate this, I weaved together various contrasting visual elements which are highlighted by integrating abstract art components of Neoplasticism.
I was drawn to this form of artistic expression by Mondrian, in which art is simplified to a pure level by using only elementary geometric shapes and primary colors. The geometric shapes also hold deep significance in spiritual philosophies where they are used to observe and understand various forms of energy and universal phenomena.
Inspired by mythological symbolism, the images underpin spiritual themes.
I conceived of this project after visiting the temples of Angkor Wat in Cambodia. Rooted in ancient history, there is an intertwining of different religions. The beautiful engravings of the episode of Churning Of The Ocean had caught my eye along with the depictions of Buddha in his various states of meditation.
Preparation sketches
The demons(left) and demigods(right) churn the Ocean of Milk in this stone carving at the temples of Angkor Wat, Cambodia
Stone carving of Buddha at Angkor Wat, Cambodia, in a blissful state of oneness
Page from a children's book depicting a scene from the Samudra Manthan (Churning Of The Milk Ocean) episode
