Metaphysics in Art
In a traditional society art, is an expression of a superior reality. The artist is a “tool” translating this reality into an object which will vehicle spiritual energies. This does
not apply only to art since “At the origin of times, everything was sacred” and therefore, every human activity was an application of a higher principle. “Sacred” means of divine origin. Sciences were sacred, transmitted to men by the divinity. All branches of knowledge derived from the Principle, thus forming a “whole”, coherent and consistent
in every possible application. What must be understood is that the keyword in
any traditional society is “harmony” which can only be achieved through conformity to “Dharma”, the Divine Order.
Various forms of art
We are not going to describe any “technique” regarding the various forms of art; we will only outline their metaphysical meaning.
Architecture
The sacred art “par excellence” is the construction of the Temple where the Divine Spirit will reside permanently. The Temple is the synthesis of the world: what, in the universe is constantly moving, the sacred architecture will transpose in a permenent form. In the cosmos, time dominates space; in the construction of the temple, time is somehow transformed into space. The Temple is, symbolically, the center of the world and it is generally built in the center of the city.
In the same way, any housing is considered as an image of the cosmos and built accordingly, because it contains and envelopes man like the cosmos does.
Painting and sculpture
These were part of the ornaments of the temples destined to serve as “supports” for meditation and for prayer. They were to conform, in every detail, to their symbolic meaning, without any addition on the part of the artist.
Poetry and music
The rythmic character of poetry made it the iritual expression of the “language of the Gods”, or “sacred language” and it was meant to vehicle traditional teachings.
The same goes for music whose rythms were closely linked to social and human order and to cosmic order.
Traditional sciences
As memtioned above, sciences were not, as they are now, based on experimentation.
They were “qualitative” knowledge of the mysteries of the universe. Due to the deterioration of the cosmic cycle, the “quality” has been lost and what is left is the residues which can only deal with “quantity”, or purely material aspects of science.
Astrology is a good example of this deterioration, as in traditional societies this science covered both the qualitative and quantitative aspects. Nowdays, the only aspect which is “recognized” is “astronomy” which deals only with the physical nature of the planets,
and what is still called “astrology:” is considered a superstition not recognized by official science.
The same can be said of all branches of science and knowledge in general, because
at the end of the Kali Yuga there are no more traditional societies and the link to a higher knowledge has been lost for most of our humanity.
However, nothing dies, but everything is transformed. During this end of cycle in which
we live, some human beings are preparing the new Golden Age which will be the start of a new humanity.