1 NID-NIMHANS [International Conference on ...

1 NID-NIMHANS [International Conference on Creativity and Cognition in Art and Design (ICCCAD)]

CRAFTING AUTHENTIC CREATIVITY Dipnkar Khanna

ABSTRACT The premise of creativity and cognition is a paradox in itself. This is because, cognition being an aspect of our consciousness is inherently in a state of flux - moving with different rhythms, decibels, frequencies - constantly changing, merging, co-merging, recreating itself – expressing varied qualities, states; and expressing varied manifestations and innumerable avataras. However creativity of things of beauty alone is a restrictive (reductionist) and a misnomer. Consequently it can be debilitating, and not necessarily holistic, sustainable nor ecological. We need to align with a primary understanding that beauty is a subjective reality as per the thinking feeling, beliefs, values and other programs inherent in the beholder; but what is sustainable is both scientific, moral. The two opposites that need exploration from my point of view vis-à-vis creativity and cognition are in paradigms of practical day to day life and living and where these paradigms are coming from – 1. Are they coming from elegance associated with awareness of one’s natural dharma with, compassion, kindness, empathetic joy, equanimity; 2. Or from aggression manifesting from crude unbridled sense of the I. Tags: “Inauthentic”: [def., ,] - #imprisonment, #addiction, #ignorance, #attachment, #aversion, #cupidity, #suffering, #unwholesome, #toxic, #depletion, #loneliness, #remorse, #greed, #anger, #aggression, #agitation, #belittle,#grasping, #self-cherishing, # bogus, # fake, # false Tags: “Authentic”: [def.] - #freedom, #happiness, #highest-potential, #wholesomeness, #unlimited-potential, #contentment, #joy, #compassion, #amity, #elegance, #equanimity, #empathy, #holistic, #bonafide, #genuine, #lasting. INTRODUCTION Creativity is of the highest order when it „transforms‟. It transmutes day-to-day attitudes into special acts of wisdom. Then stubbornness transforms into doggedness and fortitude, miserliness into thrift, attachment and clinging into love and affection, selfishness into care, concern and universal responsibility for and towards others.

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So, in a special way, creativity engages us in serious acts through which we reinvent and reincarnate our thoughts, feelings, beliefs, and create more potent avatars of ourselves. Therefore, in order to become meaningful, the actions that we undertake should also transform. The lead within us needs to transform into gold through a unique alchemical process. When we look at life and when we look at nature there is a spontaneous organic creative activity that is constantly taking place – manifesting as a becoming, maturing and rejuvenating through decay, recreation and arising again as new beginnings. The tandava-nritya or cosmic dance of Shiva1 – the cosmic dance – encompasses this spontaneous creative activity and is the existential dilemma arising from the union of chaos and coherence moving in and out of each other. It is also orgasmic in nature expressing pleasure and pain, attachment and aversion, desire and distaste – representing the union of wisdom and bliss. To most of us the chaos of change and creativity is in nature unfathomable that we attribute to luck, or blessings of gods, goddesses, personal gurus on the one hand or arrogance, prejudice, pride and personal power on the other. Therefore we live our lives in the abyss of the two extremes of „like‟ and „don‟t like‟, „attachments‟ and „aversions‟. Jetsun Gampopa‟s Jewel Ornament of Liberation2 lists these as the four pairs of opposites – 1) pleasure and pain; 2) loss and gain; 3) praise and blame; and 4) ill-repute and fame. In the normal world we equate creativity aligned with our attachments to these paired opposites. Understandably therefore pain, loss, blame and ill-repute are the dualistic-negative facet to the creative endeavour. It is not that we do not understand other aspects to creativity at an intellectual level when we use metaphors of jagged rocks being smoothed by the grains of sand, besides tragedy and compelling circumstances over a long period of time fuelling creative genius; yet at the immediate, sensate level, we usually opt for the easy pleasurable-immediacy. We are averse to delaying gratification and therefore settle for unsustainable and incomplete forms, versions and models for creativity in place of sustainable, holistic and enduring expressions of it. This brings me to the core position that I want to posit in this paper which is germane to the process of creativity – i.e. how, where, when and why we involve, participate, and engage in the creativity process. It is also a matter of absorption, immersion and ensuing transformation of our own mind-body entity and the makeover of the citta-mind stuff-consciousness complex. Creativity therefore is not about aesthetic beauty alone since this can be restrictive and reductionist. Consequently it can be debilitating, and not necessarily holistic, sustainable nor ecological.

1

Actually this form of Shiva is depicted as Nataraja and form depicts both genesis and revelation in the Christian sense. 2 Also known as Dakpo Gampopa or the doctor from Dakpo. He is the founder of the Kagyu lineage of Tibetan Buddhism and the disciple of Tibet’s Great Yogi Milarepa.

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Having said this it is important to realize that we are all bound by the motivation of the highest shared and collective desire, which is, that we all want to be happy and no one wants to suffer. Despite such an authentic goal as an outcome we are not able to maintain authentic happiness. This is also the fundamental realization on which rests the first noble truth which is The Truth of Suffering expounded by Siddhartha Gautam our historical Buddha. Several centuries later Shantideva in his classical text Bodhisattvaacharyaavatara3 laments that although we all wish to be happy and we do not wish to suffer yet we runs into the arms for misery in the pursuit of happiness, embracing it as we would a long-time friend4. Paradoxically this desire to want to be happy and not to want to suffer becomes the most authentic creative justification that crafts our shared, universal outcome-frame; and our whole life‟s enterprise is a testimony of crafting this authentic state of happiness. Not only do we wish to be happy in the here and now but we also wish to garner the causes and conditions of happiness in the short, medium and long term and for all time to come for ourselves and significant others in our lives. We also do not wish to suffer or be exposed to causes of suffering. LITERATURE REVIEW HOW DOES SELF-CHERISHING, EGO SENSE AND „I-NESS‟ MANIFEST: Self-cherishing and strong self of asmita or ego and „I‟-ness gives rise to a quality of consciousness arising from avidya or ignorance, based on this we think create karma which is fuelled and driven by our raag (attachments, desires) and dvesha (aversion, anger). These principle or primary kleshas (afflictions) are also called the three root poisons leading to a multitude of kleshavaranas (afflictive tendencies) like jealousy, greed, craving, fear and myriad others. According to the Yoga-Samkhya philosophy they consolidate to manifest from different fragments of our being and begin their organic manifestations in the form of: 1. panch bhutas – (five elements) 2. indriyas – (sense-organs) 3 .tanmatras – (rudimentary, subtle elements corresponding to the five sense perceptions and five sense-organs. They combine and in different ways to produce earth, water, fire, air and ether, which make up the gross universe perceived by the senses. The senses in turn manifest of: 1. citta – (volition- cognition-consciousness) 2. buddhi – (perception-cognition-consciousness) 1.atma – (subtle consciousness-spirit) 2.gunas – (interconnected qualities that bind the universe associated with wholesome and unwholesome pervasive energy) 3. prakriti – (changing quality of the universe – subject to time space and causality) 4. purusa –

3 Bodhisattvaacharyaavatara – Santideva; Batchelor, Stephen 4 Bodhisattvaacharyaavatara Chapter I, stanza 28

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(unchanging quality of the universe, connects everything to everything as a conduit, all pervasive yet aloof)5 The Kusalas from the Buddhadharma and the Yamas & Niyamas both teach us similar do‟s and don‟ts that should form the basis for a wholesome, meaningfully creative life. These are: 1. Ahimsa (Non-violence) 2. Satya (Truthfulness) 3. Asteya (Non Stealing) 4. Bramhacharya (Continence and not being overwhelmed by sense object) 5. Aprigraha (Non-greed) 6. Saucha (Cleanliness of Body Speech and Mind) 7. Santosha (Contentment) 8. Tapa (Fortitude) 9. Svadhyaya (Self Study and Reflection) 10.Ishwarapranidhana (Aligned to belief that there is a reality other than the “I”6 The aprama7 or four immeasurables are the empathetic self-regulating attitudes and values that our mind can manifest towards ourselves and others . The benefit we craft for others and the merit we generate for ourselves is immeasurable. Hence these are called the four immeasurables. Both Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras and texts of the Vinaya, Mahayana and Vajrayana elaborate on the benefits of practicing them at length. In Buddhism subscribing to them equates to having received the Bodhisattvas vows and are form the essence of bodhicitta8. Ther are: 1. Maitri (Loving Kindness or Friendliness) 2. Mudita (Empathetic Joy) 3.Karuna (Compassion) 4.Upeksha (Equanimity) The paramitayana9 comprises of the Bodhisattva also comprises the practice of the six perfections which are : 1. Dana Paramita (Perfection of Charity and Generosity) 2. Shila Paramita (Perfection of Morality and Ethics) 3. Virya Paramita (Perfection of Diligence and Effort) 4. Ksanthiparamita (Perfection of Patience) 5. Jnanaparamita (Perfection of Knowledge) 6. Prajnaparamita (Perfection of Wisdom)

OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY The basic premise of my paper is to looking into the factors that are conducive to encourage us to look at frameworks to pursue the highest common platform for a creative endeavour, to reach our highest creative potential. I intend to present my paper from an eastern philosophical point of view on the basis from Yoga-Samkhya and Buddhist philosophical systems.

5 Listed from the Index of Definitions, Yoga Philosophy of Patanjali, Aranya, Hariharananda 6 II.30,II.33,II.35,II.32,II.33(1),II.35(1) Yoga Philosophy of Patanjali, Aranya, Hariharananda 7 The aprama or four immeasurables are also know as the bramha-viharas 8 “One who has confidence in the bodhisattva’s way of life will cultivate the excellent beings’ mind” – Gampopa quotes the Triple Jewel Dharani in The Jewel Ornament 9 Pramitayana is also a synonym for the Universal Vehicle or Mahayana for Buddhists

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We need to align with a primary understanding that merely aesthetics, beauty and net profit are inadequate platforms to build authenticity. They are also a subjective reality as per the thinking feeling, beliefs, values and other programs inherent in the creative processes. 

Is it therefore, that there are inadequate constructs to the associations or relationship between creativity and cognition in our lives today?



Is there a way to see a robust, wholesome and authentic expression which can be brought about between the chaos and randomness of this relationship which can make life more meaningful for us?

In the Mahabharata10 essentially a text from the Yoga- Samhkya philosophical genre in India we can hear the sage Vyasa say “With both arms raised, I am shouting at the top of my voice to all, to just do their natural dharma (duties) and it will give them wealth, fame and all objects of desire; but alas, no one is listening to me”.11 This natural dharma is the nourishing quality of the universe. For all our collective well-being, we are supposed to exist in harmony with each other and in tandem with the environment that we cohabit with all other sentient beings. This natural rhythm is also reflected in the oscillations of the planets in our solar system and the constellation of the stars far away from us. According to the Yoga-Samkhya philosophy bhutas (elements), indriyas (sense-organs), tanmatras (rudimentary, subtle elements), citta (volition- cognition-consciousness), buddhi (perception-cognition-consciousness), atma (subtle consciousness-spirit), gunas (interconnected qualities that bind the universe associated with wholesome and unwholesome pervasive energy), prakriti (changing quality of the universe – subject to time space and causality) purusa (unchanging quality of the universe, connects everything to everything as a conduit, all pervasive yet aloof) are the constituents that make up our experiences and therefore our mundane existence. The interplay of these gross and subtle elements establish into our circling in the the six realms of existence from the arousal of ego states such as pride, jealously, desire, cupidity, greed and anger. These mental afflictions are represented in the Buddhist doctrine of Pratityasutpada12 or Dependent Arising. As per this doctrine inauthentic and unwholesome acts that lead us away from reaching our highest potential; instead trap us in the enmeshments of the samsaric wheel clutched between the gaping fangs of and the sharp talons of Mahakala or the Lord of Death. 13

10 11

Guide to a Fuller Life, Yoga Institute Publication This quote from the Mahabharata exemplifies the essence of karmayoga.

12

Emptiness Yoga, p.147,Hopkins,Jeffrey, Pratitsamutpad, Joshi, L.M.

13

As depicted in the Tibetan The Wheel of Life or Sid-pai Kor-lo

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This naturally manifesting cadence suggests that the premise of creativity and cognition is a paradox in itself. This is because, cognition being an aspect of our consciousness is inherently creating and constantly crafting phenomenon and experiences - moving in different rhythms, decibels, frequencies - constantly changing, merging, co-merging, recreating itself – expressing varied qualities, states; and articulating varied manifestations and innumerable avataras. This is via the process of objects of senses impinging on our senses both overtly and covertly. METHODOLOGY To look at these causes and conditions we must first look at our self. We need to look within our own psyche our own minds to ascertain, determine our beliefs and motivations and the quality of the energy which is behind our creative thinking, feeling and doing process. and Are they coming from elegance associated with awareness of one‟s natural dharma with, compassion, kindness, empathetic joy, equanimity; or from aggression manifesting from a crude unbridled sense of the „I‟, „I-ness‟ or the Ego? I believe that the essential focus and resolve in our education system today obligates us to employ pedagogies, syllabus‟, curriculums, and instructional design that teaches both the teacher and the pupil how to craft genuine happiness. It is via a four-fold process of: 1) Reflection 2) Generation of positives states 3) Recognition of these positive states and 4) Replication of these positive states. We should be able to recognize and assimilate states of creativity generating genuine happiness and causes of happiness. Our education should also teach us to become good at managing the risk sadness and suffering for our self and our near and dear ones. Therefore, the perceptive landscape, that is the subject of exploration from my point of view vis-à-vis creativity and cognition are the practical paradigms that emerge for us in day to day life and living - and also where these paradigms arise from. Having said this, if we look at the process of crafting creativity we can observe three distinct interdependent facets or parts and characteristics that need to align to bring something that is authentically special to fruition: 1. Set of Skills, Techniques – artisanship, workmanship, talent and craftsmanship. 2. Approach, Perspective – mental models, meta programs, beliefs, habits, discipline, motivations. 3. Vision, Integrity & Honesty – values, principles, morals, ethics. Skill sets and technique are intrinsic to designing, crafting and producing products, services and even relationships, and how we interact with people places and things. Skills align themselves with the jala-bhuta or water element as it intrinsically involves effort, movement, flow. For skills to manifest energy is required which is then aligned, arranged and presented in distinct patterns. Our skill-sets nevertheless require that they are impermanent and unchanging.

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As professionals and social animals we need to constantly keep building on our existing skills, re-tool ourselves, innovating and building capacities based on changes in our environments, consumer needs and to catch up with the advents in technology. This is primarily based on the needs of individuals and society at large. See Appendix I. The energy that drives our skills is driven by the agni bhut or fire element. They noticeably materialize and manifest as our motivations arising from our mental models, meta programs, beliefs, habits, discipline, motivations and our perspectives. These vital mental attributes fuel our prana or life force that facilitate both our innate and acquired skills to produce. Though we may neuro-physiologically possess the highest skill sets yet without adequate perspective or motivations; or with impoverished attitudes and beliefs; or a scant moral ethical make-up, our skills and techniques are belittled. Values and principles should ideally form basis of all our activities. This has both exhaustively elaborated in Yoga-Samkhya and all the yanas of Buddhadharma14. By ignoring them we generate negative karma which will hurt us and harm others. The demons of alkisthavrittis or unresourceful, defiled states reside within our mental continuum form our samskaras (proclivities) and vasanas (cognition tendencies). These contribute to the state of the citta and buddhi.15 It is pertinent to understand that crafting inauthentic creativity is both philosophically a mental affliction and psychologically a mental illness since the negative states tagged in the extract above arise from it. Mostly these malicious tendencies manifest further as jealous, selfishness, greed, discontentment, aggression, anger and fear among others. Consequently in such context it becomes important to understand that the authentically creative overcoming of these klisthavrittis or defilement obscurations itself becomes the most authentic undertaking on the quest that one takes on the Hero‟s Journey16. The methodology under research is the practice that integrating the three aspects of human endeavour with special dharana and dhayana17 or reflection and mindfulness to ethical and moral norms. ANALYSIS / FINDINGS 

What are the causes and conditions for inauthentic and authentic creativity?

All the systems of Indian philosophy posit that it is from our misapprehension of how we exist that we depreciate our self. We impute nominality to our existence as if we independently exist from our own side whereas we exist only based due causes and conditions and circumstances arising from our karmic propensities. This gives rise to false sense of knower and known causing a subject-object duality.

14

Hinayana, Mahayana and Vajrayana (also known as Mantrayana) Citta is also interpreted as mind-stuff and feelings, cognition and volition. 16 Hero With A Thousand Faces, Campbell, Joseph 17 dharana III.I(I), III.I(I), dhyana III.2(I), Yoga Philosophy of Patanjali, Aranya, Hariharananda 15

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The journey towards authenticity begins with the process of beginning to explore how we really exist and also how we do not exist. Not knowing how we really exist is avidya or ignorance. Knowing how we exist and how we don‟t exist is jnana and prajna or knowledge and wisdom of how we exist. The understanding that self and phenomenon associated with the self does not inherently exist must lead one to the question „then how does self and phenomenon exist!‟ For it is in this understanding of the two truths – the ultimate truth and the relative truth – lies the realisation of the duality between knower and known and our contrived subject-object segregations. For it is in the resolution of this duality of the two truths that we can appreciate and sieve between the natural authentic and contrived inauthentic. Hence all creativity that we craft on the principles and practices that leads to the path of realizations of non-duality are authentic. And all creativity that we craft on the principles and practices that leads away from path of realizations of non-duality that are immersed in selfcherishing and strong self of the „I‟ are inauthentic. 18 

What does the Hero‟s journey entail?

UPAAYA or SKILLFUL MEANS Ethical and Morality  Principles Values  Meta Programs  Perspective  Mental Model  Beliefs  Motivation  Skill & Techniques – [and not the other way beginning with Skills and being deficient in Ethics and Morality]. Unlike the crafty, contrived and cunning Machiavellian upgrades of products, services and results, authentic spontaneous rhythm of nature to produces water, trees, flora, fauna, species, breath-taking vistas, bounties of flowers fruits, grains, rain, sunshine, the orchestra of natural selection of species, of birth, life and death doesn‟t need contrived, crafty and cunning upgrades. There are no upgrades or downgrades in nature to water we drink, earth we stride on or the air we break. However we can clearly experience that steady deterioration of a multitude of cruel, un-tempered and unwholesome and acts of our inauthentic cruelty that greed and selfishness of individuals have wrought on all sentient being. It is both sadly ironic and that we unwisely, mislead, modern psyche believes that, and hails, some of are these as harbingers of progress and peace. When we look deeply into these accolades we usually never fail to spot vested interests engaged in wealth and power for personal gain.

18

“there is no I which does not depend on the aggregates”. Chandrakirti’s’ sevenfold

reasoning on Meditation on the Selflessness of persons LTWA- Wilson, Joe, trans.)

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The sadhana19 or practice of crafting authentic creativity mandates that we realign the pyramid upside down. Values and principles espousing ethics, morality, integrity and honesty drive creativity. Hence it is authentic. Our meta programs, habits, mental models and attitudes align and piggyback our authentic values. Skills, artisanship, craftsmanship and talent, becomes a means of aesthetic expression of our spiritual values that drive authentic creativity. We then perform our natural duties authentically as dharma art. See Appendix II.

CONCLUSION How we aligned map the triumvirate of Integrity & Honesty, Attitudes and Skills to the Yama and Niyama, the four immeasurables and the practice of the paramitas determines the quality of karma that we generate for ourselves. It is an extremely important to recognize that karma manifests in the manner this alignment takes place in the creative process. Creatively crafting from elegance (as against aggression, contentment and benevolence (as against greed) What we are today is determined by how we have crafted it in our past. The encouraging thing for us to appreciate is that in our present we can determine to craft authentic creativity. The wisdom-understanding for us here is that in the creative process of crafting goods, services and relationships, we have a opportunity to craft an intrinsically authentic self is based on honest ethical values and moral principles. We can ensure the goods, services and relationships we craft and our interactions with our beings, our environment and our belongings is respectful and elegant. We can eschew aggression and violence and look at sustainable, ecological, holistic and artistic expression in all that we do. We then perform our natural duties authentically as dharma art. Authentic Creativity – Spontaneous in Nature – Special awareness attached associated to it – union of bliss and emptiness – There is SELF – OTHERS – and THE NOUMENA Inauthentic Creativity – contrived and not in consonance with our true Nature – ordinary awareness – union of suffering and gross experiencing – There is SELF – OTHERS – and THE PLAY OF PHENOMENA. “Genuine art has the power to awaken and unfetter our being”. The renowned mediation master and artist Chogyam Trungpa called this type of art “dharma art”. According to him dharma art is “any creative work that springs from an awakened state of mind characterized by directness, unselfconsciousness, and nonaggression. It is being engaged in craft that provides a vehicle to appreciate the nature of things as they are and express it 19

To make happen with dedication. The practitioners are called a sadhakas

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without any struggle or desire to achieve”. Trungpa believed that “a work of dharma art brought out the wholesomeness and self-worth of the situation that it represented – a dignity that came from the artist‟s interest in the details of life and sense of appreciation of our experiences”. 20

REFERENCES:                       

The Hero with a Thousand Faces: Campbell, Joseph Bridging the Sutras and Tantras, Works of the First Dalai Lama: Trans. Glenn H Mullin Death and Dying: The Tibetan Tradition: Mullin, Glenn H Tibet's Great Yogi Milarepa: Evans-Wentz, W. Y. Relative World, Ultimate Mind: Rinpoche Tai Situ Awakening the Sleeping Buddha: Rinpoche Tai Situ Practice and Theory of Tibetan Buddhism: Sopa Geshe Lhundup & Hopkins, Jeffrey Death, Intermediate State & Rebirth in Tibetan Buddhism: Rinbochay Lati; Hopkins, Jeffrey Kindness, Clarity, & Insight,14th Dalai Lama His Holiness Tenzin Gyatso: Hopkins. Jeffrey Beyond Religion: Ethics for a Whole World, His Holiness The Dalai Lama Ethics for the New Millennium, His Holiness The Dalai Lama Bodhisattvaacharyaavatara , Shantideva Like a Flash of Lightening in the Dark, His Holiness The Dalai Lama Meditation on Emptiness: Hopkins, Jeffrey Emptiness Yoga, Hopkin, Jeffrey Calming the Mind and Discerning the Real, Wayman, Alex Speech of Gold: Reason and Enlightenment in Tibetan Buddhism, Thurman, Robert Yoga Philosophy of Patanjali, Aranya, Swami Hariharananda The Science of Yoga: Taimini, I.K. Yoga Cyclopaedia Vol. I,II,III, Yoga Institute, Mumbai Guide To A Fuller Life: The Yoga Institute Publication, Paperback Life Problems: Yogendra ji, The Yoga Institute Publication Guide To Yoga Meditation: The Yoga Institute Publication

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True Perception, Trungpa, Chogam,

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APPENDICES Appendix I

Appendix II