Last year I stumbled upon an online course teaching the basics of Islamic Geometry as an art form. With joy I dug into the box that held my old drafting tools from college. I found my compass, triangles, and even some old architectural drawings from my classes.
I’ve been fascinated with the Sri Yantra for years. During some of our yoga workshops we spent some time coloring it in, being mindful and present and watching our thoughts/feelings/sensations during the practice. Everyone enjoyed it. It is a good way to practice dharana and dhyana, concentration and absorption.
The Sri Yantra, is considered the Mother of all Yantras, and there are many of them. Together they, and many other geometric forms and patterns make up the library of sacred geometry, a science that has fascinated me since my teens. As I attempted to recreate this ancient pattern I was reminded of the rich symbolism that permeates all the Vedic sciences, including geometry & mathematics. As I painted it. layer by layer, I once again recognized impatience., my yearning for perfection, and my struggle with ‘is it enough?’.
Sri Yantra is composed of 9 interlocking triangles, four point up representing the masculine principle and 5 point down representing the feminine. Everything begins at the Bindu point The circle represents cosmic rhythms. The 8 and 16 lotus petals represent on-going creation and expansion. The four gates representing the directions within a square representing earth, manifestation, and stability.
The Sri Yantra is sacred geometry, meaning that meditation upon it leads to expanded consciousness, enlightenment, or, as some report, extremely good fortune.
All that said, it has been amazingly pleasant to paint the Sri Yantra and I’m on my 4th one. My patience is growing and I feel serene at completion. Spiritual practice and meditation can come in many forms.