Imagination is key for living in the 21st century

The Magazine of Yoga editor, Susan Maier-Moul interviews Hari Kirin Kaur Khalsa and Thomas Moore in "Conversation: Hari Kirin and Thomas Moore": "Chakras and Soul — The authors of Art & Yoga and Care of the Soul talk about imagination, making spiritual art in the 21st century and translating the original Christian gospels."

Husband and wife talk about imagination, humanity, reality, art, and the Gospel message. Hari Kirin answers a question about sentimentalism and fundamentalism in art.

"Hari Kirin: Any kind of duality – you’ll notice it lacks humor or has a fundamental “I’m right” point of view. It’s sentimental because it only acknowledges part of reality. In yoga and art, always try to include the opposite. Make something, and un-make it. Doing and not doing. Knowing and not knowing. Wisdom and foolishness. effort and effortlessness. Perfect and imperfect. Both sentimentality and fundamentalism are defenses against being ourselves."

Moore responds to a question about the meaning of the Gospel texts without an overlay of earlier translations.

"Thomas: I see a challenging spirituality and a radical suggestion of how humanity could thrive and prosper mainly by dealing with greed and self-interest. The Gospels say that everyone should be a healer and operate from a therapeutic frame of mind. The Greek word therapeia (therapy, of course) comes up again and again. I’ve thought a lot about this notion of sentimentality. I see it as a defense against the challenge of life. If you make something unnaturally sweet, you don’t have to change your life. You can remain numb. Yet we don’t have to be cold and only realistic either. The Gospels inspire and waken the imagination to possibilities. Yes, I’d like to move from sentimentality to inspiration."

This conversation continues in the magazine tomorrow. Part Two, about religion and science is available.