ART & DESIRE LECTURE SERIES: Iccha · Jñana · Kriya
Indian Aesthetic Philosophy from Kashmir Shaivism and Beyond
June 17/24 and July 1/8
7-8:30 pm (EEST Athens time)
Iccha. Jñana. Kriya.
Anyone who has encountered Tantra is struck by the power of this simple triadic teaching:
Iccha Shakti · The power to desire — the seed of creativity
Jñana Shakti · The power to know — ideas taking shape through stages of understanding
Kriya Shakti · The power to act — motion, momentum, and embodied habit
How might this conceptual framework enrich our artistic path?
Between the 8th and 12th centuries, Kashmir Shaivism flourished through the writings of extraordinary philosophers, poets, and mystics such as Abhinavagupta, who proposed that the aesthetic state—the experience of profound artistic absorption—is fundamentally akin to the state cultivated in meditation. Through this lens, art become more than self-expression; it becomes a means of revelation, transformation and Self-realization.
In this four-part lecture series, we will explore how Indian aesthetic philosophy understands creativity, beauty, emotion, perception and artistic practice. Beginning with the triad of Iccha, Jñana, and Kriya Shakti, we will trace how desire becomes inspiration, how inspiration becomes form and how artistic action shapes both the work and the artist.
Together we will examine key ideas from Kashmir Shaivism, Tantra, Rasa theory and related streams of Indian thought, asking how these teachings can illuminate the creative process today.
What is the role of longing / desire in art?
How does artistic practice refine perception?
Can beauty become a doorway to expanded awareness?
Designed for artists, performers, writers, yogis and lovers of philosophy, this series offers a rich introduction to one of the most sophisticated contemplative approaches to art and creativity.
ART & DESIRE LECTURE SERIES: Iccha · Jñana · Kriya
Indian Aesthetic Philosophy from Kashmir Shaivism and Beyond
June 17/24 and July 1/8
7-8:30 pm (EEST Athens time)
Iccha. Jñana. Kriya.
Anyone who has encountered Tantra is struck by the power of this simple triadic teaching:
Iccha Shakti · The power to desire — the seed of creativity
Jñana Shakti · The power to know — ideas taking shape through stages of understanding
Kriya Shakti · The power to act — motion, momentum, and embodied habit
How might this conceptual framework enrich our artistic path?
Between the 8th and 12th centuries, Kashmir Shaivism flourished through the writings of extraordinary philosophers, poets, and mystics such as Abhinavagupta, who proposed that the aesthetic state—the experience of profound artistic absorption—is fundamentally akin to the state cultivated in meditation. Through this lens, art become more than self-expression; it becomes a means of revelation, transformation and Self-realization.
In this four-part lecture series, we will explore how Indian aesthetic philosophy understands creativity, beauty, emotion, perception and artistic practice. Beginning with the triad of Iccha, Jñana, and Kriya Shakti, we will trace how desire becomes inspiration, how inspiration becomes form and how artistic action shapes both the work and the artist.
Together we will examine key ideas from Kashmir Shaivism, Tantra, Rasa theory and related streams of Indian thought, asking how these teachings can illuminate the creative process today.
What is the role of longing / desire in art?
How does artistic practice refine perception?
Can beauty become a doorway to expanded awareness?
Designed for artists, performers, writers, yogis and lovers of philosophy, this series offers a rich introduction to one of the most sophisticated contemplative approaches to art and creativity.
