The challenge of this assignment “Art in the Making: Entering the Void with the Eyes Open,” has been to progress along the path toward awakening by engaging in open-eyed meditation. The ultimate goal is to attain Shiva Dristi, the eyes of Shiva, to become Shiva, to realize Unity awareness where subject and object are not separate, but One. The teachings of Kashmir Shaivism address various means of attaining this state.

Unity awareness happens with efforts made after one has received spiritual initiation from a realized Master. Through this initiation the Kundalini energy is awakened, and under the tutelage of the Master, the student makes efforts under his own inner guidance (from the awakened Kundalini) which meet the grace that is being showered upon him/her.

Previous to this assignment, I spent perhaps three years practicing meditation on nature. This involved short segments of time (sometimes longer) of being attentive to nature in the morning, with awareness of the breath. (This practice was in addition to a longer morning meditation practice as well as other spiritual practices such as chanting and selfless service to my path.)

It was from all of this, but specifically from the nature meditations, that the assignment was born. Drawing was to be employed as a means to this end of becoming one with the object of observation. What came up in the gap between subject and object were: fear of the unknown, a sense of personal inadequacy, and a resistance to surrendering fully to the process.

I cannot say at this point that I have achieved the goal. Often my experiences of unity still come during meditation with the eyes closed and meditation on the form of the Master– and in pure meditation on nature. When the pen is in hand, it is harder because the aforementioned “obstacles” appear.

Nevertheless, I have faith in the assignment. I know it was right for me. And I will continue to take my inner guidance regarding what assignment comes next. I am certain that these assignments are stepping stones along the path to the goal of unbroken unity awareness.