The Apsara below had a profound effect on me that remains today. An Apsara in Hinduism and Hindu mythology is a celestial nymph who is the consort of a gandharva, a heavenly musician. Apsaras are dancers who dance to the sitar and tabla music played by the gandharva. They dance for change.
When I saw this particular Apsara—and there are many millions dancing in nirvana—I simply felt she was cracking up, or splitting in two; not cracking up in the sense of breaking out into a laughing fit, but cracking apart, broken apart by something in life that reminded me of the shattering—why true Christians believe Jesus came to earth to break apart the dysfunctional status quo.
Since I took this photo in August 2001—a month to the day from the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center in New York City—I have been influenced by my thoughts that 911 broke apart the world. We continue to think about how our world has changed since the arrival of the new millennium. Even back in 2001 when I was in Cambodia—the home of Ankor Wat—change was all around me. From changes of locations that took me to many places throughout Cambodia to Thailand, Laos, Malaysia, India, and Nepal, everything changed. What I experienced in those countries still changes me now.
So the Apsara is a symbol of change, just like the Hindu belief that every step of the dance of an Apsara breaks apart the world, ushering in a new one. Like the Dancing Shiva of Hindu belief, all dancers dance for change.
What needs to change in our world? Many things. But the idea of the dance as being the act that brings change is, to me, beautiful.
What makes you dance? If not physically, then philosophically. What makes the ideas in your mind become a metaphorical dance that ushers forth new inspirations that change you and changes your mind?
I would love to hear your thoughts. Comment below and motivate the ongoing conversation on change.
Share this post
Cracking Up: How an Apsara Made Made Me Think Differently
Share this post
The Apsara below had a profound effect on me that remains today. An Apsara in Hinduism and Hindu mythology is a celestial nymph who is the consort of a gandharva, a heavenly musician. Apsaras are dancers who dance to the sitar and tabla music played by the gandharva. They dance for change.
When I saw this particular Apsara—and there are many millions dancing in nirvana—I simply felt she was cracking up, or splitting in two; not cracking up in the sense of breaking out into a laughing fit, but cracking apart, broken apart by something in life that reminded me of the shattering—why true Christians believe Jesus came to earth to break apart the dysfunctional status quo.
Since I took this photo in August 2001—a month to the day from the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center in New York City—I have been influenced by my thoughts that 911 broke apart the world. We continue to think about how our world has changed since the arrival of the new millennium. Even back in 2001 when I was in Cambodia—the home of Ankor Wat—change was all around me. From changes of locations that took me to many places throughout Cambodia to Thailand, Laos, Malaysia, India, and Nepal, everything changed. What I experienced in those countries still changes me now.
So the Apsara is a symbol of change, just like the Hindu belief that every step of the dance of an Apsara breaks apart the world, ushering in a new one. Like the Dancing Shiva of Hindu belief, all dancers dance for change.
What needs to change in our world? Many things. But the idea of the dance as being the act that brings change is, to me, beautiful.
What makes you dance? If not physically, then philosophically. What makes the ideas in your mind become a metaphorical dance that ushers forth new inspirations that change you and changes your mind?
I would love to hear your thoughts. Comment below and motivate the ongoing conversation on change.