蜜芽传媒

Good morning. Yesterday, Hindus all over the world celebrated Diwali by giving family and friends gifts of sweets, clothes and jewellery. And, this weekend by coincidence, SOAS, the School of African and Oriental Studies, also found itself the beneficiary of a Diwali-time gift鈥�from the Alphawood Foundation based in Chicago 鈥� 20 million pounds - the largest ever donation to a British university.

The bulk of the donation is to be used to further the study and interpretation of South East Asian art and including appointing a professor of Buddhist & Hindu art 鈥� particularly in countries such as Burma, Cambodia, Vietnam and Thailand. Although, Hinduism is most naturally associated with India, its culture, and religious traditions are spread widely in South East Asia - often mingled with those of Buddhism.

For example, the largest religious complex ever built worldwide is Angkor Wat in Cambodia, a fascinating illustration of Hindu architecture outside India. It was originally established as a Vaishnava temple, but since the 13th century, has operated as a Buddhist centre.

One prominent influence on the mixed culture of this region is the epic story, Ramayan 鈥� which is at the heart of the Diwali Festival. There are versions of Ramayan in various Asian languages and adopted for different faiths. Each has its own flavour and emphasis; and each brings out particular moral and religious ideas beautifully expressed in the local forms of painting, sculpture, song and drama.

Within Hinduism, art is intended to capture the imagination and help imbed complex theological ideas into society. More than that, it is said that, in its purest form, the art that depicts the concepts and stories of the Ramayan offers a window into the spiritual world. Now, that may seem an impossible quest. Even assuming the existence of a transcendental realm beyond matter, how could an artist paint what many regard as the 鈥渦nknowable:? How can lines and colours depict that which is described as 鈥減erfect and complete鈥�?

But, the Hindu approach encourages us: Just because our creative efforts cannot match the subject matter as perfect or complete, doesn鈥檛 mean we shouldn鈥檛 try. When it comes to spiritual activity, it鈥檚 said, intention is key. The Bhagavatam suggests, that, even if our efforts to express devotional ideas are simplistic or inept, if they reveal just a miniscule aspect of our relationship with God, they are valuable contributions to society.

I hope SOAS鈥檚 work in interpreting the range of styles and content of such art will help us understand the flow of universal ideas between differing cultures. I think this intention is in keeping with the theme of Diwali 鈥� to bring light into our hearts and invite the spirit of love into our lives. Happy Diwali to everyone.

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