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attitudes elate, emotional states peek and perceptions become as subjective as can be. Channels of art as a manifestation of soulful recognition and expression of inner clarity highlight the journey inward. As such, the balance of the triad derives like the domino effectafter one tranquilizes, the rest follow.

Today's art has a reciprocal relationship with the concept of mind, body and soul balance. Many artists have sought out a deeper understanding of themselves and what harmonization truly means. Ostensibly, many then deem it imperative to share with viewers their paths to inner peace, by means of paintbrush, musical instrument or bodily motion. Most have been quoted with paraphrased versions of a higher power governing their work, or that something beckons them to portray their newfound balance in life in artistic modes. Even the famous Leonardo da Vinci was quoted saying, "Where the spirit does not work with the hand there is no art." Renowned painter Henri Matisse longed for the harmony in art, saying, "What I dream of is an art of balance, of purity and serenity devoid of troubling or depressing subject matter." Clearly, soulful concord is not a new matter in the world of fine arts.

Especially concerned with matters of balance are the cultures of the Far East. India, for instance, is the home of many expressions of spiritual conduits. Mantras are intended to deliver the mind from illusions of material longings using sound vibrations of chanting. Etymologically, the word mantra derives from Sanskrit to literally mean "instrument of thought". A truly Eastern concept, India's Chinese neighbors translate it literally to "true words". The point is to remove self-perception for moments to reveal an epiphany of inner meaning. An artistic interpretation of inner wholeness is the mandala, a Sanskrit word for "completion". Branching from Hindu origins, other Dharmic religions like Buddhism employ the mandala to geometrically represent the unconscious self. Famed psychiatrist Carl Jung perceived that the mandala was the very channel that permitted his laborious effort toward attempting wholeness in his being.

Particular noteworthy to understanding why the quest for mind, body and soul harmony is so prevalent in Eastern art is that religion is the foundation to their societies. From Buddhism to Hinduism to Taoism, artisans who derived balance in life from religious devotion find that expression of these experiences is a golden artistic subject. So compelling are the

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