A Sai Art Symposium took place at Sai Prema in Greece, from 15th to 23rd October 2016. During these nine days, Austrian, Finnish, Dutch, French, Greek, and German artists deliberated on how to create artwork based on the feelings of their heart. The introductory session, titled “What is HeArt?” led participants on a journey through famous fine-arts paintings, which had been linked with quotations by Sathya Sai Baba, thereby using visual arts to express profound spiritual truths. A significant contribution in this connection was the presentation, “Eightfold Path to Supreme Peace,” based on the final portion of Sathya Sai Baba’s writings on attaining supreme peace, Prashanti Vahini. In the workshop following this presentation, the participants were challenged to find their own “eightfold path” in art. During the symposium, one day was spent in silence, to find a deeper way to express oneself and to concentrate on a topic without interruption. Another day was spent visiting Athens, where the participants joined local Sathya Sai followers to celebrate Avatar Declaration Day. Together with their Greek brethren, participants shared views on animals in contemporary society, consistent with the 2016 Serve the Planet theme, “Love for Animals.” At a cultural event, afterwards, the artists presented their works of visual art created to illuminate the quotes of Sathya Sai, as well as music and original compositions. The symposium concluded with study circles, helping participants to integrate at a deeper level the lessons imbibed.
