A Study of the Sacred Arts of Architecture and Poetry in the Yarsan Religion Based on the Ideas of Seyyed Hossein Nasr and Traditionalists

Abstract From the traditionalist perspective, sacred art is manifested in spiritual and intuitive wisdom. Sacred art, in any form, intends to reveal the inherent truth of objects, phenomena, and events. The Yarsan religion also believes that the manifestation of God's essence in humankind is like an open window to God or a mirror that does not reflect anything but him. The present study seeks to analyze the sacred arts of architecture and poetry in the Yarsan religion regarding Prof. Seyed Hossein Nasr and Traditionalists' ideas adopting a descriptive-analytical method. Study results indicated that although Prof. Nasr has not directly addressed the sacred arts of Yarsan religion in his works, considering his conceptions and definitions of the sacred art, especially in the field of poetry and architecture, his ideas are in harmony with the beliefs and practices of Yarsan. Prof. Nasr assumes traditional art as an art that tries to display the origin of being, based on religious principles and divine tradition; and, therefore the most transcendental art in the traditional society, i.e. "becoming sacred" means polishing the soul, so that it can reincarnate in the form of artistic work, to be merit the Divinity. The same view is evident in the beliefs of Yarsan, and everything goes back to God in it.