Sunday, January 3, 2010

La Mirada #8-Shrouded Serenity


Collaborative piece: silk bamboo painting by Bill Evertson, acrylics in gray tones on paper by me, 12 by 16 inches.

This piece resulted from an Art of Friendship-collaboration with my friend Bill Evertson. You can read all about how that went on Art on the Road. His painting conveyed serenity upon me, and I was thinking I might use it as a sort of veil. So, inspired by Tibetan thangkas I made "Shrouded Serenity." I stamped it with the hand stamp Bill had sent me before and the insert is a calligraphy of the Nembutsu, "Namu Amida Butsu," an expression of a Pure Land Buddhist's total reliance upon the infinite compassion of the Buddha Amida. Amida Buddha vowed he would not (want to) attain enlightenment as long as every other sentient being wouldn't attain enlightenment also. Pretty strong! Total Entrusting in the Nembutsu would suffice to attain enlightenment and reciting it is the only practice in Pure Land Buddhism.
Working on the piece also made me think about dying-well, so will 2 cancers ;)-and in turn, that reminded me again of the song "Soon This Space Will Be Too Small," by Lhasa de Sela on her album "The Living Road," in which she sings:

Soon this space will be too small
And I'll go outside
To the huge hillside
Where the wild winds blow
And the cold stars shine

I'll put my foot
On the living road
And be carried from here
To the heart of the world

I'll be strong as a ship
And wise as a wale
And I'll say the three words
That will save us all

To me that song is about our ultimate journey on "The Living Road," and I hope that when I'll die, I will say the three words that will save us all ... I hope I do. I hope I'll say:
Namu Amida Butsu.

ps to this post:
Lhasa de Sela passed away from breast cancer January 1st 2010
-Buen Viaje, Lhasa, Bon Voyage-


4 comments:

William Evertson said...

Peace.

Amanda Dagg said...

Beautiful!

Momo Luna S!gnals said...

How could i've been missed this post? This is so tender and pure, so beautiful. So strange: reading this post i listen to the music of Lhasa de Sela. I love her music very much! The day before yesterday i found a videoclip on the net i didn't know and someone wrote may she be at peace. I didn't know she was ill, but that attracted my attention, wondering.... i didn't know either she passed away, this i just read here on your blog.

Sweet greetz and a hug for you.....

Ria Vanden Eynde said...

Thank You! Peace Bill!