Buddha Presence

On this day, also Easter, practitioners of the Mahayana tradition of Buddhism, especially those in Japan, celebrate the birth of the Buddha.

Among the Buddha’s great teachings, he instructed others to find the truth for themselves. He knew that his dharma, his mission, was not to create an endless stream of students and disciples who forever remained in those roles. His mission was to set his fellows free from dogma and the cult of personality.

Listening to the Buddha is a clear and beautiful path, not the truth itself, which must be experienced first-hand. In this regard, are you a leader, or a follower? After your response, what did you expect?

The true artist leads, which comes at a price she must be willing to pony up with whatever is required and without hesitation.

The Portal

Sure, you can spend a lifetime in a ‘village’ and live an honorable life.

But, if you feel the wanderlust, the impulse to travel beyond, then the die has been cast. The enigma of a walkabout is that the destination remains a mystery until you get there—which also describes how my art comes into existence.

Have you felt the calling? What did you do about it? If the feeling was pure, untainted my laziness or the other deadly sins, then it will lead you to your dharma, you purpose in life. And what a reward you will reap.

Note: The Portal was featured on the popular Coast to Coast AM syndicated radio show. They also published it on their facebook page. You can see a larger image of the painting there, too.

Coast to Coast AM

Serenity

The quest for intuition and its sublime power is as timeless as the question: ‘Is it or is it not my intuition?’

This is the fundamental question involving action or restraint; if ego drives either, then results are self-conscious and open to distress; if awareness is the arbiter and driving force, then the intuitive results are grounded in reality. Intuition follows universal laws of enlightenment, which includes do no harm.

Intuition has no connection to petty desires, revenge, or stupidity. Once you know the score and own it, the sense of intuition develops a clear path to your awareness. The rest is up to you.

Since my art flows from intuition, it has no ulterior motive, other than the need to be born.

Iron Will

It’s come up repeatedly, most especially from the public. How do I look at art?

Art can be intimidating for those who have always relied on someone else’s opinion to make sense of the artwork. How do you know it’s art? The answer is that you must have an unwavering dedication and passion to find out. When you do, fine art appreciation is the reward.

Meanwhile, some suggestions for viewing art:

1) Don’t think and don’t have opinions immediately. Feel the work without words. You are after a transcendental experience, not a lecture about details.

2) Don’t start looking for things and naming them, as if this was a contest like Where’s Waldo. This is the analytical brain at work, which interferes with the aesthetic, art experience.

3) If you see it, it’s there. For example, in modern abstract art, it’s what you see is what you get. Nothing more or less. If you don’t see it, it’s not there. Your view is as valid as anyone else’s.

4) No one knows more about the art that you are viewing than you—not the museum director, curator, gallery owner, or even the artist. This is an awareness that you must own. At least, you now know where the art truth is coming from so you won’t be distracted by nonsense.

Put these observations to work the next time you are called—and prove them to your own self.

The Shaman’s Reverie

How do you get there, to that deepest part of your art?

I often explain that when I’m painting, I’m not thinking. I know this might be a difficult concept to comprehend quickly. Not thinking is a pillar of understanding in Zen Buddhism where intuition and spontaneity lead to truths that supersede the dogma of thinking.

Another way to look at what I’m saying is this: When I paint I must control myself through self-discipline not to have opinions about the art that is revealing itself. A star tennis pro’s body reacts immediately and instinctively to the action. There is no time to think about the move because doing so losses matches.

Try not thinking and confront your own self, which is a great gift to you and others around you.