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Goddess
of the River in Reverie
11 X 15
watercolor, 1984
 spiritual trailblazers
the story of this painting
.A
snake surprises the night travelers.
Under a bright
lantern it is just a rope.
That's the way
everything is with human
beings
who mistakenly
see 'mind' as they walk among
mountains and
rivers.
Hakuin Ekaku(1)
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,
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The
Story of this Painting
Languid eyes,
color soaked and drenched with an intoxication of love and life. Melting
into the sun parched clay, cracked into webs of barren thirst. Glistening
stars of blue ice crystal atop mountains of unequaled majesty and
mystery let the sun god warm you that you may pour forth your essence
to feed our dry lips. With offerings of flowers, incense, light, scented
water, food and music we approach your blessed feet on hands and knees
bent with the suffering and ignorance with which we live our lives.
Yes we know there once were trees caressing your legs, supporting
the earth that carries you. Now we have shelters that comfort and
protect us of fine wood, paper to write on, furniture to support our
poor tired bodies. We didn't understand and took them all. We forgot
about you, beautiful Ganga, mother of our land. We forgot about the
birds that nest there clothing your body in song and with the grace
of their beauty. We didn't understand that your mountain home, the
source of your being, would hurtle down into our valleys, filling
your bed with sand and silt, withholding the moisture that sustains
us. Not understanding the law of impermanence we poured our poison
and filth onto your perfect body, thinking you Great Goddess of the
River would not be scared. Sky blue mirror of purity forgive us for
we did not treat your body as our own.
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.
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The scientist's
religious feeling takes the form of a rapturous amazement at the harmony
of natural law, which reveals an intelligence of such superiority
that in comparison with it, all the systematic thinking of human beings
is utterly insignificant reflection. This feeling is the guiding principle
of his life and work.
Einstein(2)
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1.
Tanahashi, Penetrating Laughter, p.46
2.
Mitchell, Tao Te Ching, p.92
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