Prayer
Wheel at Odiyan
40 X 60
watercolor, 1981
spiritual trailblazers
the story of
this painting
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,..
"Stupa":
a symbolic representation in stone of the
unity of the relative
and ultimate nature of reality.
Its base is a
dome which is topped by symbols of the Guru's awakening.(1)
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The Story of this
Painting
To abide in a
place of peace and silent strength in the midst of the chaos of our
outer and inner lives. The stupa at Odiyan embodied that sense of
harmony in a way I'd never experienced it before. My first encounter
with it fulfilled years of romantic longing for a direct spiritual
experience that would take me beyond the boundaries of Kay as I know
her.
We arrived in
the afternoon to celebrate Padmasambhava's birthday. The evening laid
a blanket of fairy dust on the pine covered hills and sitting in the
open framework of the temple site the atmosphere took on an air of
anticipation. Above the night sky was full of stars that reflected
in the surrounding moat. We began chanting the mantra of this great
Tibetan saint, the sound of it creating a temple around us made of
music and light. A gong sounded and everyone arose as in a dream.
A long procession of beings, their faces softened in awe, slowly moved
down the hill. I felt like one small cell in the body of a great being
whose body, mind and spirit moved in total harmony and kindness. We
descended into a circular clearing in the woods that had been an ancient
Indian ceremonial ground. Moonlight rained down on a sight that took
my breath away. There stood in perfect repose a white stupa. It seemed
self illumined from within, the light gently enhancing its graceful
lines and perfect balance. Around the base where it reverently touched
the earth was a wreath of flowers and golden urns from which incense
arose, enveloping the space in perfume and color. To me it was a glorious
altar to the earth goddess, she who bore witness to the Buddha's enlightenment.
I was possessed
to paint this beautiful form and as I did so realized the direct relationship
of this image to our own human bodies. The outer shape--elegant and
unpretentious, the inner space--rich with elaborately detailed panels
depicting the four directions and images of the beings who embody,
teach and protect the Dharma. A giant prayer wheel at the heart sends
forth with every turn prayers of gratitude to the buddhas and bodhisattvas
who continue to turn the wheel of Dharma (truth) in a world filled
with suffering.
I painted the
red rose with its drop of dew, not yet really understanding that this
reflected my own fiery passion to know the truth and to understand
the mysterious strength and peaceful countenance of the stupa. The
rose is a personal yet ancient western symbol of the eastern jewel
in the lotus, a seminal drop in the female flower, as is the cathedral
or temple the body of the Goddess and the garden her womb.(2)
It's been years since I've been to the stupa, and I've been told that
it's now surrounded with rose gardens.
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Silent flowers
Speak also
To that obedient
ear within.
Onitsura(3)
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1.
Tibetan Nyingma Meditation Center, The Legend of the Great Stupa,
p.126
2.
Walker, The Woman's Encyclopedia of Myths and Secrets, p.
867. Definition of "Rose".
3.
Hallmark Editions, Silent Flowers, p.4
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