Buddha image from Alchi Monastery, Ladakh

It is my dream to one day visit Alchi Monastery in Ladakh, sigh! I came upon this beautiful image of Sakyamuni Buddha on Buddhist Art News, click here to see more images. On reading the article I was happy to know in advance that photography isn't allowed inside, that way I won't feel disapointed when one fine day I actually do visit Alchi Monastery, I imagine I can always sketch what inspires me... which I find is a much better way to appreciate and assimilate art :-)

love + light
x

I stood before a Qin terracotta warrior

Ever since I can remember I've always had an affinity for all things oriental, arts, culture, landscape ... I cannot explain it, maybe its a past-life thing, which was one of the many reasons why I could not miss the oppurtunity to see Emperor Qin's famed terracotta warriors face to face:-> Two of these exquisite warriors were exhibited at Mumbai's Prince of Wales Museum (now known as Chhatrapati Shivaji Vastu Sangrahaliya) as part of the exhibiton, 'Treasures of Ancient China’.

The exhibiton has since ended and I myself went to see it only the very last day. These exquisite, life-size warriors, a whole army of them, were discovered buried near Emperor's Qin's mausoleum, making it this century's most sensational find. The terracotta army, has also been declared as the eight wonder of the world!

Before coming in to see the exhibition, as eager as I was, I had paid for the use of my camera, only to find a symbol pasted on the entrance-door which made clear, photography was not allowed in this particular exhibition !!:( So I said to myself, never mind, I'll take pictures of the other regular exhibits that I enjoy and have been meaning to photograph :-)

I was happy to find other than myself, the notable playwright Meher Pestonjee, accompanied by two children. It made me smile to hear her describe the artifacts to them. Sometimes its nice to be an observer and know there are others who love and appreciate art as much as you, there is a certain kind of warmth in this:-)

As I walked through the exhibition, enjoying the intricately-detailed metal objects and ceramic-ware from the different ages, I took time to read the texts on display which explained their history and chronology. Incidentally I'd recently read, Chinese Myths by Anne Birell as a result of which not all the names of the different ethnic groups that came to form the Chinese nation seemed absolutely unfamiliar.

The exhibition was spread across three rooms, and the two warriors were displayed in a small room to themselves. Seeing the terracotta figures within the confines of a small space, could not have conveyed the feeling of witnessing them in the burial pit as part of entire army which had tood silently for centuries until their discovery, but even the opportunity to see a piece of history was good enough... :-)

Being a student of Buddhism, I'm intrigued by the way Buddhism evolved along with the previously existing Confucianism and Taoism in China. This is is one area I would love to learn more about. Apart from the warriors and the various other impressive artefacts that were displayed, one artefact that stood out in my mind was a stone stupa, (shaped like a small dome) maybe 3 ft high and under 3 feet in diameter. (Unfortunately I have no picture to support this description with due to the reason I mentioned above) On its sides were niches, within each of the niches (two I think) was a seated image of the Buddha in high relief. Foliage of trees, in low relief ornamented the plain surface of the dome. The stupa also bore a chinese inscription which I could not read of course, but still this stupa intrigued me...you see, one does see stupas and other Buddhist monuments in India, but the inscriptions here are in the native scripts, ( Brahmi, kharoshti), seeing the stupa with an inscription in chinese said to me, more than what books can convey that, look! how how far Buddhism had travelled! :-)


I leave you with a few pictures from the Tibetan Arts section to enjoy...
one more thing, the exhibits being encased in glass, have some amount of caused reflection.

Tara, Nepal, 18th century A.d.



Prajnaparamita, Nepal, 17th century A.D, Prajnaparamita is the personification of 'transcendental knowledge' embodied in the Prajnaparamita-sutra (Mahayana scriptures)



Matrika (Mother Goddess) From set of Ashtamatrika (eight goddesses), Nepal, 14th century A.D



Bodhisattva Manjushri with his shakti, Nepal, 18th century A.D (Manjushri is the Bodhisattav of Wisdom, that which he holds aloft in one of his arms, is an adamantine sword which cuts through ignorance)






Terracotta Buddhas, Mirpur Khas, Sindh, Pakistan, 5th century A.D. this is one of my favourite exhibits, I love the beautific smile :-)

love + light!

Spring diary

Hello everyone :)

Have you noticed any trees around your neighbourhood which are in full bloom? Don't you just love the bright colours of spring? the thing that fascinates me the most is the sight of a tree completely dry, devoid of leaves, fully crowned with fragrant flowers!

This Sunday I took a walk in Aarey and the path-ways were lined with fallen blossoms, makes you wish the rest of the city was kept that way...

Now, a little bit of what I've been upto, last June-July, I'd enrolled for the Post Graduation course in Buddhist studies at K.J.Somaiya Centre for Buddhist studies . One of my teachers whom I have grown to love and adore, Mrs. Sharda Sanghvi suggested I try the Pali language class (Diploma) and before I knew it I was studying both!

It has since been an amazing journey, and I wish to keep studying, exploring....
I'm grateful to Mrs. Sanghvi for putting me onto Pali, without which my studies would have been incomplete.

If your wondering, Pali is an ancient Indian language, older than classical sanskrit. The Buddha taught in Pali and majority of the Buddhist texts are preserved in it. Hence, its importance.

At present, I'm studying for my exams, just got over with Pali and I have four more papers to give (Buddhist studies), so wish me luck! :)

I wish to leave you with these pictures of Lotuses I took during my last vipassana course at Dhamma Pattana, Gorai. They inspire me towards my goals :)

Love + light!

Buddha Purnima, May 27th, 2010 at the Global Vipassana Pagoda

We had our first showers yesterday and it was wonderful to feel the cool breeze and see children playing in the rain. The weather has much improved since the auspicious day of May 27th, Buddha Purnima Day, weather department said it was the hottest day in May in the last 5 years!

I remember everyone in the Pagoda fanning themselves with whatever piece of paper they had with them, but spiritually, the day was wonderful! Thousands of meditators gathered at the Global Vipassana Pagoda, Gorai. One could truly feel the pure vibrations of dhamma in the air :) (dharma, Pali)

On this day Guruji Goenka unveiled a 21 feet high statue of Gautama Buddha, a gift from the Government of Myanmar (Burma). The Buddha's golden robes shone brightfully in the sunlight and the extreme humidity was made bearable by Goenkaji's teaching on the dhamma.

Here are a few pictures from that day :)

From a distance the Pagoda ressembles a golden bell placed on the horizon :) To reach the island of Gorai on which the Pagoda is built one needs to take a ferry either from Malad-Marve Beach or Gorai Jetty (Borivali).

The interior of the dome is purely functional, serving only as a hall for meditation. While being seated I like the sight of a few pigeons who have managed to get in, as they fly across from one niche to another under the great dome. I also like the Dhamma wheel depicted in gold, the only adornment at the top-centre of the dome.

The Large entrances have a beautiful slanted arching shape. Due to the sheer scale, if you happen to go out and then return, it takes a good deal of looking around to find your seat !! :)

The Pagoda is still not fully complete and each time I visit, I'm delighted to see some new developments. I liked this juxtapositioning of an unfinished part and the rich gold-yellow of the Pagoda.

The Pagoda glowing in the intense evening sun.

The 21 ft high statue of Gautama Buddha, gifted by the government of Myanmar (Burma). People were really happy with the smiling presence of the Buddha :)

An elderly monk descending towards the jetty at the end of the day.

You may watch Guruji unveling the Buddha's statue here

If you wish to visit the Pagoda, or if you are visiting Esselworld do drop by as it is on the same island. You can get more information at their website.

Wishing you a good week :)

and good rains!!!

Love + light!

The Shrine-room

Lately, I’ve been thinking of the symbolism and spiritual significance of a shrine. Often, when I’m reading a book, the word will surface, highlighting a different association or meaning of the word, thereby sparking off new brain-waves! :)

We are all too familiar with shrines, being in a deeply spiritual land. Personally, I think of a shrine as a physical as well as a mental space, where your inner-self retreats to, where you can still the muddy waters of your heart-mind. Physically, this space can be a meditation hall/room or even a cell, similarly a prayer hall/room. I also see the shrines in which we place an image or a sculpture of our personal/family deity as symbolic of the shrine within us. As if the shrine outside has a corresponding or parallel space within - a space where our higher-self resides.

Coming to the title of this post, I knew the shrine-room was the working-title for my current works after I exprienced an "aha!" moment, while reading it in venerable monk Sangharakshita’s book, Living with Kindness. :)

Love + light!
Happy Weekend :D

P.S: To Old Vipassana Meditators- Guruji S.N.Goenka will impart metta and discourse at Global Vipassana Pagoda, Gorai as part of a one-day dhamma seminar on May 27th, call and register in advance, get their number from the Pagoda's website.
Be Happy! :)

Kashmir Music Video

The song, Kashmir is part of Guruji Nakamura's music album, Dharma Songs. Guruji spends his time between Ladakh in India and Japan. We respect him very much for building Shanti Stupa in Leh.

A while ago Guruji requested my husband Rigzin Kalon to make a video . It was shot entirely in Srinagar this autumn. Kapil Rana has edited this video, whom Rigzin has previously worked with and shares a great rapport .

My favourite part is where all the boys are flying kites together in the end, it felt like a picture postcard moment of sweet innocence. Personally being Rigzin's other half I got to know of so many things behind the scenes, for example, the boys are non-actors, they are local kids he hired. He said they enjoyed themselves throroughly doing their part. And so many similar stories. I'll spare you the one where he had to change his script and his crew left filming due to a death threat from a religious group. Sigh! Three words, Compassion, Wisdom, Tolerance. Such is the condition although times have greatly improved.

Love + light
May Guruji's Dharma Songs spread real peace, real harmony!

Making that Quantum Leap

'Leap of Faith' by Laurel Schwartz.

Have you ever had the experience, where, for no particular reason, you kept hearing a word or a particular phrase in your head and you didn’t really know why? and then when you were least expecting it, someone mentions it to you or you read it in a book or a magazine without having made a conscious effort to know its meaning or significance. Déjà vu anyone? You see, for a while now I’ve been hearing, ‘quantum leap’ in my head. My first strong memory/ association of it is from a passage in Susanne F.Fincher’s book, 'Creating Mandalas'.

“Early Buddhists established the belief that there are two planes of existence, two absolutely different worlds, between which there is no communication......one world is our familiar reality in which karma operates, and which is forever dying and being born again. The other world is nirvana, which is reached by a quantitative leap when karma, and the force which derives from it, is stopped or suppressed. This is accomplished when, through cognition and living experience, it is realized that the universe is “solely a becoming a flux” (Tucci, 1961:3). This arrests the momentum of the karmic process, and makes possible the leap into nirvana."
- Excerpt from ‘Creating Mandalas’ for insight, healing and self-expression by Susanne F.Fincher.

On reading this I had an aha! moment....I had never understood (on an intellectual level of course) how one could go from one's present mental state to that of total enlightenment (still a long...long way for me).

Nirvana or no nirvana, what has stayed embedded in my head is the phrase, ‘quantum leap', it has become my newest mantra (if I have'nt slipped into my old habbit-patterns....again!) towards reaching a goal however mundane or cherished! You can say I am able to trick my mind into doing things it would otherwise take ages to accomplish.

For example, if I say to myself during my saddhana/yoga practise, especially in a difficult pose, or one in which in which I'm trying to push my boundaries, that, I’m going to 'make that quantum leap', than I do! Which means there is hope for us mere mortals.........
by way of a quantum leap :)

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While surfing the internet for an inspiring image to go with this post I stumbled upon artist Laurel Schwartz ’s site. I love it that her paintings seem like personal mandalas as she does them intuitively, being guided by her higher self. These are my words but do read her artist statement :)

Love & light!
Om

Green Tara

Green Tara, Sculpture in wood.

Green Tara is the most widely worshipped and beloved of all Taras in the Indo-Himalayan Buddhist world. Tara means both 'Star Lady' and 'She who carries across', that is 'Savioress'.

Green is a calming and soothing colour, which suggests that the green form of Tara is particularly effective for those who want to overcome anxiety and develop fearlessness.

How Tara was born
In one version, Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara, Lord of Compassion, appears in a cloudless blue sky, and seeing that despite all his efforts there is still so much pain and heartache evrywhere, he begins to shed tears. The tears fall to earth and form a great lake. From the lake grows a pale blue lotus , and on the lotus appears a pincess, her body made of green light.

Her mantra is Om tare tuttare ture svaha.

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The Tara you see above was given to me by my husband, when he came this time from Ladakh, interestingly enough he found the sculpture in Delhi !

She is beautiful and her beauty grows on me each day :) Prior to Green Tara I have only had with me two small Buddhas. One has to be ready for such a relationship with an image/sculpture of an evolved and compassionate being. Everything comes in its own time. Time being the sacred element. Earlier I would not have known how to relate to a deity but now I am able to which is perhaps why I asked Rigzin for a sculpture of Tara in the first place.

The Feminine Divine has always interested me which explains my being drawn to Tara. For this post, I have sourced two books - Female Deities in Buddhism by Vessantara, a nice informative slim volume, and Goddess Divine Energy by Jackie Menzies, a big book with full page colour templates, magnificent!


There is no realisation, within and without, so when I read and learn about these female figures ( female usually only in principle), I learn something not only about a culture through its mythology but I also feel myself being empowered.

It is as if I learned something about another aspect of myself, it could be a primordial 'me', which was dormant or unknown to myself and this knowledge, experience makes me feel more aware and complete.

Love & Light

Guru - thoughts on what is our/my understanding of "Guru".

It is fun to see how things are connected. Reading a book or 'reading from the book of life' as the Chinese say (which means to learn from experience - life itself) can make you see deeper, often very unexpectedly something reveals itself to you of which you were'nt even aware you were thinking of or had stopped thinking about for a while. When you least expect it, you read about it and the inter-connection/ relation takes you by surprise. In one such moment, I was reading 'the Zen commandments' by Dean Sluyter, where he elaborates about who is a "Guru",

"Related to the word "gravity", it signifies someone who's heavy where the rest of us are lite, who has the gravitas to be grounded, as immovably as a rock, in the unchanghing nature of reality, even as the rest of us our blown away like dry leaves.........In some Asian cultures one might call a dozen people "my guru". Every teacher, as he or she points toward infinity, stands in a slightly different place; the spot on the horizon where all those pointing fingers converge is where we want to go."

After reading this, I thought of the day I visited my girl-freind. She was in the midst of preparing her home for Diwali and when I asked her what she was doing, she said she was cleaning the space where she kept her "Gurus". I liked the fact that she did'nt say "Gods", by calling them "Gurus" she had intensified their benevolent presence. No more were they deities to be feared but Gurus, pointing to us the way.

Thinking about what the author says of having many Gurus, I feel fortunate to have been introduced to Buddhism, I don't take to it outwardly by way of rituals but have allowed it to grow slowly. I feel blessed to invoke Medicine Budda or as my husband affectionately and respectfullys says in Tibetan/Ladakhi - Sangyes Men-Lha and Sakyamuni Buddha or the historical Buddha. I feel happy to think of Guruji Goenkaji and my Reikhi teacher Dr. N.K.Sharma. Although, I may not see or meet my teachers/Gurus I feel happy simply to think of them, I am lifted even if it is an inch.

To all my Teachers of the Past, Present and the Future -
my deepest gratitude.

Love and Light.