Lotuses of the Floating World

An installation of hundreds of paper lotuses made in origami style.

Kalaghoda Arts Festival 2010,
Horniman Circle Garden
6-14 February
10.00 a.m – 10.00 p.m

At last this Saturday I will be able to see a wish fulfilled, hundreds of lotuses planted in the earth. This will be my first time showing in Bombay and I'm happy to begin this way, in the open, in a garden (I'm a complete nature person). So if you are anywhere near Horniman Circle Garden between the 6th and the 14th do drop by anytime between 10.00 a.m and 10.00 p.m. I plan to teach how to fold these beautiful lotuses. There will be plenty of other events too.

About the installation.
The lotus is a leitmotif in my work, for what it symbolizes and its metaphysical associations. My art-practise runs parallel to my own journey on the path of dharma. It is an earnest effort where I not only read but have a practise to support it (Vipassana mainly). This installation is a three dimensional extension of being on the path.

About the choice of medium.

I am attracted to the organic and fragile nature of paper and yet it can be quite durable. I like the idea of sculpting something out of it, origami is one way to explore this.

About the core message.

When I first learned to make to these lotuses I was filled with an urge to see them in an undulating mass, over a lawn, maybe. Through this installation I want to say to people, look, you don't have to go to some far away village to witness a pond or a lake filled with beautiful lotuses, to witness a lotus all you need to do is take a square piece of paper, sit quietly and fold. Opening its petals to full bloom is like awakening to the Buddha nature inside.

I compare this act to creating an island of refuge within ourselves where you can return to from time to time. We all live in a densely populated city and there are no lotus ponds near us, but still there is hope, human imagination can transform a mere piece of paper into a lotus flower, an absolute symbol of enlightenment. That is my message, no matter how bad the situation, one can find ways to find a balance, to create beauty and true peace in our lives.

Gratitude
Lastly, one post is not enough to thank my family and friends for their love and support. Yogeeta, Sanhdya, Harsheet you have really been there for me. Yogs thanks for all the help and designing my card. Sandhya for listening to me with all my updates on the progress I was making, Harsheet, I know you don't like thank you's but here it is, I appreciate it all. Behzad for being there while I installed and dismantled and largely for just being you, Nyela thanks dear for the lovely mornings at the garden, Himanshu for suggesting the venue, and my dear friend Sarita too. This project has been like waiting for a empty stretch of land to collect rain and then burst in lotus bloom.

Love + light!

P.S: there is a place where white lotuses bloom in the rains :) and where there are humans there is plastic! and yet the lotus grows above it all :))

The way of the artist

In a few days from today, I will be putting up an art installation as part of the annual Kalaghoda Arts Festival, the details of which I will post next.

Being a vipassana meditator my on-going project made me think very much of the attitude and intention of an artist. While reflecting I remembered Gurji Geonkaji's words,

" A balanced mind is very necessary. But a stage where you are totally free from ego, where the ego is totally dissolved, takes a long time. When one has reached the stage of anagami, then at the depth of the mind the ego has significantly melted away and at the stage of arahant there is no ego at all.

But for ordinary Vipassana meditators, at least they have to make sure that they have started dissolving their egos. Any artist who is pratcising Vipassana properly will see a big change in her field of art whatever it may be. The art shold be pure in the sense that it will never be used to arouse passion in the minds of others, anger or hatred. With the practise of Vipassana she will become a better artist wit the effect that through the medium of art one will be able to give people a sense of peace and harmony. One has to judge wether this wholesome direction is developing or not."
Guruji S.N.Goenkaji.

From time to time I find myself returning to these words of Guruji and often I have not been sure if I understood at the experiential level, neither did I know if my art could in someway convey a feeling of peace and harmony to people. I have never consciously tried to alter or filter my work ever but if my upcoming installation does bring delight to people then I think I came a hair-breadth of a hair-breadth closer to what Guruji is talking about.

May more and more people get a glimpse of pure dharma :)
love + light!

Kashmir, Dharma Songs

Kashmir is a music video from an album"Dharma Songs" sung by "Guruji Gyomyo Nakamura" Direction & Camera by "Rigzin Kalon" and edited by "Kapil Rana"

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!