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AA - Artists Anonymous > inanga  > Art > Sacred Spaces
Sacred Spaces - i suppose all space on earth is sacred, although we seldom treat it as such. In this gallery i include some of my favourite things i have ever actioned on behalf of God.

i usually store this gallery in AA - Artists' Anonymous - a Smug Communities repository that I think is appropriate. i assume that is why artists use pen (painting) names. A man or woman's faith is their own business...

A lot of my work employs collage - it allows me to use modern media and ancient techniques of painting. It is, in essence, image making nonetheless. Paint, silver gelatin, pixels, cardboard, bytes - all form the canvas - the end result is image of a single moment in a succession of moments. One foot after the other...

For a good view of much of the subject matter in this gallery go to - and beyond -http://www.sacred-texts.com
inanga
Gallery pages:  1  2  3  4  5  6  >  >>
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inanga > Mythology and Glaciers Inspired by Susan, the Georgian (US) Faery from Twyleth Teg. She is a lawyer, but a good one, working to help illegal immigrants). collage of some of my paintings (and pix from a book about mythology) so cleverly arranged by the web wizards at Picasa 3, Google, SmugMug and Mozilla Firefox 2009 inanga
inanga > Makara Buddha I consider this one of the best pictures I have had the privilege to paint. I was given the confidence to paint it after spending some time with a noted icon painter. Her name was Di and she was as irreverent as she was audacious. She had been to Greece to study the iconography that preceded the Iconoclastic Controversy and I had attended one of her classes where she painted using egg tempera on gold leaf. She taught me the true value of the Phi (Golden Ratio) pattern, not only in the human face, but in all of God’s creation. When I had finished this portrait of Gautama Sakyamuni, the Buddha of the Noble Eight-fold Path of Suffering, I gave it to by now aptly named Lady Di. How did the Buddha come to Be in this piece. I had been in a rogaining event – night navigation sport – that coursed over Makara Peak, Wellington. In a moment of samadhi I imagined that I was Buddha on a bicycle recklessly tearing down the Makara Peak bike trails in search of ‘Em-bike-enment’. I painted that with due irreverence but knowing that I would have to back up later and paint a more serious piece. I took the event map with all the checkpoints from the night rogaine printed on it and started to paint. Up near the map title ‘MAKARA’ a lone mountain biker features in the internal of the reclining Buddha in nirvana meditation pose. The Phi swirl took over and Buddha’s face took shape and in his inner thoughts he saw another incarnation of Himself and pondered on all the great religious paths of the world. I have included a few of these on his chest, suggesting that that are being activated in charkas within. The enlightenment is signified by the blood symbolically oozing from his third-eye charka (the pineal gland of humans responsible for Other Worlds communication). No, it is not an injury sustained in some mountain biking en-bike-enment misadventure. Last I heard the original was rolled up and stored somewhere in a bach near the Rakaia river mouth. Acrylic, oil, pencil, glitter, greenstone, gouache, gold leaf, collage on Makara Peak regaining map, 2006
inanga > Buddha Sun Death and the Final Instructions of the Buddha "…Then the Blessed One addressed the monks.— " Where, O monks, is Ananda? " "Reverend Sir, the venerable Ananda has entered the monastery, and leaning against the bolt of the door, he weeps, saying, 'Behold, I am but a learner, and not yet perfect, and my Teacher is on the point of passing into Nirvana, he who was so compassionate to me.'" Then the Blessed One addressed a certain monk, saying,— "Go, O monk, and say to the venerable Ananda from me, 'The Teacher calls you, brother Ananda."' …Ananda … drew near to where The Blessed One was; and having drawn near and greeted The Blessed One, he sat down respectfully at one side. And the venerable Ananda being seated respectfully at one side, The Blessed One spoke to him as follows:— "Enough, Ananda, do not grieve, nor weep. Have I not already told you, Ananda, that it is in the very nature of all things near and dear unto us that we must divide ourselves from them, leave them, sever ourselves from them? How is it possible, Ananda, that whatever has been born, has come into being, is organized and perishable, should not perish? That condition is not possible. For a long time, Ananda, have you waited on the Tathagata with a kind, devoted, cheerful, single-hearted, unstinted service of body, with a kind, devoted, cheerful, single-hearted, unstinted service of voice, with a kind, devoted, cheerful, single-hearted, unstinted service of mind. You have acquired much merit, Ananda; exert yourself, and soon will you be free from all depravity." 'Go thou, Ananda, and enter the city Kusinara, and announce to the Kusinara-Mallas:— "Tonight, O you Vasetthas, in the last watch, the Tathagata will pass into Nirvana. Be favorable, be favorable, O you Vasetthas, and suffer not that afterwards you feel remorse, saying, 'The Tathagata passed into Nirvana while in our borders, but we did not avail ourselves of the opportunity of being present at the last moments of the Tathagata.'" …The Mallas, on hearing the speech of the venerable Ananda, and their children and their daughters-in-law and their wives were grieved and sorrowful and overwhelmed with anguish of mind, and some let fly their hair and cried aloud, and stretched out their arms and cried aloud, and fell headlong to the ground and rolled to and fro, saying, "All too soon will The Blessed One pass into Nirvana; all too soon will The Happy One pass into Nirvana; all too soon will The Light of the World vanish from sight." Then the Mallas and their children and their daughters-in-law and their wives, being grieved and sorrowful and overwhelmed with anguish of mind, drew near to the sala-tree grove Upavattana of the Mallas, and to where the venerable Ananda was. Now at that time Subhadda, a wandering ascetic, was dwelling at Kusinara. And Subhadda, the wandering ascetic, heard the report:— "Tonight, in the last watch, the monk Gautama will pass into Nirvana." Then it occurred to Subhadda, the wandering ascetic, as follows:— "I have heard wandering ascetics, that were old men, advanced in years, teachers, and teachers' teachers, declare, 'But seldom, and on rare occasions, does a Tathagata, a saint, and Supreme Buddha arise in the world.' And tonight, in the last watch, the monk Gautama will pass into Nirvana. And a certain question has arisen in my mind, and I am persuaded of the monk Gautama that he can so teach me the Doctrine that I shall be relieved of this my doubt." Then Subhadda, the wandering ascetic, drew near to the sala-tree grove Upavattana of the Dallas, and to where the venerable Ananda was, and having drawn near, he spoke to the venerable Ananda as follows:— "Ananda, I have heard wandering ascetics, that were old men, advanced in years, teachers, and teachers' teachers, declare, 'But seldom, and on rare occasions, does a Tathagata, a saint, and Supreme Buddha arise in the world.' And tonight, in the last watch, the monk Gautama will pass into Nirvana. And a certain doubt has arisen in my mind, and I am persuaded of the monk Gautama that he can so teach me the Doctrine that I shall be relieved of this my doubt. Let me, then, Ananda, have an opportunity of seeing the monk Gautama." When Subhadda, the wandering ascetic, had so spoken, the venerable Ananda spoke to him as follows:— "Enough of that, brother Subhadda; trouble not the Tathagata. The Blessed One is weary." [Subhadda persisted a second and a third time, and was refused by Ananda each time.] … Now the Blessed One chanced to hear the conversation between the venerable Ananda and the wandering ascetic Subhadda. And The Blessed One called to the venerable Ananda:— " Enough, Ananda; hinder not Subhadda. Let Subhadda, Ananda, have an opportunity of beholding the Tathagata. Whatever Subhadda shall ask of me, he will ask for the sake of information, and not for the sake of troubling me, and he will quickly understand my answers to his questions." Then the venerable Ananda spoke to Subhadda, the wandering ascetic, as follows:— "You may come, brother Subhadda; The Blessed One grants you an audience." Then Subhadda, the wandering ascetic, drew near to where The Blessed One was; and having drawn near, he exchanged greetings with The Blessed One; and having passed with him the greetings of friendship and civility, he sat down respectfully at one side. And seated respectfully at one side, Subhadda, the wandering ascetic, spoke to The Blessed One as follows:— "Gautama, all those monks and Brahmans who possess a large following and crowds of hearers and disciples, and who are distinguished, renowned leaders of sects, and highly esteemed by the multitudes,—to writ, Purana Kassapa, Makkhali Gosala, Ajita Kesakambali, Pakudha Kaccayana, Sanjaya Belatthiputta, Nigantha Nathaputta,—have they all done as they maintain, discovered the truth, or have they not? or have some of them done so, and others not? " "Enough, O Subhadda! let us leave the question, 'Have they all done as they maintain, discovered the truth, or have they not? or have some of them done so, and others not?' The Doctrine will I teach you, Subhadda. Listen to me, and pay strict attention, and I will speak." " Yes, Reverend Sir," said Subhadda, the wandering ascetic, to The Blessed One in assent. And The Blessed One spoke as follows:— "Subhadda, in whatever doctrine and discipline the noble eightfold path is not found, therein also is not found the monk of the first degree, nor the monk of the second degree, nor the monk of the third degree, nor the monk of the fourth degree; and in whatever doctrine and discipline, O Subhadda, the noble eightfold path is found, therein also are found the monk of the first degree, and the monk of the second degree, and the monk of the third degree, and the monk of the fourth degree. Now in this Doctrine and Discipline, O Subhadda, the noble eightfold path is found: and therein alone, O Subhadda, are found the monk of the first degree, and the monk of the second degree, and the monk of the third degree, and the monk of the fourth degree. Destitute of true monks are all other creeds. But let these my monks, O Subhadda, live rightly, and the world will not be destitute of saints. What time my age was twenty-nine, Subhadda, I left the world to seek the highest good. Now fifty years and more have passed, Subhadda, Since I renounced the world and lived ascetic Within the Doctrine's pale, that rule of conduct Outside of which no genuine monk exists, nor the monk of the second degree, nor the monk of the third degree, nor the monk of the fourth degree. Destitute of monks are all other creeds. But let these my monks, O Subhadda, live rightly, and the world will not be destitute of saints." When The Blessed One had thus spoken, Subhadda, the wandering ascetic, spoke to him as follows:— "O wonderful is it, Reverend Sir! O wonderful is it, Reverend Sir! It is as if, Reverend Sir, one were to set up that which was overturned, or were to disclose that which was hidden, or were to point out the way to a lost traveler, or were to carry a lamp into a dark place that they who had eyes might see forms. Even so has The Blessed One expounded the Doctrine in many different ways. Reverend Sir, I betake myself to The Blessed One for refuge, to the Doctrine, and to the Congregation of the monks. Suffer me to retire from the world under The Blessed One; suffer me to receive ordination." "Subhadda, any one who aforetime has been an adherent of another sect and afterwards desires to retire from the world and receive ordination under this Doctrine and Discipline, must first spend four months on probation; and after the lapse of four months, strenuous-minded monks receive him into the Order and confer on him the monkly ordination. Nevertheless, in this matter of probation I recognize a difference in persons." "Reverend Sir, if all they who aforetime have been adherents of other sects and afterwards desire to retire from the world and receive ordination under this Doctrine and Discipline, must first spend four months on probation, and after the lapse of four months strenuous-minded monks receive them into the Order, and confer on them the monkly ordination, then am I ready to spend four years on probation, and after the lapse of four years, let strenuous-minded monks receive me into the Order and confer on me the monkly ordination." Then The Blessed One said to the venerable Ananda, "Well, then, Ananda, receive Subhadda into the Order." Then The Blessed One addressed the venerable Ananda:— "It may be, Ananda, that some of you will think, ' The word of The Teacher is a thing of the past; we have now no Teacher.' But that, Ananda, is not the correct view. The Doctrine and Discipline, Ananda, which I have taught and enjoined upon you is to be your teacher when I am gone. But whereas now, Ananda, all the monks address each other with the title of 'brother,' not so must they address each other after I am gone. A senior monk, Ananda, is to address a junior monk either by his given name, or by his family name, or by the title of 'brother;' a junior monk is to address a senior monk with the title 'reverend sir,' or 'venerable.' If the Order, Ananda, wish to do so, after I am gone they may abrogate all the lesser and minor precepts. On Channa, Ananda, after I am gone, the higher penalty is to be inflicted." "Reverend Sir, what is this higher penalty?" "Let Channa, Ananda, say what he likes, he is not to be spoken to nor admonished nor instructed by the monks." Then The Blessed One addressed the monks:— "It may be, O monks, that some monk has a doubt or perplexity respecting either The Buddha or the Doctrine or the Order or the Path or the course of conduct. Ask any questions, O monks, and suffer not that afterwards you feel remorse, saying, 'Our Teacher was present with us, but we failed to ask him all our questions."' When he had so spoken, the monks remained silent. And a second time The Blessed One, and a third time The Blessed One addressed the monks:—… And a third time the monks remained silent. Then The Blessed One addressed the monks:— "It may be, O monks, that it is out of respect to The Teacher that you ask no questions. Then let each one speak to his friend." And when he had thus spoken, the monks remained silent. Then the venerable Ananda spoke to The Blessed One as follows:— "It is wonderful, Reverend Sir! It is marvelous, Reverend Sir! Reverend Sir, I have faith to believe that in this congregation of monks not a single monk has a doubt or perplexity respecting either The Buddha or the Doctrine or the Order or the Path or the course of conduct." "With you, Ananda, it is a matter of faith, when you say that; but with the Tathagata, Ananda, it is a matter of knowledge that in this congregation of monks not a single monk has a doubt or perplexity respecting either The Buddha or the Doctrine or the Order or the Path or the course of conduct. For of all these five hundred monks, Ananda, the most backward one has become converted, and is not liable to pass into a lower state of existence, but is destined necessarily to attain supreme wisdom." Then The Blessed One addressed the monks:— "And now, O monks, I take my leave of you; all composite things are transitory; strive onward diligently." And this was the last word of the Tathagata. Thereupon The Blessed One entered the first stage of meditation, and rising from the first stage of meditation, he entered the second stage of meditation; and rising from the second stage of meditation, he entered the third stage of meditation; and rising from the third stage of meditation, he entered the fourth stage of meditation, and rising from the fourth stage of meditation, he entered the realm of the infinity of space; and rising from the realm of the infinity of space, he entered the realm of the infinity of consciousness; and rising from the realm of the infinity of consciousness, he entered the realm of nothingness; and rising from the realm of nothingness, he entered the realm of neither perception nor yet non-perception; and rising from the realm of neither perception nor yet non-perception, he arrived at the cessation of perception and sensation. Thereupon the venerable Ananda spoke to the venerable Anuruddha as follows:— "Reverend Anuruddha, The Blessed One has passed into Nirvana." "Nay, brother Ananda, The Blessed One has not passed into Nirvana; he has arrived at the cessation of perception and sensation." Thereupon The Blessed One rising from the cessation of his perception and sensation, entered the realm of neither perception nor yet non-perception; and rising from the realm of neither perception nor yet non-perception, he entered the realm of nothingness; and rising from the realm of nothingness, he entered the realm of the infinity of consciousness; and rising from the realm of the infinity of consciousness, he entered the realm of the infinity of space; and rising from the realm of the infinity of space, he entered the fourth stage of meditation; and rising from the fourth stage of meditation, he entered the third stage of meditation; and rising from the third stage of meditation, he entered the second stage of meditation; and rising from the second stage of meditation, he entered the first stage of meditation; and rising from the first stage of meditation, he entered the second stage of meditation; and rising from the second stage of meditation, he entered the third stage of meditation; and rising from the third stage of meditation, he entered the fourth stage of meditation; and rising from the fourth stage of meditation, immediately The Blessed One passed into Nirvana." Extracted from Henry Clark Warren's 'Buddhism in Translation' and EH Brewster's 'Life of Gotama the Buddha'.
inanga > Machupuchare, Nepal
inanga > Violet Buddha - detail from Violet - see the Rainbow series gallery in hogproductions. Buddhist View on Death and Rebirth ...Ven. Thich Nguyen Tang... --- o0o --- As a Vietnamese Buddhist monk, working as a Buddhist chaplain at several of Melbourne's hospitals and as well as Melbourne assessment prison, I have witnessed many personal tragedies faced by the living and of course the very process of dying and that of death and many of these poor people faced their death with fear, with misery and pain before departing this world. With the images of all these in my mind, on this occasion, I wish to share my view from the perspective of a Buddhist and we hope that people would feel far more relaxed in facing this inevitable end since it is really not the end of life, according to our belief. Death and the impermanence of life In the teaching of the Buddha, all of us will pass away eventually as a part in the natural process of birth, old-age and death and that we should always keep in mind the impermanence of life. The life that we all cherish and wish to hold on. To Buddhism, however, death is not the end of life, it is merely the end of the body we inhabit in this life, but our spirit will still remain and seek out through the need of attachment, attachment to a new body and new life. Where they will be born is a result of the past and the accumulation of positive and negative action, and the resultant karma (cause and effect) is a result of ones past actions. This would lead to the person to be reborn in one of 6 realms which are; heaven, human beings, Asura, hungry ghost, animal and hell. Realms, according to the severity of ones karmic actions, Buddhists believe however, none of these places are permanent and one does not remain in any place indefinitely. So we can say that in Buddhism, life does not end, merely goes on in other forms that are the result of accumulated karma. Buddhism is a belief that emphasizes the impermanence of lives, including all those beyond the present life. With this in mind we should not fear death as it will lead to rebirth. The fear of death stemmed from the fear of cease to be existent and losing ones identity and foothold in the world. We see our death coming long before its arrival, we notice impermanence in the changes we see around us and to us in the arrival of aging and the suffering due to losing our youth. Once we were strong and beautiful and as we age, as we approach our final moments of life we realize how fleeting such a comfortable place actually was. Grieving It is natural to grieve the loss of family members and others we knew, as we adjust to living without their presence and missing them as part of our lives. The death of a loved one, or even someone we were not close to, is terribly painful event, as time goes on and the people we know pass away along the journey of life, we are reminded of our own inevitable ends in waiting and everything is a blip of transience and impermanence. At a certain moment, the world seems suddenly so empty and the sense of desperation appears to be eternity. The greater the element of grief and personal loss one tends to feel sorry for oneself. Some of us may have heard the story of the women who came to the Buddha in great anguish, carrying her dead child pleading him to bring the child back to life. The Buddha said Bring to me a mustard seed from any household where no-one had ever died and I will fulfill your wish. The woman's attempt to search for such seed from houses were in vain and of course she could not find any household in which no-one had ever died and suddenly she realized the universality of death. Karma According to Buddhism, our lives and all that occurs in our lives is a result of Karma. Every action creates a new karma, this karma or action is created with our body, our speech or our mind and this action leaves a subtle imprint on our mind which has the potential to ripen as future happiness or future suffering, depending on whether the action was positive or negative. If we bring happiness to people, we will be happy. If we create suffering, we will experience suffering either in this life or in a future one. This is called the Law of Karma, or the Law of Cause and Effect. Karmic law will lead the spirit of the dead to be reborn, in realms which are suitable appropriate to their karmic accumulations. According to His Holiness, the 14th Dalai Lama of Tibet, that to cultivate the good karma, our good actions are an excellent way prepare for our death. Not performing evil deeds, keeping our heart and mind pure, doing no harm, no killing, sexual misconduct or lying, not using drugs or alcohol has very positive merit which enable us to die as we have lived. The way we pass reflects the way we lived our lives, a good death putting a good stamp on a good life. As Leonardo Da Vinci once wrote in his notebook; "Just as a well spent day brings happy sleep, so a life well spent brings a happy death". If we have lived a life of emotional turmoil, of conflict selfish desire unconcerned for others, our dying will be full of regrets, troubles and pain. It is far better to care for the lives for all around us rather than spending a fortune in prolonging life or seeking ways to extend it for those who can afford it, at the expense of relieving suffering in more practical ways. Improving the moral and spiritual quality of life improves its quality for us all rather than the selfish individualism that benefits the elite few who draw most resources. Preparing for death and Buddhist rituals associated with dying Buddhist clergy often remind their followers about closeness of death, emphasize the importance in getting to know death and take time to prepare for their own demise. How do we prepare for death?. It is really simple, just behave in a manner which you believe is responsible, good and positive for yourself and towards others. This leads to calmness, happiness and an outlook which contributes to a calm and controlled mind at the time of death. Through this positive and compassionate outlook of life, always being aware of the impermanence of life and having a loving attitude towards all living things in this transient existence we will be free of fear in opposite to grasping selfishly to life due to not having experienced happiness in life. Having lead a responsible and compassionate life and have no regrets when death approaches enables us to surrender without a struggle to the inevitable and in a state of grace which need not be as uncomfortable as we are led to believe. A dying Buddhist person is likely to request the service of a monk or nun in their particular tradition to assist in this process further, making the transitional experience of death as peaceful and free of fear as can be possibly achieved. Before and at the moment of death and for a period after death, the monk, nun or spiritual friends will read prayers and chants from the Buddhist Scriptures. In Buddhist traditions, this death bed chanting is regarded as very important and is ideally the last thing the Buddhist hears. Buddhists believe that we can actively assist and bring relief to the dying members through assisting the dying through the process of dying. Through Buddhist doctrine we are told by Buddhist masters that the final moment of our consciousness is paramount, the most important moment of all. If the ill person is in hospital and the diagnosis is grim that the person cannot possibly survived, the family should call in the Buddhist priest to pray for the loved one so that at the final moment, the right state of mind has been generated within the person and they can find their way into a higher state of rebirth as they leave the present lives. The nurses and family members are not supposed to touch the corpse, having to wait 3-8 hours after breathing ceases before touching the body for any preparation after the death. We Buddhists believe that the spirit of a person will linger on for sometime and can be affected by what happened to the corpse. It is important that the body is treated gently and with respect and that the priest can help the spirit continues its journey calmly to higher states, not causing the spirit to becoming angry and confused and may be more likely to be reborn into the lower realms. In the Mahayana Buddhism, especially, Vietnamese tradition we pray for the dead for 49 days after passing away, 49 being the estimated time it takes for the spirit to be reborn again into a new life. Some spirits are reborn 3 days, 21 days, 49 days or 100 days after death, and in some cases even 7 years. Rebirth The concept of rebirth or reincarnation has become more popular in the west in recent years due to the influence of Tibetan Buddhism, especially, 'The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying' (by Sogyal Rinpoche, 1992) became a best seller in the USA and has been widely read throughout the developed countries by new generations who are concerned with alternative thinking and eastern cultural perspectives. Naturally people concerned with life beyond death were stimulated by the ideas contained in such philosophies and beliefs. Nirvana The supreme aim of Buddhism is to obtain nirvana or enlightenment. This translated means a state of liberation or illumination from the limitations of existence. It is the liberation from the cycle of rebirth through countless lives up and down the 6 states of existence. It is obtained through the extinction of desire. Nirvana is a state that is obtainable in this life through the right aspiration, purity of life, and the elimination of egotism. This cessation of existence as we know it, the attainment of being, as distinct from becoming. [1] The Buddha speaks of it as unborn, un-originated, uncreated, unformed, contrasting it with the born, originated, created, and formed phenomenal world. Those who have obtained the state of Nirvana are called Buddhas. Gautama Siddhartha had obtained this state and had become a Buddha at 35. However it is now believed that it was only after he had passed away that he reached such a place of perfect tranquility, because some residue of human defilement would continue to exist as long as his physical body existed. According to Buddhism if a human does not obtain nirvana or enlightenment, as it is known, the person cannot escape the cycle of death and rebirth and are inevitably be reborn into the 6 possible states beyond this our present life, these being in order from the highest to lowest: Heaven. In Buddhism there are 37 different levels of heaven where beings experience peace and long lasting happiness without suffering in the heavenly environment. Human life. In Buddhism we can be reborn into human life over and over, either wealthy or poor, beautiful or not so, and every state between and both as it it is served up to us. Anything can happen, as is found in human life and society all around us as we are familiar with in the day to day human world in is myriad of possibilities. What we get is a result of our Karma of what we have dragged with us from previous existences and how it manifests in our temporary present lives. Asura. A spiritual state of Demi-Gods but not the happy state experienced by the gods in the heavens above this state. The Demi-Gods are consumed with jealousy, because unlike humans, they can clearly see the superior situation of the gods in the heavens above them. They constantly compete and struggle with the gods due to their dissatisfaction with their desires from the others. Hungry Ghost. This spiritual realm of those who committed excessive amounts of evil deeds and who are obsessed with finding food and drink which they cannot experience and thus remain unsatisfied and tortured by the experience. They exhaust themselves in the constant fruitless searching. Animals. This realm is visible to humans and it is where spirits of humans are reborn if they have killed animals or have committed a lot of other evil acts. Animals do not have the freedom that humans would experience due to being a subject constantly hunted by humans, farmed and used in farming, also as beasts for entertainment. Hell. This realm is not visible to humans. It is a place where beings born there experience a constant state of searing pain and the various types of hell realms reads like a variety of horrific torture chambers. Those with a great deal of negative Karma can remain in such places for eons of time. To conclude, as already mentioned, none of us can avoid death and if we are not free from the vicious cycle of death and rebirth, we are doomed to the endless cycles of life and death and its paradoxical nature of suffering, of happiness and sadness, youth and aging, healthiness and sickness, pain and death, all because we are so attached to the existence in the first place. The Buddha urged us to prepare for death, to prepare for that journey by cleansing the mind and not being so attached to things, to be able to let go and release ourselves for needing to be, from needing to have. Through this we will not suffer so much as we pass through the final stage of the present life, we can let go, be grateful for what we had but not clutch to it, not try to ensure permanency and cause ourselves to suffer more than we need to. This way we can end the cycle and leave forever, obtaining nirvana and release from the cycle of death and rebirth. (This essay has been presented at the conference Dying, Death and Grieving a Cultural Perspective, RMIT University, Storey Hall, 349 Swanston Street, Melbourne, Victoria, 22nd and 23rd March 22, 2002)
inanga > Nirvana Beach (detail)
inanga > Nirvana Beach What went on here? I envisaged a beach - say Oriental Bay in Wellington - with a couple of sleeping Buddhas on it - one male, one female. more to come... gesso, acrylic, watercolour, oil, spray paint, painted cardboard, sand paint and collage on stretched canvas 2008 900mm x 1200mm
inanga > The River Queen, incarnation of the Triple Goddess Ngame I first came across the incredible story of the Triple Goddess when I worked in Nigeria for Lonely Planet Publications - West Africa on a shoestring. I found out more about her at Oshogbo, a town north of Lagos. I was there when absolutely no tourists were to be seen in Nigeria, scam and violence capital of the world. tbaddedto
inanga > Phoenix Rising (detail from 'Nirvana Beach')
Makara Buddha

I consider this one of the best pictures I have had the privilege to paint. I was given the confidence to paint it after spending some time with a noted icon painter. Her name was Di and she was as irreverent as she was audacious. She had been to Greece to study the iconography that preceded the Iconoclastic Controversy and I had attended one of her classes where she painted using egg tempera on gold leaf.

She taught me the true value of the Phi (Golden Ratio) pattern, not only in the human face, but in all of God’s creation. When I had finished this portrait of Gautama Sakyamuni, the Buddha of the Noble Eight-fold Path of Suffering, I gave it to by now aptly named Lady Di.

How did the Buddha come to Be in this piece. I had been in a rogaining event – night navigation sport – that coursed over Makara Peak, Wellington. In a moment of samadhi I imagined that I was Buddha on a bicycle recklessly tearing down the Makara Peak bike trails in search of ‘Em-bike-enment’. I painted that with due irreverence but knowing that I would have to back up later and paint a more serious piece.

I took the event map with all the checkpoints from the night rogaine printed on it and started to paint. Up near the map title ‘MAKARA’ a lone mountain biker features in the internal of the reclining Buddha in nirvana meditation pose. The Phi swirl took over and Buddha’s face took shape and in his inner thoughts he saw another incarnation of Himself and pondered on all the great religious paths of the world. I have included a few of these on his chest, suggesting that that are being activated in charkas within. The enlightenment is signified by the blood symbolically oozing from his third-eye charka (the pineal gland of humans responsible for Other Worlds communication). No, it is not an injury sustained in some mountain biking en-bike-enment misadventure.

Last I heard the original was rolled up and stored somewhere in a bach near the Rakaia river mouth.

Acrylic, oil, pencil, glitter, greenstone, gouache, gold leaf, collage on Makara Peak regaining map, 2006
> Makara Buddha I consider this one of the best pictures I have had the privilege to paint. I was given the confidence to paint it after spending some time with a noted icon painter. Her name was Di and she was as irreverent as she was audacious. She had been to Greece to study the iconography that preceded the Iconoclastic Controversy and I had attended one of her classes where she painted using egg tempera on gold leaf. She taught me the true value of the Phi (Golden Ratio) pattern, not only in the human face, but in all of God’s creation. When I had finished this portrait of Gautama Sakyamuni, the Buddha of the Noble Eight-fold Path of Suffering, I gave it to by now aptly named Lady Di. How did the Buddha come to Be in this piece. I had been in a rogaining event – night navigation sport – that coursed over Makara Peak, Wellington. In a moment of samadhi I imagined that I was Buddha on a bicycle recklessly tearing down the Makara Peak bike trails in search of ‘Em-bike-enment’. I painted that with due irreverence but knowing that I would have to back up later and paint a more serious piece. I took the event map with all the checkpoints from the night rogaine printed on it and started to paint. Up near the map title ‘MAKARA’ a lone mountain biker features in the internal of the reclining Buddha in nirvana meditation pose. The Phi swirl took over and Buddha’s face took shape and in his inner thoughts he saw another incarnation of Himself and pondered on all the great religious paths of the world. I have included a few of these on his chest, suggesting that that are being activated in charkas within. The enlightenment is signified by the blood symbolically oozing from his third-eye charka (the pineal gland of humans responsible for Other Worlds communication). No, it is not an injury sustained in some mountain biking en-bike-enment misadventure. Last I heard the original was rolled up and stored somewhere in a bach near the Rakaia river mouth. Acrylic, oil, pencil, glitter, greenstone, gouache, gold leaf, collage on Makara Peak regaining map, 2006
Makara Buddha

I consider this one of the best pictures I have had the privilege to paint. I was given the confidence to paint it after spending some time with a noted icon painter. Her name was Di and she was as irreverent as she was audacious. She had been to Greece to study the iconography that preceded the Iconoclastic Controversy and I had attended one of her classes where she painted using egg tempera on gold leaf.

She taught me the true value of the Phi (Golden Ratio) pattern, not only in the human face, but in all of God’s creation. When I had finished this portrait of Gautama Sakyamuni, the Buddha of the Noble Eight-fold Path of Suffering, I gave it to by now aptly named Lady Di.

How did the Buddha come to Be in this piece. I had been in a rogaining event – night navigation sport – that coursed over Makara Peak, Wellington. In a moment of samadhi I imagined that I was Buddha on a bicycle recklessly tearing down the Makara Peak bike trails in search of ‘Em-bike-enment’. I painted that with due irreverence but knowing that I would have to back up later and paint a more serious piece.

I took the event map with all the checkpoints from the night rogaine printed on it and started to paint. Up near the map title ‘MAKARA’ a lone mountain biker features in the internal of the reclining Buddha in nirvana meditation pose. The Phi swirl took over and Buddha’s face took shape and in his inner thoughts he saw another incarnation of Himself and pondered on all the great religious paths of the world. I have included a few of these on his chest, suggesting that that are being activated in charkas within. The enlightenment is signified by the blood symbolically oozing from his third-eye charka (the pineal gland of humans responsible for Other Worlds communication). No, it is not an injury sustained in some mountain biking en-bike-enment misadventure.

Last I heard the original was rolled up and stored somewhere in a bach near the Rakaia river mouth.

Acrylic, oil, pencil, glitter, greenstone, gouache, gold leaf, collage on Makara Peak regaining map, 2006
Camera: Fujifilm (Finepix S20pro ) |
More details: exif |
Original size: 2647px x 1758px |
Current: 400px x 266px |
Other sizes: Small • M • L • O |
Share photo: links, forums, blogs |
Keywords: art jeff lonely god hand williams buddha peak zealand swirl planet technicolor whitebait multicolour productions makara aotearoa nz wiremu inanga hogproductions
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