My artistic style flows directly from my writing. When I write, images rise naturally to illustrate my stories. The text below is the inspiration behind this piece.
Habitually we believe that this suffering is me. However, the self is composed of external elements —-sun, clouds, water, space—and is constantly changing. Our fundamental misapprehension of the world and ourselves—of the six “sense objects” in Buddhist thought—gives rise to the illusions of the fixed self, permanence, and separation. Recognizing this frees us from attachment and suffering.
Manas reinforces the illusion that suffering belongs to us, but suffering arises from a variety of external conditions and is impermanent. As Brother Phap An explained at the EIAB, the Buddha taught that when certain conditions arise, we perceive something as "being." When conditions change, we call it "non-being," but this is a mistaken perception. Our false sense of I and mine creates attachment—to suffering as well as to relationships and identities.
At the heart of the Diamond Sutra, the Buddha teaches that for one who aspires to be a bodhisattva, the essential practice is detaching from the idea that "a self, a person, a being, or a life span" truly exists (The Diamond That Cuts Through Illusion, p. 8).
From my write-up on Opening Heart Mindfulness Community’s Website: The Diamond that Cuts through the Illusion
(Part 2) The Avatamsaka Realm: Interconnection and the Cosmic Web
Thich Nhat Hanh (Thay) teaches that the less we cling to the notion of the self, the more we wake up to the interwoven nature of existence. This ultimate reality is embodied in the Avatamsaka realm, which Thay explores in his commentary on the Avataṃsaka Sūtra in Cultivating the Mind of Love.
The Avataṃsaka Sūtra emphasizes the interpenetration of all things, teaching that all phenomena infinitely reflect one another and form a boundless, interdependent whole. The image of Indra’s jeweled net illustrates these infinite interactions and connections—each gem reflects every other gem, and within each reflection, all others are contained.
Thay describes this Avataṃsaka realm as an ever-expanding, ever-reflecting universe stretching in ten directions, filled with immense light. The Buddha and all the bodhisattvas are made of light, and their radiance shines in all directions.
This realm also contains an abundance of space and time. Flowers with infinite petals bloom, vast oceans extend endlessly, and peace and joy permeate everything. There are many beautiful clouds in this realm, each with a unique core. Parasol-like forms appear, signifying the warmth and joy of mindfulness. From my write-up on Opening Heart Mindfulness Community’s Website: The Illusion of the Separate Self and the Ever-Expanding and Self-Reflecting Avatamsaka Realm
