4. Bodhisattva

I wouldn't have known without the label. This beautifully rendered sandstone statue from late 7th century Cambodia (Khmer Empire, pre-Angkor Period), sans multiple arms, layers of necklaces, flowing white robes, vase of pure water, wish-granting jewel, or willow branch, and of ambivalent sexuality - is Avalokiteshvara, the bodhisattva of compassion (see Quan Ăm, Om Mani Padme Hum) and one of the most widely revered archetypes in Mahayana Buddhism.

"Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva doing deep Prajna Paramita
perceived the emptiness of all five conditions,
and was freed of pain..."

-The Heart of the Perfection of Great Wisdom Sutra 

[NOTE: Those who are visiting Bodhisattva Week for the first time can find some context here].

3. Bodhisattva

This one is a bit different. Unidentified bodhisattva from the early Tang Dynasty (618-907); gilded bronze with traces of paint decoration.

'What we are doing in taking the bodhisattva vow is magnificent and glorious. We no longer are intent on creating comfort for ourselves; we work with others.  This implies working with our other as well as the other other. Our other is our projections and our sense of privacy and longing to make things comfortable for ourselves. The other other is the phenomenal world outside, which is filled with screaming kids, dirty dishes, confused spiritual practitioners, and assorted sentient beings". 

The Collected Works of Chögyam Trungpa, Volume Three.

[NOTE: Those who are visiting Bodhisattva Week for the first time can find some context here].

2. Bodhisattva

Another unidentified bodhisattva. From the Song Dynasty (960-1279); wood with traces of paint and gilt decoration. 

"Bodhisattvas are beings who are dedicated to the universal awakening, or enlightenment, of everyone. They exist as guides and providers of succor to suffering beings, and offer everyone an approach to meaningful life. A bodhisattva, carrying out the work of buddhas, vows not to personally settle into the salvation of final buddhahood until he or she can assist all beings throughout the vast reaches of time and space to fully realize this liberated experience."

-Taigen Dan Leighton
Faces of Compassion: Classic Bodhisattva Archetypes and Their Modern Expression

[NOTE: Those who are visiting Bodhisattva Week for the first time can find some context here].

1. Bodhisattva

The Asian wing at the Philadelphia Museum of Art contains numerous stunning examples of Buddhist iconography. I took a lot of pictures of bodhisattvas when I was there (see Bodhisattvas) - couldn't help myself. As a way of sharing some of these images, I have decided to make this Bodhisattva Week. The unidentified bodhisattva shown above is from Tang Dynasty (618-907) China; wood with traces of paint.

Everyday, the Four Bodhisattva Vows are chanted in Buddhist temples around the world:

Beings are numberless, I vow to free them.

Delusions are inexhaustible, I vow to end them.

Dharma gates are boundless, I vow to enter them.

The awakened way is unsurpassable, I vow to embody it. 

These vows are a tall order. Good thing there are so many bodhisattva guides out there to help us actualize them. 

Bodhisattvas

This from the spectacular Asian Art wing of the Philadelphia Museum of Art. That's Guanyin seated in the middle (Song Dynasty, 960-1269, wood with traces of paint), flanked by a pair of unidentified bodhisattvas (Southern Song Dynasty, 1127-1279, wood with traces of paint). The altar set and incense burner are from the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). [NOTE: I had this whole wing to myself yesterday; non-flash photography is permitted. I was in heaven...].

Heima

I very much enjoy the ethereal, minimalist, almost classical, music produced by the Icelandic post-rock band Sigur Ros. The falsetto vocals of Jónsi Birgisson. The bowed guitar (e.g. at 1:46 in video). The waves of sound. This video is a trailer for Heima, a documentary film about Sigur Ros's tour of Iceland in 2006. [NOTE: Probably best to view this gorgeous piece of cinematography at full screen. Enjoy your weekend].

Sketching

A lot of different types of people are drawn to the Miao community of Xijiang in Guizhou (see Xijiang Landscape, Road to Xijiang). Some people come to see the elaborate costumes and beautiful dances; others come to count tree rings (see Counting the Rings) and study traditional patterns of resource use (see Fields of Gold).  A final group, perhaps the most attentive of all, come to sketch the local people, the houses (see above) and the landscapes.  

Paint Runs

Pour painting by Holton Rower. Beautiful colors for a busy Friday. [NOTE: Music is String Quartet No. 3 (Mishima) by Kronos Quartet].

Infra

I am a big fan of Max Richter's music. Put it together with Lauren Cuthbertson and Ricardo Cervera from the Royal Ballet, the contemporary modern choreography of Wayne McGregor, and the LCD display animations of Julian Opie and the result is something truly sublime. The piece, called Infra, premiered in November 2008 at the Royal Opera House in London. [NOTE: Posted on Sunday afternoon to be enjoyed at a difficult moment (of your choice) on Monday].

Tangled Up In Blue

I saw Bob Dylan with his Rolling Thunder Review in January of 1976 in Hatttiesburg, MS.  I was in Forestry School at the time at The University of Arkansas at Monticello (home of the Fighting Boll Weevils. Really). Didn't take any pictures - or have lost any pictures that I might have taken.  Thrilled to have found this video, because, in my mind, he looked and sounded just like this. Something for your Monday. [NOTE: The hat, the white facepaint, the incomparable lyrics, and the unmistakable voice. Where would we be without Bob Dylan?]