Bodhisattva

Bodhisattva flowing into the surrounding setting

of the natural world , and all of the elements of the image are

proportioned to exude a sense of flowing harmony . In this sense , the

painting is , obviously , abstract to the degree that it eschews realistic

representation in favor of aesthetic resonance . The resonance of the

painting is directed in a specific manner toward evoking religious

principles associated with Buddhism . Gazing at the image , even the

modern viewer who may be only slightly acquainted with Buddhist

philosophy will perceive in the image , something of the mystical and

scared doctrines of Buddhist thought . One of the suggestions which

flows out of the fresco ‘s harmonious unity is the Buddhist idea of

karma . The idea of karma is that “Actions can also lead to karmic

fruits in a human life . This might be the present life , or a future

human life , be this one ‘s next life , or one that comes after one or more

other types of rebirth (Harvey 15 . The Bodhisattva , surrounded by

Nature , takes his rightful place as an organic part of the rhythm and

flow of the natural universe which is articulated by the rhythm and flow

of the fresco itself .

The “Beautiful Bodhisattva ” is a brilliant example of the degree of

technical and thematic unity which was brought to bear on the works in

The Essay on Kwan Win Buddhist Bodhisattva

Compassion and Peace as a Spiritual Guide The path to spiritual freedom is sought by many people in this world. Relief from suffering is sought by many more. In these times, in all times past, and probably in times to come, the need for a spiritual guide is apparent. Kwan Yin (Guan Shih Yin in China, Kannon in Japan) is a Buddhist goddess of compassion who provides this guidance and direction for ...

the Ajanta caves . It is true that works such as these show that “art

had reached the perfection [ .] attained in the Ajanta frescoes (Rhys-Davids 34 ) by combining both aesthetic theory and religious