Oil on canvas 24" X 24". Completed April 2008.

www.RainbowPathArtStudio.com

“All living beings have the Buddha nature and can become Buddhas”
– Buddha

Buddha Within illustrates the story of personal awakening.

My understanding of the personal awakening process is that when undergoing the final awakening stage, the kundalini (rainbow serpent) becomes an intense fire (red/orange beside the tree trunk) shooting through the spine engulfing the body. The energy (green vortexes) required is enormous. As the kundalini reaches the crown chakra, it fully opens and all earthly limitations drop away. This being is no longer tied to a religion or faith but now embraces them all as represented by the sacred symbols in the tree.

The consciousness now resides in the higher self and is one with the universe and all that is. When the transformation is complete sonic waves (the four vertical crystalline waves) travel out into the universe to let all of creation know of the grace that has taken place. All life is naturally drawn to the radiant and divine being that has become pure Buddha consciousness (centre).

At each of the chakra points on the Buddha is a Swarovsky crystal in the relevant chakra colour. Crystal magnifies the properties of the chakra energy.
Buddha Within is divided into four quadrants (earth, fire, water, air) and the five elements including precious metals (bottom corners). The red veins dividing the quadrants represent the lower dimension (inner earth). The higher dimension is represented by the white equilateral triangle.

If you look closely, you can see the texture of the underlying branches in the tree. These were meticulous painted before adding the covering of leaves. The tree must be complete in the physical, in order to emit the complete energy of the life form.

Imbibed in the painting is sand from a sand mandala created by Gyuto Monks. They had spent a week painstakingly building an exquisite sand mandala. Upon its completion the mandala was ceremonially deconstructed and the sand poured into the local river for healing, accompanied by prayer and the blasting of Tibetan ceremonial horns. Some of the sand is held back and distributed to those who attend the ceremony: it holds sacred healing properties. I used some of the sand from this mandala, mixing it in the purple paint used for the crown charka encircling the white triangle and Buddha.

Buddha Within is the third in a series and preceded by The Dream and The Awakening.