Kanzeon 08/21/2009
 
KANZEON!
NAMU BUTSU
YO BUTSU U IN
YO BUTSU U EN
BUPPO SO EN
JO RAKU GA JO
CHO NEN KANZEON
BO NEN KANZEON
NEN NEN JU SHIN KI
NEN NEN FU RI SHIN
Kanzeon!
Homage, Buddha!
Buddha is first cause.
Buddha is each cause.
One with Three Jewels.
Bliss, Nontime, self, pure.
Dawn thought: Kanzeon.
Night thought: Kanzeon.
Thoughts rush -- near to Mind.
Thoughts, thoughts -- one with Mind.
About 15 years ago I attended a Sesshin at Dai Bosatsu Zendo.  Beforehand we had been told to learn the previous sutra.  We chanted it daily, but I never really studied the meaning.  About a month ago, on a visit to my sister's home, she showed me a recently aquired painting of the Buddhist saint Kwan Yin.  My sister is not a Buddhist, but for some reason she was attracted to the beautiful painting.  I came home and started to explore who this saint was.  Kwan Yin, Guan Yin, Quan Shi Yin is the Bodhisattva of Compassion.  She personifies endless mercy and is said to have given up entering Nirvana because of her compassion for the suffering of the world.  Upon further exploration, I learned that she is also known as Kanzeon.  Amazing.  She personifies the compassion of Buddha and the compassion which we each can attain in ourselves.  I have spent endless hours studying methods of creating a compassionate heart and many more trying to put them into action each day.  Of course, I am not always successful..But I consider my efforts to be a victory in and of themselves.  
So, why all this talk of Kanzeon and compassion on my artist blog.  Well, I have decided to start working on some representions of Kanzeon in my work.  Today, I completed a study and am beginning the process.  It is not of a figure yet, but of a "background", more of a feeling based work.   It is currently posted as my blog picture at right. 
 


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