This painting is not a big favourite of mine, but it’s important to me because the work is unconventional and what it symbolises. I like this work because it represents the unconventional. The Abstract Expressionists were reinventing what art could be by using new materials in new ways—here, working on the floor, using house paint or radiator […]
Philosophy of the Enso
The circle symbol or Enso is popular in Zen Buddhism’s religion, but what does it signify or mean? It’s both intriguing and yet confusing, just like Zen Buddhism. Emptiness When we look at an Enso, we think of a circle, but we often forget it is an empty circle. Emptiness or 虚無 Kyomu in Japanese is an […]
Buddhist Cosmology of Indra’s Net
One of the images that aids me in understanding Buddhism originates from the earlier tradition of the Vedas and Hinduism. In these traditions, the cosmos is imagined as a net woven by the deity Shakra or Indra. It’s infinite and spreads in all directions, and at each node, there’s a jewel or dewdrop. Upon which […]
The Buddhist Illusion of the Self
One of the more well-known ideas from Buddhism is the notion of no-self or non-self. I order to explain what that means; I have to start with the Self. The Self is the feeling we are a separate entity; there’s a piece that makes us who we are—an essence a fundamental unchangeable part or more […]
Why everything is about philosophy
‘Don’t wish it was easier, wish you were better. Don’t wish for fewer problems, wish for more skills. Don’t wish for less challenge, wish for more wisdom’ Jim Rohn When I was studying nutrition, I learned it’s far more than just what food we eat but more about our relationship to food. The scope of […]
The blank canvas
All creative types recognise the fear of a blank sheet of paper or canvas. Faced with a blank sheet of paper, the only rules are those of language, so what do you write or paint? For me, a painting is a commitment to making something, to create, to build. However, it’s troubling that as creative […]