Monday, December 8, 2008

Rohatsu/Bodhi Day


Today, December 8th is the start of Rohatsu (called Bodhi Day on my Tibetan Calendar), the day Siddhartha, after much study and meditation, became the Buddha, the Enlightened One. Here is an article from Beliefnet.com about Rohatsu and what it means.

http://www.beliefnet.com/Faiths/Buddhism/2004/12/Keep-Your-Eyes-On-The-Moment.aspx?source=NEWSLETTER


This "keeping both eyes on the prize" type of living also applies to our art. If you are looking for that first-second-third prize in any competition/juried show, then are you painting for you, or for the juror(s)? This is something I will have to ponder and decide for myself, since I'd like to enter more juried shows in my area in 2009. That's just for me and I don't think it's ego that's leading me that way - but doesn't ego lead us into lots of things we think are okay until we get there? ha ha

So...time to meditate and appreciate the here and now - it's a Zen thing...

I hope you are all safe (it's sleeting here and the roads will be like a skating rink), and warm (the temperatures have turned frigid and I'm glad there is no wind today), and most of all, content with who you are and where you are in this world today, right now.

2 comments:

cathyswatercolors said...

Really thoughtful post thanks for sharing. Really nice.

RH Carpenter said...

Thanks, Cathy. Glad you enjoyed it.