As We Make, So We Believe

We are pure awareness trapped in a body because of our previous action, in a make-believe world of the mind and the senses. The senses are, by their very nature, non-conceptual: they just sense. But because awareness forgets its own true nature of emptiness, it finds itself relating more strongly to phenomena via the senses. This activity in the mind creates memories and references of likes and dislikes, which are conceptual, and so we are ‘hooked’ into a ‘relative’ existence. It is this that caused duality – relative truth – by constantly relating to something other than pure awareness.

For security, we hold onto one another and therefore get dragged into the six realms of existence, (including hell) by our own demons of likes and dislikes.

Artists sometimes use shock tactics to make a memorable point. Nowadays, this is so common that it’s pointless – but having said that, it’s fun!

Below is an underpainting (the preliminary design for a finished work) illustrating a land of the senses. I could be outrageous by putting in suggestions of sexual organs but that’s going too far…so they will just be fleshy and have a few decorative protuberances coming out of their heads 😀

Through our karma, we find ourselves here. As we interact and react, we build a stronger and stronger addiction to this land. We hold onto one another and excite ourselves about this mistaken reality which enslaves us. Along the bottom of the painting are ethereal beings increasingly identifying with this false reality and thus becoming hooked like fish by demons.

And so we are left dangling in this sensual playground…while all the time, we have been nothing other than pure, free beings.