Fellowship Spiritual Art

Page 1 2 3 4

Three Monks
18^th century Tibetan
gilt carved wood

The monk within us abstains from the delights of imagination and devotes his life to labor in God’s name. The gesture of the three monks illustrates the tremulous symmetry of a moment of presence, at once giving and receiving.

Meditating Buddha
18^th century Chinese
gilt carved wood

The pearl on the Buddha’s forehead emerges from the inner friction to awaken. The lowered eyes ignore inner and outer distractions, while the upraised palm hails the achievement of a moment of presence.

Seated Buddha
18^th century Chinese
blanc de chine porcelain

The jolly rotund Buddha, seemingly a contradictory image for ascetic practices, represents a steward filled with presence, satisfied with the moment and wanting nothing more.

Krishna Dancing with the Milk Maids (detail from a pair of doors)
19th century Indian
carved wood

A dancing figure symbolizes presence achieved, the momentary lift from the habits of sleep to the lightness of one’s Self. The maidens—the ‘I’s in us that work to achieve presence—must learn to dance to the measure of Krishna, the god within.

Click on the images to enlarge them.