Sherab speaks at the opening ceremony of Choegyal Rinpoche's Art Exhibition at Metro Art, Kuala Lumpur:-
Dear friends and all honorable guests, a very good morning to all of you.
We are gathered here to appreciate and celebrate the Dharma Art created by His Eminence Tugu Choegyal Rinpoche.
"Dharma art" refers to creative works that spring from the awakened mind and meditative state, characterized by directness, simplicity, un-selfconsciousness, and non-agression, and spreading the message of peace, love, happiness and joy.
Tugu Choegyal Rinpoche shows that dharma art can be utilized as a vehicle to appreciate the nature of things as they are, and to express it without any struggle or desire to achieve anything. A work of dharma art brings out the goodness and dignity of the situation it reflects -- dignity that comes from the artist's heart and interest in the details of life, and a sense of appreciation for all kind of experiences, good or bad, ups and downs, happy or sad.
At the same time, through his artworks, Rinpoche also stresses the need for Dharma artists to study their craft, to develop their skill, and to absorb their knowledge and wisdom passed down by traditions and blessed by a special insightful training system of Tibetan Mahayana Buddhism. And, finally, he extends the principles of dharma art into everyday life, showing how any activity can provide an opportunity to relax and open ourselves to the limitless possibility of enlightenment.
As it was spoken by Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche :"Genuine art--dharma art--is simply the activity of nonaggression."
Zen master Seung Sahn once said: “Just Like This is Buddha”. As art lovers and collectors , I am sure some of us also must have heard that “Ordinary Mind is the Great Way”. So, Rinpoche’s artworks’ message is very simple, but essential to hear: "
Pay attention to the world in which you live," he says, "
The seeds for happiness are everywhere--in the blue sky, in the clouds, in the hearts of our children, in the smiling faces of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, in the glorious gesture of a flying dragon, or simply in a plain and unique art of calligraphy".
He advises us to simply slow down and sit down. "
Take the time to live more deeply. You will make fewer mistakes and not cause suffering to the world, you can bring joy and spread love to yourself and others.”
Rinpoche’s artwork speaks of essential blessings that get lost in day-to-day living. "I
t's a joy to walk on planet Earth. It's a joy to be alive." Beauty, it says, is everywhere. We just need to teach ourselves to see it--through attention to our breath, feeling a connection to the earth, engaging and nourishing the best in all of us, and choosing not to flame the fires of negative qualities that harm ourselves and others. Rinpoche has spent a lifetime practicing his beliefs. "In Buddhism," he says, "we live what we believe, and we must do that to serve others.”
As it was expressed the famous poet William Blake:
“to see a world in a grain of sand
And a heaven in a wild flower
Hold infinity in the palm of your hand
And eternity in an hour”
May you find peace, joy and happiness in Rinpoche’s artwork, and may we all attain what we desired for by the power of artistic expresion of true beauty.
THANK YOU!
Lord,
