Page 1 of 1

The Mustard Seed

Posted: Mon Apr 14, 2014 9:58 pm
by reddust
I promised a special person here on Dharmawheel I would paint the story of Kisa Gotami who lost her only child and how Gotama Buddha helped her let go of her grief. I have the outline done. Ignore the lines in the branches they will not show once paint is applied. Things will change dramatically once watercolor layers are applied. Figuring out how to place subjects was really hard. I didn't want to take from others paintings. I'm going to do something really different when I paint the subjects. I'm going to make them look transparent so you can see rainbows shine through them. That's why there isn't a lot of detail. Just the idea of human form.
The Mustardseed4.JPG
The Mustardseed4.JPG (310.5 KiB) Viewed 3406 times
Click on Link for the Story
http://www.sacred-texts.com/bud/btg/btg85.htm

I will update when I have finished the painting.

Much Metta :heart:

Re: The Mustard Seed

Posted: Mon Apr 14, 2014 10:47 pm
by Kim O'Hara
It's going well. :smile:
I particularly love the tree. You've caught the way the trunks and branches intertwine, and the curtain of leaves at the back is really effective and beautiful.

:namaste:
Kim

Re: The Mustard Seed

Posted: Tue Apr 15, 2014 1:47 am
by reddust
Thank you kindly Kim, trees are my favorite! I'm on pins and needles, just finished cooking dinner and cleaning up. Putting the first layer of paint on tonight. This is so much like meditation. I will pace back and forth before sitting or painting. Just get all tied up in knots. I always have a hard time settling down sitting but once I do settle down meditate or paint, I stick like a burr to a piece of cloth. So excited :twothumbsup:

Re: The Mustard Seed

Posted: Tue Apr 15, 2014 3:01 am
by Johnny Dangerous
Really great, always one of my favorite stories, way to bring it to life!

Re: The Mustard Seed

Posted: Tue Apr 15, 2014 7:48 am
by shaunc
This was either the first, or one of the first Buddhist stories I learnt. At the time it meant a lot to me as I was suffering quite badly. That story, the 4 noble truths, the noble 8 fold path & the 5 precepts are probably what turned me on to Buddhism most. I realize that the things I've outlined are very simple Buddhism but that doesn't make it easy. Digging ditches is fairly simple but it's certainly not easy.

Re: The Mustard Seed

Posted: Wed Apr 16, 2014 7:37 am
by Kim O'Hara
shaunc wrote:This was either the first, or one of the first Buddhist stories I learnt. At the time it meant a lot to me as I was suffering quite badly. That story, the 4 noble truths, the noble 8 fold path & the 5 precepts are probably what turned me on to Buddhism most. I realize that the things I've outlined are very simple Buddhism but that doesn't make it easy. Digging ditches is fairly simple but it's certainly not easy.
For a moment there I thought you were going to say "digging the veggie patch" which would be even more appropriate, both because you're a keen gardener and because cultivating the garden is like cultivating the spirit: you put in the work, you see the results - and there's always a heck of a lot of weeding to do!

:namaste:
KIm

Re: The Mustard Seed

Posted: Wed Apr 16, 2014 9:19 pm
by reddust
I'm studying the tree Gotama Buddha sat under. I didn't know different Buddhas sat under different kinds of trees. What does this symbolize?
"The Lord Buddha Vipassi gained his full enlightenment at the foot of a trumpet flower tree; the Lord Buddha Sikhi under a white mango tree; the Lord Buddha Vessabhu under a Sal tree; the Lord Buddha Kakusandha under an acacia-tree; the Lord Buddha Konagamana under a fig tree; the Lord Buddha Kassapa under a Banyan tree; and I became fully enlightened at the foot of an Assattha tree.
Hey Shaunc and Johnny, thank you kindly for your feedback. We all lose people we love but it hurts the most when we lose one of our kids. I try to imagine this feeling but all my kids are still alive and so I had to research grieving faces and body positions. At least my kids are still alive and happy although I might not get along with them or the other way around from time to time, I am happy they are alive. Some of my kids struggled in their late teens and 20s but eventually they straightened their life out. That hurt really bad, watching my kids struggle to find their footing. Helping them without getting in their way while they figure themselves out has been a big part of my practice. EDIT: mostly I stay out of the way but I am there to listen because when I help others I seem to make a bigger mess. I am not that wise :namaste:

Re: The Mustard Seed

Posted: Fri Apr 18, 2014 11:52 pm
by Kim O'Hara
reddust wrote:I'm studying the tree Gotama Buddha sat under. I didn't know different Buddhas sat under different kinds of trees. What does this symbolize?
"The Lord Buddha Vipassi gained his full enlightenment at the foot of a trumpet flower tree; the Lord Buddha Sikhi under a white mango tree; the Lord Buddha Vessabhu under a Sal tree; the Lord Buddha Kakusandha under an acacia-tree; the Lord Buddha Konagamana under a fig tree; the Lord Buddha Kassapa under a Banyan tree; and I became fully enlightened at the foot of an Assattha tree.
Hi, reddust,
I don't know all the symbolism but it's a slightly strange list.
a "banyan tree" is a "fig tree" and so is and "Assattha tree" (I didn't know that until I looked it up - http://www.sanathanadharma.com/symbol/asvattha.htm gives some symbolism in Hindu tradition, and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ashvattha is interesting, too.)
The other three are unrelated -
Sal http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shorea_robusta
Trumpet flower is closely related to datura - pretty flowers that can be used as poisons or visionary/recreational drugs
Mango - fruit.
Acacia - lots of choices but none are fruit trees.

:shrug: but may be useful.

:namaste:
Kim

Re: The Mustard Seed

Posted: Sat Apr 19, 2014 12:35 am
by reddust
Kim O'Hara wrote: Hi, reddust,
I don't know all the symbolism but it's a slightly strange list.
a "banyan tree" is a "fig tree" and so is and "Assattha tree" (I didn't know that until I looked it up - http://www.sanathanadharma.com/symbol/asvattha.htm gives some symbolism in Hindu tradition, and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ashvattha is interesting, too.)
The other three are unrelated -
Sal http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shorea_robusta
Trumpet flower is closely related to datura - pretty flowers that can be used as poisons or visionary/recreational drugs
Mango - fruit.
Acacia - lots of choices but none are fruit trees.

:shrug: but may be useful.

:namaste:
Kim
You found all the information I could find too. I'm specifically looking for symbolic meanings, which I know are there but I haven't found the text yet. I have a great book Called Gotama Buddha A biography based on the most reliable text by Jajime Nakamura. I found all the trees Gotama Buddha sat under as a bodhisatta and his battle with Mara, meeting the unseen beings and after he awakened when he met the Brahman and the merchants his first two followers but still no reference to the symbolic meaning of the trees. I love this kind of research. I will continue to search. What I was looking for is sticking little symbols into the painting referencing his journey. Before I go any further applying paint I have to draw in some mustard plants. I totally forgot! This is how I learn by the way. I can't just sit down and read something and make it stick in my long term memory. Thank you for your links, I'm checking them out and saving them for future use :heart:

Re: The Mustard Seed

Posted: Sat Apr 19, 2014 5:24 am
by shaunc
Maybe the symbolic meaning isn't in the types of trees, but possibly in the point they are all trees. Summer or winter a tree will always be there. Not too much upsets them they're all pretty tough. The fact that they seem to be fairly equanimious in terms of their conditions & environment. Undisturbed by either their emotions or the emotions of others. Always useful to others, whether it be firewood from fallen limbs, fruit or even just shade or a place for birds to nest in.

Re: The Mustard Seed

Posted: Sat Apr 19, 2014 4:28 pm
by reddust
shaunc wrote:Maybe the symbolic meaning isn't in the types of trees, but possibly in the point they are all trees. Summer or winter a tree will always be there. Not too much upsets them they're all pretty tough. The fact that they seem to be fairly equanimious in terms of their conditions & environment. Undisturbed by either their emotions or the emotions of others. Always useful to others, whether it be firewood from fallen limbs, fruit or even just shade or a place for birds to nest in.
I wish my mind was like a tree with it's divine indifference to the changing of seasons. I will strive to be like a tree. I'm going to paint you a Bodhi Tree :cheers:

Much metta dear Dharma Brother :heart:

Re: The Mustard Seed

Posted: Sat Apr 19, 2014 5:40 pm
by Grigoris
reddust wrote:I promised a special person here on Dharmawheel ...
I will update when I have finished the painting.
Fantastic!!! Beautiful!!! I can't wait to see it finished.

Re: The Mustard Seed

Posted: Sat Apr 19, 2014 7:24 pm
by reddust
Sherab Dorje wrote:
reddust wrote:I promised a special person here on Dharmawheel ...
I will update when I have finished the painting.
Fantastic!!! Beautiful!!! I can't wait to see it finished.
Sherab Dorje, I've been posting the stages of creation on my blog if you want to see how the painting evolves. I post my struggles with painting as I go through and the fun parts I like. It's a real trip to paint, all the stuff, doubts, bliss, I go through when working on a piece. Painting really reminds me of object meditation trying to stay focus and not let doubt screw with your determination :namaste:

Re: The Mustard Seed

Posted: Fri Apr 25, 2014 8:42 am
by aakifali321
Thank you kindly Kim, trees are my favorite!