By looking at a painting, you can be moved. Even though we may not understand its language, we can feel the divine essence in some music. Our mood becomes different. We may feel excited, or touched, or surpass certain difficulties we’ve had from preconceived ideas. So art is very, very important. Art is the best.
As a world-renowned spiritual teacher and artist, Supreme Master Ching Hai (vegan) edifies us not only through spiritual guidance but also through extraordinary artistic works. Today we’ll walk through Heaven’s art gallery created by Supreme Master Ching Hai (vegan). Master’s artwork fully reflects the beauty of Heaven.
Master: Any kind of art, like painting and any other artworks, is supposed to remind people to try to go within themselves, find their own Buddha Nature or God Kingdom.
Great paintings are the world’s cherished treasures. Each brushstroke captures history, culture, expression, and even blessings, enriching the soul’s experience of the past, present, and future. Master’s paintings accompany us on the spiritual path back to our heavenly home, nourishing our souls with abundant blessings.
Master: And perhaps, when passing by my painting for a moment, the onlooker might remember his own spark of spirituality within. That’s just the aura that the painting or my art creation carries. But we must remember that this kind of celestial art is still only a copy of the real celestial creation of the Heavenly abode.
Today, we’ll experience the soul’s artistic journey through the beautiful paintings of Supreme Master Ching Hai. From a higher perspective, each soul is here to learn tenderness and divinity, walking a spiritual path full of light and longing for real love. We seek the “Love Forest” where we can simply be embraced by devotion and live a life of “Simple Joy” bestowed by the Divine. As the soul moves freely and light shines from within, we find ourselves “Filled with Grace.” Our hearts become like wisdom flowers that forever bloom – a testament to a life lived in love.
The ordinary becomes magical through a stroke of the artist’s imagination. “Love Forest” is such an inspired work of art. Supreme Master Ching Hai (vegan) completed this painting in one sitting, enveloped in a highly inspirational atmosphere. On that day, Master was so engrossed in Her work that She forgot to eat lunch. She didn’t even realize that several of Her fellow practitioners who had come in to see Her had already left. By mixing colors left over from other paintings, Master transformed a bland mountain background into a vibrant sanctuary. Through Her rich imagination, She ornamented the canvas with wild flowers, leaves, and trees, making the forest suddenly overflow with life, warmth, and love.
VO: The ordinary becomes magical through a stroke of the artist’s imagination. Love Forest is such an inspired work of art.
Even though parts of the background rest in the shadows, orange lights emit a glow from behind the trees, while the grey trunks shine with deep silver light. Flowers illuminate the forest floor with orange hues, forming the soul-stirring color palette of this piece. The green leaves, nurtured by Great Love, radiate the joy and energy of the forest. They’re the luckiest and most blessed leaves – a luck and blessing we hope everyone can experience. When we appreciate this painting, its light and love energy uplift our souls. The original “Love Forest” was even placed in a heart-shaped frame designed by Master, perfectly matching the love She wished to represent.
VO: Exceptional paintings matched with extraordinary frames, resulting in a seamless combination of elements that complement each other.
Master: I designed these frames long ago. When I was on retreat in the Yang Ming Mountain, I told them to alter the frames for the paintings to achieve a different taste. I instructed them on the telephone about what to do and how to do it. The specifications for making each frame, the thickness of the frames. Which one should be thicker and which one thinner. Which one should be oval and which one should be heart-shaped. The outer shape has to match the inner frame. If they are not matched properly, the whole painting would be ruined. Understand? The artistic sense would be ruined.
You see all the frames I’ve made so that they are more suitable for the paintings. It’s called the Loving Forest, so I made the heart.
We continue our joyful and elevating spiritual journey through a collection of paintings that illuminate the path of “Simple Joy.” When our hearts are “Filled with Grace,” we blossom like the morning glory – becoming wisdom flowers that forever bloom with eternal love.
VO: Grass sways in the breeze, simple, carefree and joyful, reflecting the work’s effortless composition. The foliage fills the entire space, creating a sense of free-flowing energy. Through the painting, the zephyr gently touches the viewer’s heart.
The inspiration for this subject came from a patch of grass in front of Master’s tent. Every day Master watched the blades of grass gently sway with the winds in a carefree manner. The grass is so insignificant within the vast natural environment and yet it seems to be so peaceful blissful and ignorant of all the worldly frustrations. It simply carries on living contented every day. It would be better to admire this painting at a close distance; otherwise, one might miss the fine and subtle coloring technique.
The bunch of grass is like a group of children running with laughter, one after another in the sunshine, the golden yellow seed heads floating in the same direction, fluffy and cute in the light wind – each stroke beautifully presented. All the long and narrow, green and yellow-green leaves follow the seed heads with gentle, protective movements. The dark green background, dotted with yellow, sets off the humble and independent life of this grass, relying solely on nature.
Perhaps the life of the grass is exactly the carefree life that most practitioners pursue. They just enjoy and accept everything given by God; that’s the humble attitude and Simple Joy this painting shares with us.
Let’s hear from an experienced printmaker, who has been recognized in Taiwan’s (Formosa’s) New Year Print Competition.
Q: When I looked at Master’s paintings, my feeling changed with the different themes of each painting. Like when I was looking at the painting “Dancing Orchids,” my mood became joyful as if my heart was dancing along with the flowers. When I looked at the painting, “Simple Joy,” I could feel the little strands of grass swaying with the wind under the sun, and I was very happy. I would like to ask Master if such beautiful art creations are connected to our spiritual practice, and if they allow an inner connection between people. Thank you!
Master: Art does not need language; art does not need any explanation. For example, if we don’t know English or Chinese, we need a translator. But there is no such need with art. By looking at a painting, you can be moved. Even though we may not understand its language, we can feel the divine essence in some music. Our mood becomes different. We may feel excited, or touched, or surpass certain difficulties we’ve had from preconceived ideas. So art is very, very important. Art is the best.
Beyond the simple joy of the grass, we find another expression of divine beauty in the blooming of flowers.
VO: Spring returns after the sleepy winter, and the flowers are in full bloom, appearing as bright stars in the night sky or as joyful Christmas lights. Moving energy flows magically throughout the canvas, so the work is aptly titled Filled with Grace.
The sky is filled with emerging and hidden clouds interweaved and moving together while the dark purple of the brownish ground depicts sturdiness. Climbing flowers spirally embrace the trunks of the dying branches. Webbed yet graceful they move up and down like peaceful waves. The flowers bloom like extremely bright stars. The bulging thickness of oil paint and the deeply imprinted images made by tender brush strokes dance with the inspiration of the Creative Source. Art admirers can clearly see that the painting “Filled with Grace” reflects the schools of abstract expressionism realism and impressionism.
Beneath the vibrant colors and sturdy branches, we see an auspicious scene of divine harmony. Grace flows through their pink and purple colors, their pure white hearts and their free souls – gentle, profound, eternal.
Each Morning Glory flower opens its arms to embrace Grace from GOD. They stand humbled and uplifted, bathed in the quiet light of blessings. Every breath is a gift, every moment a blessing, and every leaf an accompanying melody. Every morning after meditation or prayers, our hearts are filled with love for GOD, filled with Grace, which is our inner flower blooming each day.
