A Hidden Wonderland – An Ink Painting by H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III
About one thousand and seven hundred years ago, in China’s Jin Dynasty, there was a very famous writer named Tao, Yuanming. He wrote a fictional short story called “Land of Peach Blossoms”. The story described the people that lived in Qin dynasty who found a remote and secretive place to escape from their oppressive government. After many years of fighting between the small countries, Qin Shi Huang finally conquered whole mainland of China. The ordinary people already suffered a lot from constant wars and battles. Yet, they were still forced to built the Great Wall, the A Fang Palace and the Terracotta Warriors. All people in the country lived a miserable life, and they wanted to find a place they could hide away from the turmoil. Since that time, “Land of Peach Blossoms” is a symbol of
a place that is extremely beautiful and where everything seems perfect; there is no killing, no massacre, no horror, a place far away from modern life.
When I look at the painting of H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III: A Hidden Wonderland, I immediately think about the “Land of Peach Blossoms”. I have imaged the “Land of Peach Blossoms” many times in my heart, wishing I could live there sometime. This painting is a tangible reflection of what I had imagined, and even more beautiful, splendid, and heavenly like.
The style of this painting is Western oil painting plus a mysterious technique that combines the dual skills of fine brushwork and freehand brushwork. The paint has three dimensional sculpture-like effects. From the harmonious unification of these three elements, a holy land of immortals with an unusual landscape of inexhaustible beauty comes into being. It is as if the viewer is taken to a palatial cave, to a world of no worries, and is looking over this wonderland that is beyond our world. The marvelous variations in color, light, and atmosphere are so enchanting that the viewer is carried away to that place, fascinated in the loveliness of it all.
Could such a paradise, this Land of Peach Blossoms, truly exist? Could I set foot in that painted world?
“The remotest corners of the earth are still part of the human world.
Those who search for the truth in their dreams perceive themselves as wise, virtuous persons.
To find out through which mountain pass you can leave this dusty world full of impediments, look for the cave hole with remnants of light,
for that will lead to the land of Peach Blossoms”.
H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III wrote this poem containing a profound message in order to express the true meaning of this painting: Nowhere in this human realm can one find a place not of ordinary people, not of this mundane world. All born as human beings are in a dream of confusion. However, they usually believe they are seeking the truth. In realty, they are just indulging in self-appreciation and self-consolation. As such, they cannot block the great flow of impermanence. However, there is one opportunity whereby you can attain control over your own living and dying and be guaranteed to transcend this world of mortals. When you see the wondrously intriguing cave hole with remnants of light, know this is the source you are seeking. That is the paradise of immortals, the land of Peach Blossoms, a holy land beyond this world.
This painting is in the permanent exhibition at the International Art Museum of America.
A Hidden Wonderland – An Ink Painting by H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III
Link:https://peacelilysite.com/2022/06/03/a-hidden-wonderland/
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Peace LiLy 