After my morning practice of meditating and reading beautiful books by my mentors (Campbell, Hafiz, Lao Tsu, Agnes Martin, Thich Nhat Hanh, Tolle, Bell), I make drawings that reflect the reading I am ingesting. I am trying to visualize some of the concepts of No-thing and No-mind and time not being linear. I mean, come on, these are tough nuggets. I guess that is why Lao Tsu says one cannot know, one can only be. But drawings are a way to get at things around the fuzzy periphery of words.
I keep a journal as well during my morning ritual. I track ideas and concepts in quotes, but more importantly in my own words. Please do read the authors I have mentioned. They are the masters, I am merely a pupil.
Also at the beginning of the development of my morning practice, I used a beautiful art card deck called Moon Angels by Ryan Rebekah Eren (Sweat & Tears Press, 2014) , full of affirmations and gorgeous drawings. I would pull a card at random and ponder how this might relate to my studies or any other issue that was occupying my monkey mind. It was fun and the abstract artwork was beautiful to meditate upon. So I decided to make a deck with my own drawings and writings hoping to ease some suffering during these seemingly apocalyptic times.
I hope these bring you joy, peace, at the very least, a smile.
Here is the first one from a deck of 33 cards. Soon coming out analogue in book and card deck form. Stay tuned!
T.01 IT WILL PASS
Consider all the events
that hastened to occur
for this moment to be
curious, messy or pure.
Is it pain or pleasure?
Is it dull or profound?
Is it what you desired?
Tell me what you have found.
A painful dullness?
It’s OK
it won’t last.
A profound pleasure?
Enjoy it fully
for it too will pass
(next time you have an itch, don’t scratch it. See what happens)