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.
Supreme Master Ching Hai (vegan), a distinguished spiritual leader and artist, guides our souls not only through Her teachings but also through an unparalleled collection of artistic masterpieces. These works invite us into a heavenly realm, vividly demonstrating the transcendental beauty of the higher dimensions. We invite you to walk through the celestial art gallery of Supreme Master Ching Hai (vegan).
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.
Truly, great paintings are cherished treasures in the world. Each brushstroke captures history, culture, expression, and even blessings, enriching the souls’ experience of the past, present and future without physically experiencing them. The paintings of Supreme Master Ching Hai (vegan) are unique. They help guide us on the spiritual path back to our Heavenly home, enrich our understanding of various aspects of this world and beyond, and nourish our souls with abundant blessings.
Through Her heartwarming words, Supreme Master Ching Hai (vegan) encourages us to express our creative talents with a childlike heart.
VO: I feel very sorry for us sometimes, that we can’t be childlike even though we want to. Sometimes reality, the world, just wants to drag us back into this very heavy kind of material existence, and we feel very tired. […] Everything hits us in the face and tells us that things are not good, things are so hard, money is difficult to earn, and you have to fight, you have to compete, and you have to do this, you have to do that in order to get ahead. There are many schools that teach you how to be a billionaire in no time, how to earn money without working. Actually, it is not like that. We don’t need to really exert so much effort with the mind; instead, we should just try to remember the creative source of our real being, and then we can create anything.
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.
Many trials may lead us to “Struggle,” and at first, we may find ourselves overcome by “Fear.” As we remember to pray to God and reconnect with our Real Nature, we are “Rescued” by the Almighty Power. These artworks invite us on a spiritual journey. By reconnecting with our divine creative source, we illuminate our spirits and embrace a life filled with infinite hope.
Let’s see the first artwork, “Struggling,” which was painted in 1991 at the Costa Rica Ashram by Supreme Master Ching Hai (vegan). It captures a moment of intense elemental movement.
VO: The wind blows, a torrential rain pours, and flowers trees and houses sway in all directions as no quiet place can be found. The artist’s powerful brush strokes and unorthodox perspective intensify the struggle of animate and inanimate objects against the forces of nature. While the meditator tries to calm his mind, turbulence and disturbance spare no effort to shake his determination. Only the strong will survive!
Master: The meditation hall is supposed to be a peaceful place, but actually I named the painting STRUGGLE because they struggle within themselves to eventually attain peace. So, most people, when they paint a temple or a meditation hall, paint it beautifully and harmoniously, with birds singing and all that. But for me, it’s a struggle because I know what is inside. When you struggle for your own serenity, it’s not that easy in the beginning. If people have already achieved it, they don’t need the meditation hall anymore. So, I named it STRUGGLE, and I guess you understand why.
Next, we invite you to contemplate a masterpiece titled “FEAR.”
VO: Can you tell what this flower is? It should have been a rose, but it took on this appearance a short while after I started painting.
The fresh red roses, blue and cloudy sky, dark green leaves, the deformed dark gray and blue pot, and every stroked detail on each subject, strongly present the emotions and fear of these flowers and the pot.
VO: The Supreme Master playfully told the story behind this painting saying “A man brought a pot of flowers when visiting his lover in the Fifth Floor Heaven. Soon the two had a quarrel and the man was kicked out. The flower pot was thrown at him.” This piece was originally entitled From the Fifth Floor and later given its present name. The flowers in the piece all have a nervous frightened look – their eyes, bulging, their mouths agape and their bodies wind-filled. They seem to fear being smashed!
In book one of “The Key of Immediate Enlightenment,” under the theme “Real Doctrine and False Doctrine,” Supreme Master Ching Hai (vegan) mentions the root of this universal fear:
VO: Since ancient time, rather than believe in the real Masters, people would worship the fire god, the wind god, water spirit, etc., because they’ve lost their Real Self and they’ve become lonely afraid of the unknown and the great universe. All things seen are so mysterious and frightening. We fear the burning sun and the hot fire which destroys everything it comes in contact with. After having been separated from the Almighty Power (the Real Self), we have become very lonely just like a lost child who is not able to find his home and becomes frightened of everything in the dark wilderness. A real enlightened Master will show us how to look into our own powerhouse – our Real Nature. After that, anything we wish to do is up to us, because we will have the real Power of our own, the so-called Buddha Power or Master Power. With this inner Power we can accomplish anything.
Yes, with this inner power, we can live our lives and walk the path on our spiritual journey without fear.
To conclude our exhibition, we invite you to contemplate a deeply moving masterpiece titled “Rescued.” This work flows naturally from our previous topic, illustrating the moment when the soul’s struggle meets the grace of divine intervention – a divine light that ultimately awakens the Almighty Power within us all.
VO: This painting portrays the rescue of a struggling person by a strong light from Heaven. The struggling person is wounded with blood and full of tears in this world of thorny bushes. At first, this person appears to be reserved and uncertain but gradually he is convinced and begins to reach out to the strong light that makes him come to life.
Through stable meditation and inner calmness, even the most burdened soul can perceive the inner Light of Heaven – appearing like a radiant rainbow after a storm, until all shadows finally disappear.
