Yellow Buddha

I was delighted to discover that yellow has the highest symbolic value in Buddhism as I've been

yearning to draw/paint Buddha for a long while and yellow being this weeks "Colour Challenge".... well too good an opportunity to miss! I've always been drawn to the image of the buddha and have various pictures of him dotted about my home. I'm not religious (spiritual..YES!very!) but if I HAD to choose a religion it would definitely centre around Buddhism and its wisdom. (and a wee bit of paganism for good measure!)I do love the humility and peaceful nature of it, and the renouncing of material goods...that speaks true to me too. I've never been happier than when I lived in my wee caravan next to the Irish sea with candles for light, peat blocks for warmth, book for company and my worldly possessions fitting into a backpack . Now,? Well... now i sit with computer on my lap, toys scattered around me, washing getting tossed around in the machine....! And could I go back to that simple life in the caravan?...in a flash ..well so long as I could take the laptop!! (and washing machine and sewing machine and, and....) :0)

My mum brought a lovely bookmark back from her trip to India and it had a quote from the Dalai Lama which I thought VERY poignant..so while we're on the Buddhism theme I shall share:

The Paradox of our Age

We have bigger houses but smaller families;

More conveniences but less time.

We have more degrees, but less sense;

More knowledge, but less judgements;

More experts, but more problems,

More medicines, but less healthiness.

We've been all the way to the moon and back,

but have trouble crossing the street to meet the new neighbour.

We build more computers to hold more information,

to produce more copies than ever, but have less communication.

We have become long on quantity but less on quality.

These are times of fast foods but slow digestion;

Tall man but short character;

Steep profits, but shallow relationships.

It is a time when there is much in the window but nothing in the room.

XIV Dalai Lama

Definitely worth a ponder!

Anyhoos, I really enjoyed the colour challenge this week and the tangents it has taken me on! Unfortunately you can't see the sewing detail so much from the photo and the colour has come out a bit more orangey than reality...but you get the gist and i promise only yellow was used!

Just as an afterthought ........ i truly don't mean to offend anyone or cause disrespect by doing this painting of the Buddha. It was done with good intentions and that is what I hope is felt.