Upon the Lotus Pedestal

#07022     194 X 130 cm     ac     2007

Though originating in India, Buddhism expanded rapidly in the Far East and flourished in China. One of Buddhism’s most central icons is the lotus, according to one scholar:“In esoteric Buddhism, the heart of the beings is like an unopened lotus: when the virtues of Buddha develop therein, the lotus blossoms, that is why the Buddha sits on a lotus bloom.”

Last spring (2007), Dr. Chen and his family visited the vast and poetic pond of lotuses in Beihai Lake, Beijing. There, Dr. Chen suddenly had a vision of a Buddha sitting on the mass of lotus leaves under an illuminated sky, with the Temple of Heaven as a background. He captures that vision in this painting here.

Also, the great-grandfather of Dr. Chen’s wife, Lucia, was a Zen master who went to learn in India and came back to Taiwan in the late 19th century. He built two temples and had hundreds of thousands of followers. His existence came to Dr. Chen’s mind while he was producing the artwork, in memory as well as in dedication.