Celebrate Everything

With Kabir on the Indian Flute
Gallery at 910, Denver, CO Sept. 9, 2007

Seals from left to right: “Smile of the Buddha” “The Great Joy of Cutting Through Illusions” “Love Emptiness”

China ink on xuan paper: 61 cm X 49.5 cm
Scroll: 64 cm X 155.2 cm

Kabir, my old friend from India, who teaches Indian music at Naropa University in Boulder, Colorado, came to play with me at the opening of my exhibition in Denver. Since we both spent years in Pune, India, with our spiritual master, Osho, we thought let’s take one of his key teachings, “Celebrate Everything” to be the theme of our “performance” together.

Kabir began slowing with a raga. I listened and swayed. Then the brushes one after another began to move in a duet with the flute. The painting was complex as the raga was complex. Both took a long time to finish. When it was complete, we both knew it and lay down our instruments.

Before the performance of music and painting began, by intuition, Kabir chose the seal, “Smile of the Buddha.” A young girl among the guests chose the big beautiful antique seal, “The Great Joy of Cutting Through Illusions.” And I chose “Love Emptiness.” All three seal imprints turn out to speak to the theme, “Celebrate Everything!”
When we can celebrate everything, that’s real celebration!