lady of pazardzhik

2007 "LADY of PAZARDZHIK" pencil study for sculpture


I sit.
I wait.
I pray.
I listen in silence.
I breathe in gratitude.
I feel the moon blessing me, bestowing fertility.

excerpt from “The Goddess Speaks”, a manuscript in progress

originally published in 2007

beacon of peace

2007 Untitled mixed media study

Oh Enlightened Buddha
Fill me with your light today
Steer me away from the darkness of anger
Oh Enlightened Buddha
Help me be a beacon of peace today
With only love and light coming my way
Om Shanthi, Shanthi, Shanthi...



a prayer that came to me after my yoga practice this morning
originally published in 2007

swim in dreams

detail from my desk
I swim in dreams of blue
turquoise everywhere
today I will paint
after I stretch
after I pray
after I meditate
I swim in dreams of blue
turquoise and you

sacred simple stillness

2007 Untitled mixed media
i sit in silence
for those who don’t

i sit in silence
for those who can’t

i sit in silence
for those who won’t

i sit in silence
for My Self

i sit in peace
i sit in love
i sit in light



i sit in sacred simple stillness

originally published in January 2007

petals into words

2007 Untitled mixed media sculpture detail study


she dreams in roses

pouring petals

into words

angels up above

dancing round

full of love

originally published in January 2007

la sevillana

2007 "SEVILLANA" mixed media























llevaba una mantilla negra de encaje

una flor roja en el corazon

sus ojos verdes llenos de esperanza...

...la sevillana...OLÉ !

excerpt from a short story written 2 years ago

play

playthings selected by baby
baby wants to play all day

when do you play?

I am learning to play all day...even while I do dishes and laundry...

mirror mirror

study for illustration
mirror, mirror on the wall
who is the fairest of them all?

mirror mirror on the wall
who is the thinnest of them all?

mirror mirror on the wall
who is the youngest of them all?

looks, weight, age
competition
fear

LIFE is TOO PRECIOUS for such NON-SENSE

morning of song & dance

detail from mixed media 2009
a morning of song & dance
a morning of laughter & joy

Ese lunar que tienes,
Cielito lindo, junto a la boca,
No se lo des a nadie,
Cielito lindo, que a mí me toca.
Ay, ay, ay, ay,
Canta y no llores,
Porque cantando se alegran,
Cielito lindo, los corazones.

- Quirino Mendoza y Cortés (c. 1859–1957)

a morning of gratitude
good morning

your mountain

detail from "VOLCAN" solid sterling silver

Today is your day! Your mountain is waiting. So... get on your way.
- Dr. Seuss (1904-1991)

your mountain is waiting

deeds with love

detail from 2009 mixed media in private collection
Without love, deeds, even the most brilliant, count as nothing.

- Saint Thérèse of Lisieux (1873-1897)

Papa-Coco

mixed media 2007
nací siendo la primera nieta de
Antioco Sacasa Sarria
mi bello Papa-Coco de ojos azules

Papa-Coco quien me contaba cuentos
historias reales
leyendas maravillosas
con guitarra y voz dulce

Papa-Coco siento su mirada en cielos celestes
Papa-Coco escucho sus consejos con amor,
ya que siempre nos encontramos en mis sueños

originally published 2 years ago today

Beloved Grand Father,
How I wish you were still walking this planet, holding my son's hand.
Although, I am certain you are already great friends.
Mi Papa-Coco de mis sueños...

waves

detail from mixed media, 2007

The whole world is an ocean filled with waves. Learn to float on them and don't get caught in them. Equanimity, or balance, is Yoga. Learn to balance yourself - then you will enjoy everything.

- Sri Swami Satchidananda (1914-2002)

do not get caught in the waves

especially other people's energetic waves

float above

surf on top

do not get caught in the waves

just smile

detail from a sterling candy dish which inspires me

If we are peaceful, if we are happy, we can smile and blossom like a flower, and everyone in our family, our entire society, will benefit from our peace.

- Thich Nhat Hanh

smile today and blossom
life is too short to carry around low energies that weigh us down
just smile
feel the sunshine on your face
breathe in the moment

goddess with turquoise

study for sculpture


She looked up at me with her turquoise eyes and smiled,

CREATE what is in your HEART
WRITING will set you APART
FLY...FLY...

and the goddess disappeared...

excerpt from a dream

whispers of the gods

self-portrait of mixed media
Let us be silent that we may hear the whispers of the gods.

- Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882)

...the whispers of the gods...
ancestors whisper words of wisdom
Grand Parents whisper through the light
dreams filled with whispers every night

Woodstock - 40 years ago

beloved Gurudev with me, circa 1973
On August 15th, 1969, exactly 40 years ago today, His Holiness Sri Swami Satchidananda opened up the Woodstock Music Festival:

My Beloved Brothers and Sisters:

I am overwhelmed with joy to see the entire youth of America gathered here in the name of the fine art of music. In fact, through the music, we can work wonders. Music is a celestial sound and it is the sound that controls the whole universe, not atomic vibrations. Sound energy, sound power, is much, much greater than any other power in this world. And, one thing I would very much wish you all to remember is that with sound, we can make—and at the same time, break. Even in the war-field, to make the tender heart an animal, sound is used. Without that war band, that terrific sound, man will not become animal to kill his own brethren. So, that proves that you can break with sound, and if we care, we can make also.

So I am very happy to see that we are all here gathered to create some sounds—to find that peace and joy through the celestial music. And I am really very much honored for having been given this opportunity of opening this great, great music Festival. I should have come a little earlier to do that job, but as you all know, thousands of brothers and sisters are on the way and it’s not that easy to reach here.

America leads the whole world in several ways. Very recently, when I was in the East, the grandson of Mahatma Gandhi met me and asked me what’s happening in America. and I said, “America is becoming a whole. America is helping everybody in the material field, but the time has come for America to help the whole world with spirituality also.” And, that’s why from the length and breadth, we see people—thousands of people, yoga-minded, spiritual-minded. The whole of last month I was in Hawaii and I was on the West Coast and witnessed it again.

So, let all our actions, and all our arts, express Yoga. Through that sacred art of music, let us find peace that will pervade all over the globe. Often we hear groups of people shouting, “Fight for Peace.” I still don’t understand how they are going to fight and then find peace. Therefore, let us not fight for peace, but let us find peace within ourselves first.

And the future of the whole world is in your hands. You can make or break. But, you are really here to make the world and not to break it. I am seeing it. There is a dynamic manpower here. The hearts are meeting. Just yesterday I was in Princeton, at Stony Brook in a monastery, where about two hundred or three hundred Catholic monks and nuns met and they asked me to talk to them under the heading of “East and West—One Heart.” Here, I really wonder whether I am in the East or West. If these pictures or the films are going to be shown in India, they would certainly never believe that this is taken in America. For here, the East has come into the West. And with all my heart, I wish a great, great success in this music Festival to pave the way for many more festivals in many other parts of this country.

But the entire success is in your hands, not in the hands of a few organizers. Naturally, they have come forward to do some job. I have met them. I admire them. But still, in your hands, the success lies. The entire world is going to watch this. The entire world is going to know that what the American youth can do to the humanity. So, every one of you should be responsible for the success of this Festival.

And, before I conclude my talk, I would like you all to join me and our group here in repeating a very simple chant. As I was reminding you of the sound power, there are certain mystical sounds which the Sanskrit terminology says are the bijakshara, or the “seed words.” We are going to use three seed words, or the mystic words, to formulate the chants. And if you all join wholeheartedly, after the chant we are going to have at least one whole minute of absolute silence. Not even the cameras will click at that time. And in that silent period, that one minute of silence, you are going to feel the great, great power of that sound and the wonderful peace that it can bring in you and into the whole world. Let us have a sample of that now. The words will be: “Hari” is one word. “Om” is another word. The first chant will have these two words, “Hari Om Hari Om, Hari Hari Hari Om.” The second line will be “Hari Om, Hari Om, Hari Hari Om.”

There will be another chant afterwards: just one word, “Ram.” We’ll be repeating: “Rama Rama Rama Rama Rama Rama Rama Ram.” It’s a sample. It’s very easy to follow with everybody and we’ll have a gentle clapping also. So, now we’ll begin in a slow rhythm and gradually build it up. Now I will request all of my friends to join me. We will repeat the line once, then allow you to follow. (The entire festival then chanted the “Hari Om” chant together.)

Thank you all very much. And once again let me express my sincere wish and prayers for the success and peace of this celebration. Thank you.

- Sri Swami Satchidananda (1914-2002)

OM, Shanti...

ojo

my eye, detail from recent photograph
ojo de mujer
que ves ?
a quien lloras ?

ojo de mujer
durmiendo
soñando

ojo de mujer
deja la luz entrar
-- es hora de despertar

ojo de mujer
pintado o desnudo
mirate en el espejo – y dime, de que color eres ?

originally published in 2007

underneath the wrinkles

salvaged rose petals to be used in mixed media
I was about to throw away the old roses. It had been almost two weeks and they had dried up, becoming shriveled and no longer emanating any fragrance. And then I noticed that hidden underneath the wrinkles, existed the most magnificent colors....glorious colors not found in fresh buds...

this morning

behind the waterfall

The jewel-encrusted cave led her to an enormous drape of flowing water. Behind the luminescent waterfall curtain she discovered another world...a world where butterflies spoke and angels painted...a dream where the ocean sang and the moon danced...

excerpt from a dream-story originally published in May 2007