Another doll today. This one is called a "Bodhi doll". The word "bodhi" is a Buddhist term that is usually translated as "enlightenment" but also means "awakening" and "having insight into reality". The pursuit of bodhicitta -- the "enlightened heart" or "enlightened mind" is a central Buddhist practice. If you ask me, it's a central requirement of being aware in any spiritual or psychological practice.The skeleton leaves are from the bodhi tree, a type of oriental fig tree that is often planted in Buddhist monasteries.
I've always felt an affinity to Buddhism, as have most of the people who were important to me in my adult life. So, while I wouldn't claim to be a Buddhist, my appreciation of Buddhist teachings reaches deep.
I'll be working more on this doll and others like it. I'll also be working on some kind of container or "shrine" in which the doll and a journal can be placed.
Two glossaries of Buddhist terms:
http://villa.lakes.com/cdpatton/Dharma/Canon/glossary.html
http://www.bodhipath-west.org/glossary.htm
2 comments:
A wonderful and interesting old gentleman asked me what I was reading a few years ago, and, when learning it was a book about Buddhism, told me: "You certainly can't go wrong with Buddhism!"
Amen!
Really lovely doll, - where do you get the faces ????
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