A stunningly beautiful, full-color book of Buddhist paintings by twentieth-century Japanese artist Iwasaki Tsuneo, interpreted by Buddhist scholar Paula Arai.
PAULA ARAI (Harvard University, Ph.D.) is the Urmila Gopal Singhal Professor in the Religions of India at Louisiana State University. She is the author of Bringing Zen Home- The Healing Heart of Japanese Women's Rituals and Women Living Zen- Japanese Soto Buddhist Nuns.
“Iwasaki Tsuneo’s stunningly beautiful paintings of life and
universe, rendered with lines of masterful miniature calligraphy of
the Heart Sutra, reveal an infinite potential of dynamic
interaction between scientific findings and the timeless wisdom of
Buddhist teaching.”—Kazuaki Tanahashi, author of The Heart Sutra: A
Comprehensive Guide to the Classic of Mahayana Buddhism
“Iwasaki’s luminous calligraphies, set in striking paintings both
traditional and contemporary, are a remarkable gift to meditators,
Buddhists, artists, and scientists of the contemporary age. Paula
Arai is uniquely qualified to bring these paintings to a larger
audience, given her mastery of Japanese language, culture, and
religion, the trust bestowed on her by Iwasaki’s family, and her
own Buddhist practice. Given the universal appeal of the Heart
Sutra and its calligraphy, this book is destined to become a
timeless treasure returned to again and again for its inspiration
and sheer beauty.”—Judith Simmer-Brown, author of Dakini’s Warm
Breath: The Feminine Principle in Tibetan Buddhism
“Japanese calligrapher and painter Iwasaki Tsuneo reveals to us a
wondrous universe suffused with the light of the Buddha’s
enlightenment experience. He does so by embedding the characters of
the Heart Sutra, a famous Mahayana scriptural text, in depictions
of the macrocosmic Big Bang scene, of the microcosmic double helix
in the DNA molecule structure, as well as of ordinary landscapes
and natural scenery. Paula Arai’s magnificent book lays out the
visual imagery and provides a delightfully written and highly
insightful guide to Iwasaki’s art. This is a breathtaking glimpse
of our intimately interconnected universe.”—Ruben L. F. Habito,
Guiding Teacher, Maria Kannon Zen Center and author of Healing
Breath: Zen for Christians and Buddhists in a Wounded World
“We are so fortunate to have the chance to see the truly
awe-inspiring paintings of Iwasaki Tsuneo expressing the wisdom and
compassion of the Heart Sutra. Each painting meets the viewer with
images that unfold the teachings in a deeply moving and healing
way. Dr. Paula Arai demonstrates incredible devotion to the artist
and to seeing that his vision and work be shared as a beneficial
force in the world.”—Linda Ruth Cutts, Senior Dharma Teacher, San
Francisco Zen Center
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