This is a contemporary painting about Buddha under a bodhi tree and the moment he realized the secret to life itself which he simplified and gave sermons called the four noble truths. More than 2500 years ago he said “I teach suffering, its origin, cessation and path. That’s all I teach”,

I have painted it with Acrylic on gessoed 20 X16 inch wood board. Before I started on the painting I have been reading a lot on Buddha and Buddhism lately and felt so much of my thinking in tune with it and a desire to keep learning buddhism. His teachings are of how to be happy at all times in spite of what is thrown in our life journey’s path. So far I have not read of Buddha talking of God, nor a supreme being handing out judgements, nor talks of rituals to appease the Gods.

In my painting I have written the four noble truths in English though they are Pali and Sanskrit words. The words at the edges of the leaves are :

Dukka Sorrow. Everyone in life will face sorrow.

Samudaya. Root of sorrow is Desire (Tanha) caused by greed, hate and ignorance or delusion.

Nirodha Cessation or ending of Suffering.

Magga Path leading to ending suffering. This is the Eight fold path – Wheel of the Dharma.

I thought of what he might have looked like as he was 35 years old when he got enlightened or attained Nirvana. He was a prince from Lumbini in Nepal close to India and gave his sermons in india. He probably had a mixture of Indian and Asian features and a mid complexion between Asian and the tanned Indian complexion. He has never been shown with any beard or mustache. He probably never had facial hair.. He is supposed to have cut his hair at the banks of a river and as it grew back, it grew as curls attached as clumps to his head. There is also a story of 108 snails covering his shaven head while he was meditating, to keep it moist, while the sun was beating down on his head. They sacrificed their lives to protect the buddha.. I decided that he probably had black hair that was thick and curly which stuck to his head in tight curls in front and his curly hair longer in the back was tied to a bun at top as shown in some of the statues. As per some statues of him he had long ear lobes due to the fact that he was a prince once and wore heavy earrings which dragged the ear lobes. So I visualized him with the longer ear lobes and a very peaceful demeanor.