Celestial Art
It has been an enchanting time for me exploring the exquisite new book CELESTIAL ART from SUPREME MASTER CHING HAI. It was both a cheerful and tearful journey through the pages of biography, art, and wisdom. SUPREME MASTER CHING HAI says many things that we know in our heart but have not seen expressed elsewhere, from that about our smallest day to day concerns, to issues as monumental as saving our planet. This book is also a confirmation of the reasons SUPREME MASTER CHING HAI would call me and her buddies in my interview with her on my radio program GO VEGAN WITH BOB LINDEN ( GoVeganRadio. com , September 6, 2008 program archive). From the very different backgrounds of the Bronx, New York and Au Lac (Vietnam), we have both concluded that compassion and reverence for all sentient beings are the foundations for living our lives. The message to GO VEGAN, BE GREEN, SAVE THE EARTH AND HELP THOSE IN NEED (humans, and other than humans) is apparent throughout CELESTIAL ART. My favorite pages in the book are 90 and 91 for there is a vision of the interconnectedness of all species and the love we should have for them. Here, also, is proof that she and I are buddies , as she has come to the same conclusion about riding horses that I have. And on the larger scale, she expresses one of the main themes of my radio program, where she reveals HARMING SENTIENT BEINGS INCURS CATASTROPHES . SUPREME MASTER CHING HAI is very insightful about day to day life in the book, addressing ideas related to work, money, what a more ideal world could be - and how to make a good pot of soup. Yes, soup is art too. And it was enlightening to read SUPREME MASTER CHING HAI s observations on art and the artist - from the childlike creative process she recognizes in herself and that the puropse of her artistic talents is to serve other sentient beings, to thoughts on the reasons why artists so often live in poverty and the role of inspiration. It s fascinating - as is her art in the book, whether it be painting, jewelry, or fashion design. Her art is full of life - joyful and cheerful, vibrantly colorful. Sometimes in a world that can seem so ugly in the ways that humans treat themselves and other creatures, we forget that we can and should still beautify it. CELESTIAL ART from SUPREME MASTER CHING HAI does just that. ----BOB LINDEN GoVeganRadio, USAAbsolutely beautiful, profound, uplifting, and inspiring! Celestial Art is an opulent and extraordinary book a remarkable celebration of love and creativity. Collected by the students of renowned Supreme Master Ching Hai as a gift to her, it tells the astonishing story of the creation of Hsihu, a lovely meditation center in the remote mountains of Taiwan. It is filled with practical wisdom from the Master herself, as well as stunning photographs of her artistic creations in architecture, jewelry, fashion, paintings, lamps and interior design. The loving gratefulness of her students is inspiring, and the full-color pages printed with eco-friendly soy ink afford readers a valuable glimpse into the graceful spirit of a versatile artist and a living spiritual master. She is blessing our world with her ceaseless love and compassion for all living beings, and Celestial Art conveys her story through the eyes of her students, through transcripts of her teachings, and through the cascading fountain of her creativity. ----Dr. Will Tuttle, award-winning educator, composer, pianist, and author of The World Peace Diet; cofounder of Karuna Music & Art and the Prayer Circle for Animals