Watteau

watteau pour nous prouver

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pour nous prouver que cette belle
c. 1717 – 1718
Oil on pine panel with walnut strips
16.1 x 19.9 cm
Made up to, Object size: 18.6 x 23.7 cm
Wallace Collection, London

The verses which accompanied Surugue’s 1719 engraving of the picture explained:

To prove that this beauty
Finds the marriage knot sweet
The painter has shown her faithful
Following the music of her husband.
These children around her
Are the fruits of her tender love
Which this handsome student may well taste one day.

the essence of enlightenment

On the path of seeing there is (1) mindfulness whereby one does not forget the object, the truth; (2) the wisdom of perfect discernment with regard to the object; (3) diligence, delight in virtue, being assiduous in undertaking what is right and avoiding what is wrong in accordance with the path; (4) joy or mental happiness regarding the latter; (5) flexibility, in which mind and body function appropriately; (6) concentration; and (7) evenness, in which the mind enters the natural state, free from the conditions of lack of clarity and wildness. These seven are elements of the path of seeing, the essence of enlightenment. They will make one accumulate or accomplish the positive actions that help one attain nirvana.

from Nagarjuna’s Letter to a Friend

Durga


durga

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Durga as mahish-asura-mardini – Airavateswarar temple – Darasuram

thanks to @dpanikkar

from wikipedia :

Durga (Hindustani pronunciation: [ˈd̪ʊrɡaː]; Sanskrit: दुर्गा), meaning “the inaccessible”[1] or “the invincible”, is the most popular incarnation of Devi and one of the main forms of the Goddess Shakti in the Hindu pantheon. Durga is the original manifested form of Mother Parvati or Adi-Parashakti. Durga is Adi-Parashakti herself. The Devi Gita, declares her to be the greatest Goddess. Thus, she is considered the supreme goddess and primary deity in Shaktism, occupying a place similar to Lord Krishna in Vaishnavism. According to Skanda Purana, the goddess Parvati accounted the name “Durga” after she killed the demon Durgamaasura. Goddess Parvati is considered to be the complete incarnation of Adi Parashakti or Goddess Durga, with all other goddesses being her incarnations or manifestations. Adi Parashakti or Mahadevi, the supreme power, is called Durga Shakti as per Devi-Mahatmya. Adi Parashakti or Devi Durga is a Hindu concept of the Ultimate Shakti or Mahashakti, the ultimate power inherent in all Creation. This is especially prevalent in the Shakta denomination within Hinduism, which worships the Goddess Devi in all her manifestations. She is Goddess Lakshmi and Goddess Saraswati in her mild form; Goddess Kali and Goddess Chandi in her wrathful form. Durga is also called Padmanabha-Sahodari and Narayani, the sister of Lord Vishnu. According to Shaivism and Shaktism She is supreme, but to bring back lord Shiva in Sansar, she was reborn in human form (Sati and Parvati) to marry Shiva. Durga gave birth to his first child Kartikeya.