Peace Amid Peril

In this time of uncertainty and social distancing, a work of art from the Crow Museum’s collection that is particularly meaningful to me right now is an 18th century jade carving of a luohan in a grotto.  A luohan (or arhat in Sanskrit) is the Chinese term for an enlightened Buddhist sage or historical disciple of the Buddha, who stays in this world to protect the law of the Buddha until the coming of Maitreya, the Buddha of the future. Here the luohan is portrayed as a reclusive monk seated comfortably in a cave studying Buddhist scriptures, with slippers by their feet and what appears to be a hot cauldron by their side, alone in the mountains. While today we are living in anxious isolation and quarantine as we wait for the future, this work reminds us to use this time to cultivate our inner strength and clarity of mind, so that we may apply and channel our collective strength for the greater good of our communities, our city, and for all of humanity. I hope that everyone can find hope, inspiration, understanding and comfort through the beauty and wonder of art, and the shared cultural histories of the world.

This also appeared online as part of “Art and the City: These curated works from Dallas museums help restore balance, provide compassion” in the Visual Arts section of The Dallas Morning News, April 22, 2020 (link)