A different light
Oil on canvas, 50x 50m 2014 Provenence South of France ©kayhare
‘Lights home’ is a small oil on canvas, the first painting when I lived in Cap Martin in the South of France. I was excited by the light and the climate was inspiring. It is part of the ongoing theme of ‘dream landscapes.’ At the time, I was reading the Dalai Lama and other related books on spiritual awareness. One of the central beliefs of an awakened soul is the acknowledgment that death is a transitional phase. ‘The Tibetan book of the dead‘ by the Dalai Lama gives a beautiful translation of an ancient script and guidance on Tibetan Buddhism that shares the belief of life after death.
None of us die; we merely expand into another dimension of being, another journey which is awaiting us. Death in many cultures is seen as a celebration, moving on to the next stage of an individual’s soul. Tibet is mentioned frequently in the studies and writings of the mystical and eternal. Many accounts document the lives of people who have had a near-death experience. At the point of death, most have suggested they encountered beautiful lights or ethereal atmospheres.
‘Lights home’ is my visual translation of these journeys.
The more I understand death and life, the more it seems logical to attach myself to the many cultures that believe there are other dimensions in this life. The soul leaves the body at the right time to develop through natural death, an accident, or a sickness. Some claim they know when they are going to die and indeed plan the date and time. The body is a vessel for the soul in this lifetime. When the soul has served its purpose in this dimension, it leaves the body, swinging into another sphere of existence. It is only the body that ‘dies’. What the next environment will be like is only understood by some who have trained their minds through meditation. They have reached a stage of enlightenment that can see beyond this life and into the next. What shape or form the soul will take depends on the journey and lessons learned from this life?
Karma is the term described that relates to your past and current actions; this builds to create energy. If a person has good karma, he or she will be gentle, kind, and harbor thoughts that are of benefit to humankind. They will regard the planet as a healing platform to help others and strive to be a supportive friend to plants, animals, and other souls they meet on this short journey. When you help others, you are indeed helping yourself. Evil or bad intentions are recorded. Negative karma returns at some point when the owner can understand and grow from their harmful actions. Several lifetimes may be acknowledged, to embrace the mindset that what you do to others will be done to you.
I believe as we draw our last breath, we escape this world and elevate into a higher existence of being. Once grasped, the eternal concept is realized, making our lives much more meaningful, dissolving the fear of death and the trappings of completion and competition. We are here to learn from our mistakes and heal. This process is different for everyone. We are all on different levels of awareness with different lessons to be learned, which is also part of the soul’s development.