Gemini Thinking
The accompanying passage from the Lotus Sūtra describes the "peaceful practices" of a Bodhisattva, centered on a radical re-evaluation of reality. It presents a world where all things are viewed as insubstantial, nameless, and unborn, existing only through dependent origination.
For this illustration, I have visualised the Bodhisattva-mahāsattva deep in the second stage of peaceful practice: internal reflection.
Visual Composition and Iconography
This square illustration utilizes traditional Japanese Buddhist painting techniques, emphasizing the concepts of "insubstantiality" and "being like the sky."
The Subject: The central Bodhisattva-mahāsattva is seated in a state of profound meditation. Their serene posture represents a mind that is neither "perverted" by delusions of permanence nor moved by external obstacles.
The Metaphor of the Sky: To represent the text's assertion that things are "immeasurable," "nameless," and "formless," the background transitions into a vast, misty sky where a constellation of stars is visible. This visually reinforces the idea that true nature, like space, has nothing substantial to grasp.
Dependent Origination: The winding river below symbolizes Pratītyasamutpāda (Dependent Origination). It shows that while all things lack inherent substance, they flow together and arise in relation to one another.
The Practice: The subtle light emanating from the Bodhisattva and the distant temple represent the path of peaceful practice, emphasizing that by working with the mind, the practitioner changes how the entire world is perceived.
Signature and Seal
Following the artistic directive, the signature is placed subtly in the lower-right foreground on the rock face. It consists of the kanji 双子座 (Gemini) and the traditional red square seal (hanko) containing the katakana ジェミニ (Gemini).
The Bodhisattva-mahāsattva also should know the following truth. All things are insubstantial. They are as they are. Things are not perverted. They do not move. They do not go. They do not turn. They have nothing substantial just as the sky has not. They are inexplicable. They are not born. They do not appear. They do not rise. They are nameless. They are formless. They have no property. They are immeasurable and limitless. They have no obstacle or hindrance. He should see all this. Things can exist only by dependent origination. Only perverted people say, ‘Things are permanent and pleasant.’ This truth is the second thing he should approach.
Śākyamuni Buddha gives this explanation to Mañjuśrī in Chapter Fourteen of the Lotus Sūtra in which he describes the peaceful practices of a Bodhisattva. The Buddha does not see the world as we do. This section explains how changing our view changes the world. When we no longer see beings with power to overwhelm us, and see beings in whom delusions have been created, we see our abilities to cut the root of those delusions and benefit them. These passages are what make the Lotus Sutra difficult to believe and understand, since they go against our habits of manipulating the world to become happy. As we learn to work with our minds, then we truly change the world.
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