Bardo Series 2007

In Tibetan Buddhism, the term bardo refers to the intermediate state between life and death. It is a period of great opportunity offering the potential for awakened consciousness, liberation, or enlightenment. In the Eastern concepts of reincarnation, it is a passage of the soul between one life and the next. There are stages in the bardo transition in which the individual's soul, especially at the moment of death, has the opportunity to experience the essential nature of the mind without its delusions. Tibetan Buddhist bardo concepts are very complex and involved with detailed explanations of the various stages in the life-death-life transitions. Colors, light, and other complex symbols play guiding roles. More explanation of the bardos can be found in The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying by Sogyal Rinpoche (HarperSanFrancisco, 1993).

These Bardo Series continue my interest in exploring energy states and were catalyzed by the deaths of close relationships in the Spring of 2007, including my first experience of and Indian open-air, cremation which lasted fours hours. Meditating during this time on the impermanence of our lives and the ultimate reality of death stimulated these images.

    Bardo Paintings
    Bardo Portraits
    Bardo Studies