“Basically I see Vajrayana as the essential nature of being an artist. Vajrayana explores the sense-fields as the ground of experience and perception.”
“That sounds almost more like science than religion” commented Penelope – with evident interest.
“Yes...in some ways. Maybe...like science and psychology – expressed through poetry and understood though all the Arts.”
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“You don’t have to be famous to wear the laurels of fame” Meryl proclaimed. “You don’t have to be a Paris fashion designer to design clothes – or to wear what you want to wear.”
Claudette—who’d just walked in—opined “The essence of haute couture is the enthusiasm of choice.”
“Quite right” I agreed. Claudette could always turn a nice phrase. “Anyone can be an artist of the streets. You just have to see your apparel as your canvas. Clothing can be the wardrobe of your personal theatre.”
Rebecca nodded decisively “Jean Cocteau said ‘Art produces ugly things which become more beautiful with time. Fashion produces beautiful things which become ugly with time.”
Penelope—sitting in the window framed by strong Winter sun—volunteered “We should all live the Art that we are – otherwise we’re nothing at all.”
“Absolutely” I exclaimed. “We all live in the existential wardrobe department of sartorial vivacity.”
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“You’re quite the bon vivant for a Buddhist” Rebecca observed.
Somehow I often understood these French usages by guess work and so I was able to reply without seeming too gauche “I'm maybe not quite the species of Buddhist you might imagine. I don’t belong to a monastic tradition you see...”
“Ah...that’s...a very welcome idea.”
“Yes...I thought so...” I grinned “...my teachers are all family people...”
“Really...?” Meryl queried. “So...it’s not about austerity and abjuring pleasure?”
“No...especially not pleasure – it’s more geared to maximising pleasure through appreciation of the widest possible spectrum of phenomena – and, encouraging that in everyone and everything everywhere...”
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