Smiling, Compassion; Dancing, Nirvana

This painting is my record, conceived by imagining a Bodhisattva who gazes upon the world with the heart of compassion and dances with the lightness of liberation. Laughter is not a simple expression of emotion. It is the purest light of enlightenment that those who have willingly passed through suffering finally attain.

The Bodhisattva dances while embracing that smile. Having accepted all the suffering and afflictions (bönnoe) of the world, and enveloped all in compassion, his body lightly ascends. The dance in this painting is not merely a gesture of joy. It is the very flow of liberation that blooms at the end of fierce spiritual practice.

The dance itself is a chant (Yeombul), the movement is meditation, and the smile is enlightenment. Through this painting, I earnestly hope that this peaceful smile and vibration spread fully into the hearts of those who view it. Compassion may not be a grandiose thing; it may simply be something that is transmitted from heart to heart, so lightly and beautifully.