Cosmic
Tiger Buddha
In the lower corner,
Urania, the muse of astronomy, contemplates an astrolabe, a classic astronomical
instrument, with Earth at her shoulder. In some distant celestial region,
Buddha also contemplates, sitting on the lotus pad of the Andromeda galaxy.
Thunderbolts of enlightenment charge the skies with lightning, a still
mysterious phenomenon of the upper atmosphere. The action-charged impulse
in the heavens moves down through the powerful tiger, here representing
the Buddhist concept of “skillful means,” spirit-informed effective
action in the world. The tiger seems to “speak” a red star and
Mars, the assertive red planet. The tiger is crowned by three layers of
lily--red, white and gold. The golden “lily” is a jeweled sea
star. The “pearl beyond price” sits in its center—a reference
to the Bible and to the psycho-spiritual therapy of A.H. Almaas. A supernova
explodes above, like a halo. Heaven and earth are joined in “the
company of stars.”