Dream: Reality

In Dream: Reality, we encounter a strange-winged cuckoo inspired by Lord Mahavir’s dream before his enlightenment. The bird’s wings are not just feathers; they are a visual map of Sapta-bhangi, the seven-fold logic of truth.

The wings uses a striking code: white for what exists, black for what does not, and a combination of both black and white for attributes that exist and those that don’t exist. Taking these combinations a step further, the section with many black and white stripes can’t be expressed in a single word, so it’s indescribable. Using the same logic, seven bhanga or combinations can be visualised in this painting. By blending artistic imagination with ancient philosophy, the painting shows that reality can be described in seven distinct ways. It is based on the fact that truth is many-sided and looking at life from one aspect limits our understanding of the world. This complex imagery suggests that dreams are more than just a mental phenomenon; they are symbols that can transform into reality.

As you stand before these wings, consider a single moment in your life where you were certain of a ‘black’ or ‘white’ reality. Pause and look for the ‘stripes’, the other perspectives that you missed because it was too complex to name.