Why would an artist place a diamond into paintings and landscapes? If the landscapes reveal the living, sacred earth, what hidden aspect would a diamond convey?
When the Buddha realized Enlightenment, how did he know it? Legend tells us that this question was asked of him and he answered by pointing to the earth upon which he sat-the Earth was witness to the momement of realization. The flash of realization, like the reflection of a diamond, is not reached in stages or steps. Realization is sudden, the infinite is perceptable.
James Simon MISHIBINIJIMA transcends all duality-and decends into the vital center of consciousness-to the very experience of ultimate reality. What is the experience of infinity? What is ultimate reality perceived when a human being experiences union with the infinite? What does the point of contact to ultimate reality look like? What tradition within an ancient culture provides the language to communication such knowledge? Whats does the artist see when he sees the union of the infinite source to the infinite earth, and to himself?
The light of sudden, ultimate realization is beyond thought and feeling. Alan W. Watts introducted Western consciousness to this experience when he wrote of Oriental Metaphysics in his 1957 publication The Supreme Identity. (Noonday Press, NY, Sixth printing, 1966). Watts defines metaphysic as the " immediate realization of ultimate reality which is the ground and cause of the universe, and thus the principle and meaning of human life... " (p.18)
The introduction of eastern philosophy is much closer to the spiritual consciousness of the Anishinabe culture, which may be the reason that westerners have been unable to recognize that the native people had a religion or culture at all.
Watts writes "in this realm religious and theological distinctions are transcended, not annihilated... difficult and dark from excess of light as this realm may be....it is here that man actually realizes his ultimate meaning and destiny. If only relativety few ever reach this point at any one time, they anchor the rest of us to eternal sanity." (p.14).
Within this realm Mishibinijima places the experience of reality into the perception of reality-by placing a Diamond into a landscape. The perception is the experience-the shamanic experience and shamanic perception are revealed simultaneously, in the realm of timelessness in which they occur. How could he reveal this experience more completely, or more beautifully?
Knowledge of the infinite is rare but universal. The infinite, like art, speaks a universal language. tThe Anishinabe culture-very much alive-is oriented to the cosmological. It's unity, harmony, and balance is deliberate: "related to the ultimate meaning and nature of the universe. Man... is seen as a microcosm inseparably bound up with the macrocosm...." as Watts describes traditional cultures. ( p. 28)
Watts goes on to say " Societies of this kind have already existed... there are the best reasons for saying that such societies are far more stable and significant than our own. By " significant" we mean that they are related to universals. In the highest sense, that is significant which is related to the universal and eternal, which find it's true in the fullness of Infinate Being. "
James Simon MISHIBINIJIMA reveals this consciousness in his paintings and extends the experience of this consciousness in "The Diamond Series". The diamond is placed in the position that a dot inside an ancient Anishinabe pictograph is placed, to signify Gitchi Manitou-the Great Spirit.
The dot may be described as Watts describes it: " Many of the terms for the infinite employed in the various metaphysical traditions signify nothing so much as pure consciousness-the Self, the Light , Universal Mind...and even the Void...,which in Mahayana Buddhism denotes not so much mere emptiness as an absolute clarity and transparency. (p.57)
The Diamond , placed in this way, reveals the consciousness to see the Earth as sacred and alive. This orientation to the infinite in Anishinabe spiritual culture is the orientation and consciousness of James Simon MISHIBINIJIMA.
Mishibinijima and E.C.Lewis Copyright 2008
1. On Sacred Ground: My name is James. A. Simon MISHIBINIJIMA, a North American Native, and Artist for the last forty-one years.
2. Twin Towers: We as man do terrible things to Mother Earth and the people on it. I was affected deeply by this terrible tragedy and this is my way to express the healing that's needed internationally. Twin Towers was a place of dreams for all people, a place where innocence was taken without a true cause. Many dreamers walked with many footsteps that echoed through the halls from early morning to dusk. We as people need to show the international community that " this is special ground of memorial" that this teaching will never happen again and planted deep in the minds of our children because these people are our future plan makers for all. Many hearts and souls will walk in spirit and many will roam the endless time thinking why they left so early, people need to visit this special place to offer sacred prayers and show them, you didn't die in vain. These people who left so early were teachers teaching us, man needs to know his limitations, this is very wrong and should never happen again.
3. The Silent Warrior: The Silent Warrior is a person who stands alone after the faithful September morning, all the person has are memories of seeds to go on living for the future and the fragrance of his or her loved one that left for the spirit world so early. We all started against harsh cold winds that swirl around us and just inner love will shelter us from sad moments of burden. We as man need to stand shoulder to shoulder and thought to thought so that this never happens again in hurting people, healing will take on life for generations to come. Feel and see with our hearts and take notice what people has to offer, all people and dreams are special because dreams are the seeds of tomorrow. When hugging a family member or a friend, place that treasured memory in your heart and carry that warm memory for everyone and only then, everyone and everything will be equal around you.
4. Story Time in Mackinaw: This teaching began with the 9-11 tragedy in New York City, the Great Spirit offered me this message to share to all. Children from all over the world saw what happened in New York through television and we need to offer our children good understanding that," it's not right in hurting people." We need to listen to their dreams because the Dream Spirit in them also speaks loud. The WOLF is the guardian that looks over everything to guide us when we're not looking. Always pray for the guarding eyes to be on our loved ones.
5. DREAMERS COVE: Dreamers Cove is the location I used to explain another aspect of the 9-11 tragedy. The images I receive are gifts from the Great Spirit and these images need to escape toward other people's minds and from there, towards the future. I used a woman in the painting to explain what is happening to each spouse that left for those buildings on that fateful day. One left and did not return, and the person who survuved by staying home still wait for her mate to return. On this painting we see eggs, the children or the children they would've have had. The Tree of Life is explain as revealing the paths that the couple's planned for in their lives. The house of huts are mentioned because, that is where the couple's peace of mind began. The woman in this paintings is wearing the spouse's clothes because the memory of smell is all she has now and wouldn't dare to throw away his medicine bag. ( property). We all need to know of this awful tragedy and use it as a lesson for the future. Teach our Children and generations to come, it's bad to hurt people of any any race. We all need to walk in balance and understanding our neighbours. As we build taller fences, we build stronger enemies. The balance of existing is off balance. Memories good and bad should teach us a lesson, start thinking as much about why things like this happen, not just about what happened. ( Mishibinijima and Mishwriter: Ms. M. Maracle - Copyright 2010).
