Page 28 - Dark Matter Issue5 Part II

background, and smelling the incense I would light in the Bell Shrine. Interestingly too,

having previously become introduced to many friends who were Buddhists while working

on the Executive Order 9066 work, I learned about the ritual of the Buddhist shrine and

its meaning:

The most basic elements of the obutsudan are

1. The Central Object of Reverence or Worship (Gohonzon). The elephant in this

case.

2. Flowers. Always on the left, representing impermanence.

3. Candle. Always on the right, representing unchanging truth (Dharma). Yes, we see

the candle as a symbol of transience as the burning flame consumes the candle. But the

candle works as a symbol of unchanging truth because the flame persists, even if

transferred to another candle.

4. Incense Offering/Burner. In the middle, in front, as it relates to our spiritual state

in the present moment, as a kind of living synthesis of transience and permanence.

Sometimes our transient life is identified as horizontal time, and unchanging truth as

vertical. Burning incense brings us to the current moment in which we experience the

intersection of horizontal and vertical time.

What are you hoping visitors take away from the show?

That they understand what is happening, not only with elephants, but ALL of wildlife, and

I hope they will consider becoming activists or advocates themselves, and spread the

word that wildlife needs help!