At the time after I have been back from Shangrila to Beijing, when I was escaping from the clamor of bustling city and sitting quietly in my studio to get prepare to paint, my auricle resounded with sounds of the wind on the icy highland, the unresting surge of the river, and the scream of eagle when it flied across the sky. The uproarious noise and prosperity outside the window seemed separated and unrelated to me.

The horizon saw from my heart was the chain of ridges and lofty mountains. There were thousands of waves running and overturning on the azure river. At a tranquil backflow a wild musical movement was played.Tibetan chanted “Om mani padme hum”(the six syllabled mantra of the bodhisattva) of Guanyin Bodhisattva in high and long tune, which penetrated the vast iced land. The long lyrical and resonating rhythm, sounded like the blessing of the benevolent mother, filling between the blue sky, the white tower and the five-colour flag. I wholeheartedly long for the beautiful but distant sky.

Every time the faraway sound lifted my heart and led me flying back to the garden which obsessed my soul and tethered my dream. I have been already awakened several times by the sounds of nature in the Tibetan iced land, whilst the loud of conch and the deep of bugle weaved together. And, coiled smoke of juniper incense rose in the valley. The magnificent of the iced boundary was similar to the juniper incense burned by myself at the foot of the sacred mountain. Such a familiar and intimate feeling just made it unforgettable...

Maybe there was a kind of invisible energy that was inborn in myself and designated me. Maybe, all I wanted to do were arranged by this energy.

The ten years of my “artist” life in the city somehow fainted. My spirit and vitality were blank under the strike of naked materialistic desire. In that year, SARS thrust greatly to the lives of the city. I escaped to the Yunnan and Tibet..

It was just for releasing my mood, for discovery and for the prompt of dreams. Who knew that I would build up the linkage with this wonderful land.

After that, I have been a several times again to the northwest of Dian(Yunnan Province) and Tibet to explore the art and culture of Buddhism. And, several times of landslide and mud-rock flow made me brushed against the god of death. When I was standing on the edge of the cliff, I was shuddered by the torrent of river. However, the energy of life miraculously escaped from the threat.

I have been asking myself so many times, ”Where will life go ? What is my relationship with this piece of land? Where is the source of my soul, which I have the passion and seek for? Here I find the peace and calm in my soul, which also complete the stage of my art which I have been pursuing for years.”

After I went deep into Tibet and made friends with Tulku(Living Buddha) and Lama, I wonderfully found the erudite and profound of Vajrayana(a complex system of Buddhism thought and practice). While extricating the soul, it was worldly and ingenious. I was also known of the Pancavidya: five classes of knowledge. Among them, the science of fine arts and crafts, which includes a wide perspective of arts: sculpture, painting, architecture ect, is the higher state of Buddhist Art that transforms the spirit into soul. But until now, not so many people know the secret of it. Therefore, many of the success ascetics through the ages are concurrently great poets, literati, philosophers and artists.

Now I finally understood why I came here for so many times. The places where my footsteps and gazes fell on were not only about the blue sky, white clouds and the green grasses in here but also the white temples and towers, the juniper incense, sonorous songs and unconstrained dances. Here was the place to console and extricate my soul, even more fulfill the aspiring state of art which I have been seeking for years.

As well as one rinpoche(high level and honorable Lama) said I have the affinity of old with Tibet, so I stayed, to stay in this cause for a perfect combination of life and art realm, in accordance with the ordinary buddhist works and is predestined friends the human to share the joy of the heart.

                                                                                                                                                                                                    By Sun Guangyi

                                                                                                                                                                                                 10.2003 in Beijing