Converge: A scarf story

My fascination for Buddhism is fueled by my birthplace in India, close to the site where Buddha attained “Nirvana”.

The “Converge” scarf is a narrative on Buddha attaining “Nirvana”- defined by his holiness the Dalai Lama as “state beyond sorrows,” or a “state of freedom from cyclic existence.”

The story goes that Buddha achieved this state under the Bodhi tree in Gaya, India.

Shown in the middle of the painting is the same tree separating “Gautama” as he was previously known, from the “Buddha” or the enlightened one.

I was fortunate to visit the site a few years ago and saw the Bodhi tree in person. While the original tree died several years ago, clipping from the mother tree were taken and transplanted through India and Sri Lanka. The oldest living sapling from the original is in Sri Lanka in Anuradhapura ( planted in 288 BC) and is the oldest living planted tree in the world.

The hand gesture signifies discord and is thus on the side before Buddha’s enlightenment. You can learn more about the hand gestures or “Mudras” here.

Seen in the silk scarf above ,translated from the painting at the very edge, is the “lotus” rising and blooming above the murky waters to achieve enlightenment.

Various colors of the lotus signify different things, the pink in particular relates to the story of the Buddha.

Hope you enjoyed the journey behind this particular scarf. For the month of October it is available as a special offer here

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