At Paperblanks® we believe that the simple, crucial act of producing books makes us part of a circle in which new realities can be born. Evolving from perception to fact, fact to truth and truth to reality, we experience an expansion of our consciousness. “Who Am I” is the focal question of our Going on Beyond series. We have chosen images and words that honour the intention of reader and writer to move beyond perceived limitations, within and without, into a reality that expresses the joy of interconnectedness. It is in this space of authenticity and openness that we are truly able to go beyond mind.
Inspired by ancient, contemporary and indigenous wisdom practices from various cultures that express the astonishing power and intelligence of the heart, our journals hold a space for transformative experiences. Through expressions of creative insights, sacred knowledge, sentiment and cognition, we invite you to explore the dimension of intuition not bound by time and space, paving the way to joyous living in restful awareness.
For our first Going On Beyond cover we have featured a photograph of the Miroku Bosatsu Hanka Shiyui statue, a National Treasure at Koryu-ji Temple in Kyoto, Japan. Koryu-ji Temple was built in 603 AD when Prince Shotoku presented Hata no Kawakatsu with a statue of the Buddha. This sculpture, also known as Maitreya Bodhisattva, is believed to belong to that period. Carved into red pine with camphorwood embellishment, this exquisite statue is one of the most beautiful hanka-shiyui images.
As revealed on our illustrated endpaper, Maitreya, meaning “the Loving One, the Friend,” sits in stillness as the guardian of the Teachings of the Buddha, as the Buddha “yet to come.” The promise of Maitreya is that, even when the truth of Enlightenment seems forgotten, it is still present, safe within the keeping of Maitreya, until someone looks for it with true eyes and a sincere heart. He is the “going, going, going on” of endless training, always going on beyond, always becoming Buddha. He is a metaphor for Compassion and it is believed that each of us possesses the potential to be Enlightened, revealing an innate Buddha nature during our own lifetimes.
The image gracing our cover comes from a photograph by Kenji Yamazaki, and we have used selected text from RM Koten Benson to tell the story of Miroku.
Get all the details about Going on Beyond Miroku at www.paperblanks.com!
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About Paperblanks®: At Paperblanks®, we believe that art should have a place in all aspects of life. That’s why we follow the artist’s way in everything we do – creating, crafting and releasing designs we believe have the power to touch people. For more about Paperblanks®, go to our website at paperblanks.com.
