Buddha beyond time

New Delhi March 21 (IANS) The teachings of Buddha have certainly gained more relevance in the contemporary world. To highlight the importance of the sage s lessons an ongoing art exhibition places him in the 21st century.

The exhibition titled Finding Buddha is on at Convention Foyer Indian Habitat Center here till March 24. The Solo painting exhibition will be hosted by Atul Todi. Buddha means the awakened one...someone who has woken up from the sleep of ignorance. This awakening happens with the recognition of one s source of happiness Todi said. For generations Buddha s paintings have shown him as a symbol of meditation. They do not imbibe the true message of Buddha or connect with today s generation he said. He further said that the exhibition reflects the philosophy that Buddha is in everything that makes one happy. It has no fixed time geographical boundaries or defined monetary value. Buddha can be a moment in the rain or a sip of a freshly brewed coffee. He is in anything that awakens our mind and allows us to be in-tune with our inner self Todi said. One of the paintings at the show depicts Buddha as playing guitar. Another one shows him on a scooter. He has been shown as an astronaut in one of the works. The commonality between them all is his meditation posture emphasising the importance of peace and stillness. The show focuses Siddhartha Gautama as a meditator and the one who preached that to attain a state without suffering (Nirvana) one must eliminate all craving from their life. --IANS mg/vm