joy

"joy drinks pure water. she has sat with the dying and attended many births. she denies nothing. she is in love with life, all of it, the sun and the rain and the rainbow. she rides horses at half moon bay under the october moon. she climbs mountains. she sings in the hills. she jumps from the hot spring to the cold stream without hesitation. although joy is spontaneous, she is immensely patient. she does not need to rush. she knows that there are obstacles on every path and that every moment is the perfect moment. she is not concerned with success or failure or how to make things permanent. at times joy is elusive – she seems to disappear even as we approach her. i see her standing on a ridge covered with oak trees, and suddenly the distance between us feels enormous. i am overwhelmed and wonder if the effort to reach her is worth it. yet she waits for us. her desire to walk with us is as great as our longing to accompany her."

-j. ruth gendler - "the book of qualities"

print: "buddha's manifestation of joyfulness"
zhang daqian (chinese, 1899–1983)
hanging scroll; ink and color on bark paper