Madame Rimsky Korsakov (1864)

By Franz Xaver Winterhalter (1805-1873 AD), renowned portraitist for royalty of many European courts, a favorite of Queen Victoria.

Prince Humay Meets Princess Humayun

Persian miniature painting on silk (approx. 1430-40 AD, Musee des Arts Decoratifs, Paris)

Depicts the story told in the legendary epic, Humay & Humayun, written by Khwaja Kirmani (1281-1352 AD), which describes the love story between Prince Humay, son of the mythical Iranian hero Hushang (the Haoshanha of the Avesta), for Humayun, Princess of China. This painting, 6 by 8½ in., belongs to the Timurid period of 'Persian art, after the Mongol conquerors, Genghis Khan and Tamerlane, had brought in Chinese influences. But there is no Chinese depth or shading in the picture. The pure red, gold, blue and green robes of the figures, their rouged cheeks and the formalized tree and flowers are all in the Persian style of clear, brilliant, primarily decorative design.

司馬季主論卜

"天道何親？惟德之親。鬼神何靈？因人而靈。夫蓍，枯草也；龜，枯骨也；物也。人，靈於物者也，何不自聽而聽於物乎？且君侯何不思昔者也？有昔者必有今日。是故碎瓦頹垣，昔日之歌樓舞館也；荒榛斷梗，昔日之瓊蕤玉樹也；露蠶風蟬，昔日之鳳笙龍笛也；鬼燐螢火，昔日之金缸華燭也；秋荼春薺，昔日之象白駝峰也；丹楓白荻，昔日之蜀錦齊紈也。昔日之所無，今日有之不為過；昔日之所有，今日無之不為不足。是故一晝一夜，華開者謝；一春一秋，物故者新；激湍之下，必有深潭；高丘之下，必有浚谷。君侯亦知之矣！何以卜為？"

By 劉基 (1311-1375 AD)

Romance of The Western Bower

西廂記 Romance Of The Western Bower By 王實甫 Wang, Shi-Fu (Appr. 1220-1336 AD)


餓眼望將穿，饞口涎空咽，空著我透骨髓相思病染，怎當他臨去秋波那一轉！休道是小生，便是鐵石人也意惹情牽。近庭軒，花柳爭妍，日午當庭塔影圓。春光在眼前，爭奈玉人不見，將一座梵王宮疑是武陵源。(第一本第一折-驚豔)

想著他眉兒淺淺描，臉兒淡淡妝，粉香膩玉搓咽項。翠裙鴛繡金蓮小，紅袖鸞銷玉筍長。不想呵其實強：你撇下半天風韻，我拾得萬種思量。(第一本第二折-借廂)

"月色溶溶夜，花陰寂寂春；如何臨皓魄，不見月中人？"
"蘭閨久寂寞，無事度芳春；料得行吟者，應憐長歎人。"(第一本第三折-酬韻)

我只道這玉天仙離了碧霄，原來是可意種來清醮。我是個多愁多病身，怎當你傾國傾城貌。 (第一本第四折-鬧齋)

The Suffering of Suffering

So, suffering is caused by ignorance, or suffering exaggerated by ignorance or ignorant grasping and clinging to our notion of what we think should be, is what causes the “suffering of suffering.” The suffering itself is not so bad, it’s the resentment against suffering that is the real pain.

- Allen Ginsberg, Tricycle: The Buddhist Review, Vol.II, No.1

Little Red Riding Hood

By Yoshitomo Nara