ALL FUTURES THAT COULD POSSIBLY BE (2007)

Single channel video, 2007

Eighty-nine year old Richard Snibbe reads an excerpt from Samantabadra’s King of Prayers.

Excerpt from The Great King of Prayers

In every atom are Buddha-fields numberless as atoms,
Each field is filled with Buddhas beyond conception,
And each Buddha is surrounded by myriad bodhisattvas:
To all these dwellers in sublime ways I turn my attention.

Thus, all atoms within the directions
Abide within the space of a single hair;
An ocean of Buddhas in an ocean of buddha-fields
Performing enlightened activities for an ocean of eons.

Each Buddha, with perfected speech, releases
An ocean of sounds with every word he says
To satisfy the infinitely diverse tendencies of beings:
Thus does the speech of a Buddha constantly flow.

All these conquerors past, present, and future
Continually turn the methods of Dharma wheels;
With all the powers of my mind I listen
For the inexhaustible sound of their words.

All future eons that could possibly be,
Manifest within me in a single instant;
And I myself, in a fraction of a moment
Enter into all these eons of the three times.

Excerpted from The Extraordinary Aspiration of the Practice of Samantabhadra, also known as The King of Prayers,from the Gandavyuha chapter of the Avatamsaka Sutra (translated by Jinamitra, Surendrabodhi and Yeshes-sde circa 900 c.e.). Translated by Jesse Fenton 2002, Seattle, Washington by request of her teacher, Venerable Thubten Chodron.

SHOWINGS

Telic Gallery, Los Angeles, 2007