Deva Padma

Buddha Nature

The theme of meditation has infused much of my art for decades. Watching the mind play out its games, concerns, desires . . . without identifying with any of it, is the key to a newfound freedom. By turning attention inward, withdrawing from the external buzz, and inviting aloneness . . . on a regular basis gently transforms every aspect of life. There is no best time to practice mindfulness, although time spent in nature encourages serenity and reflection. Become acquainted with your inner Buddha by observing thoughts as they arise . . . and as they pass, in a nonjudgmental way. The treasure of our Buddha Nature knows no bad, no good, there is simply awareness that opens like a lotus flower out of the world but is unsullied by it. Pema Chödrön put it so beautifully: "You are the empty sky—the rest is just weather."

Buddha Nature was created as a way to illustrate the beauty of meditation. My hope is that it brings a smile to meditators and attracts newbies to explore meditative practices. ENJOY!

In 1975 Susan Morgan headed to India, with her young daughter, in search of a spiritual teacher. She became a disciple of Osho and was renamed Deva Padma. From that time her art practice and meditation practice have become one. Her love of the natural world often merges with the symbolism and stories of treasured spiritual traditions, particularly that of Buddhism.

In 1998 she moved to Australia and established Embrace Art Studio in North Central Victoria with her stone sculptor husband, Ashika. Their creativity thrives in the diverse environment that surrounds their home in the native bushland there.

Many thousands of people the world over have been touched by her art—whether they knew who made it or not. In the 1990s she created the 79 paintings and commentaries, for the popular Osho Zen Tarot deck and followed that work with the 64 paintings of TAO Oracle: An illuminated new approach to the I Ching for which she authored its accompanying book.

More on Deva Padma’s work can be found on our Links page.