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| [[Category:Fiction]]
| | Sambhogakaya |
| [[Category:Books]]
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| [[File:Truths.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Excerpt in ''The American Theosophist'', May, 1953]]
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| {{DISPLAYTITLE:''Idyll of the White Lotus'' (book)}}
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| John Duncan (1866–1945) was a Scottish symbolist painter, theosophist, and prominent figure in the Celtic Revival movement.
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| == Life ==
| | '''Sambhogakaya''' (devanāgarī: सम्भोगकाय ''saṃbhogakāya'') is a [[Sanskrit]] word meaning "body of enjoyment." In Mahayana Buddhism it is one of the three bodies ([[Trikaya|Trikayas]]) of the [[Buddha]], through which Buddhas and advanced bodhisattvas can manifest themselves in a pure buddha realm. |
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| == Artistic Style and Contributions == | | == In Theosophy == |
| Duncan's work was deeply influenced by Pre-Raphaelite and Art Nouveau aesthetics, often centered on mythological and spiritual themes. His paintings, such as ''Ivory, Apes, and Peacocks'', ''Saint Columba Bidding Farewell to the White Horse'', ''The Riders of the Sidhe'', and ''Tristan and Isolde'', reflect his fascination with Celtic mythology and esoteric symbolism. Duncan was elected to the Royal Scottish Academy—a testament to the high regard in which his art was held—and contributed significantly to the revival of decorative arts in Scotland, aligning with the ideals of William Morris and believing that decorative arts played a vital role in enhancing the spiritual well-being of society.<ref>'''''Notable Theosophists,''''' ''The American Theosophist'', Vol. 83, No. 5, Aug 1995, page 23. Based on "various articles in the Spring 1995 issue of Circles (the magazine of the Theosophical Society in Scotland), devoted to Duncan on the fiftieth anniversary of his death." </ref>
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| == Theosophy and Mysticism ==
| | In [[The Theosophical Glossary (book)|''The Theosophical Glossary'']] Mme. Blavatsky wrote: |
| A committed Theosophist, Duncan joined the Theosophical Society in Edinburgh in 1909 and remained a member for the rest of his life. He was a mystic with the gift of clairaudience and clairvoyance, describing his experiences as hearing fairy bells, pipes, and harps while painting. This kind of “second sight” was common among other artists and poets of the Celtic Revival, including fellow Theosophists W. B. Yeats and George Russell (A.E.).<ref>ibid.</ref>
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| Influenced by Neoplatonism, particularly the writings of Plotinus, Duncan viewed imagination as a gateway to a deeper, more authentic reality. He wrote:
| | <blockquote>Dharmakâya (Sk). Lit., “the glorified spiritual body” called the “Vesture of Bliss”. The third, or highest of the Trikâya (Three Bodies), the attribute developed by every “[[Buddha]]”, i.e., every initiate who has crossed or reached the end of what is called the “fourth Path” (in esotericism the sixth “portal” prior to his entry on the seventh). The highest of the Trikâya, it is the fourth of the Buddhakchêtra, or Buddhic planes of consciousness, represented figuratively in Buddhist asceticism as a robe or vesture of luminous Spirituality.<br> |
| <blockquote>Spirit, soul, and body in a picture are as interfused as they are in a man. It is nonsense to pretend that art has only to do with the material aspects of things or that we can discuss the material aspect of a work of art apart from its spiritual significance.
| | In popular Northern Buddhism these vestures or robes are:<br> |
| The doors of the Mysteries are beset by demons and goblins. Whosoever would enter must have courage to face these monsters.... but if one can force an entrance one comes at last to the Sanctuary of the Highest Beauty.
| | (1) Nirmanakâya (2) Sambhogakâya (3) and Dharmakâya the last being the highest and most sublimated of all, as it places the ascetic on the threshold of [[Nirvāṇa|Nirvâna]].<ref>Helena Petrovna Blavatsky, ''The Theosophical Glossary'' (Krotona, CA: Theosophical Publishing House, 1973), 100.</ref></blockquote> |
| The world we call imagination is the “real” world and the one of the senses an illusory one.... The veils that separate us from this “real” world wear thin, as clouds do, and the starry eternities show through either in momentary flashes or in tranquil beauty.<ref>ibid.</ref></blockquote>
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| == Legacy ==
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| John Duncan's life and work remain emblematic of the Celtic Revival’s synthesis of myth, magic, mysticism, theosophy, popular and hight art, as well as Celtic national idea of both Scotland and Ireland. His art, steeped in spiritual symbolism and decorative elegance, continues to be studied and celebrated for its unique contribution to Scottish cultural history, notably in ''The Paintings of John Duncan, A Scottish Symbolist'' by John Kemplay (1994), which offers a comprehensive study of his artistic vision and enduring influence.<ref>ibid.</ref>
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| Duncan illustrated the collected works of William Sharp (Fiona Macleod), a prominent literary figure of the movement, further cementing his role in the literary and artistic circles of the movement. His paintings—rich with mythological themes and visionary imagery—embodied the Revival’s interest in the magical and the mythic, blending popular and high art with Celtic cultural nationalism and Theosophical thought. His mentor, Patrick Geddes, praised Duncan’s work for its magical and romantic qualities, emphasizing its relevance to modern life and its power to unite idealism with lived experience.<ref>ibid.</ref>
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| == Notes == | | == Notes == |
| | <references/> |
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| <references/>
| | ==Further reading== |
| [[Category:Artist|Idyll of the White Lotus]]
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| == Additional resources ==
| | [[Category:Sanskrit terms]] |
| * '''''The Paintings of John Duncan, A Scottish Symbolist by John Kemplay''''' (San Francisco: Pomegranate Artbooks, 1994).
| | [[Category:Buddhist concepts]] |
| * [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Duncan_(painter) John Duncan (painter)] in Wikipedia
| | [[Category:Theosophical concepts]] |
| | [[Category:Concepts in The Secret Doctrine]] |
| | [[it:Dharmakaya]] |
| | [[ru:Самбхогакаяя]] |
This is a sandbox used for development of new articles and templates.
Sambhogakaya
Sambhogakaya (devanāgarī: सम्भोगकाय saṃbhogakāya) is a Sanskrit word meaning "body of enjoyment." In Mahayana Buddhism it is one of the three bodies (Trikayas) of the Buddha, through which Buddhas and advanced bodhisattvas can manifest themselves in a pure buddha realm.
In Theosophy
In The Theosophical Glossary Mme. Blavatsky wrote:
Dharmakâya (Sk). Lit., “the glorified spiritual body” called the “Vesture of Bliss”. The third, or highest of the Trikâya (Three Bodies), the attribute developed by every “Buddha”, i.e., every initiate who has crossed or reached the end of what is called the “fourth Path” (in esotericism the sixth “portal” prior to his entry on the seventh). The highest of the Trikâya, it is the fourth of the Buddhakchêtra, or Buddhic planes of consciousness, represented figuratively in Buddhist asceticism as a robe or vesture of luminous Spirituality.
In popular Northern Buddhism these vestures or robes are:
(1) Nirmanakâya (2) Sambhogakâya (3) and Dharmakâya the last being the highest and most sublimated of all, as it places the ascetic on the threshold of Nirvâna.[1]
Notes
- ↑ Helena Petrovna Blavatsky, The Theosophical Glossary (Krotona, CA: Theosophical Publishing House, 1973), 100.
Further reading
