The purpose of representations is to unify one’s entire life experience⁠.¹
According to Buddhist philosophy, existential unease can also spawn deep transformation.² ⁠

From Buddhist teachings, in the operation of our everyday life, we use the term ‘I’ in a conventional sense. The ‘I’ in a supra mundane sense is understood and experienced as ‘not me, not mine, not myself’ but rather a dependently arisen psycho-physical entity known1as nāma-rūpa. As one of the three characteristics, Anatta (egolessness, non self) is a teaching that rejects the idea of a substantial and permanent “I” which is unchanging.

Sabbāsava Sutta

When we examine the Sabbāsava Sutta, in this sutta, the Buddha explained the six different identity views (personality-belief) (sakkāya-ditthi) that bounds us to samsara. What are these identities views? They are the views that ‘self exists for me’ (1), ‘no self exists for me’ (2), ‘I perceive self with self’(3), ‘I perceive not-self with self’(4), ‘I perceive self with not-self’(5) and ‘It is this self of mine that speaks and feels and experiences here and there the result of good and bad actions; but this self of mine is permanent, everlasting, eternal, not subject to change, and it will endure as long as eternity.’(6). The mind takes the responsibility of observing the process.

The five aggregates

 The five aggregates are bundles of form, feeling, perception, mental-formation and consciousness. They arise with the sense organs and we experience feelings, thoughts, smells, taste, tactile-ness, imaginary etc. when the sense organ consciousness appears to us in the mind once they come into contact with the sense organs. We may cling to these sensations when pleasant, unpleasant or neutral physical and mental feelings arise. However, they arise and fades away. In the sutta, the lump of foam, the five aggregates are described in the simile, ‘a lump of foam’, form as a lump of foam, feeling as a water bubble, perception as a void mirage, mental-formation as a plantain tree and consciousness as jugglery (S.N 22.95)

 Supporting the way we might be able to understand Anatta through linguistic, Steven Collins explained the use of atta where it is often used as part of a compound in English language, where two parts are joined together enforcing the dependency of being. For example “attanuvadda, ‘self-reproach’, remorse’; attavetana, ‘supporting oneself’, ‘earning a living’, attaching, ‘master of himself, ‘independent, free’, khematta, ‘at peace with himself’, ‘tranquil’, rakkhitatta, ‘self-guarded’, ‘prudent’, ‘pahytatta, ‘self-willed’, ‘resolute’.⁠ ³

Among the five aggregates, the mental-formation(sankhāra) main characteristic is the bringing together of two or more mental activities and with intention, brings the mind to attend and engage in the object. Our bodies are subjected to old age, sickness, pain and death. Our visions deteriorate. Sometimes, our mind could even fall sick.  When we are facing death, we have to let go of our body, our identity, our feelings, our loved ones and this beautiful world. Saṃvega and Pasāda are aesthetic qualities in Buddhism that give rise to the experience of personal relevance to the first noble truth and the motivation to embark on the path to liberation. Non-attachment is the awareness of recognising the fixation and being overwhelm by thoughts. Non-attachment increases empathy and kindness.⁴

Saṃvega and Pasāda

Saṃvega is described as an aesthetic, embodied experience⁠⁵ that inspire spiritual urgency. It is also referred to the experience that may be felt in the presence of a work of art, when we are struck by it, as a horse may be struck by a whip” .⁠⁶ A meaningful reorientation when facing the first noble truth. It is also described making the commitment to practice Buddhist meditations where the path towards liberation is generated.⁷ Its the directing of one’s path in life to lead wholesome life upon encountering the ‘suffering/ugly/repulsive’ states in this world. The noble truth of suffering, which the Buddha says comprises not only birth, ageing, illness and death, not only sorrow, grief, pain and misery, but all the ‘five aggregates of clinging’ that make up the ‘self’. Pasāda is being described as confidence (Cūḷasīhanāda Sutta, MN 11), faith, keeping away from despair and inspires beautiful conduct and virtuous deeds. With confidence and joy at the fully enlightened teacher and the teachings that shows the way towards liberation. The teachings of non-clinging, non-attachment and the teachings of the eightfold noble path. Buddha’s teachings is also described as the Dhamma that was taught good in the beginning, good in the middle, and good in the end. (Sāleyyaka Sutta, MN41)

We exist, things exist; the challenge is to make internal life − the mind and feeling − as real as the objects around us. My inspiration is life and the feeling of being that is contained within the vessel of a body.⁸ - Anthony Gormley

Equanimity and the coherent self

The artists art works has given consideration to extension into the greater environment. There is the medium/subject matter in the art works that relates to the world. There is always the space. The space is generally neutral. The space is depicted as different types of spaces. Universe, forest, transcendental space, sky and the land, psychological space. In that space, the coherence and the formation of the self is merge into these spaces. Sometimes, they appear as dots, sometimes, as outlines, as blocks of colors. Sometimes they appear as elements. Sometimes, the face appears and then recedes.

The art works are a mixed variety of methods in their creation. Through mixed medium, digital art, oil on canvas, collages, drawings. Some identifiable symbols we can see are the appearance and disappearance in the feature of bodily forms. We see the morphing of lines and colors. Patterns emerging suggesting the human body in meditation posture almost illuminating. There is also the breaking down of a unified solid form into particles that seek to dissolve infinitely into the cosmos.

In Michael Moreth’s collage, Clothes Pin, the eyes are travelling down the tightrope of awareness. There is the sense of empathy and liberty in Gunzi Holmström’s paintings. As well as care and compassion in Ang Teck Ee paintings.

Equanimity embraces the loved and the unloved, the agreeable and the disagreeable, the pleasure and pain. It eliminates clinging and aversion. Although everything is temporary and dreamlike, with equanimity we nevertheless honour the reality of form.⁹ - Jack Kornfield

References
1 Aesthetic emotions, what are their cognitive functions?, Leonid Perlovsky , doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2014.00098

2 Aesthetic Emotions: The Existential and Soteriological Value of Saṃvega/Pasāda in Early Buddhism, Lisa Liang and Brianna K. Morseth

3 Selfless persons : imagery and thought in Theravāda Buddhism. Steven Collins, page 96. https://archive.org/details/selflesspersonsi0000coll/page/96/mode/2up

4 What Is Nonattachment? How letting go of control can set you free, Richard Whitehead, https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-nonattached-self/201906/what-is-nonattachment

5 Liang and Morseth, Pg 213

6 Liang and Morseth, Pg 218

7 https://youtu.be/7Q_54uQz2RA?t=3000

8 https://frontrunnermagazine.com/posts/on-art-and-meditation-sir-antony-gormley-obe/

9 Bringing home the dharma : awakening right where you are, Kornfield, Jack, Equaminity vesus indifference, page 172