{"id":83,"date":"2026-10-28T22:17:28","date_gmt":"2026-10-28T22:17:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/serpentpainting.com\/?page_id=83"},"modified":"2026-10-29T02:48:31","modified_gmt":"2026-10-29T02:48:31","slug":"painting-vital-spirit-2","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/serpentpainting.com\/?page_id=83","title":{"rendered":"Painting Vital Spirit"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<style>.vs-intro{max-width:760px;font-size:21px}.vs-kicker{color:var(--red);font:11px Arial,sans-serif;letter-spacing:2px;text-transform:uppercase}.vs-viewer{margin:35px 0 25px;scroll-margin-top:45px}.vs-frame{margin:0;border:1px solid var(--line);background:#fff}.vs-image{width:100%;height:auto;max-height:65svh;aspect-ratio:4\/3;object-fit:contain;display:block}.vs-controls{display:flex;flex-wrap:wrap;gap:14px;align-items:center;justify-content:space-between;border-block:1px solid var(--line);padding:18px 0}.vs-controls button,.vs-controls select{font:13px Arial,sans-serif;padding:12px 15px;color:var(--ink);border:1px solid #aaa394;background:transparent;cursor:pointer}.vs-controls button:disabled{opacity:.4;cursor:default}.vs-controls button:focus-visible,.vs-controls select:focus-visible,.vs-frame:focus-visible{outline:3px solid var(--red);outline-offset:4px}.vs-status{font:12px Arial,sans-serif}.vs-select{display:flex;align-items:center;gap:10px}.vs-select label{font:12px Arial,sans-serif}.vs-caption{max-width:780px;margin:25px 0 35px}.vs-caption h2{font-size:30px;margin:0 0 12px}.vs-caption p{font-size:19px;line-height:1.7}.vs-utility{font:13px\/1.8 Arial,sans-serif;display:flex;gap:24px;flex-wrap:wrap}.vs-cta{border-top:1px solid var(--line);margin-top:55px;padding-top:35px;max-width:780px}.vs-cta h2{font-size:clamp(32px,4vw,50px)}.vs-help{font:12px\/1.7 Arial,sans-serif;color:#626659}.vs-progress{height:3px;background:#d7d1c4;margin:0 0 20px}.vs-progress span{display:block;background:var(--red);height:100%;width:4.76%;transition:width .15s}.vs-complete{color:var(--red);font-size:21px}@media(max-width:650px){.vs-controls{gap:12px}.vs-select{width:100%}.vs-select select{max-width:100%;flex:1;min-width:0}.vs-caption p{font-size:18px}.vs-intro{font-size:19px}.vs-viewer{margin-top:25px}.vs-utility{gap:12px}}@media(prefers-reduced-motion:reduce){.vs-progress span{transition:none}}<\/style>\n<p class=\"vs-kicker\">A visual journey with Dorje Kirsten<\/p><p class=\"vs-intro\">How does a brushstroke become a living animist presence? What is the core truth of the profound Mahayana teachings of the Buddha expressed in these teachings? Explore the meeting of ink, meditation, and the serpent in this illustrated presentation first given at Humboldt State College in 2008.<\/p>\n<section class=\"vs-viewer\" id=\"vital-spirit-viewer\" aria-label=\"Painting Vital Spirit presentation\" aria-roledescription=\"carousel\">\n<p class=\"vs-help\">21 slides \u00b7 Move at your own pace. Use Next and Previous, or choose a slide. With the painting focused, use the arrow keys, Home, or End.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"vs-frame\" tabindex=\"0\" aria-label=\"Presentation slide. Use arrow keys to move between slides.\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"vs-image\" src=\"https:\/\/serpentpainting.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/vital-spirit-01.jpg\" alt=\"Slide 1: Painting Vital Spirit. The single brushstroke serpent painting.\" width=\"1440\" height=\"1080\" loading=\"eager\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"vs-progress\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><span><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"vs-controls\"><button type=\"button\" data-vs-prev=\"\" disabled=\"\">\u2190 Previous<\/button><span class=\"vs-status\" role=\"status\" aria-live=\"polite\" aria-atomic=\"true\">Slide 1 of 21<\/span><button type=\"button\" data-vs-next=\"\">Begin the journey \u2192<\/button><div class=\"vs-select\"><label for=\"vs-jump\">Explore<\/label><select id=\"vs-jump\" aria-label=\"Choose a presentation slide\"><option value=\"0\">01 \u2014 Painting Vital Spirit<\/option><option value=\"1\">02 \u2014 Attention to nature<\/option><option value=\"2\">03 \u2014 Emptiness<\/option><option value=\"3\">04 \u2014 Form<\/option><option value=\"4\">05 \u2014 The single brushstroke<\/option><option value=\"5\">06 \u2014 Ens\u014d<\/option><option value=\"6\">07 \u2014 The serpent comes alive<\/option><option value=\"7\">08 \u2014 Everything is alive with spirit<\/option><option value=\"8\">09 \u2014 The serpent in human culture<\/option><option value=\"9\">10 \u2014 The serpent in Western imagery<\/option><option value=\"10\">11 \u2014 Kendo Kano<\/option><option value=\"11\">12 \u2014 The materials of the painting<\/option><option value=\"12\">13 \u2014 The serpent as talisman<\/option><option value=\"13\">14 \u2014 Meditation and guardian spirit<\/option><option value=\"14\">15 \u2014 Stories within a single stroke<\/option><option value=\"15\">16 \u2014 The white serpent<\/option><option value=\"16\">17 \u2014 Fluidity<\/option><option value=\"17\">18 \u2014 The serpent\u2019s humor<\/option><option value=\"18\">19 \u2014 Form and emptiness<\/option><option value=\"19\">20 \u2014 Thus form\u2026<\/option><option value=\"20\">21 \u2014 \u2026becomes emptiness<\/option><\/select><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\"vs-caption\"><h2 id=\"vs-slide-title\">Painting Vital Spirit<\/h2><p id=\"vs-slide-text\">The single brushstroke serpent painting.<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"vs-utility\"><a id=\"vs-full-image\" href=\"https:\/\/serpentpainting.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/vital-spirit-01.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Open this slide larger \u2197<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/serpentpainting.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/painting-vital-spirit.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Open the complete presentation as a PDF \u2197<\/a><\/div>\n<noscript><p>Explore all 21 slides in the <a href=\"https:\/\/serpentpainting.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/painting-vital-spirit.pdf\">complete presentation PDF<\/a>.<\/p><\/noscript><\/section>\n<div class=\"vs-cta\"><p class=\"vs-complete\" id=\"vs-finish\" hidden=\"\">You have reached the end of the presentation.<\/p><p class=\"eyebrow\">Bring a serpent painting into your own sacred space<\/p><h2>Let the next brushstroke<br>be yours.<\/h2><p>Commission a new serpent painting by Dorje Kirsten. Choose a vertical or horizontal composition and dimensions up to a 20-inch short side and a 30-inch long side.<\/p><p><strong>$750<\/strong> \u00b7 $25 U.S. shipping \u00b7 Ships within one week<\/p><p><a class=\"button\" href=\"https:\/\/serpentpainting.com\/?product=single-stroke-serpent-painting-custom-commission\">Commission your serpent \u2197<\/a><\/p><p class=\"vs-help\">International collectors: <a href=\"https:\/\/heartastrology.com\/contact\/\">contact Dorje<\/a> before ordering for a shipping quote.<\/p><p><a href=\"https:\/\/serpentpainting.com\/?page_id=40\">Explore more paintings in the gallery \u2197<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n<script>\n(function(){const root=document.getElementById('vital-spirit-viewer');if(!root)return;const slides=[{\"src\": \"https:\/\/serpentpainting.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/vital-spirit-01.jpg\", \"title\": \"Painting Vital Spirit\", \"text\": \"The single brushstroke serpent painting.\"}, {\"src\": \"https:\/\/serpentpainting.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/vital-spirit-02.jpg\", \"title\": \"Attention to nature\", \"text\": \"\u201cPutting one\u2019s eyes and thoughts on Nature is the highest refinement of civilization.\u201d \u2014 Matsuo Bash\u014d (1644\u20131694), as quoted in the original presentation.\"}, {\"src\": \"https:\/\/serpentpainting.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/vital-spirit-03.jpg\", \"title\": \"Emptiness\", \"text\": \"The blank canvas is full of potential. It is undifferentiated and unsoiled by concepts. It is no different than mind, capable of accepting everything, of recording all intentions and experiences.\"}, {\"src\": \"https:\/\/serpentpainting.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/vital-spirit-04.jpg\", \"title\": \"Form\", \"text\": \"Tayatha Gate Gate Para Gate Parasam Gate Bodhi Soha\"}, {\"src\": \"https:\/\/serpentpainting.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/vital-spirit-05.jpg\", \"title\": \"The single brushstroke\", \"text\": \"The single brushstroke is the unity of the two. 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What is the core truth of the profound Mahayana teachings of the Buddha expressed in these teachings? Explore the meeting of ink, meditation, and the serpent in this illustrated presentation first given at Humboldt State College in 2008. 21 slides [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-83","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/serpentpainting.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/83","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/serpentpainting.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/serpentpainting.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/serpentpainting.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/serpentpainting.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=83"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/serpentpainting.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/83\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":89,"href":"https:\/\/serpentpainting.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/83\/revisions\/89"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/serpentpainting.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=83"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}