Pastel and ink on paper

33 x 44.5 inches (frame)

019

Being able to fly is one of the eight common powers (siddhis) that Tibetan masters acquire as they approach enlightenment. While it takes advanced training to be able to fly, it also takes a certain attainment to be able to see an enlightened being fly. Many of the shamanic traditions, which have much in common with Tibetan Buddhism, also have traditions of being able to fly, which is referred to as “shape-shifting.“ This image was taken from a 19th c. Tibetan painting (thanka).