In this painting, Honshin creates 8 Hummingbirds that have a partner/mirror image of themselves across the painting. This is symbolic of “In lak'ech,” which is a Mayan phrase meaning “You are my other self, we are one, I am another yourself.” This phrase gives us an intention for viewing all sentient beings as you would view yourself: with compassion, grace, love, joy, and much more. The added 55 24k gold leaf represents special and enlightened realizations in life, full of peace, wisdom and joy which Honshin calls a “Golden Moment.”

The symbolism of this spiral movement within his painting is an expression of the unseen interconnectedness that all sentient beings have with each other and to nature. The Dancing Brush, which is the spiral movement, shows the flow of living connections we have to all life, all sentient beings, seen or unseen to the human eye.

The hummingbird is a symbol of levity, ascending energy and the divine of gravity and in this way, it is the symbol of the ultimate alchemist in nature. The hummingbird in its state of awakened compassionate activities is represented by the circle that surrounds it, that in its flight it is focused on collecting the love and compassion in every flower’s nectar to share it with all the hearts that need healing. If your heart needs healing, the hummingbird is aspiring to share with you this joy; this is the hummingbird of the healing heart.

The hummingbird represents the aware consciousness that emerges and gathers the nectar of love, compassion, joy, forgiveness and equanimity. As this tiny yet powerful creature collects the nectar of beautiful flowers, it represents the incredible miracle of life in our world. The hummingbird’s intention in collecting this nectar is to share it with all the suffering hearts so that all beings may end suffering. The antidote for suffering is love, compassion, peace and kindness and the flowers represent this love and compassion.