The Universal and the Particular
An exhibition featuring work by: David McDonald, Khang Nguyen, and Jennifer Sirey
Wönzimer Gallery, 341-B South Avenue 17, Los Angeles
November 1 - December 1, 2024
The vision and philosophy of interconnectedness in the Flower Ornament Sutra serve as the basis for this exhibition. The central principle of this text is the fourfold Dharmadhatu (realm of reality).
Of the four aspects of the Dharmadhatu, the first two are the universal and the particular. One can determine their meaning by referring to other terms used to describe them, such as the ultimate and phenomenal, absolute and relative, identity and difference, ontological and ontic, nondual and dual, one and many, etc.
This text does not consider the realization of the nonduality of Being to be the utmost and final objective. This is due to the emphasis on integrating that realization into everyday activities—that is, into the particular, the second aspect of the Dharmadhatu.
That leads to the third aspect of the Dharmadhatu, the interconnection of the universal and the particular. The nonduality of the universal can give rise to particular differences without itself becoming differentiated. Conversely, the individual can find common ground in the universal without itself becoming common. This suggests that these two dimensions are inseparable without being conflated.
The interconnectedness of particular beings constitutes the fourth aspect. From this vantage point, phenomena can be understood as a field of congruous beings rather than adversarial ones.
The audience is invited to view the artwork of David McDonald, Khang Nguyen, and Jennifer Sirey through the prism of the fourfold Dharmadhatu.