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your avatar & its meaning

jacxjacx
edited December 2008 in General Banter
I notice Federica's changed her avatar again, to some kind of embroidery-ish thing, I'm trying to puzzle out whether it's just pretty or has some symbolic meaning. And Brian's avatar looks nothing at all like his photo on the Picture thread!

So I'm curious, why did y'all choose the avatars you did? What's significant to you about that particular image?

My own avatar is of a jackalope. I recently did a study of the Platform Sutra of the Sixth Patriarch, which contains the couplet:

To search for Bodhi apart from the world
Is like looking for a hare with horns.

so I showed the teacher a postcard of a Wyoming jackalope!

Comments

  • NirvanaNirvana aka BUBBA   `     `   South Carolina, USA Veteran
    edited December 2008
    Using Avatars is against my religion.

    Instead, I believe they should use us.:D
  • federicafederica Seeker of the clear blue sky... Its better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak out and remove all doubt Moderator
    edited December 2008
    My Avatar is a graphic of the elephant's footprint, which the Buddha stated was the supreme footprint, just as the meditation on Death, is the supreme Meditation.
    The Buddha said, “Of all the footprints, that of the elephant is supreme. Similarly, of all mindfulness meditation, that on death is supreme.”

    From here
  • bushinokibushinoki Veteran
    edited December 2008
    Mine is obvious, it's the official logo of the US Army. Not the seal, that's different.
  • inthedharmainthedharma
    edited December 2008
    Mine makes me feel peaceful when I look at it.
  • LincLinc Site owner Detroit Moderator
    edited December 2008
    Mine is a distorted image of myself, which is self-explanatory I think.
  • federicafederica Seeker of the clear blue sky... Its better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak out and remove all doubt Moderator
    edited December 2008
    Hmmmmm... I always thought you were blond......:D
  • PalzangPalzang Veteran
    edited December 2008
    Guess...

    Palzang
  • KnitwitchKnitwitch
    edited December 2008
    As I couldn't find one of a Quaker with a pointy hat on ..... and I find the conventional representations of witches and Wiccans a bit naff, I chose the bonnet.

    and it reflects the joke - the Lone Quaker, as opposed to the Lone Ranger ... but I suppose you have to be of a certain age to get that one.
  • TwoHandsTwoHands
    edited December 2008
    from "Call Me By My True Names"
    by Thich Nhat Hanh


    For Warmth

    I hold my face in my two hands.
    No, I am not crying.
    I hold my face in my two hands
    to keep the loneliness warm --
    two hands protecting,
    two hands nourishing,
    two hands preventing
    my soul from leaving me
    in anger.


    This was written after Thay heard about the bombing of Ben Tre and the comment made by an American military man, "We had to destroy the town in order to save it."

    These words have helped me through a lot of dark moments.
  • JerbearJerbear Veteran
    edited December 2008
    My avatar is a silly extension of my self that I like to call "me". If I could make something funny with the "Spore" game, I would change it immediately. I much rather show my sense of humor than Mother Nature's!
  • jacxjacx
    edited December 2008
    federica wrote: »
    My Avatar is a graphic of the elephant's footprint, which the Buddha stated was the supreme footprint, just as the meditation on Death, is the supreme Meditation.

    Thanks for sharing that, Federica. I never would have figured it out on my own!
    inthedharma wrote: »
    Mine makes me feel peaceful when I look at it.

    Me too, Deb! Amazing picture, where did it come from? Is it a still from a movie?
  • srivijayasrivijaya
    edited December 2008
    Well, mines all about a few of the things I love; beautiful blue seas, white beaches and the teachings of the Tatagata.

    Though not necessarily in that order. Kind of goes with the user name I thought.
    Srivijaya - A kingdom centered on Sumatra, recorded from the late 7th century into the 12th century. At its height, its rule extended over Sumatra, Java, western Borneo, the Malay peninsula including the isthm of Kra. Visiting Chinese Buddhist monk I Ching observed numerous Buddhist monks at Srivijaya's capital; he recommended it as a place to learn Sanskrit.
    Buddhism, both Hinayana and Mahayana, spread, and records describe the Srivijayan capital Palembang as a center of Buddhist learning. Buddhist and Hinduist artefacts and architecture are found on Sumatra and Java, showing a distinct style usually referred to as Javanese.

    Om swasti astu! - Selamat dan bahagia! - All hail and prosperity!
  • BrianBrian Detroit, MI Moderator
    edited December 2008
    Mine is a candid snapshot of a day I caught my son meditating in my backyard. He had no idea I was watching. I was stunned.

    I snapped the pic from inside the house and used photoshop to stylize it.
  • SimonthepilgrimSimonthepilgrim Veteran
    edited December 2008
    My avatar needs little explanation for Buddhists but is still a mystery to me. I use it almost everywhere I go on the Net ever since I set up an 'Anam Cara' private site years ago for a group needing some private space. And I shall go on using it until I have fully grasped it - so it'll be quite a few lives.
  • PalzangPalzang Veteran
    edited December 2008
    Other than being a symbolic representation of how everything works, what else is there? :om:

    Palzang
  • KnitwitchKnitwitch
    edited December 2008
    I once found a lovely site that allowed one to make a South Park character in one's own image to use as an avatar ... unfortunately I have lost it and couldn't save the image once I had created it.
  • jj5jj5 Medford Lakes, N.J. U.S.A. Veteran
    edited December 2008
    maybe one of these Knitwitch?

    http://images.southparkstudios.com/games/create/sp_game.swf
    http://www.southparkstudios.com/fans/avatar/
  • KnitwitchKnitwitch
    edited December 2008
    Ooooooooo that's it - thank you.
  • harlanharlan
    edited December 2008
    Just something that came to me in a dream.
  • LesCLesC Bermuda Veteran
    edited December 2008
    Oh... I feel so boring... I'm gonna have to rush right out and find something interesting... :(
  • PalzangPalzang Veteran
    edited December 2008
    You have good dreams, Harlan! AHHHHHHHH....

    Palzang
  • PalzangPalzang Veteran
    edited December 2008
    LesC wrote: »
    Oh... I feel so boring... I'm gonna have to rush right out and find something interesting... :(

    I dunno, I think it's more interesting than, say, an elephant's footprint! :p

    Palzang
  • federicafederica Seeker of the clear blue sky... Its better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak out and remove all doubt Moderator
    edited December 2008
    or a bald fat guy......

    Whom we don't worship.

    of course......:D
  • PalzangPalzang Veteran
    edited December 2008
    Well, you should!
  • federicafederica Seeker of the clear blue sky... Its better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak out and remove all doubt Moderator
    edited December 2008
    Oh, hang on...You mean, "The Buddha"....? Oh no, I disagree...

    Or you?

    Pally, I worship the ground you walk on.
    Though I'm unworthy, I follow in your footsteps.

    And so does my elephant. ;)
  • PalzangPalzang Veteran
    edited December 2008
    Thank you. You may rise now... ;)

    Pally
  • federicafederica Seeker of the clear blue sky... Its better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak out and remove all doubt Moderator
    edited December 2008
    With this lumbago, it could take some time....:crazy: :lol:
  • LesCLesC Bermuda Veteran
    edited December 2008
    Thank you for bringing that to my attention! Until now, I had this nagging feeling that I had met Pally somewhere before, but now it's all clear to me.

    Hahahahaha!!! How's it feel to be an icon Pally??!!!
  • PalzangPalzang Veteran
    edited December 2008
    I should warn you that I've always been something of an "iconoclast"!

    Pally
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