Happy Thanksgiving and arigato!

Happy Thanksgiving to you all!

Many of you may already know that "thank you" in Japanese is "Arigato", and it is written as "有難う". It comes from "有難い /arigatai  ," and it roughly means that something which hardly (or hard to) exist - existing rarely /有る事が難しい .  

It might sound paradoxical, but when you reflect on it, it is easily understandable. 

It is to do with the attitude of gratitude and not taking anything for granted. It implies the attitude that everything is a miracle - hard to exist/to be.

There is a legend of Buddha relating to this. (...although the content of this legend varies.)  

One day Buddha had asked one of his disciples what he felt about being a human.  Then Buddha spoke about the story about a blind (or one eyed) sea turtle and a log with a small hole floating / drifting freely and randomly on the ocean. This turtle swims all the time and comes to the surface only once in 100 years. Buddha asked his disciple whether this blind turtle could, by chance, "happen" to stick his head into this hole in the log when he comes to the surface or not. The disciple basically answered that it is nearly impossible, and even if it can happen, it would take billions and trillions of years.
Then Buddha said, "To be born as human is even harder (rarer) than that." So, he taught his disciple(s) to be grateful to be born as human (or being reborn as human after being in the low, hellish levels/states of existence.)

It is true that for us to be born, even without reflecting on how many sperms must die, many thing must happen intricately.

First of all, the entire universe had to be created!!!

Thus, it is miraculous.

Feeling of unquestionable gratitude for being born as human into the vast universe is the first step towards true happiness.  

...and it is our DUTY to be filled with happiness from within and emit such happiness to the surroundings and back to the universe...

Portrait of Isabella d'Este based on the sketch by Leonardo da Vinci

"Isabella d'Este" © 2014 by Hikaru Hirata-Miyakawa

"Isabella d'Este" (Homage to Leonardo da Vinci)
Acrylic on canvas
© 2014 by Hikaru Hirata-Miyakawa

Here is my rendition of the portrait of Isabella d'Este based on the sketch supposedly made by Leonardo da Vinci. 

drawing by Leonardo da Vinci
citation: Wikipedia

Although some authorities claim that they have recently discovered the completed authentic Leonardo piece of  the said portrait of Isabella, I disagree with such claim. 
I am ultra conservative when it comes to the authentication of the works especially by Leonardo. 
There seem to be a sort of an inflation of such attribution these days. 
To me the final portrait has never been done by Leonardo, and since Isabella had repeatedly asked Leonardo to do her portrait, I did it in my style instead basing the composition on the drawing "done" by Leonardo.  This painting of mine has nothing to do with trying to complete the painting in Leonardo's manner. 

The painting of mine shown at the top is currently being displayed at eTown Hall in Boulder, Colorado.
It is part of my solo art exhibition (from November 16th, 2014 through January 31st, 2015).