"Necessary Ersatz", 24"x 26", chalk, graphite,  and india ink

 I tend to go through spiritual cycles: sometimes feeling closer to balance and reflection, sometimes further away. This drawing is from a time when I was doing a lot of meditating as well as studying Eastern philosophy. There is a term in Sanskrit called "citta vritti," which translates literally to "monkey mind." It stands for all of the unnecessary thoughts and constant fluctuations that stand between ourselves and and spiritual realization. For me, the markings in the upper left hand corner of this image, sort of birdlike, sort of a confused Sanskrit, represent citta vritti,  and the perfect circle on the right enlightenment. This is a pattern I tend to include in a lot of my work. Of course my explanation of all this is a huge over simplification! If you are interested here is a link to a page that discusses this topic in much more depth.
http://www.omalpha.com/pat.html