Incantations on view at Riverfront Art Gallery

 Riverfront Art Gallery Presents

‘When Color Is Not Enough'

Opening Saturday June 20th 2-5pm 
Exhibition Dates: June 20-Sept 26, 2026

Location:
Riverfront Art Gallery
 Yonkers Public Library, 1 Larkin Center 4th Floor, Yonkers, NY 10701

914-308-7072  •  thegallery@ypl.org  •  https://www.ypl.org

Excerpt from Incantations - M.Gilliland ©2025 - 3 channel video - 10:00 running time

view on vimeo

https://vimeo.com/1146248666

https://vimeo.com/markgilliland

Incantations

Incantations is a new three channel video piece (10:00 run time) that makes use of lots of the processed video clips I've been building up in the studio over the last year. In particular, it is based upon my favorite Prayer Wheel footage showing a close up of the rotating mantras on the wheel's surface. The very nature of the prayer wheel when intentionally rotated spreads its mantra (Tibetan glyphs on the wheel itself) outward, envisioned as a spiral flow of blessings into the environment at large. This is the underlying prayer incantation, often accompanied by ritual chanting or music.

A series of visual themes came into focus in roughly three groupings:

Maya - delusions of the world: Earth, Air, Fire, Water, Mind

Dharma - path & practice: Ritual, Mantra, Meditation

Karma - cycles of life: Death, Bardo, Rebirth, Redux

As I worked on a range of variations of these themes, I realized what would be really interesting would be to present the footage (set into a vertical aspect ratio as determined by the original prayer wheel footage) on a series of side-by-side vertical monitors. Thus, there could be simultaneous variations and visually repeat rhythms across the channels not possible on a single channel display. The basic presentation configuration is three HD display panels side-by-side, visually mimicking the way multiple prayer wheels are often mounted side-by-side in a temple compound so that a visiting perambulator can walk past the row of prayer wheels and simply activate (turn) each in turn. Although the digital displays don’t offer that level of hands-on interactivity, a complex meditational space can still be achieved.

In order to present the 3 channel video in this online context, I recorded all three simultaneously as one HD program. 

This program is too large file-wise and really deserves a higher definition encoding than provided by Blogger. So, please view the complete program on my Vimeo site:

Incantations - https://vimeo.com/1146248666

source Prayer Wheel image

Haiku 77 - Prayer Wheel with Energy Emerging & Meditating Buddha Faces (3 panel)

Haiku 77 - Prayer Wheel with Energy Emerging & Meditating Buddha Faces (3 panel)   (00:18)

Sample Haikus from Buddhaverse Variations ©2020-21

[Please turn on audio to hear chant] 

--- WATCH FULL SET OF HAIKUS AT HOME --- 

https://vimeo.com/showcase/7916179 

Select thumbnails to view on Vimeo Showcase page, or click thumbnail title (ex: v001) to watch & enable autoplay.

Haiku 71 - Prayer Wheel with Blue Yamataka

Haiku71 Prayer Wheel with Blue Yamataka (00:19)

Sample Haikus from Buddhaverse Variations ©2020-21

[Please turn on audio to hear didgeridoo soundtrack] 

--- WATCH FULL SET OF HAIKUS AT HOME --- 

https://vimeo.com/showcase/7916179 

Select thumbnails to view on Vimeo Showcase page, or click thumbnail title (ex: v001) to watch & enable autoplay.

Haiku Samples - Pray Flags

Haiku 57 - Prayer Flags with Buddha (00:19)

Haiku 59 - OM Water Drop (Creation) (00:19)

Sample Haikus from Buddhaverse Variations ©2020-21

[Please turn on audio to hear 'OM' mantra] 

--- WATCH FULL SET OF HAIKUS AT HOME --- 

https://vimeo.com/showcase/7916179 

Select thumbnails to view on Vimeo Showcase page, or click thumbnail title (ex: v001) to watch & enable autoplay.

Haiku Samples - OM Water Drop

Haiku 53 - OM Water Drop (Creation) (00:19)

Haiku 56 - OM Water Drop (Creation) (00:19)

Haiku 55 - OM Water Drop (Creation) (00:19)

Sample Haikus from Buddhaverse Variations ©2020-21

[Please turn on audio to hear 'OM' mantra] 

--- WATCH FULL SET OF HAIKUS AT HOME --- 

https://vimeo.com/showcase/7916179 

Select thumbnails to view on Vimeo Showcase page, or click thumbnail title (ex: v001) to watch & enable autoplay.

Reiki Healing Hands - Video Haikus

Haiku 47 - Healing Hands in golden frame #1  (00:10)

Haiku 49 - Healing Hands in golden frame #3  (00:10)

Haiku 50 - Healing Hands in golden frame #4  (00:10)

Haiku 51 - Healing Hands in golden frame #5  (00:10)

Sample Haikus from Buddhaverse Variations ©2020-21

[Please turn on audio to hear 'OM' mantra] 

--- WATCH FULL SET OF HAIKUS AT HOME --- 

https://vimeo.com/showcase/7916179 

Select thumbnails to view on Vimeo Showcase page, or click thumbnail title (ex: v001) to watch & enable autoplay.

Meditating Medicine Buddha in Golden Frame - 4 Haiku variations

 

Haiku 46 - Meditating Medicine Buddha in golden frame #5   (00:10)

Haiku 45 - Meditating Medicine Buddha in golden frame #4  (00:10)

Haiku 44 - Meditating Medicine Buddha in golden frame #3  (00:10)

Haiku 42 - Meditating Medicine Buddha in golden frame #1  (00:10)

Sample Haikus from Buddhaverse Variations ©2020-21

[Please turn on audio to hear 'OM' mantra] 

--- WATCH FULL SET OF HAIKUS AT HOME --- 

https://vimeo.com/showcase/7916179 

Select thumbnails to view on Vimeo Showcase page, or click thumbnail title (ex: v001) to watch & enable autoplay.

Prayer Wheels

Green Tara Visualization

It's taken me quite a bit of time to finish this series of images for the Tara Self-generation visualization practice. (I took the empowerment over a year ago...) In order to simply present the sequence, I decided to put together a gif animation combining the images with associated textual instructions.

The sequence is based upon my notes from the original empowerment ceremony as well as study of the booklet "The Yoga of Enlightened Mother Arya Tara" from Tharpa Publications. The images present the core sequence - including a "no self" meditation practice at the end, but excluding the ceremony's typical framing prayers and offerings.

Green Tara Visualization

Tara Mantra - Om Tara Tuttare Ture Soha

Skip to 1:40 to bypass intro... directly to start of chanting.

Here are two of my own Tara emanation images for your contemplation while listening to the chant.

1000 Taras

21 Taras

The Waters of the Gulf

Here are three images of healing and protecting deities: White Tara, Medicine Buddha and Mahakala. Each of these figures float above the Gulf. The cyclone clouds below represent multi-dimensional cleansing energies (not destructive energies as in a hurricane). Along with each figure appears a healing mantra to be recited while meditating on the desired purification of the waters. Please share and circulate these images and mantras.

Medicine Buddha

Om Bekandze Bekandze
Maha Bekandze
Radza Samudgate Soha

White Tara

Om Tara Tutara Ture Soha

Mahakala

Om Shri Ma Hakala Hung Phat

Tree Protector

Mahakala Tree Guardian

While journeying to meet with my guides, part of the discussion turned to the need for me to create a Tree Protector thangka, honoring and celebrating my deep connection with the tree spirits. I was shown the basic "layout"as a mandala and understood that Mahakala (The Great Dark One) would be the central deity. This did not particularly surprise me as Mahakala is my Heart Chakra protector, as well.

His powerful mantra is: OM SHRI MA HAKALA HUNG PHAT

I create several images to date using this basic theme - one belonging to the Jewel Tree series.

Jewel Tree of Mahakala

The Jewel Tree image also contains the Hummingbird - symbolic messenger between the our world and the spirit worlds of the Ancestors and Illuminated Ones. The flowers shown are Datura, a beautiful, yet dangerous visionary plant used by Native American shamen in the Southwest and in California.

Mahakala Mantra Chant

By Lama Karta

The emanations of Bodhissatva Tara

This chant is called ''Calling the Lama from Afar'' it was composed by HH Pabongkha Dechen Nyingpo.

Empowerment of PrajnaparamitaGreat Mother of Wisdom

Visualization #1: Medicine Buddha Pure Land Offering

Visualization #2: Emanation of Great Mother Prajnaparamita

Visualization #3: Prajnaparamita's Infinite Presence

Visualization #4: 3-Fold Empowerment Blessing of Prajnaparamita

Visualization #5: Prajnaparamita as Wisdom Heart Flame

Full visualization / meditation step-by-step details are available here at ShamanDreaming.org.

Ritual Posture: Singing Shaman

Singing Shaman Pose

8.02.08 Leo New Moon - Figures carved in the Singing Shaman posture have been found in places as varied as Melanesia and New Guinea to Alaska and Central America. The oldest known figure is from Cyclades Island, in Greece, about 5000 years old. This is a posture in which a sound is intentionally made during trance, affecting people both emotionally and physically, and it is often felt to be intensely healing and heart opening. (The sound vocalization is an short "a" as in "father", repeated on the extended out-breath for the duration of the trance session.) The sound produces a dynamic vortex or channel connecting dimensions.

In my trance, I first noticed vibrant phosphene snakes inter-twining in the sky across the horizon, forming a woven diamond matrix, the fabric of spacetime. Above, high at the apex of the sky, a burning log wheel complete with 4 Navaho Sky Gods riding on each of its four spokes slowly rotated. Under the bright moonlight I found myself transformed into a tall cactus with white fragrant flowers. All around me, animal and ancestor spirits moved about, many joining in the ritual song.

Other workshop participants reported seeing spiraling DNA and similar all-over woven patterns. Many participants spoke of being "at one" and feeling as if there were a multitude of animal spirits and ancestors joining in the trance sounding. Some heard the sounds to become like animal cries, angel's voices or chants and spoken words. Most reported a clearing or opening of their heart chakras.

21 Taras

Lady Tara shines her Compassion and Wisdom Bliss for all beings in all dimensions and times. Tara protects those who call upon her, guides those on the path, provides knowledge and wisdom for those who open their hearts. She is the source of one's health and well being. Hail Tara!

Om Tara Tutare Ture Swaha