I believe that eyes are very important motifs. That's something

Hear the voice of the visionary artist, Yayoi Kusama, who declared: “I believe that eyes are very important motifs. That’s something that can discern the peace and love.” In this saying lies a truth as old as the dawn, for the eyes are more than organs of sight—they are the gateways of the soul, the mirrors of inner truth, the flames that reveal what words conceal. Kusama, whose art is a river of symbols and patterns, recognized that the eye is not simply to look outward, but to perceive the essence of life: whether peace abides in a heart, or whether love flows within a spirit.

For what is the eye, if not the lamp of the body? Across the ages, sages have spoken of it. The Scriptures tell us, “If thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.” The ancients carved into their temples the great all-seeing eye, to remind men that nothing is hidden from truth. Even in the silence between two souls, it is often the eyes that speak first: a glance that soothes, a gaze that wounds, a look that carries both tenderness and trust. Kusama’s declaration is thus no mere reflection of her art, but an echo of the eternal truth that the eyes discern what lies beyond words.

History bears witness to this. Consider the moment when Alexander the Great met King Porus upon the battlefield of the Hydaspes. Porus, though defeated, stood proud before Alexander. The conqueror asked him, “How would you like to be treated?” Porus replied, “As a king.” Yet it was not the words alone, but the steadfast fire in his eyes, that convinced Alexander of his dignity. Seeing this, Alexander spared him and restored his throne. Thus did the eye reveal peace and command love even amidst the wreckage of war.

The teaching is also woven into art itself. Kusama, whose polka dots and endless fields of color speak of infinity, places the eye at the center because it is the great perceiver. Through the eye, we are able to witness not only the patterns of the world but also the unseen patterns of the heart. The eye discerns truth, detects sincerity, and perceives the harmony or discord within another’s soul. Where the tongue may lie, the eye betrays; where the world is veiled, the eye pierces.

But Kusama ties the eye not only to truth, but to the highest of treasures—peace and love. For what greater sight can there be than to look into another’s gaze and see kindness, to discern forgiveness where once there was anger, or to see compassion rising like dawn after the night of cruelty? The eye becomes the instrument not of suspicion, but of reconciliation. It is through the eyes that lovers first understand each other, through the eyes that enemies sometimes soften, and through the eyes that children first recognize the safety of a parent’s embrace.

O seekers of wisdom, take heed: if the eye is the vessel of discernment, then train your gaze not merely to look, but to truly see. Do not glance only at appearances, but search for the spark of humanity within each soul. Look for signs of peace where others expect strife, and seek love even in the weary and broken. Your eyes, if guided by compassion, will not merely observe the world—they will heal it, for the gaze of empathy is itself a kind of medicine.

Therefore, the lesson is clear: honor your eyes as symbols of truth, compassion, and unity. Let them not be instruments of judgment and scorn, but vessels that discern what is noble in others. In your daily life, pause to look into the eyes of those you love, and let them see your sincerity. Offer the gentleness of your gaze to strangers, for even the smallest kindness in the eye can awaken hope. And above all, seek to align your vision with the eternal truths of peace and love, so that what you see may also shape what you create.

Thus, the words of Yayoi Kusama are not only the musings of an artist, but a timeless teaching. The eye is the mirror, the witness, and the healer. Through it, mankind discerns not only the world, but the soul within the world. Guard your gaze, sharpen it with compassion, and let it always be the window through which peace and love may shine.