De Novo

Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth: for thy love is better than wine.

I am black, but comely, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, as the tents of Kedar, as the curtains of Solomon.

Behold, thou art fair, my love; behold, thou art fair; thou hast doves’ eyes.

Behold, thou art fair, my beloved, yea, pleasant: also our bed is green.

– Song of Solomon 1:2, 5, 15-16

The above image, from the Buddhist tantric tradition, is allegorical in exactly the same way that Song of Solomon is allegorical: while superficially erotic, the image illustrates the yearning of the temporal and finite (female) for the eternal and infinite (male).  The Christian tradition views mankind as the Bride of Christ; the Buddhist tradition views the seeker as the temporal incarnation of an eternal force.  Each one expresses the same root tension inherent in our condition.