Pocahontas repeatedly asks John Smith throughout the song, "Can you paint with all the colors of the wind?" So what is she really asking? I think the simple answer is that she is alluding to the interdependence and oneness of life, the second mark of existence, or samsara, in Buddhism. However, I think there is a much more complex idea being conveyed here about this interdependence that she is speaking of. She is saying that there is an inherent beauty in the world and she's asking if he can see it. Air is everywhere and we need it for life just like we need all of nature. I believe she is asking if he can see the world around him beyond what meets the eye; through a deeper understanding of all of the interactions taking place. It is through this kind of deep understanding by which we can appreciate and respect that inherent beauty and use it to better our lives as well as use our lives to better it in a way that connects us all. These are some of the most basic concepts that the Buddha taught which were based on his own observation of the way things are (Butler, 2014).
Even though the wind does not literally have colors, the paradox of the phrase forces one to think critically about what it could mean if if wind did have colors. And if it did, instead of painting with only one shade, "can [we] paint with all the colors"? In essence, I think she is revealing the common mistake of people to only have a single world-view--their own. This idea of separating the self from the rest of the world by viewing it through only one lens, that is, the egotistical lens, causes suffering (Richey, 2014).
By painting with all the colors of the wind, we look at the world through a Buddhist lens and with a greater understanding of the reality of the universe which encompasses the plethora of perspectives and relationships that are in sync in this beauty of interdependence. Moreover, the use of an uncommon description of one of earth's natural elements that we think we understand presents an example of how we "paint" with only one shade: in our experience, wind has never had color. So why wind? Why couldn't the phrase have been more realistic such as "can you paint with all the colors of the rainbow"? That makes so much more sense! However, although rainbows are great, it just would not have made the cut as an effective literary device that invokes deep thought. Our "reality" of wind not having colors is just our understanding of it through a single self-centered lens. Ultimately, Pocahontas is saying, "can't you see that your self-centered attitude is preventing you from awakening to and appreciating this greater reality?"
