Jokhang- Scenes of Devotion 2 We woke the next morning and made the short walk from our hotel to the Temple. It was a Wednesday, the day the Dalai Lama was born, and (therefore) the busiest pilgrimage day of the week. Tibetans have found a myriad of ways, both quiet and overt, to resist... We wound our way through the throngs of pilgrims, looking for vantage points to set up our cameras. Our video tripod drew the immediate attention of the secrete police, who swept in as soon as we unfurled the legs and told us to keep moving. Ronen was forced to improvise discrete ways to film the scene. Jon, however, was able to roam freely and seek the best frame for photographing the constant flow of pilgrims and their iconic devotional practices: the incense burning, prayer wheels, circumambulation of the temple, burnishing of mandalas and prostrations. After capturing the scene, we stashed our cameras and entered the dark, dense and sprawling temple. Staying together was out of the question. The flow of bodies was constant and crushing, particularly when trying to access any of the sacred shrines. Glenn Mullin counseled us in the ancient Tibetan art of pushing- give no ground, always push forward, seize open space. Several of us did our best Western imitation of the practice, managing to enter several of the shrines by following in the crest of Glenns advances. Eventually, we reunited and entered a less crowded chamber and sat in meditation as monks chanted mantras to the sounds of drums and horns. We ended our tour on the roof of the Temple and Jon took a series of photos of the scene below (with the Potala Palace in the background). Every day, all year long, year after year, this is what happens... continuous prayers for the benefit of all humankind.
Posted on: Sun, 02 Feb 2014 20:26:42 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015