Hopping on the plane I was hilariously reminded that again I was not informed of what we would actually be doing, and having only been home a few days I was still acclimated to Indian time and ready to tackle whatever it was that awaited me.
Turns out we flew to West Bengal and spent a week rolling around in jeeps up and down the hilly jungle laden mountains of the Indian Himalayas. From Siliguri to Takdah, Darjeeling to Kalimpong, and a bunch of stops in between. Each day felt like a week, we made some may different visits, in and out of the jeep rushing to shoot whatever it was that awaited us, many times ending the day with a visit (or two) in complete darkness. To say that it was busy days would be a gross understatement indeed, it was more of a nonstop train ride at 300 miles per hour, never quite knowing what would come next, but loving every second of it. I couldn’t tell you exactly where we were, or what exactly we visited, it was more a continuous swirling array of impressions that melted together. I love the analog nature of this type of work, under all and any lighting conditions, vastly varying environments, the colors and landscapes casting their unique cast and grade to each scene. I especially like the night photos, shooting in moonlight carries with it something infinitely unique, grainy and raw, blurred to perfection. I have to remind myself that this is indeed my job, and how crazy cool it is - the anticipation, the smiles and joy, the confusion and wildness, those short moments of serenity and calm that balance out the unfettered fever pitch hustle that makes up the rest of the day.
In all this swirling activity I see Karmapa, absolutely unaffected by any of it, simply passing through like he’s floating by on a cloud of gentle moving peaceful energy. While I was constantly running, and his monks had endless preparations and organizing to do, he just enjoyed every second, spending as much time with each person, place or visit as he wished. He was in such a good mood the whole time, huge belly laughs and giggles constantly. His face beaming as he joked with kids, tenderly stroked babies faces, blessed endless lines of people lined up to see him, or inspected every inch of the projects we visited. If ever anyone needed inspiration, one simply has to watch Karmapa. All day long, every moment, fully and completely giving his undivided attention to whatever and whoever he is with in that moment. Endless giving. Endless compassion and a joyful gaze meet all who come to see him, no matter how tired he must be, how late in the night or early in the morning, rain or shine, anywhere on the planet, it’s ALWAYS that same unreserved and encompassing attention and love. I am always blown away, this is what true Buddha activity means. Seeing this in front of me, day after day, moment by moment is something that touches me deeply. Trying to capture this is my life’s work it seems, and I am eternally grateful (and a bit nervous too) to be in a position at this time in my life, trying my best, figuring it out as we go.
After the trip got extended, and then extended again, we came back to KIBI on the eve of the March Course, with just a few hours to spare before yet another mega event was to start. Busy times indeed, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. These days in Darjeeling, this time is extraordinarily precious to me. Bouncing around in the mountains makes me feel right at home, the seas of tea and cloudy skies a beautiful reminded of just how short life is, and how much we need to treasure every moment.
