Life is like a dance, waves of samsaric ocean crashing down upon you, then lifting you up to new heights where you can see over the horizon like never before. Some experiences mark you deeply - creating rifts and tunnels of new thoughts, feelings and even dreams from the more powerful of them. Yesterday I was treated to such an experience - pushing both my body and mind to limits far beyond, but bringing with it a state of joy and blissful surrender unlike that which I have experienced before. What I present to you here are my feelings, thoughts, dreams and emotions directly affected and molded by what I saw and heard. Never have these eyes seen such a sight as this. Utter power and fluid fiery motion. Droning thunder and swirling brilliancy in the darkest night. Crimson flame meets ocean’s deepest blue, an outrageous display of history dating back thousands of years brought to life as if by magic in front of my eyes. All eight emanations of Guru Rinpoche manifesting in regal fashion, surrounded by retinues of deities, dralas, dancing ministers, swords, flags, banners and twirling umbrellas mounting to the point of a literal visual explosion leaving me breathless and without words. I could endlessly iterate the wondrous things I saw but I simply cannot bring myself to dumb down the visual spectacular laid before me with words that couldn’t possibly recount or give good grace and credit to what I have seen. It was miraculous. It was beyond beautiful. It was quite honestly one of, if not the most incredible things to photograph I have ever experienced in my life. I was touched deeply by what I saw, marked permanently, heavily influencing the words I type right now. It was a spectacular dance of fire and water, smoke and light, darkness and steel - a brocade dream of epic magnanimous proportions.
Reviewing these recent images I am bombarded with feelings of joy and with intense sadness as well. This is often true of my work. This is how your art should make you feel. This is the feeling when something truly touches your heart and you know that it matters to you more than you can explain. This is real beauty’s essence. These images represent my heart. These images in their own way represent my life as well, for all that I have been through I would not have seen them for what they are without it. The longing, empty, wondrous balance of both extremes, always present, always in the midst of changing and churning, allowing you to see well past the horizon. I present these photographs in hopes that they can speak for me, to speak from my eyes and my heart. I have tried my best to portray the events as I can with words, but the truest beauty will always be in the eye of the beholder. Coming from Monlam, I humbly present “The Fire Dance” with my complete and honest heart, for I have no words left to add and nothing more to say.
The Kagyu Monlam
