There have been very few times in my life when I have experienced pure examples of compassion - not the idea of caring for others or to aspire to benefit beings no matter how positive the intention - but truly natural and self arising compassion at its root. The kind of compassion that takes hold of you, shakes you to your core, and without sounding too cliche, makes you want to rethink your life and try and be a better person.
I only hope that others have felt this way at some point in their lives, even for the most minute of moments as it can be very profound and inspiring to say the least.
In the last few months I have had the opportunity to be present at many events that His Holiness has attended and led, and to witness first hand the level of attention, presence and humility that he devotes to each and every person present has begun to change the way I see the world in a real way. I would like to think that I aspire to serve, to make myself as open and available to anyone and anything that is asked of me, but I have so much to learn and so much work to do it can be daunting and hard to know where to start. Watching Karmapa today was a blessing all in its own - to see up close what real compassion is like, and to see and feel its effects on everyone and everything around. Regardless of being sick, never ending travel and constant demands of attention, Karmapa is simply glowing and willing to share himself with us all - all the time. There is no sense of absence in his gaze, he is present and powerful while remaining ever real.
The prayers of the Grand Kagyu Monlam are taking place under the Bodhi Tree here in Bodh Gaya, and are being echoed throughout the world by devotees and practitioners, uniting together for this incredible event. And while the world joins together I feel privileged to be right in the middle of it all, and to be able to share my experiences and feelings - a most precious gift for me. My only wish is that through my work, the photos that I share - in some way, I can give you a way to see what I have seen, and to feel what I have felt - to see true compassion at its most pure and joyful level - this would be the greatest gift of all.
I only hope that others have felt this way at some point in their lives, even for the most minute of moments as it can be very profound and inspiring to say the least.
In the last few months I have had the opportunity to be present at many events that His Holiness has attended and led, and to witness first hand the level of attention, presence and humility that he devotes to each and every person present has begun to change the way I see the world in a real way. I would like to think that I aspire to serve, to make myself as open and available to anyone and anything that is asked of me, but I have so much to learn and so much work to do it can be daunting and hard to know where to start. Watching Karmapa today was a blessing all in its own - to see up close what real compassion is like, and to see and feel its effects on everyone and everything around. Regardless of being sick, never ending travel and constant demands of attention, Karmapa is simply glowing and willing to share himself with us all - all the time. There is no sense of absence in his gaze, he is present and powerful while remaining ever real.
The prayers of the Grand Kagyu Monlam are taking place under the Bodhi Tree here in Bodh Gaya, and are being echoed throughout the world by devotees and practitioners, uniting together for this incredible event. And while the world joins together I feel privileged to be right in the middle of it all, and to be able to share my experiences and feelings - a most precious gift for me. My only wish is that through my work, the photos that I share - in some way, I can give you a way to see what I have seen, and to feel what I have felt - to see true compassion at its most pure and joyful level - this would be the greatest gift of all.
