Sanctifying Ourselves

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Please do not use any photographs without permission (even for private use).
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“People should not worry as much about what they do but rather about what they are.
If they and their ways are good, then their deeds are radiant.
If you are righteous, then what you do will also be righteous.
We should not think that holiness is based on what we do but rather on what we are, for it is not our works which sanctify us but we who sanctify our works.”
(Meister Eckhart – German Writer and Theologian, 1260-1328)

This picture was shot along the Ganges in Varanasi (Benaras), at the junction of Manikarnika Ghat and Scindia Ghat, during the celebrations of Dev Diwali.
Everywhere candles are lit as a mark of welcome to God who is believed to descend on earth on that special day.
The meaning of this festival is to eradicate our inner demons while meeting the Lord.
After leaving king Bali, the Lord rejoined the devas on this day, the devas celebrated His arrival in jubilation and thus Dev Diwali came into being.
Though the devas celebrated the Lord’s return, we mortals celebrate Dev Diwali by eradicating our inner demons – the base instincts of ego, anger, greed, lust, … and the resulting manifestation of divinity within.

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Supreme Bliss

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“Alone let him constantly meditate in solitude on that which is salutary for his soul, for he who meditates in solitude attains supreme bliss.”
(Guru Nanak – Founder of Sikhism and first of the ten Sikh Gurus, 1469–1539)

This man was sitting before sunset along the samovar of the Golden Temple which is located in Amritsar in the Indian state of Punjab.
The amazing spiritual presence coming from the Harmandir Sahib makes anyone easily feel that this place is Heaven’s gate.
The expression on the face of most of the pilgrims there shows a supreme bliss…

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Mad Chess Players

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“Poets do not go mad; but chess-players do.
Mathematicians go mad, and cashiers; but creative artists very seldom.
I am not, as will be seen, in any sense attacking logic: I only say that this danger does lie in logic, not in imagination.”
(Gilbert Keith Chesterton – English writer, 1874 – 1936)

This was just a dream which happened over the Ganges in Varanasi (Benaras).
Mirza Sajjad Ali and Mir Roshan Ali, two chess-obsessed men, used to meet everyday to indulge in their passion of the game, then little by little they became totally indifferent to the turmoil that surrounds them.
One day the Rumi Darwaza, also known as the Turkish Gate in Lucknow, tore from the ground and flew in the air.
It became a spectacular vessel which started a long journey over the Kingdom of Avadh.
Dreams are not meant to be real, with no doubt this one must have been inspired by “Shatranj Ke Khiladi” (The Chess Players) by Satyajit Ray…

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“What’s up, Tiger Lily”

“’O Tiger-lily,’ said Alice, addressing herself to one that was waving gracefully about in the wind, ‘I wish you could talk!’ ‘We can talk,’ said the Tiger-lily: ‘when there’s anybody worth talking to”
(“Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland” by Lewis Carroll – English Novelist,1832-1898)

Deep in the jungle of Bandhavgarh in the Indian state Madhya Pradesh this magnificent wild tiger was waiting for us, soon another one joined and both stayed with us during more than 45 minutes.

Asia is now celebrating the year of the Tiger, it is an opportunity to attract the attention of those wildlife sanctuaries in order to remind everyone the imperative need to protect those animals.

The Only…Oof!

“The wonderful thing about tiggers
Is tiggers are wonderful things!
Their tops are made out of rubber
Their bottoms are made out of springs!
They’re bouncy, trouncy, flouncy, pouncy
Fun, fun, fun, fun, fun!
But the most wonderful thing about tiggers is
I’m the only one
Tiggers are cuddly fellas
Tiggers are awfully sweet
Ev’ryone el-us is jealous
That’s why I repeat… and repeat

The wonderful thing about tiggers
Is tiggers are marvelous claps!
They’re loaded with vim and vigor
They love to leap in your laps!
They’re jumpy, bumpy, clumpy, thumpy
Fun, fun, fun, fun, fun!
But the most wonderful thing about tiggers is
I’m the only one
I-I-I’m , the only… oof!
Ouch!”
(“The wonderful thing about tiggers” from “Winnie The Pooh”)

I couldn’t resist to add this song to this picture shot in the wildlife sanctuary of the jungle of Bandhavgarh in the Indian state Madhya Pradesh where this magnificent wild tiger performed a “show” during more than 45 minutes.

The Action of the Tiger

“In peace there’s nothing so becomes a man
As modest stillness and humility;
But when the blast of war blows in our ears,
Then imitate the action of the tiger:
Stiffen the sinews, summon up the blood,
Then lend the eye a terrible aspect;
Now set the teeth, and stretch the nostril wide,
Hold hard the breath, and bend up every spirit
To his full height!”
(William Shakespeare – English Dramatist, Playwright and Poet, 1564-1616)

This couple of wild tigers gave us a “show” striking several poses as if they were “models” used to cameras, it happened deep in the jungle of Bandhavgarh in the Indian state Madhya Pradesh and hopefully we met them after lunch time…!!!

Fearful Symmetry

“Tiger! Tiger! burning bright
In the forests of the night,
What immortal hand or eye
Could frame thy fearful symmetry?”
(William Blake – English visionary Mystic, Poet, Painter and Engraver. 1757-1827)

Deep in the jungle of Bandhavgarh (बांधवगढ राष्ट्रीय उद्दान) in the Indian state Madhya Pradesh, I met wild tiger which against all odds started to pose during more than 45 minutes as if he was a “model” used to cameras.
About 55 tigers are living there on a total area of 694 scare kilometers.
Entering in this wild life sanctuary is at your own risk as there is no protection and weapons are of course not allowed.

Asia entered into the year of the Tiger.
Losar Tashi Delek, the Tibetan new year started last morning, its element is the male iron tiger.
Happy New Year – may we all share peace all over the world…!!!

Infinity Made Imaginable

“The principle of the Gothic architecture is infinity made imaginable.”
(Samuel Taylor Coleridge – English lyrical Poet, Critic and Philosopher, 1772-1834)

This is a picture of Sampurnanand Sanskrit University which is an institution of higher learning in Sanskrit and other languages located in Varanasi (Benaras).
It is a quiet place nearby the house where I am living and I like to come there in order to daydream among this amazing Gothic style architecture which is quite unexepected in this city.

The Hunchback of Notre Dame

“But ’tis the devil who rings the Angelus!”
“(“The Hunchback of Notre Dame” by Victor Hugo)

For a change I felt like showing a view of Paris from Notre Dame which is matching the new series of pictures on which I am working.”

The Dark Night of the Soul

This picture was shot at Darabhanga Ghat along the Ganges in Varanasi (Benaras), the oldest living city in the world, where a group of sadhus decided to stay since a few weeks.
This child is living among them following the rules of asceticism.
I wonder if this boy decided himself to become such and then where did he find this enormous amount of energy and the wiseness to understand the moral overscrupulousness of the ascetic which made him doubt the propriety of pleasure…
I wonder what happened in order that he had this feeling of inadequacy to the demands of life.
His journey makes him fly from the world and from life therein and allows him to live an immersion of the self in a fantastic world where maybe he sees the dark night of the soul…