The Noble Eight-Fold Path is a summary of the path of Buddhist practices leading to liberation from the painful cycle of re-birth. It consists of eight practices: right view, right intention, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right intellectual effort and right contemplation. In this series I chose 10 portraits of Bhutan people I met along my path to Buddhism. Each subject is finding their “right way” along the path and helping me find my way.
Bhutan is a Buddhist country perched precariously on the slopes of the Himalayas and isolated from much of the world. I became a Buddhist. I wanted to end my suffering. The goal taught by the Buddha- nirvana- literally means “extinguishing” and signifies "the complete extinguishing of greed, hatred, and ignorance”.
I used the square crop for the sake of simplicity and centrality (to force the eye to circle around the frame and move to the center), in order to emphasize the power of the human face and lessen the emptiness of negative space.
“Right View I”
Is not a child praying the state of existence we all find right? Let the child chose the right path.
“Right View II”
Is not a child looking with hopeful eyes the expression we all find right?
“Right Intention”
This young innocent Buddhist boy wants to be a holy man and carries wood up the mountain to Tiger's Nest.
“Right Speech”
In one woman’s face is the happiness of a quiet, friendly word.
“Right Action I”
In her face I see the actions of a thousand women who toil for their family.
“Right Action II”
In her face I see the furrowed brow of a tireless worker.
“Right Livelihood”
He's a fisherman-a man who toils in the sea to provide for his family.
“Right Effort”
Are not the sullen eyes of a child with jewelry showing poignant effort?
“Right Intellectual Effort”
Is not being a blind man who has found serenity in this beautiful world the greatest form of mindfulness?
“Right Meditation”
In one woman’s face is the happiness of a truly meditative life.
