08.11.2023 A Well Photographed Life We have no idea of what the Buddha really looked like. Numerous paintings and sculptures have been dedicated to his perceived physical appearance. We know he was of South Asian descent, but it wasn’t until the first century of the contemporary era that human images of the Buddha appeared during the Kushan empire in what we now call Pakistan. However, if the Buddha lived today, we’d have countless photos of him. Our smartphones have made photographers of us all, snapping away at anything that catches our fancy. Selfies and food pics alone can clog up a ton of memory on our mobile devices.  A picture can say 1000 words, but what stories do they tell? Scroll through the pictures in your phone. What do these images say about you? Do you have tons of selfies? Or nature shots? Pet photos? If someone explored your camera roll, what could they deduce about your life? In my phone, I have tons of cool pictures of me doing “cool” things: going to concerts, eating delicious food, sporting a new haircut. You know, the kind of photos that are captured to inspire jealousy on Facebook — not very spiritual. I don’t think looking cool is mentioned in the sutras. In fact, thinking back on all the photos I’ve posted across social media, I’ve caused myself a great deal of suffering trying to show how amazing my life was. The pictures that meant a lot to me, I didn’t post: the little girl my family was fostering; the quiet moments with friends; the satisfied smiles of students after listening to an inspiring dharma talk. Recently, while scrolling through my phone, I wondered why I’ve taken more pretentious photos than meaningful ones. Why is my memory (both in my phone and my head) so often occupied with images that basically fuel samsara? I started to wonder, “Can taking a picture also be part of my spiritual practice?” The articles featured below answer that question with a resounding “Yes!” These stories provide methods and inspiration to fill our memory with pictures that speak of a well-lived life. Snapping a photo can also be a spiritual act — a moment of mindful awareness. In “How to Practice Contemplative Photography,” Andy Karr gives tips on photographing the richness of our lives. In a Q&A with photographer David Butow, he shares how a photographer’s life can also be a Buddhist one. Lastly, David Gabriel Fischer’s images from his photo journal, “The Zen Diary,” show us a treasure trove of beauty. Photography can truly be a meditation on life itself. I hope these stories inspire you to find your own contemplative moment through the lens this weekend. —Noel Alumit, Associate Editor, Lion’s Roar How to Practice Contemplative Photography Contemplative photography is about more than taking pictures, says Andy Karr. It’s about fully connecting with the visual richness of our lives. Sometimes we are completely engrossed in the conceptual realm and notice nothing of the sensory environment. At other times, we are thought-free and fully absorbed in sensory experience. Mostly the two are blended together and we are unclear about what we are actually experiencing. We don’t distinguish sensory objects from the things we think about, and this obscures our experience of the richness and natural beauty of the sensory world. Contemplative photography trains you to see the world in fresh ways by distinguishing the sensory from the conceptual. It is a practice that brings out your natural ability to see clearly. It is also trains you to express what you see photographically. Both clear seeing and artistic communication are tremendously enriching. ADVERTISEMENT This Is the Practice   When David Butow set out to photograph Buddhist culture, he learned that Buddhism isn’t just captured in the subject of a photo, but in the act of taking it.   When people do archery well, they have to be very comfortable with the technique and equipment. It’s the same for photography. If you’re thinking too much about the camera or how to use it you’re going to lose concentration of what’s going on in your mind, and what’s happening with the subject of the picture. It’s best to simplify this as much as possible which might mean not carrying too many cameras and lenses and being comfortable using what you have, which requires practice. Once you’re at that point, you want to be as aware of and in tune with your subject as possible. Like Cartier-Bresson said, use your mind, your heart, and engage with the subject whether it’s a mountain, a garden or a person. Be aware of changing light and of movement. Compose and time your shot when things are reflecting what you feel and think about the subject. These Beautiful Photos Chronicle a Search for Light and Enlightenment David Gabriel Fischer’s ongoing photo journal gives viewers a glimpse into a mind and world defined by Zen. Fischer started taking pictures when he was 15. He describes it as “a personal search for light.” Years later, in 2008, he started another search for light — studying Zen. Eventually, he went to live at Ryumon Ji Monastery, in France. On his first day at the monastery, he took a photo and posted it to Flickr. He has posted photos almost daily since. In a time when most of us take thousands of photos of our vacations, meals, and faces — dumping them all onto social media — Fischer’s project is a radical departure. As I click through his photos, I find that many of them invite me to pause and breathe. They are simple, yet thoughtful. They seem to embody the clarity, harmony, and simplicity that we strive to cultivate in Buddhist meditation. LION’S ROAR PROMOTION Support Lion’s Roar