#zen mountain monastery

[true-person-of-no-rank]

[true-person-of-no-rank]

[martypic]

A weekend of meditation in the Kwan-um school of Zen in the hills north of Seoul, South Korea yielded the photos above. While asked to take sporadic images of the proceedings, it became apparent that the photo-taking process was indeed an act of meditation in and of itself. Surely, Minor White, John Daido Loori, and others would affirm such an approach to photographing. Their writings on the process of photographing as spiritual/creative practice continue to influence my day-to-day experience of the medium. I only hope that the above images could do them proud.

“A very receptive state of mind… not unlike a sheet of film itself – seemingly inert, yet so sensitive that a fraction of a second’s exposure conceives a life in it.” – Minor White

 (Photos taken with a Ricohmattic 225 shooting Delta 400.)

[rembrandtswife]

This almost made me cry just now.

I was feeling Buddhist-ish and looking at websites of Zen groups. This is from Zen Mountain Monastery’s site and is the first thing you get when you click through.

Just a statement that everyone is welcome, no matter how minority or majority they are. That anyone seeking refuge can find refuge there.

Right now, the way things are in the world, just knowing that somebody out there is making welcome is enough to make me cry.

This may be foolish, but I wanted to share those words.

[openyouri]

There is one art, no more, no less: to do all things with artlessness.

—Piet Hein

[openyouri]

Walker, it is in your footsteps that are the road, no more; walker, there is no road, the road is made by walking.

—Antonio Machado