Category: China-Tibet
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Mani stone
Mani stone ‘Mani Padme’ of the mantra ‘Om Mani Padme Hum’ is generally translated as ‘the Jewel in the Lotus’. And this pair of words is held for the equivalent of the Hindu pair of lingam and yoni, the male and female sex (of Shiva and Parvati). My film In the beginning was desire deals at…
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Pile of stones
Pile of stones Chenresi, the bodhisattva of Compassion, is the protector of Tibet. His mantra ‘Om Mani Padme Hum’ is carved on stones and rocks all over Tibet. This heap of stones too has several of these so called ‘mani stones’ among them.Unfortunately Chenresi and his mantra have not been able to keep the country…
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At the hairdresser
At the hairdresser What must be must be, once in a while. Photo of the week: Tibet, Lhasa, China1996
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Smart coats
Smart coats Three little lads on top of the world – their world. Fortunately, they had no time for me. That’s how they’ll remain etched in my memory forever. Photo of the week: Tibet, between Gyantse and Lhasa, China 1996
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The herdsman
The herdsman A cowboy – or rather, a yakboy – who braves the harsh living conditions on the Tibetan Plateau. Photo of the week: Tibet, China 1996
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Turquoise beauty
Turquoise beauty She helps out at the Jokhang – or at least, she did in 1996 when I visited the temple. I loved her sweet face and her rosy cheeks, framed by a traditional string of Tibetan turquoise stones. Her two gold-capped front teeth make her smile even more beautiful. Photo of the week: Jokhang,…
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On the roof of the world
On the roof of the world Outside, on the top floor of the Jokhang Temple in Lhasa, you can see the surrounding mountains through the richly gilded roofs. With their velvety green blanket, they almost look like a film set. Photo of the week: Jokhang, Lhasa, Tibet 1996
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Guardian angel
Guardian angel She may not exactly have the angelic looks that you would expect, but I think I recognize in this painting Palden Lhamo, the protector of the Dalai Lama, of Lhasa, even of the whole of Tibet. Many deities are known in benign and in wrathful forms. And it is in their wrathful appearance…
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Jokhang
Jokhang The clouds of smoke from the burning of incense block the view of the entrance to the Jokhang, the most important sanctuary of Tibet in the heart of Lhasa. The oldest parts of the temple date from the 7th century. And still the place is buzzing with religious and social activity. Photo of the…
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Gyantse Kumbum
Gyantse Kumbum The biggest and best preserved pyramidal multi-chapel monument of the kind in Tibet. It has more than 70 – dark – chapels inside, almost all decorated with murals and statues. We can look at the kumbum as a three-dimensional mandala: when you project the whole building on its ground-plan, it represents a visual…
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