road, mountains, clouds (tibet)

portrait of tibetan woman

goats in sun, tibet

mountains beyond mountains, tibet

qamba (future) buddha, tashilhunpo monastery, shigatse

"Tibet's Tashilunpo Monastery has the world's biggest gilt Buddha statue and cassock, according to www.tibet.cn"

"Built in 1447 by disciples of Tsongkhapa, founder of the Yellow Sect (Gelug Sect), the monastery is the permanent residence for generations of the Panchen Lama. Considered sacred for Buddhist followers, pilgrims and tourists during the past 500 years, it has greeted more than 400,000 visitors since 1984.

"Situated west of the monastery is the 30-m-high Palace of Qamba Buddha with an area of 862 sq m. There, sitting on a lotus pedestal of 3.8 m tall is a gilt statue of the Buddha with the height of 26.2 m, the shoulder breadth of 11.5 m and the ear length of 2.2 m."

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-12/25/content_12702267.htm

the coast of lake namtso at twilight

chinese-inspired leafbud study #2 (sandia mountains, nm)

(example of the style I had in mind: http://bit.ly/JAfHIf)

chinese-inspired leafbud study #1 (sandia mountains, nm)

(example of the style that I had in mind: http://bit.ly/LGh4At)

boat on a rainy day @ yamdrok lake, tibet

soul hotels @ kampala pass, tibet

(tibetans erect these rock structures as a resting places for the souls of deceased)
(this collection sits at the top of kampala pass, nearly 16 000 feet above sea level)

friendly hello @ sera monastery, tibet

ARGUING MONKS OF SERA MONASTERY SERIES

each day, the monks of the sera monastery gather in a courtyard and debate buddhist philosophy. questions are posed and free discussion takes place in conjunction with performance of repeated ritual gestures and stances.

the performative aspects are often carried out with great passion and energy.

but for all the moral lecturing that takes place, there always remains a palpable lightness, for the monks love and enjoy this ritual.

after an hour, the session adjourns and the monks pour out of the courtyard to return home. thus does the ritual conclude until the masters pose new questions and the students continue their growth the next day.

sera monastery monk debates 1 (lhasa, tibet)

(each day, the monks of the sera monastery gather in a courtyard and debate buddhist philosophy.)

sera monastery monk debates 2 (lhasa, tibet)

(questions are posed and free discussion takes place in conjunction with performance of repeated ritual gestures and stances.)

sera monastery monk debates 3 (lhasa, tibet)

(the performative aspects are often carried out with great passion and energy.)

sera monastery monk debates 4 (lhasa, tibet)

(but for all the moral lecturing that takes place, there always remains a palpable lightness, for the monks love and enjoy this ritual.)

sera monastery monk debates 5 (lhasa, tibet)

(after an hour, the session adjourns and the monks pour out of the courtyard to return home.)

sera monastery monk debates 6 (lhasa, tibet)

(thus does the ritual conclude until the masters pose new questions and the students continue their growth the next day.)

mandala @ sera monastery (སེ་ར་), lhasa, tibet

(this is traditional tibetan buddhist sandpainting. all the colored sand is laid down painstakingly with tiny applicators)

sacred yamdrok lake -- completely unedited photo 2 (btwn lhasa & gyantse, tibet)

(fisheye lens; watermark added; otherwise it's just the majesty of yamdrok lake)