Today the Tibetan monks who were visiting our campus swept up the sand painting they had created.
There was a beautiful ceremony prior to the destruction if the mandala. I recorded the singing on video so that I might revisit the moment later.
Why do we try so hard to capture these moments on video and film?
There's no question... I couldn't capture it all...the faces staring down from office windows around the forum, the little girl covering her ears, the way the voices fill the space...
I've been thinking a lot about the intrusion of cameras this week, as I've observed the crowds snapping photos all around the monks. The college even arranged for a web cam and a video feed...virtually every grain of sand was filmed as it fell.
Can I be fully present while I fumble to focus my camera? Are photos a form of materialism? Has the practice of taking pictures improved our lives or impoverished our relationships and memories?
BTW, the monks had cameras too...they employed folks around them to take pictures.
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