Spirit Framed

Safe Heaven

Temples are traditionally safe zones. People in Myanmar gather and hide in temples to leave behind lives full of troubles. In this Western region, there are still a lot of riots and fights about who owns the land. I can’t imagine what it was like in the 60’s when the militants were pillaging villages. This is a refuge, a paradise.

Elderly Farmer

China’s economic transformation has brought wrenching social change. Young people have abandoned ancestral villages, leaving their parents in the countryside – a generation now struggling with solitude even as its health deteriorates and its economic circumstances languish. Their animals are their saving grace. The connection between them is inseparable. They are both survivors. One wears the traditional cultural revolution clothing; the other keeps warm the old-fashioned way.

Chinese Chess Players and Hairdresser

This was a typical day: Older people went to the fields to tend to the crops, younger people headed off to the city to work, and children went to school. The old men gathered in the center of the village for endless retellings of fighting the Japanese and to watch or play games of Chinese chess. Nothing felt out of place.

Mrs Thuji General Shop

This general shop is located in the middle of nowhere. However, it is a popular place, as it is also a bus stop. Right from the onset, I marveled at the setting. I felt like I was watching an opera. The villagers were the audience seated in their luxury boxes, the performing actors the two goats. The play could have been called “The Advent Calendar.”

School children

Gross National Happiness can’t be taught; it just exists as the core value of the people. These young girls were thrilled to display their joy of being. The scene became even more meaningful as I was witnessing the interaction between them. The older girls acted as pillars to the younger girls, not just physically by also spiritually.

Mother and Daughter Harvesting Buckwheat

Harvesting paddy is not just about cutting ripened stalks and shaking off the grain. Besides the long hours of back - breaking manual work in the sun there is a particular tradition, built through the ages on myth and belief, to reap what is sown. Buckwheat crops, once the staple food was replaced by the cultivation of potatoes, which brought more profit. Today, the trend is reversing, as buckwheat is gaining popularity due to its medicinal value.

Farmer

Agriculture is the main industry in Myanmar, accounting for 60 percent of the GDP and employing some 65 percent of the labor force. Myanmar was once Asia’s largest exporter of rice but lost its position to India and now is ranked at #10. Myanmar’s agriculture has suffered from decades of neglect and lack of new techniques. They are still trying to implement techniques like GMO [Genetically Modified Organisms] without much success as farmers operate with traditional equipment in a labor-intensive setting.

Praying monks

Every Buddhist man in Myanmar is expected to serve as a monk twice in his life: once as a novice monk, between the age of 10 and 20, and then again as an ordained monk, any time after they turn 20. Some serve as a monk for just a few weeks, while others remain dedicated to being monks forever. It’s not uncommon for boys, particularly in smaller towns and poorer communities, to spend their childhood years serving as monks. Living in a monastery means free education, free food, and free accommodation.

Monks Reading Books

In 2016 Myanmar was hit by a magnitude 6.9 earthquake. Many temples were severely damaged, revoking access for monks to their daily prayers. This Pagoda, the home of the Shinbintharlyaung Reclining Buddha, was eventually restored. New rules were implemented with limited schedules for visitation, restricted access, and no use of candle light in order to preserve the remaining inscriptions on the walls.

God’s Rays

In Myanmar, parents want to give a good life and good education to their children. As life is truly harsh, they give their children up for adoption to monasteries, where they become monks. Their life then becomes dedicated to Buddhism with daily prayers, food gathering, and focus on respecting others. As an outsider, I felt that their life is like a Swiss clock, regulated, with a heart beat that never stops and never surprises. The murals were critically damaged during the 2016 earthquake. The Temple has been closed since.

Ma Su Nawe at the Zayyar Theinggi Nunnery

“Many times family and friends are not ready for you to become a nun,” Ma Su Nawe told my guide. “They fear that they will lose you and wonder how you can live without working. Sometimes they think that you are selfish, and that you have made a decision that will bring them suffering. They may think that this is just an escape from your responsibilities.” Ma Su Nawe followed her calling and faith. She still visits with her family.

Young Nun at the Peace and Compassion Nunnery

In this deeply religious country, people give up their bus seats to monks, bow to them on the streets, and give them daily alms. Nuns, however, live in the shadow of the monks. The society has wrongly presumed that nuns do not deserve the same respect and support as monks just because they are women. In fact, both monks and nuns live strictly in accordance with the instructions of Lord Buddha and deserve an equal amount of respect.

Candle-lit Monk

Candlelight is an important element of rituals in all cultures and festivals around the world. In every culture light triumphs over darkness, and inspires miracles and hope. Candle lighting is a time of healing, reflection, contemplation, and meditation. The shrine next to the monastery contains hundreds of Buddha statues in red robes placed in niches along the walls of the corridors. Lighted with numerous candles, the shrine offers a holy atmosphere for the meditation activity of the monks.

Tattooed-Face Woman, Pan Baung Village

It took me three days from Yangoon (the Capital) to reach this region: plane, boat, and another boat. The first village was a tourist attraction and lacked authenticity. Traveling another 2 hours upstream, I reached the 2nd village. Fewer than 10 tattooed women still lived in this village. This lady heard about my arrival and walked a few kilometers to see what I looked like. Our curiosity was reciprocal.

Tattooed-Face Woman, Ale Zay Village,

In 1960, this good looking young girl in remote villages of Burma was tattooed. The reason is unknown, ranging from the protection against the Burmese Militant kings to perhaps a social status. The tattoos therefore served a purpose at a time but were not reversible. I had a chance to talk to a tattooer and he mentioned that it took him a full day to ink a face of a 10 year old child.

Hani Ethnic Minority

After spending a few days in this village, I was able to anticipate people’s schedules and their never ending daily chores. The delicate touch of the man’s hand shows how harsh their life is. And there is no stopping otherwise the weather will overcome them. The burden of survival for the long winter is in this man’s hands.

Farmers with Water Buffalo

Agriculture is a vital industry in China, employing over 300 million farmers. The government prides itself in providing food, shelter, and a good life to all its citizens. However, the reality is grim, as the younger generation would rather work in a factory then tend the land. Nevertheless, the elders work to keep the traditions alive.

Roadside Workers

They work six days per week; many of them are immigrants from India. The Bhutanese government hires them because they are dedicated to building the best roads. They live in mobile shacks, made of tin, with few to zero amenities. Families growing up on the side of the road are proud and grateful they have food. Their bonds are unbreakable.

Prayers at Mongar Boarding School

Boarding school provides opportunities for girls in remote villages to be educated. Without these schools, they would have an arduous trek to school, through jungle, mud, rain, and darkness six days a week, leaving very little time and energy for homework. They would also be subject to household chores at home. They were intrigued by my presence, but it didn’t deter them from their daily routine.

School Kitchen

Food is basic: rice, spicy peppers, beans. But the kitchen staff take their role very seriously to feed hundreds of students every day. Kitchen tools are almost nonexistent. Cooking is done on open fire; large pots are carried by hand to the dining area. After the meal, students are responsible for cleaning their plates. To the delight of the students, the same tasks are repeated daily, no rain check.

Praying Monk

According to legend, when the lamas assembled in about 1549 to select a site for a monastery, a big white bird rose suddenly in the air and settled on a spur of a hill. This was interpreted as an important omen, and the hill was chosen as the site for a monastery and for Jakar Dzong, which roughly translates as “castle of the white bird.”

Grandparents and Grandchildren

Bhutan’s philosophy of Gross National Happiness is all encompassing. Families are united and all members respected. I met these grandparents and grandchildren in a remote village. On their daily visit to the general store, I was astounded by their attire and their ease in taking care of the grandchildren. There was no crying, everybody was at peace.

Traditional Roof

Despite China’s economic boom over the past decade, rural life has changed little in remote villages, except for the weather. In coastal China, stronger and unpredictable winds are damaging dwellings. Villagers are loading their roofs with rocks, held with cement. Even though the pitch of the roof is an optical illusion, their worries are real, and they feel almost helpless in the wake of this climate change.

Elderly Couple

My wife’s parents are first generation Chinese immigrants to the USA. I have known them for years and I am always intrigued by their relationship, loving but not visible. When I ran into this couple in Coastal China, they reminded me of my in-laws, well dressed and proud. But there was something so special about them, the tenderness for each other and the subtle touch of hands.

She Ethnic Minority Weavers

I was in awe to discover the bond between the mom and daughter as well as their connection with their machine. The precision of the task was not deterred by the aging equipment. They worked in unison, the rhythmic noise was pleasing to hear. The quiet voice of the little girl added to the symphony.

Dong Ethnic Minority Festival

Dong parents see their children only a few times a year, when they return to their villages. During the Spring Festival, they especially go all out and pamper their kids. Traditional outfits are passed down from generation to generation, and the kids are proud to display them. In this small village, the parents parade their kids for hours. They carry them on simulated horses. It is cold and the parade takes much too long for a child to enjoy.

Miao Ethnic Minority Festival Costumes

Miao festival clothes are appealing not only because of their unique styles and craftsmanship, but also because they reveal the rich Miao culture and its long history. Making a set of traditional Miao clothes can take a Miao woman 1-2 years. Without written script, Miao people have used their costumes to record their history. Different patterns and designs on the clothes retain rich meaning and refer to legendary stories about such things as their origins, wars, and religious beliefs.

Home

This home shows the basic living conditions of this province, where the emphasis is on helping others instead of yourself. The corn hanging on the ceiling is for the animals, and the grandparents take care of the grandchildren, feeding them generously so they grow up healthy. After a hard day at work, smoking a water pipe is welcome.

Great Buddha Dordenma

The statue was built to celebrate the 60th anniversary of fourth king Jigme Singye Wangchuck. At 177ft (54m), the statue is one of the largest Buddha rupas in the world. The first time I visited the statue, it was still under construction. The workers felt privileged to be part of this project. They showed me the inside and told me stories about hidden passages. But the most memorable moment was climbing the steep hill behind the Buddha and to be blessed by his view of the world.

Stepwell

Stepwells were built all over Northern India to collect water during the rainy season. Steps were built to access the water at any time of the year. Women worked like clockwork getting the water at the same time each day. Their pace walking down the stairs was brisk with their jar carried on their hip. On the uphill, they carry their jars on their heads.

Children of the Road Workers

These are the children of the road workers. The Bhutanese government hired their parents to build roads through what seems to be impassable terrain. The kids are raised on the side of the road in basic camps with no schools, no playgrounds, no sanitary amenities. When they see visitors, they are intrigued and can’t comprehend that you could have traveled from the opposite side of the world. They are curious, but also streetwise.

Morning Ritual

Rain or shine, the monks gather on the main square to start the day with meditation. The combination of the celestial sky, the light in the monastery, and the dedication of the monks was mesmerizing. The silence was powerful. Monks of the Buddhist religion practice meditation for enlightenment through inner awareness and experience, with the hope of helping others and understanding the “true nature of our lives.”

Karmathaksun Dechencholing Private Monastery

I am the only Westerner who has had the honor to sleep inside this private monastery. It was fate. On my return flight from a previous trip, I sat next to a known Buddhist painter, Mr. Nima Dorji, who had been commissioned to paint this monastery with his dad. To my delight, he offered to become my guide on subsequent trips. It not only gave me special access to the place, but also the opportunity to witness how Nima paints personal and spiritual stories.

Mother and Daughter

Until very recently, Merak, a village in Eastern Bhutan, was accessible only by foot. Villagers were totally self-sufficient and on rare occasions made the one-day walk to the nearest market. Construction of a private road has made their life easier and brought teachers to the village. Merak Villagers are easily recognizable as they wear unique cloth and hats, all handmade from material of the region. There is no crime, kids are safe. This is life at its purest.

Aum Tshering

Textile experts widely acknowledge Bhutanese weaving to be among the most sophisticated and time-consuming in the world. Over half of Bhutan’s population is involved in weaving. Bhutanese women continue to pass down weaving techniques through oral tradition. However, the art is still at risk of disappearing in the shadow of urbanization and importation of cheaper commodities. In Bhutan, weaving is not merely a skill, it is a ritual of love that comes from the heart.

Phurba Chonzon - Preschool, Pema Dema - grade 2, Tenzin Pema - No School

The world is changing at an unbelievable pace. While it used to take one generation to bring new technology to a remote part of the world, today, electronic gadgets are almost released at the same time everywhere. Clothes are handmade, cooking is still done on wood fires, homes are heated with the same wood, yet kids have cell phones! Luckily in Merak, the gadgets have not affected them to the point of being disconnected from the nature of traditional life.

Pema Dema - Grade 4

Merak is very safe, yet a historic tale would say otherwise. In the 15th century, the Chieftain ordered his subjects to bring down the mountain that was obstructing sunshine on his palace. The people toiled day and night for years without much progress. One fine day, a lady known as Aum Jomo suggested that instead of taking on this impossible task, it would be much easier to bring down the life of one person. So, the Chieftain was beheaded. Since then, people have lived peacefully in the village.

Yeewong Dorji Selden at the School Kitchen - Preschooler

Yeewong Dorji Selden is the daughter of the school superintendent. She is one of 15 preschoolers in the town. Even at her young age, 5 years old, she has already learned the etiquette of cleaning her dishes after lunch. Such a simple task made for a magical moment, when combined with the elements of water, light, harmony, abundance, and happiness.

Tenzin Dorji - Rinchen Khando

When I first saw these two teenagers, I was captured by their look, their confidence. While Tenzin is not in school and Rinchen is in primary school, they are still friends. They were quiet and unassuming. I followed them around and the path they took revealed much about who they were, their living condition, and the lack of family support. Even on the happiest place on earth, alcoholism is an issue that can’t be taken lightly.

Aum Tshomo and her Daughter

I felt that during my stay I had met everyone in the village, either during the nightly celebrations, when visiting the local school, or when walking in town. But on my last day, I went above the village and met a family who were the caretakers of a small, unassuming temple. It provided me with the last opportunity to embrace the simplicity and pure life of the Merak villagers.