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Religions over the world [4]


Religions over the world [4]
Photo Information
Copyright: Ruud Blok (ruudblok) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2046 W: 833 N: 2245] (21336)
Genre: People
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2000-10-15
Categories: Daily Life, Decisive Moment
Camera: Pentax MX
Photo Version: Original Version
Date Submitted: 2006-03-06 3:37
Viewed: 2226
Favorites: 1 [view]
Points: 20
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
A Cremation in Kathmandu
I sat on a bench on the banks of the Bagmati, a holy river near Kathmandu which, like the Ganges in Varanasi, is a popular place for cremations. Swathed in a white sheet cloth covering its head and shoulders.
Unlike the other cremations taking place on the gnats, which drew large groups of family and friends, just one men were gathered for this funeral;
Note from a other spectator:
"So many people miss the purpose of life," he said. "They seek material things: gold, cars, money, houses. But these things don't bring satisfaction. The Buddha said, 'Satisfaction is not certain, but death is certain.'" The man nodded toward the corpse. "My friend didn't know what was important in life.
Buddhism (more correctly Buddhadhamma or Buddhadharma) is a religion and philosophy based on the teachings of the Buddha, Siddhārtha Gautama, who lived in northern India between 563 and 483 BCE. Buddhism spread throughout the ancient Indian sub-continent in the five centuries following his death. It continued to spread into Central, Southeast, East Asia, and Eastern Europe over the next two millennia. Adherents of Buddhism are called Buddhists.
There is controversy among scholars of religion concerning whether Buddhism constitutes a religion, discussions which closely follow the problem of "what is religion?" within religious studies. In any case, Buddhism is a major movement, with approximately 700 million followers. There are estimates which are double that [citation needed], though accurate demographic data are difficult to acquire due to the fact that many Buddhists live in nations with oppressive governments, and because of the growing number of Buddhists in the West. An important thing to note is that in the West, many people who are devoutly Buddhist may also consider themselves Christian, Islamic or Jewish, and therefore any and most statistics may be unrepresentative of the true population.
mightyweed, samr, cstathoulis, chrisJ, pranab, suzley, pozaru, dantor, bebeM has marked this note useful
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Critiques [Translate]

  •      
  • drymd29 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1516 W: 254 N: 684] (7603)
  • [2006-03-06 4:35]
  • [+]

Luguber, maar geweldig; prachtige rituelen.
Lichaam gaat in rook op; syboliek is goed; het licht in de rook is mythisch en mieters.
Mooie open ceremoniele plek.
Huub
(ik ben gisteren een eigen (gratis) gallery gestart op huublouppen.exto.nl)

groet

Hi Ruud,

As your religion photo journey continues I feel more and more fascinated from the things you saw, photographed and learnt to the places you visited. Your photos have that journalistic sense, that make me feel like being there too.
Very well captured and presented! Very informative notes!!

TFS your experiences :)

Constantinos

  •      
  • L810th Gold Star Critiquer [C: 108 W: 0 N: 0] (0)
  • [2006-03-06 5:58]

Hi! Ruud,
A fine documentary record with great feeling in the man's expression. As though he still thinks the body will suffer somehow from his poor preparation of the pyre. He is totally committed to his job and shows great care in his stance. Your choice of Lense/POV is faultless as well as the side lighting.
The flames and crumbling backdrop give great focus to the moment as we return to whence we came, Ashes.

Brilliant Journalism!
Mike.

PS.For film this is a good image quality.

  • Great 
  • chrisJ Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3951 W: 219 N: 3785] (28213)
  • [2006-03-06 8:34]

Hi Ruud

I sat in almost the exact same spot! I have a similar shot to this. Excellent pov. Tfs!

thank you for your note and for this shot.your religion around the world serie is fantastic,
best regards,
tashi.

Hi Ruud,
very impressive, I like to see the fire and the fog. A little sad that only one man is there for the ceremony. A wonderful theme that you are showing us in this days, thanks
Sabine - wishnugaruda

very interestin, great note, and such a sad one also at the same time. you have had such grand experiences. I am amazed and thank you once again for these grand photos you share. I travel with them
Christine.

Impressibe by it sense! I saw a ceremony of cremation in the movie Baraka. A movie you would shurely like if didn't already see it. Shoing the nice of many cultures! Sensibilise too!
It make me think of that movie. You preset it in a great respect.

I don't care so much about the religions cause i read a little in many directions and have to admit we all have so much in commun to make wars for some difference of thinking.

In Budhism and other religion most axed about the spirituality i have to admit i have many respect about it. THat photo make doing some introspection it look like :)

dragon king,
a very poignant note a post from you. you went to nepal, but did you get a chance to visit india?
nicely composed shot of daily life. the man who is attending to the funeral pire is a "dom" or the person responsible for the funeral pire. in the hindu cast system they are the lowest of the casts(which i don't understand being a hindu myself, because after our death we have to depend on these guys for our last rites).

indrukwekkend, word je stil van

Hi Ruud

Your notes to this are very interesting, you combine the two very well.

SF,

  • Great 
  • pozaru Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3301 W: 676 N: 2053] (16615)
  • [2006-03-08 5:35]

Hi Ruud,


Your series is great; the photos and the notes too.
This one is really impresive..


thank you very much,
v

very good and interesting photo...educational value of the description

  • Great 
  • Harma Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor [C: 62 W: 12 N: 1] (177)
  • [2006-05-20 15:40]

Une photo très intéressante, rare de part sa symbolique et envers la culture très intimiste de ces régions asiatiques. Cette photo mérite bien sa place de moment décisif.

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