Opening to First Thought

From today's Tricycle's Daily Dharma

When you take photographs, just before you click the shutter,your mind is empty and open, just seeing without words. When you stand in front of a blank sheet of paper, about to make a painting or a calligraphy, you have no idea what you will do.Maybe you have some plan for a painting, or you know what symbol you want to calligraph, but you don't actually know what will appear when you put brush to paper. What you do out of trust in open mind will be fresh and spontaneous. Opening to first thought is the way to being any action properly.

--Jeremy Hayward, from Tricycle: The Buddhist Review, Vol. IV, #3

From Everyday Mind, a Tricycle book edited by Jean Smith

blue f

blue f, originally uploaded by daisy 57.

oil it is

oil it is, originally uploaded by daisy 57.

in an architect(ural) shade

in an architect(ural) shade, originally uploaded by daisy 57.

and then there were three

and then there were three, originally uploaded by daisy 57.

one indian restaurant

one indian restaurant, originally uploaded by daisy 57.

Miksang

The Practice of Contemplative Photography

A public talk by John McQuade

Friday May 30, 2008, 7 pm

Ottawa Shambhala Meditation Centre

984 Wellington Street (west of Bayswater)

Miksang is a Tibetan word meaning "Good Eye" and represents a form of contemplative photography based on the Dharma Art teachings of Chögyam Trungpa, in which the eye is in synchronization with the contemplative mind. Miksang pictures tend to bring the observer back into the original contemplation state of the photographer. It involves nothing fancy, no special setup; only a visual capture of everyday reality.

This public talk will involve a discussion of the practice of Miksang photography, and a presentation of some of the images it can produce.

Open to all.No charge, but donations are appreciated. For more information, please contact Ian at 613-266-1375 or by email: miksang@shambhalaottawa.ca.

THE OTTAWA SHAMBHALA MEDITATION CENTRE

www.shambhalaottawa.ca

Visit Miksang Ottawa at www.miksang-ottawa.blogspot.com

Thusness in Flight

Thusness in Flight, originally uploaded by Nicholas 2007.

Curtain

P1040507, originally uploaded by Nicholas 2007.

The rusty sky

The rusty sky, originally uploaded by Nicholas 2007.

A Thought Catches Fire

A Thought Catches Fire, originally uploaded by Nicholas 2007.

Level III in Toronto

An announcement for those who may be interested in going to Toronto to do Level III in June 2008:

Perceiving: The Play of the Phenomenal World

The third in the series of Miksang weekend workshops in contemplative photography.

In Level III, we develop trust in the unconditional power of the gap of perception and, dropping all reference points, connect with the phenomenal world on its own terms.

Time: Saturday and Sunday, 9am to 6pm (Toronto Shambhala Meditation Centre)

Cost: $110

Prerequisite: Miksang Level III

For more information about Miksang Contemplative Photography visit www.miksang.org or contact John McQuade at dralaimage@gmail.com

Icicles

Icicles, originally uploaded by Tom_Moore.

More from Tom Moore.

Two solitudes

Two solitudes, originally uploaded by Tom_Moore.

From Tom Moore. Beautiful.