Tim Auman is a Nalanda Miksang teacher, mindfulness educator and contemplative photographer living in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA.
Journey into the practice of Miksang contemplative photography
I grew up in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, where at an early age I was attracted to photography, an interest nurtured by my father, who shared his love of the craft with me. He always carried his Argus C-Forty-Four rangefinder on family outings and encouraged me to look through the viewfinder so that I could experience for myself the way he framed the world. My father’s influence has never faded, and I sometimes feel him with me as I discover and express my own vision, my own voice, my own no-mind.
I have been a student of Buddhism and Mindfulness for over 25 years and continue my practice of sitting meditation and mindful camerawork almost daily. Buddhism’s simple wisdom of how to live, love, and enjoy life has given me a road map for living a more authentic, courageous, and creative life. Nalanda Miksang contemplative photography has provided insights into awakened states of mind, characterized by nonaggression, heightened awareness, and fundamental goodness.
As a Miksang teacher and practitioner, it is the small things that continue to capture my attention. Recently I watched an oak leaf floating on the surface of a pond, motionless, facedown in the afternoon sun, as tiny bubbles appeared, shimmered, and popped. Contemplative photography reminds me that I don’t have to go out of my way to discover beauty. I can see more than enough in my daily life.
The Miksang community of students and teachers understand that each moment, no matter how seemingly ordinary or mundane, contains a breathless moment of eternity, sweeping away the self through a sense of awe and wonder. Miksang classes sheds light on all of these considerations, while leaving space for you to explore your own ordinary magic.
