Nalanda Miksang

Photography and Storytelling (In-Person)
2025-04-15 18:30 - 2025-05-06 20:00 UTC | Sawtooth School of Visual Arts, 251 N Spruce St,, Winston-Salem, NC, 27101, United States
Using storytelling in your photography is a powerful and rewarding technique that can
make your images more engaging and compelling.
Class participants will learn how to engage the present moment, evoke emotions, and
convey narratives through their images. By exploring the principles of storytelling,
participants will enhance their ability to communicate through their photographs. A
good story gives your images an extra quality, engaging the viewer longer and more
often.
Class participants will also create a photo essay, the traditional means by which
photographers have told longer stories. This can be a powerful way to express your
unique vision.
This class is great for photographers, artists at heart, or the curious wanting to explore
the symbiotic relationship between contemplative practice and photography. You can
use whatever camera that is available to you, including your cell phone.
Instructor: Tim Auman
Dates: April 15, 22, 29, May 6
Time: 6:30-8:00 pm
Location: The Sawtooth School for Visual Art, Winston-Salem, NC
To Register: https://www.sawtooth.org/studios/photography/

Using Photography to Process Grief (In-Person)
2025-04-01 10:00 - 2025-04-22 11:30 UTC | Intergenerational Center for Arts and Wellness, 114 30th street, Winston-Salem, NC, 27101, United States
Grief is a personal experience that’s often unique and intimate. What brings comfort to
you in a time of grieving may differ from what helps someone else. Sometimes
expressing your pain may help, and contemplative photography can be one way to do
that.
As a grief coping tool, photography can:

provide a needed respite from grief
be used to explore and express difficult thoughts, feelings, emotions, and
sensations
create images of healing, restoration, remembrance, and hope

And when we see the photographs of another person experiencing grief, it’s a reminder
that there are others out there who understand our pain.
This class is great for photographers, artists at heart, or the curious wanting to explore
the symbiotic relationship between contemplative practice and photography. You can
use whatever camera that is available to you, including your cell phone.
Instructor: Tim Auman
Dates: April 1, 8, 15, 22
Time: 10:00 – 11:30 am
Location: Intergenerational Center, Winston-Salem, NC
To Register: https://www.sawtooth.org/studios/photography/

The Art of Minimalism: Black and White Photography (In-Person)
2025-03-18 18:30 - 2025-04-08 20:30 UTC | Sawtooth School of Visual Arts, 251 N Spruce St,, Winston-Salem, NC, 27101, United States
In this class we will create contemplative black and white images that evoke a sense of
intimacy and emotion. Participants will learn to skillfully blend stark simplicity with
profound depth.
By removing color, students will create images that allow the viewer to engage with the
essential elements of composition, texture, pattern, space, and light, creating images
that resonate with a meditative quality.
This class will also include a photo walk through downtown Winston-Salem. Photo
walks can provide a source of inspiration and be a time of learning new techniques and
sharing your own knowledge and ideas with class participants.
This class is great for photographers, artists at heart, or the curious wanting to explore
the symbiotic relationship between contemplative practice and photography. You can
use whatever camera that is available to you, including your cell phone.
Instructor: Tim Auman
Dates: March 18, 25, April 1, 8
Time: 6:30-8:00 pm
Location: The Sawtooth School for Visual Art, Winston-Salem, NC

White Magic: Contemplative Photography and Visual Haiku - Zoom course
2025-02-01 13:00 - 2025-03-11 21:00 (America/New_York) | Zoom
This course joins the practice of Miksang contemplative photography with the practice of haiku writing.
This class is open to everybody
——–
Each Season has its own sensibility, manifestation and magic. In the Northern climates
Winter manifests through cold, ice and snow.
This White Magic resonates with the contemplative “Zen” aesthetic of simplicity, space,
purity, sabi (loneliness) and Yugen (white mystery). This course includes a study of these
contemplative principles and is a way to deepen contemplative Mind. (the texts will be provided).
Besides the ways of Winter this course will explore the practice of Visual Haiku – a little
Winter happening or narrative. For those who are haiku practitioners, we will include the
combination of visual images with haiku practice.
Two different offerings :
On Saturdays : February 1st – 15th – 22nd and March 8th. From 1PM to 3PM – Eastern Standard Time
OR
On Tuesdays : February 4th – 18th – 25th and March 11th. From 7PM to 9PM – Eastern Standard Time
———————-
No photographic experience is necessary.
It is not necessary to have done a “Level 1” which is the formal introduction to Miksang practice
You need a digital camera. (a good smart phone camera is workable).
Course Fee: $125 -$150 (CAN)
Registration: dralaimage@gmail.com
For more contemplative programs, go to : Current Courses: www.dralaimage.com
p.s. If there are those who do not live in a White Winter climate but would like to explore
the play between Visual Haiku and written Haiku let me know and we can set up a
separate course. Contact me at dralaimage@gmail.com.

Contemplative Arts Winter Retreat : L'Oeil et la Plume
2024-12-27 06:00 - 2025-01-02 09:00 UTC | Dechen Chöling, Mas Marvent , rue du Château 640, Saint-Yrieix-sous-Aixe, Limousin, 87700, France
This Winter, Let Your Creativity and Heart Flourish!
This year, Dechen Chöling invites you to a retreat under the theme of joy, wonder, and the depth of contemplative arts.
What You Will Explore During This Retreat:

Miksang, Contemplative Photography:
To develop a gaze filled with curiosity and poetry for the world around you.
Contemplative Writing and a Creative Renewal Journal:
To reconnect again and again with what animates you at the core of your being, allowing you to nurture it for the new year ahead.
Contemplative Walks:
To synchronize and recharge yourself with the generous and magical nature of Dechen Chöling.
Meditation:
Of course! Because it offers us the space to embrace our emotions with kindness and to continue growing friendship and love for ourselves and the world around us.

Who is this Retreat For?
This retreat is suitable for meditators and photographers of all levels.
No prior experience in photography or writing is required.
It is open to anyone who feels the need to reconnect during a time of welcoming, sharing, and celebration.
Adaptable pricing is available for all budgets, with financial support options for low-income participants.
Sign up now and fill yourself with creativity and joy to begin the new year with stars in your eyes.

This retreat is taught in French, with English translation
For more information and to register, CLICK HERE: https://bit.ly/401WhHK
Or visit www.dechencholing.org.
An Enchanted End-of-Year Retreat to Calm, Nourish, Create, and Uncover New Ways to Support Yourself.
At the end of this year, come create, dream, and recharge with contemplative practices such as Miksang photography, writing, and creativity.
During this retreat, we will explore and nurture inner confidence, discovering treasures of resources and more supportive approaches for ourselves.
Additionally, cultivate a kind gaze towards yourself to make choices that support your new year.
Who is This Retreat For?
For this retreat, no prior experience in photography, writing, or meditation is required.
It is open to anyone who wants to experience a moment of warmth and gentleness.
Even the camera on your phone is sufficient for the contemplative photography practice of Miksang.
It is also suitable for photographers of all levels.
Miksang Contemplative Photography
Helps us open up to the beauty, poetry, and wonder that the universe offers.
The starting point of this practice is first our gaze—light, color, shapes, and space.
The practice of contemplative photography Miksang is for those who wish to connect photography with meditation.
Contemplative Writing
And a creative renewal journal is a path of discovery and listening to align with your heart and all your senses.
No need to feel confident with writing—it is, above all, a journey toward oneself.
Connecting writing with colors and collage brings together the body, our sensations, emotions, and inner child, guiding us through explorations that are both joyful and profound.
In other words, this winter, come back home—to your true self.
——-
Cet hiver, laissez votre créativité et votre coeur s’épanouir !
Cette année, Dechen Chöling vous propose une retraite sous le signe de la joie, l’émerveillement et la profondeur des arts contemplatifs.
Ce que vous allez explorer pendant cette retraite :

Miksang, photographie contemplative : Pour développer un regard plein de gourmandise et de poésie sur le monde qui vous entoure
L’écriture contemplative et un journal de ressourcement créatif: Pour vous reconnecter encore et encore à ce qui vous anime au plus profond de votre être et avez envie de faire grandir en cette nouvelle année.
Des balades contemplatives : Pour vous re-syncroniser et vous ressourcer avec la nature généreuse et pleine de magie de Dechen Chöling.
La méditation : Bien sûr ! Parce qu’elle nous offre l’espace pour apprivoiser nos émotions avec bienveillance et continuer à faire grandir l’amitié et l’amour envers nous-mêmes et le monde qui nous entoure.

À qui s’adresse cette retraite
Convient aux méditants et photographes de tous niveaux.
Aucune expérience avec la photographie ou l’écriture n’est nécessaire.
Cette retraite est ouverte à tous ceux qui ont envie et besoin de se retrouver dans un moment d’accueil, de partage et de célébration.

Des tarifs adaptés à tous les budgets sont proposés, avec des facilités financières pour les participants à bas revenus.
Inscrivez-vous maintenant et faites le plein de créativité, de joie pour commencer la nouvelle année plein d’étoiles dans les yeux.
𝑷𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒑𝒍𝒖𝒔 𝒅’𝒊𝒏𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒎𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒔 𝒆𝒕 𝒑𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒗𝒐𝒖𝒔 𝒊𝒏𝒔𝒄𝒓𝒊𝒓𝒆, CLIQUEZ ICI : https://bit.ly/401WhHK
Ou visitez le www.dechencholing.org
———
𝐉𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐜𝐚 𝐒𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐩𝐨𝐟𝐟
Pratiquante bouddhiste depuis 1989, Jessica apporte son expertise en tant qu’instructrice de méditation, enseignante bouddhiste et enseignante de Nalanda Miksang et d’écriture contemplative. Elle anime également des ateliers de Journal Créatif mêlant écriture, dessin et collage.
Son parcours de chanteuse professionnelle et d’hypnothérapeute enrichit son approche holistique de la créativité et de la découverte de soi.

About Jessica Sarapoff
A Buddhist practitioner since 1989, Jessica brings her expertise as a meditation instructor, Buddhist teacher, and Nalanda Miksang teacher.
Her background as a professional singer and hypnotherapist enriches her holistic approach to creativity and self-discovery.

Atelier-découverte Miksang - Zoom in French
2024-10-19 14:30 - 18:00 (Europe/Helsinki) | Zoom
Samedi 19 octobre 2024
De 14h30 à 18h En Visio-Conférence Zoom

Cette pratique nous invite à ralentir notre regard et nous reconnecter à la joie et la beauté du monde qui nous entoure.
Cet atelier-découverte s’adresse à tous ceux qui ont envie de relier la pratique de la photographie à la méditation.
Même l’appareil photo de votre téléphone convient à cette pratique. Convient à des photographes de tous niveaux.
Déroulement de l’atelier :

Explication sur cette pratique de Miksang et le « Flash de Perception »
Divers exercices de synchronisation
Exemples du premier exercice photographique
Cueillette-photos (sortie dans La Roche-Bernard et le port)
Tri photos
Visionnage des photos avec enseignements

Prix de l’atelier : 50€
Pour vous inscrire à cet atelier : https://jessicasarapoff.com/191024-bdc-atelier-decouverte-miksang/
Pour en savoir plus sur cette pratique de méditation en action, voici un article et une galerie d’images :

Atelier-découverte Miksang - France
2024-09-28 14:30 - 18:00 (Europe/Helsinki) | Jessica Sarapoff, 3 Rue Jean de la Fontaine, La Roche-Bernard, La Roche Bernard, Morbihan, 56130, France
Samedi 28 septembre 2024

De 14h30 à 18h A La Roche-Bernard, South Brittany France

Cette pratique nous invite à ralentir notre regard et nous reconnecter à la joie et la beauté du monde qui nous entoure.
Cet atelier-découverte s’adresse à tous ceux qui ont envie de relier la pratique de la photographie à la méditation.
Même l’appareil photo de votre téléphone convient à cette pratique. Convient à des photographes de tous niveaux.

Déroulement de l’atelier :

Explication sur cette pratique de Miksang et le « Flash de Perception »
Divers exercices de synchronisation
Exemples du premier exercice photographique
Cueillette-photos (sortie dans La Roche-Bernard et le port)
Tri photos
Visionnage des photos avec enseignements

Prix de l’atelier : 50€
Pour vous inscrire à cet atelier : https://jessicasarapoff.com/280924-bdc-atelier-decouverte-miksang/
Pour en savoir plus sur cette pratique de méditation en action, voici un article et une galerie d’images :

Color Plus / Plus - An introduction to Found Modern Art - ONLINE
2024-05-12 14:00 - 2024-06-30 16:00 (America/New_York) | Zoom
TWO GROUPS AVAILABLE : Sunday afternoons OR Wednesday evenings
In Nalanda Miksang Contemplative Photography, our first assignment/exploration is “color as color”. “Color as Color” is the first step in making direct contact with the basic elements or features of the visual world/experience: color, then also, light, texture, pattern, space, and dot in space. These are the “visual chords” that become the basis of the Nalanda Miksang “visual music”.
At the same time, each of these visual elements has its personal dimension and aesthetic. For instance, when we photograph color as color, it can spontaneously open to abstract color. This goes beyond the context, like a “red fire engine” but even beyond “fire engine red” and into red as red, red as the ways of red.
This kind of abstract color has its own aesthetic, and resonates with the abstraction of some American Modern Art, the Color Field school in particular. This school includes what we call “color as color” but also goes beyond. These Color Field artists include Ellsworth Kelly, Barnet Newman, Kenneth Noland, and more.
In Color Plus/Plus, we will practice photographing, but we will also study and contemplate these Color Field artists. Through this study and practice, you will become Color Field artists. Your images will be forms of found Color Field abstract art.

Sunday afternoons, 2-4 pm Eastern Time (Toronto)
May 12, May 26, June 9, June 16, June 23, June 30
To register, please email Miriam Hall at miriam@herspiral.com.

Level I: Looking and Seeing An Introduction to Contemplative Photography - ONLINE
2024-04-13 17:00 - 2024-05-25 17:30 (America/New_York) | Zoom
Miksang, meaning “Good Eye” in Tibetan, is a form of contemplative photography based on the dharma art teachings of Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche.
Miksang teachings help practitioners to see the world as it is, in the absence of the narratives and concepts usually superimposed by the mind, and in the absence of comparing and contrasting mind or personal preference.
Each Zoom session will include photographic explorations, sample images for each week’s content and review of student images and discussion. Feedback is compassionate and highly individualized. We will also examine and discuss photographers and artists whose work is directly influenced by contemplative practices.
The text for the course is Looking at Seeing: Nalanda Miksang Contemplative Photography by John McQuade and Miriam Hall, which is available on Amazon.com as a paperback or e-book.
No photography experience is necessary! Just use whatever camera you have available, including your cell phone.
Dates: April 13, 20, May 4, 11, 18, 25
Meets: Saturdays, 5 pm – 6:30 pm (ET). —- CHANGE OF MEETING TIME
Location: Online Zoom Classroom
Course Tuition: $250 (or whatever you can afford)
Course Level/Prerequisite: Open to all skill levels.
Class Size: This course is limited to 10 students.
To Register: Contact Tim Auman at aumantl@wfu.edu

Color Plus / Plus - An introduction to Found Modern Art - ONLINE
2024-04-10 18:30 - 2024-06-22 20:30 (America/New_York) | Zoom
TWO GROUPS AVAILABLE : Wednesday evenings OR Sunday afternoons
In Nalanda Miksang Contemplative Photography, our first assignment/exploration is “color as color”. “Color as Color” is the first step in making direct contact with the basic elements or features of the visual world/experience: color, then also, light, texture, pattern, space, and dot in space. These are the “visual chords” that become the basis of the Nalanda Miksang “visual music”.
At the same time, each of these visual elements has its personal dimension and aesthetic. For instance, when we photograph color as color, it can spontaneously open to abstract color. This goes beyond the context, like a “red fire engine” but even beyond “fire engine red” and into red as red, red as the ways of red.
This kind of abstract color has its own aesthetic, and resonates with the abstraction of some American Modern Art, the Color Field school in particular. This school includes what we call “color as color” but also goes beyond. These Color Field artists include Ellsworth Kelly, Barnet Newman, Kenneth Noland, and more.
In Color Plus/Plus, we will practice photographing, but we will also study and contemplate these Color Field artists. Through this study and practice, you will become Color Field artists. Your images will be forms of found Color Field abstract art.

Wednesday evenings, 6:30-8:30 Eastern Time (Toronto)
4/10, 4/24; 5/8, 5/22; 6/12, 6/22
To register, please email Miriam Hall at miriam@herspiral.com.

AbsoluteEye : From Orderly Chaos to Found Modern Art - ONLINE
2024-03-25 12:00 - 2024-04-22 14:00 (America/New_York) | Zoom
TWO GROUPS ARE AVAILABLE :
This page is for Monday evenings – NEW DATES
Registration is through Dralaimage site, see the link below

“ Chaos should be regarded as extremely good news”
Chogyam Trungpa
Monday 6:30-8:30 ET
March, 25, April 1, 8. 15, 22
This Zoom exploration engages direct perception without reference points. Not even the reference point of contemplative
art. It is a free flowing perception orderly chaos. The images are energetic and vivid. They are Found Modern Art.
The Nalanda Miksang path and pedagogy orients from Chogyam Trungpa’s Dharma Art teaching: The Three Levels of Perception.
These three levels parallel the Buddhist three levels: Hinayana, Mahayana and Vajrayana. This contemplative art perception
engagement is the “Tantric” level. You will learn to “let go,” enter a “visual gap” and let the visual world manifest in its own order chaos way.
The aesthetic of these artistic images resonates with certain paintings of Modern American Art. This course includes a cultural
studies aspect. We will consider the Assemblage School of American Modern Art which includes artists such as Robert Rauschenberg as well as some Pop Artists.
One of the intentions of this course is to produce brilliant found modern art images. You will become absolute photo eye artists.
The course will include contemplation of Dharma Art and Modern Art texts, teachings, image assignments and image reviews.
No photographic experience necessary. You need a digital camera. (a smart phone is workable).

AbsoluteEye : From Orderly Chaos to Found Modern Art - ONLINE
2024-03-23 12:00 - 2024-04-20 14:00 (America/New_York) | Zoom
TWO GROUPS ARE AVAILABLE :
This page is to register for Saturday afternoons
Registration is through Toronto Shambhala Center, see the link below.

“ Chaos should be regarded as extremely good news”
Chogyam Trungpa

This Zoom exploration engages direct perception without reference points. Not even the reference point of contemplative
art. It is a free flowing perception orderly chaos. The images are energetic and vivid. They are Found Modern Art.
The Nalanda Miksang path and pedagogy orients from Chogyam Trungpa’s Dharma Art teaching: The Three Levels of Perception.
These three levels parallel the Buddhist three levels: Hinayana, Mahayana and Vajrayana. This contemplative art perception
engagement is the “Tantric” level. You will learn to “let go,” enter a “visual gap” and let the visual world manifest in its own order chaos way.
The aesthetic of these artistic images resonates with certain paintings of Modern American Art. This course includes a cultural
studies aspect. We will consider the Assemblage School of American Modern Art which includes artists such as Robert Rauschenberg as well as some Pop Artists.
One of the intentions of this course is to produce brilliant found modern art images. You will become absolute photo eye artists.
The course will include contemplation of Dharma Art and Modern Art texts, teachings, image assignments and image reviews.
No photographic experience necessary. You need a digital camera. (a smart phone is workable).

Redécouvrez la magie de votre monde grâce à MIKSANG, photographie contemplative - ONLINE
2024-03-13 20:30 - 21:30 (Europe/Paris) | Zoom
Mercredi 13 mars à 20h30 (Paris)
Conférence gratuite sur Zoom
La photographie contemplative ou Miksang nous invite à ralentir notre regard et redécouvrir notre monde avec poésie, curiosité et gourmandise.
Miksang nous reconnecte à la magie ordinaire de notre monde, tel un enfant prêt à s’émerveiller devant toutes les beautés inattendues qui l’entoure. Dans ces mooments, nous nous relions à notre santé fondamentale, cet endroit en nous qui est serein, joyeux et confiant.
Pour en savoir plus, inscrivez-vous à la conférence !
p.s. Avis aux intéressés :
En avril, j’offrirai une série de 5 ateliers Zoom (en direct) constituant les bases de cette très riche et joyeuse pratique.
p.p.s. Cette convient aux photographes de tous niveaux.
…Oui, même l’appareil photo de votre téléphone convient à cette pratique!

Jessica Sarapoff est pratiquante bouddhiste depuis 1989. Elle enseigne la méditation, la photographie contemplative Miksang et l’écriture contemplative. Elle est également hypnothérapeute qu’elle pratique en cabinet privé, ainsi que d’autres thérapies brèves et intégratives.

Level 1 : Introduction to Miksang Contemplative Photography
2024-02-11 13:00 - 15:00 (America/Chicago) | Zoom
Enter into the world of Miksang Contemplative Photography with senior teacher Miriam Hall.
Become playfully familiar with the basic elements of visual perception, and rejuvenate your connection to everyday magic.

We will have four live dates, all Sundays, from 1-3 pm Central US Time: 2/11, 2/25; 3/10, 3/24.
There will be assignments in between. Also, between the live dates, there will be ample chances to connect on Mighty Network.

The link below leads you to a chance to join Miriam’s private Mighty Network to register; if you prefer to not join the Mighty Network, just email Miriam at miriam@herspiral.com or register through the link below.

(Online) Warriorship, Basic Goodness and Dharma Art
2023-09-10 16:00 - 2023-10-15 17:00 (America/New_York) | Dorje Denma Ling, Canada
With John McQuade

Program is fully booked
JOIN WAITING LIST

“When the warrior-students experience an environment where the dralas are present, where reality is present, where the possibilities of sanity are always there, they can appreciate the mountains, the clouds, sky, sunshine, trees, flowers, brooks… intensely bright red and blue, brilliant white and orange…When you are fully gentle, without arrogance and without aggression, you see the brilliance of the universe. You develop a true perception of the universe.”
— Chogyam Trungpa, Shambhala, Sacred Path of the Warrior (Ch. 15, p.18-19).
The great Buddhist teacher and meditation master, Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche, was also an accomplished artist, and taught the path of “Dharma Art.” But in addition to teaching the Buddhadharma, he also received and transmitted the Shambhala teachings, which uses terminology and imagery more familiar to Western culture as a way to communicate everyday Dharma.
This course includes some of these teachings, and will give emphasis to the connection between Shambhala and Dharma Art. We will explore Shambhala teachings such as basic goodness, the Shambhala dot-in-space, the flash of perception, looking and seeing, fields of perception, authentic presence and drala (Ordinary Magic). We will contemplate and express these teachings in photographic imagery.
Who Should Attend
All are welcome. No photographic experience is necessary. You will need a digital
camera; a phone camera is fine.

Enrolment is limited to 15 participants.
What to Expect
This course will include contemplation of Shambhala teachings such as basic goodness, the Shambhala dot-in-space, the flash of perception, looking and seeing, fields of perception, authentic presence and drala (Ordinary Magic) as referenced in Chogyam Trungpa’s texts: Shambhala: Sacred Path of the Warrior, True Perception and Great Eastern Sun. (If you do not have the texts, we will provide excerpts of the relevant readings.)
There will be experienced-based perception exercises, but also Miksang
Contemplative photography engagements. Miksang is a Tibetan word that translates
a “Good Eye.” Miksang is the “Eye Dharma” that connects with basic goodness.
Schedule
Five Sundays: September 10 | September 17 | September 24 | October 1 | October 15 |
Note: Skipping October 8
Time: 3:00 p.m. – 5:00 pm Atlantic | 2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. Eastern
Time Zone Converter
Cost
Suggested Tuition: CA$145

Generosity Policy applies. You will the have the option of applying a discount on the
Registration Page should you need financial assistance.
References
Contemplative Art and Liberation, by John McQuade
https://www.dralaimage.com/post/contemplative-art-and-liberation-how-it-works-1
John McQuade’s Website: www.dralaimage.com
Contact John: dralaimage@gmail.com

Leader

John McQuade
John McQuade is the founder of Nalanda Miksang Photography, and has established Nalanda Miksang teachers in North America, Europe and Australia. He is also co-author of two books in his field: Looking and Seeing, and Heart of Photography. He is currently on the faculty of the Halliburton School of Art and Design and is completing a PhD on the classic photographer, Edward Weston. John is also a practising Buddhist, having studied with Chogyam Trungpa from 1979 until Rinpoche’s death in 1987. Besides being an accomplished meditation master, Trungpa Rinpoche was also an artist, a poet and a photographer. Nalanda Miksang contemplative photography is based on the…
Learn more about John McQuade

Heaven and Earth: Contemplative Landscape Photography (online)
2023-07-16 11:00 - 2023-10-08 13:00 (America/Toronto) | Zoom
“Traditionally it is said that when human beings live in harmony with the principles of heaven and earth, then the four seasons and the elements of the world will also work together harmoniously. Then there is no fear and humans begin to join in, as they deserve, in living in the world. They have heaven above and earth below and they appreciate the trees and greenery and so on. They begin to appreciate all of this.”
– Chogyam Trungpa; Shambhala: Sacred Path of the Warrior
This contemplative photography course explores landscapes from an Eastern contemplative art orientation rather than the traditional Western scenic approach. The contemplative landscape way gives emphasis to visual forms, space and a sensibility of stillness, rather than the conventional landscape formats of dramatic effect.
The course includes resource teachings from contemplative aesthetics, Daoismand Chinese Landscape Paintings. It also includes consideration of Western contemplative landscape photographers such as Edward Weston and Ansel Adams.

Who Should Attend
This course is open to anyone who is interested in exploring the principles of Contemplative Landscapes and messages they express.
You should be prepared to travel through the country side looking and finding Contemplative Landscapes. This is different than capturing Nature, and could take some time — which is why the sessions are spaced two weeks apart.
You will also need a digital camera with a “long lens – at least 180.”
Enrolment is limited to 15.
TO JOIN THE WAITING LIST

Contemplative Photography and Liberation: The Outer and Inner Teachings
2023-06-03 13:00 - 2023-07-08 15:00 UTC | Zoom
“If you are able to relax – relax to a cloud by looking at it, relax to a drop of rain and experience its genuineness – you can see the unconditionality of reality… you experience a vast realm of perceptions unfolding… the realm of perception is limitless, so limitless that perception itself is primordial… there are endless fields of perception.”

– Chogyam Trungpa, Shambhala Sacred Path of the Warrior

This course will take you on a deep dive into the world of contemplative photography and is open to everyone. No previous dharma or photography experience is required!
A basic introduction to the practice of contemplative photography will be explored – as well as the liberation aspects of this practice.
This course works with both our sense of Sight and Insight – which leads to a different and fresh way of seeing and experiencing our world. So it is both a dharma practice and a contemplative art exploration.
The “clear seeing” you will experience as a part of this course opens up many realms of perception that we typically do not engage with in our daily life. We will explore some fields of perception such as flowers and weeds, the “ordinary world” and impressionism. We will contemplate how this “true perception way” has implications for more primordial insight and deep realization.
We will also contemplate some Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche texts from the books True Perception and Shambhala: Sacred Path of the Warrior. If you do not have these books, excerpts will be provided.
The course proceeds through teachings, assignments, and assignment reviews. No photographic experience necessary, but a digital camera is required. A smartphone camera is workable.
Read John’s McQuade’s article in the Shambhala Times titled Contemplative Art and Liberation: How it Works, here.
About the Teacher
John McQuade is a long time student of Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche and is a Shambhala Training Teacher and Meditation Instructor. He is also a Maitri Five Wisdoms Teacher and a founder of Nalanda Miksang Contemplative Photography (www.miksang.org). He is the co-author of two books: Looking and Seeing and Heart of Photography. He teaches contemplative arts ( www.dralaimage.com) and holds a PhD in Phenomenology.
