Tag: buddhist monks

One More Messiah

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With an image of the Buddha tattooed on his forehead, this monk assured me he would one day be the leader of Sri Lanka; just as soon as Gota went home. He also told me he could drive any vehicle on land or sea, and knew how to use everything from a 9mm pistol to a T56 to an RPG. He said he’d lived in Jaffna throughout the war and that the ‘Koti’ had taught him everything he knew. ‘Gotagogama’, the ad hoc protest village of tents, shacks, and portable lavatories set up on Galle Face Green, in early April, attracts all sorts; from communist student bodies to local ladies’ book clubs; all united in wanting Sri Lankan President Gotabhaya Rajapakse and his government to step down, accused of corruption and ineptitude, and the creation of the worst economic crisis in the country’s modern history. Colombo, May 2022.

• 60mm • f/5 • 1/50 • ISO6400 •

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Church, Temple, and that Old Red Line

David BlackerLeave a comment
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Anglican and Roman Catholic nuns calling for Sri Lankan President Gotabhaya Rajapakse and his government to step down, protest against the backdrop of the Nelum Pokuna Mahinda Rajapakse Theatre, a stark reminder of the wasteful policies of a regime that has brought the country to economic ruin. Colombo, April 2022.

• 18mm • f/3.5 • 1/800 • ISO800 •

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The Seema Malaka Shrine at Twilight

David BlackerLeave a comment
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Buddhist priests gather at dusk at the Seema Malaka Shrine on Colombo’s Beira Lake in readiness for the annual Navam Perahera, a colourful procession of musicians, drummers, and caparisoned elephants that takes place on Navam Poya — the night of the full moon — in March. The shrine was designed by Geoffrey Bawa in 1976, and funded by MS Moosajee, a Colombo Muslim, in memory of his son, Ameer Moosajee. Shot from Perahera Mawatha in 2014.

Attachments are the Substance of Humanity

David BlackerLeave a comment

Attachments are the Substance of Humanity by Son of the Morning Light on 500px.com

Cambodian Buddhist monks visit the Miyaguna Seya in Mahiyanganaya, Sri Lanka. Shot on assignment for Explore Sri Lanka magazine. My piece, The Temple of War: the Road to Andaulpotha and the Other Nagadeepa, appeared in the April 2016 issue.

  • 600D+EFS18-200/3.5-5.6+polariser@200mm,1/125,f/5.6,ISO100

    • The Bright Side of a Tarnished Coin

    David BlackerLeave a comment
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    Southern Provincial Council Member and Buddhist monk, Baddegama Samitha Thero, listens to a speaker at the Unity Rally. In contrast to his stance, much of the anti-Muslim rhetoric in Sri Lanka is being unleashed by other Buddhist monks of the fascist Bodhu Bala Sena (BBS). April 2013.