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Jennifer Zhou | all galleries >> Galleries >> Everybody Has a Story > Peace of mind, Lingyin Temple, Hangzhou, China, 2005
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20-MAR-2005

Peace of mind, Lingyin Temple, Hangzhou, China, 2005

I compare a moving subject to a still subject here to indicate two different states of mind -- troubled and peaceful. Throughout history, people have never stop desiring things. They are action-oriented, craving results, yet the Buddha sits here silently, desiring nothing. We seek answers from Buddha, here in one of China's greatest temples, for all of our questions. Yet it is really peace of mind that we should be seeking, because only then will we be able to find happiness by discovering the strengths that hide within ourselves.

Canon EOS 10D ,Sigma 15-30mm f/3.5-4.5 EX DG ASP
1/25s f/4.5 at 15.0mm iso400 hide exif
Full EXIF Info
Date/Time20-Mar-2005 12:55:30
MakeCanon
ModelEOS 10D
Flash UsedNo
Focal Length15 mm
Exposure Time1/25 sec
Aperturef/4.5
ISO Equivalent400
Exposure Bias-0.67
White Balance (-1)
Metering Modematrix (5)
JPEG Quality (6)
Exposure Programaperture priority (3)
Focus Distance

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Dom Burke06-Jan-2006 14:48
No need to 'seek' peace of mind; it's already here, always has been,.... it's just covered over with thoughts, worries, wants, fears, desires... Don't fight them, just let them flow on by ;) A wonderful book is "Wherever You Go, There You Are" , by Jon Kabat Zinn; he makes it nice and easy for a westerner like me to understand! Nice shot!
Tim May20-May-2005 18:00
Before I read your caption I was taken by the contrast of the sharpness of the Buddha and the softness of the person - So, at least for me, your intent carried directly to me. But, then your image did more - especially after I read your caption - I thought about the fact of our human condition - that statue, while symbolic and thus very important, is still and static - while the woman represents life and movement. For me both states are important - the unsettledness of living, of the journey is also a desired state of being.
Rarely do images take me contemplation of the "state of existence" - thank you.
Guest 13-Apr-2005 16:23
We don't see nearly enough from you.
Thanks for continuing.
chicago80 05-Apr-2005 22:01
Wow, It is getting better and better!
Thanks for sharing your talent!
Guest 02-Apr-2005 19:46
Amito Fo!
Great shot.
Phil Douglis27-Mar-2005 21:37
****I could not help but think of my own image "Bargaining" athttp://www.pbase.com/pnd1/image/40169874 , when I saw this lovely image, Jen. In both your image and mine, two subjects are juxtaposed at right angles to each other. While your background is sharp and foreground soft, and mine is reversed, each of these images expreses its meaning by contrasting a profile view to a frontal view, juxtaposing smaller against larger figures, soft against sharp, and subject against context. In my image, tension is the point. In yours it is faith and sometimes, as you say, even blind faith.

The faces in my shot mirrored each other, echoing the mood and emotion of a bargaining session. In your image, the bowed head of the softly focused young woman, eyes closed as if in prayer, echoes the frontal view of a Buddha figure at prayer, whose eyes are also shut. Both images are in black and white, expressing meaning in its purest and simplest form.

What makes your image so fascinating to me is that it represents more than just a person at prayer, but rather a series of contrasts that bring into question the nature and purpose of faith itself.
Guest 27-Mar-2005 15:28
It's an excellent concept, Jenny. As someone who studies buddhist concepts I can appreciate even more your statements about how people desire immediate things, craving things they feel will make them 'happiness' when in fact true happiness comes from within.
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