It’s the original: Daily life of Buddhist monks
EFE / NEW DELHI
19/07/2012
PHOTO: JAIME LEON
One of the photographs in the exhibition «The color of Buddhism»
The photographic exhibition «The color of Buddhism» which opens today in New Delhi shows an aesthetic tour of the common places of this religion
A monk amazed by some skyscrapers in Hong Kong, novices kicking the ball or getting their hair cut are some images of the Spanish photojournalist and correspondent for ABC in the Indian capital, Jaime Leon, which from today are on display at the Cervantes Institute in New Delhi. Under the title «The Color of Buddhism», las 25 snapshots included in the León sample (Madrid, 1977) They are presented as an aesthetic tour of the common places of this religion or philosophy of life in eight countries in South and Southeast Asia.. «The intention is to show the other side of Buddhism. From the West we often tend to orientalize the East. We look at these countries through a mystical veil of fantasy», declared the journalist.
The exhibition opens precisely with one of the first photos he took: that of a young religious, dressed in the traditional orange tunic and with a shaved head, who has just gotten off a boat that connects Kowloon Bay with Hong Kong. «The monk takes out his camera and photographs the «skyline» de Hong Kong, symbol of financial greed. This man dedicated to meditation, material renunciation and monastic life is today another tourist», reads one of the posters in the sample.
«In Europe we are disbelievers, we have forgotten God»
León, who grew up in Melilla and has lived in Asia for six years, When he took the photo he had just arrived to this continent and he confesses that one of the first things that caught his attention was the power of the religious aspect in this part of the world.. «In Europe we are disbelievers, we have forgotten God», said.
Tras Hong Kong, visited other places in China, country in which he worked for two years for a news agency, and then also Cambodia, Burma, Nepal, Laos, Thailand, Vietnam or India, where he continued to portray monks. «My intention was to portray his most mundane life. In the end they are like us and they have their routines, they get up at an hour, they eat», stressed.
The exhibition transports the visitor to temples, portrays monks passionate about David Beckham, praying in unlikely positions, protesting the Chinese occupation of Tibet or sharing a table and conversation about politics. «There are different philosophical currents but on a day-to-day basis they live in a similar way., with very little, usually in very isolated areas», kept.
Jaime León is currently ABC's correspondent in India and in recent years has covered events in the region such as Cyclone Nargis in Burma, the Bombay attacks in 2008 or the end of the civil war in Sri Lanka. Enthusiastic about his work, He says he is happy and wants to continue in this area for longer.. «There is still a future here, one lives in these countries that are often struggling to escape poverty and (however) are imbued with optimism, something we have lost in Europe», stated.
The exhibition will remain at the Instituto Cervantes until the end of July and then will possibly be moved to Laddakh, a northern Indian region with a large presence of Tibetans and Indian Buddhists.
