7. Nirvana

I can’t believe the beauty I’m seeing.  This is the first time I’ve witnessed a full moon setting on the western horizon as the sun simultaneously rises to the east.  The moon dips behind the Minwun Mountain range, and the light slowly shifts from early pre-dawn darkness to soft, gentle colors that only fill the sky at this time of day.  I’m traveling north on the Irrawaddy River to Mingun village for my photography group’s sunrise photoshoot.  It’s a journey well-worth the 4 a.m. wake-up call.  The 45-minute scenic boat ride along the river seems short, and before I know it, I’m stepping out of the boat and walking through the small village that is just waking up for this new day.  As I pass a local vendor setting up her wares, I can smell incense burning.  I breathe in the woody aroma.  “Mingalaba,” I say, using the Burmese word for “hello”.  “Mingalaba,” she replies with a friendly smile.  I continue walking through the village to the Mingun Unfinished Pagoda for the photoshoot.  When I arrive, I’m impressed with the imposing stone wall in front of me.  I can’t believe how massive it is.  It towers over me, and I feel small in comparison.  As I take my camera gear out of my bag and organize it, I think of what I read about the construction of the pagoda.  It began in 1790, and it was supposed to be the biggest pagoda in the world when completed.  But that never happened…  Economic ruin halted the project, and now it acts as the perfect backdrop for my images along with the monks who frequent this area.  I bring my camera to my eye and take an image of three monks who just appeared.  I can’t help but notice how small they look opposite the incredible facade.  I look at my watch and see that it’s almost 7 a.m.  These young men have already been up for about three hours, as most monks begin their day at 4 a.m.  While I was riding the boat and watching the sunrise, they were most likely in prayer and meditation, focusing on the workings of the mind to strengthen the bond with their Buddhist teachings.  The 300,000 monks in Myanmar are on a path of devotedness to Buddha and hopefully nirvana.  It’s been a privilege to have photographed many monks and seen the looks on their faces through my lens.  I’ve noticed that many of them are stoic, or they look down to avoid eye contact out of humility.  However, one young monk I photographed was very expressive and photogenic.  I think his image reflects some of the youth, happiness and peace he feels deep within…