A short bit about mindfulness and this blog. First, this blog is also about my broad interests in photojournalism and social documentary photography, not just about photography as a mindful endeavor. I make the distinction because often people imagine mindfulness to be solely about sitting in a cushion, legs crossed, seeking enlightenment. Being socially mindful is similar to what some Buddhists call Engaged Buddhism. It is a mindful social practice, informed by a commitment to social change in pursuit of social justice and expressed through activities that raise awareness, seek to help those in need, and so forth. In my case, I constantly meet people (in particular students) who express a desire to raise awareness about compelling social issues, and who seek a way to help. Social documentary photography and digital visual storytelling (and Re-Storying) are ways to raise awareness, exercise our public voice, and foster social change.
Here’s a bit more about my connection to mindfulness: I’ve been developing a mindfulness practice now for more than ten years. I’ve done so primarily within the tradition of Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh, and the Community of Mindful Living, but I’ve also practiced in fairly eclectic ways. I was ordained into Thich Nhat Hanh’s Order of Interbeing (a lay/monastic order, my dharma name is True Mountain of Compassion), and am active as a sangha practice leader in the River Sangha in Oregon. I find my practice essential to my wellbeing and the wellbeing of others (and the planet), and offer it also to students, faculty, and staff at my university (without the Zen Buddhist dimension) in an emerging mindfulness practice center on campus. I’ve been working primarily on what I call Zen Humanism, and I don’t consider myself Buddhist.
Since I am a humanist and non-theist my approach to my practice is what I call “Zen Humanism.” By that I mean an ethical philosophy and practice that calls for deep critical questioning of “self” (or ego and self as measure of all things) and for deep contemplation of the human experience as a way to free ourselves from delusions and build a more humane world.
Social documentary photography for me can be a practice of mindfulness, an art and craft that can help me live a life marked by a commitment to social justice, to fostering social change, deep looking, and by nourishing a recognition of interconnection.
In order to think about social documentary photography as a mindfulness practice you need not believe any of the stuff below, nor agree with me on anything I say. My aim is not to berate others to adopt my own idiosyncratic approach, nor convince you to believe anything. In fact, my interests lie with stripping some of that more tradition oriented language from the practice of mindfulness so that all are welcome to develop a mindful approach to the art of photography from within your own space of practice. Having said that, I offer you some of my ethical thinking so that you know where I come from:
I believe we help construct the world we inhabit and the one others will inherit, thus we should work for peace, harmony, compassion, and lovingkindness toward all (certainly as a way to maximize wellbeing and survival). Moreover, we should work toward those goals here on earth, and not to gain some “greater’ reward in some distant and fanciful heaven. We can and should strive to build a haven on earth in which our concerns should not revolve around gods or this or that religion but around the construction of a more humane and peaceful world.
To that end, I value ethical insight (and actions) that does not promote discrimination, hatred, damnation and hellfire, or any other form of intolerance. Freedom of mind, reason and critical thinking are central to my practice, ethics, and approach to life.
In essence, I believe that justice, compassion, and peace are central to humanity, and that we should always strive to live by such goals. In shorthand: the three Cs: critical sense, our common humanity, and the common good. We have more in common than we think.
I think social documentary photography (and other endeavors) can all be bells of mindfulness, and help us foster a more humane world.
So, there it is. I hope you find the site interesting.