Samye
Mikel Dunham
(Reviewer - Rebecca Brown)
2004 Jodere Group
ISBN: 1588720837

A Pilgrimage to the Birthplace of Tibetan Buddhism.

Come to a sacred place where few of us have ever set foot. High up in the Land of Snow where Buddhism first took root in Tibet, 1,200 years ago, to where there is a monastery a day's hike from anywhere, still functioning, under the ever-watchful presence of China.

In his moving Foreword, the Dalai Lama explains how Samye was constructed in the form of a three-dimensional mandala, representing the universe as described in Buddhist cosmology. He was never able to visit this revered site before he had to flee in 1959 ahead of the Chinese occupation.

Himself a master thankgha painter, Mikel Dunham's photographs of both artwork & landscape are inspiring, whether they be of complete images of a king or a story, or a peek into a hall or temple where images have been defaced, cattle have been lodged & bricks have tumbled down.

Mikel Dunham tells of Building the Inconceivable when the early religion of Bon dwelt before the coming of Buddhism, & the construction of Samye.

Then he writes & photographs Approaching the Mandala in which we, in the company of pilgrims, arrive at the Tsangpo (Brahmaputra) River. Here there is astonishing lushness at 12,500 feet where pear orchards & grazing grounds abound for yaks, ponies & donkeys; prayer wheels & the circular wall of capped with 1,008 stupas, & the ever-present mountains all about.

Tibetan pilgrims come from all about, in their bright & cheerful attire & hopeful expressions. & then the buildings with their murals, ornate roofs: “Come in, come in”, everything seems to say, with inviting polite, reverent affection.

& so inside we go, to marvelous mandalas, stories, colors & imagery.

Samye: A Pilgrimage to the Birthplace of Tibetan Buddhism is a treasure trove of feelings, senses, thoughts & images. Perfect for those who have yearned & will not in this lifetime get there; perfect for those who have been & yearn to return, & a perfect gift for those to whom Buddhism, travel, mountains & beauty are the stuff of life.

Exquisitely wrought & presented!
(08/01/04)

Rebecca