From Brahma to Buddha, Spring 2008

So a couple days ago I finally figured out Harrison's proposed riddle for us. It was to guess a special feature on his face that he had in common with a wizard. We had been scanning his face for a week when finally I just happened to notice this long white hair on his eyebrow. I stated it as an observation, not expecting to be right. It was right and for Harrison the stakes were high. Whoever guessed right got to design something for him to shave into his beard. I was thinking about what to do and I decided on some adorable hearts on his cheeks, I thought it fit for the theme of Ellie and I's project. We wanted to take advantage of the events in Dharamsala and the Tibet issue in general that we got an opportunity to witness. We collected 6 interviews from Tibetan refuges in Dharamsala about their story and Ellie took portraits of them with her camera. We wanted to show real people and their stories in their own words. Our theme is Compassion transcending suffering. My part of the project was to offer a universal view. I have been interviewing random people from all backgrounds trying to show how we are all people wanting to be happy. I wanted to emphasize the interdependence of all beings and try to de-emphasize the notion of 'us and them' and 'I and you'. I only film the eyes so as to not distract the viewer with their facial features and to really focus on the eye contact and words. We ask questions like what does compassion mean to you, what are your everyday struggles, what does it mean to be a human being, etc. things that we forget that tie us all together as human beings. So I thought Harrison having hearts in his beard would make him a lovely mascot for us.

P.s barf means snow in Hindi
~Tiffany

For Al: We are all thinking of you, we send you a tremendous amount of hugs and kisses, and buckets of love. With every awkward silence during a conversation or breath taking view we see, the absence of your presence is severely felt and missed. You are with us in all of our experiences and we always have your cheerful and positive energy filling our hearts. We are all under the same moon, sky, sun, and stars, not separated by two continents. We miss you Al and we are even wearing your hat. Which we think is quite lovely, and when it served as our talking object in our council, embodied everything from glamour to your continued presence with us. Take heart in your current surroundings... people, places, experiences... these are the fodder for future adventures - you are exactly where you need to be, however much we think of you, wish you were here, or you wish you were here as well. Look deeply at the lessons you are meant to learn from Ohio-ian existence and know that India awaits you when the time is right. My beard hearts are only a physical representation of the love from my heart, pouring forth from the eternal source of Clear Light.

~A compilation of words, thoughts, and love for you Al