dharmagraphy

This website is dedicated to the photography, art, music, and poetry of Lama Karma Chötso.

Here is her introduction:

Dharmagraphy may sound like the name of some new and peculiar medical test that measures … what? One’s spirituality? Level of realization? Tendency to act badly? Tendency to be good? (or would those last two be karma–graphy?)

Dharmagraphy, however, simply brings ‘photography’ together with the word ‘dharma’.

Dharma is a Sanskrit word used to refer to all the teachings of Lord Buddha. The Tibetan word for Dharma, chö, appears on every page of this site. In the teachings of the Buddhadharma, two types of activity are explained:  worldly activity and Dharma activity.

Dharma activity might seem to be the easiest one to define as meditation, setting up a shrine, making offerings, practicing generosity and kindness to others, following the instructions of the master, etc. And maybe worldly activity would be “everything else”. But there are more subtle ways to define these two. After all, Dharma activity can be done with the blackest of hearts and worldly activity can be done through great and sincere concern for others. So, intentions can be used as a means of determining Dharma activity vs. worldly activity.

Therefore, while someone might be surprised to find a Buddhist nun taking photographs or drawing rocks or writing and singing songs, when these actions are done with the purest of intentions they become infused with the enlightened attitude, the attitude that every breath one takes will ultimately benefit all sentient beings.

May this website, and all it contains, be of true and lasting benefit to sentient beings and whatever world they inhabit.

LKC