Hands that never stop praying

My Photo scholarship 2010 entry (Hands that never stop praying)

China | Wednesday, October 13, 2010 | 5 photos

Hi, my name is Cleverson Sefrim. I’m a Brazilian currently living in Australia. My photos where taken in Tibet; more precisely Lhasa, in the area that surrounds the Jokhang Temple where the Kora is performed. Kora is the act of walking circumambulation around a temple, stupa, or other sacred site. Everyday Buddhist pilgrims from Tibet and beyond come to the Jokhang Temple to pray and perform religious rituals. It amazed me deeply to witness the richness of these rituals and the strength of the Tibetan people’s faith in face of the cultural and religious problems brought by the Chinese invasion.

I’ve chosen these photographs because I believe they show the beauty of the Tibetan praying rituals. Also because these photographs clearly show how profound the Tibetan faith is. Anyone privileged enough to spend some time in a sacred place like the Jokhang Temple will certainly notice the hands that never stop praying. Be it by spinning the prayer wheels, by counting the beads of a Mala (prayer beads), by doing prostrations or a Mandala offering ritual, the hands of the Tibetan pilgrims never stop.

Since I’ve never formally studied photography, I have to argue here that based on my photographs I must have a certain talent for it. I believe while photographic techniques can be fully learned, talent can only be improved. I hope; if presented with the scholarship, to enjoy the opportunity to learn more about photography and to acquire as much field tips as I can. Additionally I would like to learn how I can make better use of photography to bring awareness and information about important issues such as the Tibetan one.