Where Every Breath is a Prayer: A Photographic Pilgrimage in the Spiritual Heart of Asia

by Jon Ortner

Book Overview

Here is sacred Asia as never before seen by Western eyes. Where Every Breath is a Prayer follows in the footsteps of the holy men and shamans who, a millennia ago, wandered the peaks, valleys and... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1556704399
• ISBN13: 9781556704390
• Release Date: January 1996
• Publisher: Thunder Bay Press (CA)
• Length: 248 Pages
• Weight: 4.15 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 10.4" x 12.3"

Customer Reviews

Awesome

This book is a visual exploration into the heart of Eastern religions. It begins in the high Himalayas, juxtaposing the fantastic mountain scenery with images of local temples and local life. From the Himalayas, it moves on to the Ganges, with scenes of celebrations and funerals along the river. The collection of photographs goes on to show religious people, temples, and scenery in South and Southeast Asia from India to Bali. The accompanying text provides a concise explanation of some of the basic tenets of Buddhism, as well as some information about the beliefs of the Hindus. The photographs are spectacular-some of the best that I've ever seen. I found myself thinking as I looked through the photographs, "Wow, I'd love to have that one hanging on my wall!" only to find that the one on the next page to be even more breath-taking. This is a book to read slowly, to savor again and again.

A photographic Pilgrimage into the Spiritual Heart of Asia

For twenty years, renowned photographer JON ORTNER has been devoted to exploring the wonders of the most haunting and mystical of all regions on earth -spiritual Asia and the ancient lands of the Himalayas. Following the footsteps of holy men and shamans, Ortner has trekked thousands of miles- many remote and dangerous-through Nepal, India, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Java, and Bali, to rediscover and record sacred topography, archeological and architectural marvels, and people whose lives are focused on enlightenment and growth. Witness the world's highest peaks and deepest gorges of the Himalayas; the world oldest city, Varanasi, on the holy Ganges River; the once forbidden temples of Myanmar and Cambodia; the Grand Palace of Bangkok, and the magical landscape of Java. Accompanying these evocative images are compelling factual and mythological narratives that trace the evolution and diffusion of Hindu and Buddhist religions. From the prmitive beginnings of animism, to the Hindu Creation Myth, to the birth of the Hindu ruler, Siddharta Gautama, and his legacy of Buddhist enlightenment, ORTNER leads us down a path unbroken for thousands of years. An unprecedented tribute to the wonders of the East, WHERE EVERY BREATH IS A PRAYER is destined to change Western conception of the natural World. This is a lavish (300 stunning full-colour photographs), large scale book, leavened by an exceptional collection of portraits of men and women in the midst of ordinary worship. In this marvelous book, JON ORTNER has shown us the path he traveled, a path readers might follow, if only in their longings. I recommend this book for its text and for its 300 stunning full-color photographs; it is in perfect harmony with the motto of its publishers "The Heart and Soul of Illustrated Books" Jan Mortelmans