El-Branden Brazil

Photographer, Writer & Mystic Traveller

Archive for ‘September, 2014’

Zen Reflections

Whilst sitting with my Zen Master, something suddenly occurred to me:

Human life is exactly like a leaf on a tree. In Spring, it buds into existence. In Summer, it reaches its full potential, bright and green. In Autumn, it begins to lose it’s vibrancy, turning brown and falling to the ground below. In Winter, it decomposes and becomes one with the earth again.

This metaphor is perhaps obvious, but the difference is in how a human life and a leaf go through these changes. A leaf is without consciousness, and passes through the process of existing, very, very quietly and being what it simply is. Humans, by contrast, manifest great anguish as we grasp desperately to what will inevitably be lost. If only we could remain silent like a leaf, being the thing as it is, with the sweet clarity of Truth and without the grandiose delusions of self.

Leaves & Tiles At A Zen Temple

Photography by El-Branden Brazil

Mutual Coexistence

I’m a Buddhist. I practice Zazen (Zen meditation) regularly, I read, I contemplate. I also acknowledge that I don’t yet know ultimate Truth. To pretend to do so would be arrogance in the extreme.

My faith connects with me and helps me find meaning through the mysteries of everyday life and beyond. I personally believe that Lord Buddha’s teachings offer a very practical path to finding peace.

…What I believe, doesn’t mean I am necessarily right. I can no more prove my beliefs to be true than anyone else of another faith. My beliefs alone make no difference to the world, other than give me a label. It is how I act in the world that matters.

I have Christian, Muslim, Pagan, Jewish, Hindu and many other friends of faiths, who are close friends. There is no question that they are very good people, trying to be a force for light, rather than darkness, in the world. We have mutual respect for each other, and share in a single goal for peace, understanding and love.

We all need to celebrate together our wide-eyed, shared appreciation for the mystery of the Universe. Together, we should hold hands and breathe in the brief moment that is allowed us to explore it. We should waste no time fighting each other.

A Burning Lamp & Lotus Leaves
Photography by El-Branden Brazil

The Nomadic Species

The world is not one of exactitudes of ethnicity, but rather one of fuzziness and blurring between groups of people, especially those living on the borders of countries.

Borders are illusions that have no geographical reality, but are constructed out of fear and perceived cultural biases/similarities. However, the truth is that humans have always been a nomadic species, transmigrating across the globe and intermingling, long before there were laws, visas and passports. This is most certain to continue, whilst we remain guests on our planet. Indeed, there is every likelihood that humans may one day migrate to Mars and beyond.

There are two ways to respond to this reality. The first is to take the response of Nationalists, who fear that there will be some sort of cultural/ethnic dilution of their group, if there is an influx of people with customs and ethnicity different to their own. And, most certainly, this is a two-way state of affairs, that can manifest on both sides, bringing with it racism, violence, segregation and hate.

The second and more preferable option, and the one that seems to wholly embrace the inevitable, is to just appreciate that everything is in a natural state of flux, including culture. Accept that nothing remains the same forever, including ethnic identity. Embrace diversity and look for common humanity in all.

A Camel In The Gobi
A Nomad Of The Mongolian Gobi Desert
Photography by El-Branden Brazil