Overview

Tibet suffered extreme political turmoil during the latter 20th century. Occupied in 1950, Red Guards destroyed thousands of official buildings and holy places during the Cultural Revolution and religious freedom and traditional education is still severely under threat. Due to the strength of the Tibetan's faith in Buddha and the Dalai Lama and against the odds many buildings have been reconstructed and their devotion and belief have remained extraordinarily strong. Buddhism permeates every part of a Tibetan's life, whether they are the Tibetans living in Tibet or the hundreds of thousands that live away from their homeland, in Nepal, India or the United States. This text is divided into five parts, with two main chapters devoted to the religious and lay Buddhists on their pilgrimages to holy sites. We see the monks in animated discussion, meditation and prayer and follow the devout believers on their arduous journeys to prayer. These two main chapters are interspersed with sections of portraits of this proud and dignified people who have their own innate sense of style and fashion demonstrated in the way they dress and adorn themselves. Known for his beautiful and uplifting imagery and soulful, but intimate, portraits, Steve McCurry's book offers an intimate insight into a unique and dignified culture.

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9780714843469

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Reviews

The Path to Buddha is packed with striking portraits of the Tibetan people and with detailed interiors and landscapes. -Photo District News / EDU The Path to Buddha is McCurry's most recent evocation of Central Asia. Great photographers scratch their heads at McCurry's technical virtuosity and marvel at his distinctive vision. -Paul Joseph Brown, The Seattle Post-Intelligencer With a foreword by Tibet scholar Robert Thurman, this collection is rich in countless ways: from the maroon tones in the clothing and monastery walls to the calm devotion evident in the eyes of the faithful. Open this book, and prepare to get religion. -Outside Three groups of formal portraits are separated by candid shots of pilgrims and monks in this hushed and often engrossing study... Color is essential to capturing this world, and even when it's riotous, as in some of the peasant dress. Steve McCurry manages to suggest the stillness at the core of Buddhist philosophy. There's dignity here, and part of the achievement of the pictures is to convey that it's actually of the people rather projected or imposed.' -Chicago Tribune Photojournalist Steve McCurry turns his considerable skills to the devoted holy people of Tibet... The highlights of this book...are its handsome, colorful portraits. Rich and dignified, they warmly reflect the spirituality of a remarkable people. -The Miami Herald

Author Information

Steve McCurry is recognized internationally for his classic reportage. He has covered many areas of international and civil conflict, including the Iran-Iraq war, Beirut, Cambodia, the Philippines, the Gulf War, and the disintegration of the former Yugoslavia and Afghanistan, where his focus has been on the human consequences of war. He joined Magnum photos in 1986 and frequently photographs for National Geographic. McCurry is the recipient of many awards including Magazine Photographer of the Year and an unprecedented four first prizes in the World Press Photo contest. Author's Residence: New York City

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