Sacred Circles:
Buddhist Life in Tibet

Buffalo Community Outreach is privileged to present Jennifer Lewis Drew's photographic exploration of Tibet and is grateful to the Niagara Frontier Transit Authority for the use of their airport gallery. We want to let Buffalo visitors know how enthused we are about the Dalai Lama's visit to the University at Buffalo campus this September and also point out the inspiring qualities of Tibetan culture. If you are traveling by air in or out of Buffalo, take a few extra minutes and stop by The Gallery to view this wonderful collection. It reflects the heart and soul of the Tibetan people.

Jennifer's impressions from her visit to Tibet and a brief biography appear below.

Tibet is a uniquely spiritual civilization, its people often called the most religious on earth. While traveling in Tibet during the spring of 1987, I was deeply moved by the compassion and spiritual fervor of the Tibetan people.

Despite brutal hardships suffered under 50 years of Chinese occupation, Tibetan Buddhism has endured, remaining at the center of every Tibetan heart. The people are united by their steadfast devotion to their beloved Dalai Lama, the exiled temporal and spiritual leader and to many, a living Buddha.

Where ever I visited, I encountered Tibetans of every age and description on pilgrimage. Some journeyed hundreds of miles over perilous Himalayan mountain passes, others performed kjangchag (prostrating themselves) the entire distance. I was often invited to join them in their acts of devotion – their pilgrimage became my pilgrimage and we moved together in the sacred circle.

Jennifer Lewis Drew, a former broadcast journalist and filmmaker has traveled extensively throughout Central and Southeast Asia including an overland journey across Tibet. Her photographic exhibition, Sacred Circles: Buddhist Life in Tibet has been displayed at various venues including The Buffalo Museum of Science, University of Buffalo, and the Western New York Analytical Society.

An instructor of Tibetan Buddhism, Ms. Lewis Drew studies with Sogyal Rinpoche, a Tibetan Master and author of the spiritual classic, The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying. She is currently writing a book about her Asian adventures.

 

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