RICHARD GERE, Photographer

THE CRISIS IN TIBET: FINDING A PATH TO PEACE - U.S. Senate [updated link]

Hearing before the COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN RELATIONS, UNITED STATES SENATE
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
419 Dirksen Senate Office Building

The Gere Foundation - President and Chairman of the Board
International Campaign for Tibet (ICT)

 

PHOTOGRAPHER

Richard Gere published his first collection of black and white photographs, aptly titled, PILGRIM, in October of 1997. As always, everything about the presentation was meticulous, highlighted through each intricate detail, to the appreciation of attendees. The site for the San Francisco exhibit, Ansel Adams Gallery (in the newly cultivated south of Market artist Mecca) adapted well to expanded, impromptu public interest. Although under construction (eternally it seems) the area draws a full spectrum of dedicated pure art love, as a rule, and this show was of particular interest to The City as a unit of collective awareness. Heavy foot traffic, acclamation by word of mouth and notable reviews sent out the message on the street, proclaiming "Pilgrim" the best show in town. People were being "advised" to go see it. In addition to the power of the photographs, impeccably displayed and lighted, the added impression of significance was infused into the event by Mr. Gere personally. His presence at both the opening and book signing went a long way toward making the introduction to his collected treasures impossible to resist.

The Pilgrim Exhibition is composed with 64 photographs of Tibet, its people, its community in exile and of the surrounding Himalayan region.

above left: HH The Dalai Lama On Campus (1997) Read star chart analysis for radix HH The Dalai Lama

The promotion on PILGRIM reads:Actor Richard Gere has for many years found his spiritual source and guidance in Tibetan Buddhism; he has been a champion of the effort to preserve the Tibetans’ culture and one of their most outspoken defenders. A student and friend of the Dalai Lama, he has made numerous journeys throughout India, Nepal, Zanskar, and Tibet. It is a little-known fact that he is also an accomplished photographer who has worked extensively within these regions. PILGRM is his first book of photographs - a collection of images that represent a physical and spiritual journey. A foreword by His Holiness the Dalai Lama, a poem by Patti Smith, and an essay by Gere himself accompany the portfolio. Reproduced on luxurious, uncoated stock in an oversized format, PILGRIM is Gere’s personal vision of this ancient and spiritually vital world.

ABOUT THE AUTHORS: Richard Gere has starred in many films, including, most recently, ‘Primal Fear,’ and will star in two films due out this fall. His photographs have been exhibited in museums and galleries in the United States, Europe, and Japan. His Holiness the Dalai Lama has lived in exile since 1959, when the Chinese government began its brutal campaign to suppress Tibet and Tibetan Buddhism. Singer and poet Patti Smith’s latest album is Resurrection.

Notation: ALL OF THE AUTHOR’S PROFITS FROM THIS BOOK WILL BE DONATED TO TIBETAN CHARITIES THROUGH THE GERE FOUNDATION TO PROMOTE AWARENESS OF TIBET.
For more information please call Holly Wilkinson at (212)522-8070 (FAX: 212-467-4348.)  

One of my favorite photographs from the collection is Milarepa’s Cave.
Richard Gere writes: "The story of Milarepa and his teacher, Marpa, is one of the most profound spiritual relationships in world literature. As told to me, after Milarepa had received extensive teachings from his beloved teacher, he went off to practice what he had been taught. He took two stones into this cave; one stone was black and one was white. He sat and began to watch his mind. As a negative thought arose, he would put a black mark with the black stone on the ceiling of the cave. When a positive thought arose, he would take the white stone and put a white mark on the roof of the cave. After many days he looked at the top of the cave and it was entirely black. Undeterred, he renewed his meditations on the nature of his mind, purifying it. Many years later, he looked at the roof of the cave and it was entirely white. He had achieved what he was seeking."
                  -Richard Gere ~ Milarepa’s Cave, Tibet 1993

Order PILGRIM

Gere Foundation India Trust & Parmeshwar Godrej focus their work around health-related projects in India including the funding of Naz Foundation Delhi's AIDS Care Home, a long-term care facility for women and orphaned children infected with HIV.

Trump IX The Hermit - Guideline

 

 

His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama Honored: the Congressional Gold Medal Award Ceremony

To the ocean of protectors endowed with eyes of transcendent wisdom – thank you for the honor of the Congressional Gold Medal Award, given to His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama Ngawang Lobsang Tenzin Gyatso bestowed in the United States on October 17, 2007

BBC recommends: His Holiness the Dalai Lama
Links to information about the Dalai Lama and speeches he has made at various events and occasions
http://www.tibet.com/DL/index.html

BBC recommends: The Dalai Lama of Tibet
Concentrating on the Dalai Lama's dual roles of statesman and spiritual leader, this beautifully
illustrated site includes His Holiness' writings http://www.dalailama.com

 

Virgo and Sagittarius are zodiacal signs known for energetic publications on the topic of human rights and the struggle for freedom around the world.
Gere assisted in the publication of Ani Pachen's autobiography, SORROW MOUNTAIN: THE JOURNEY OF A TIBETAN WARRIOR NUN, also penning the introduction to her book.