A week or so ago, I created a work called ‘Life’. It was unusual for me in that it was not created from photos I have taken but by mixing a number of photoshop filters together. While some of my works take days, even weeks to created this at the most took an hour or so. I found it amazing how complex the image was and yet for me anyway easy to create. It was so simplistic a creation that my ego demanded that I not put it in my range of work as it wasn’t creative enough. Well as you can see I have brought it to you for that very reason.

Life just is

This image is like most of my work a visual metaphor. From a state of mind, life is very complex but from a state of being, life is easy, it ‘just is’. I find that when life becomes over complicated it stops being enjoyable and stress builds. We fight against the simplicity of life at every possibility, as a result the problems we find our selves up against are caused by our simple inability to ‘just be’.

Let’s go a little deeper

Why do most of us do whatever it takes to make life more of a drama then it needs to be? We at times pick verbal and physical fights with friends and loved ones or even complete strangers. Despite all we know most of us will have times in our life when we start down routes of self destruction via too much booze or drugs or we simply push the sexual boat out further and further until what we believed was fun becomes a nightmare. Humans do all these things and more to scupper our chances at being at peace Why? Do we even know?

Natural beauty is rarely enough, a picturesque view can seldom still the heart for long. Many beliefs and religions refer to this restlessness as suffering, sin or ‘Dukkha ‘ monkey mind. It really doesn’t matter what we call it or why we think we act this way, we just do.

Life ‘just is’, but the human mind has made a game that layers over life that makes us believe that we are small, separate and lost. This as a concept would appear totally ludicrous to even the smallest cell that relies on and is part of everything. Not one thing in the known or unknown universe can function without anything else. Yet Humans stand in direct opposition to what ‘is’. We believe that we are apart from life, that we are separate from each other, the elements, the planet, the sun, the universe. It is no wonder we all feel so ‘wrong’ – how absurd we are. Life is visually very complex but it all works with the greatest of ease. Even death is perfect life in action, It is not a failing, a separation, it is but more food for life. So above as below we are the cells of the universe in this never ending dance of life.

OM is everything

The overview

The most sacred symbol in Hinduism. Aum (OM) is the sound of the infinite. This is representative of the Trinity of God in Hindu dharma Bhrahma Shakti (creation), Vishnu Shakti (preservation) and Shiva (liberation) Shakt

The three portions of AUM relate to the states of waking, dream and deep sleep and the three gunas (rajas, satva, tamas)

The three letters also indicates three planes of existence, heaven (swarga), earth/mortal world (martya) and netherworld/hell (patala)

My Thoughts

The sound ‘AUM’ that many people chant in meditation practice is just one of many ways to anaesthetize the mind and reduce the chatter. Indigenous people across the world all have their own way of doing this, for me other good examples of this are Tibetan gongs, singing bowls and even it the wonderful didgeridoo.

While I agree than chanting ‘aum’(om) refocuses the mind back to our natural state of being for me the effect is most powerful at the end of lets say 10mins of chanting then for just a few seconds even minutes a profound peace settles. I tried very hard in my image to convey the metaphor of the Om symbol. It seemed obvious to me to use a photograph of a gong at the core to this image. I have tried to convey vibration, a coming into form, a creation. The repeated circular grid pattern serves to take the viewer on a journey into the picture and so into themselves the longer the pattern is viewed, more zoned out one feels. The more one returns to a state of ‘no thought’ or at the very least ‘less thought’.

What has this to do with nonduality?

The vibration of “OM” symbolizes the manifestation of God and so everything, it is a reflection of the absolute reality, without beginning or the end and embracing all that exists, for me that is nondulism. While any talk in the above overview of heaven,earth and hell may seem like duality this is just a limited view point, for all these supposed separate parts lie within the one whole, no point in the seen or unseen universe, multiverse, the everything lies separate from any other and so ‘Om’ is another metaphor for the truth of oneness.

Om must include our supposed solid world just as much as perceived mythic realms like heaven and earth. While I may sound like a broken record oneness is everything including every thought or no thought, every word or no word, every action or no action. If you attempt to exclude anything from oneness, then it is not oneness it is duality. Duality is an illusion set up by the mind that believes in the concept of separation and opposites .

Om is unconditional, eternal and perfect. Om is union. Om is one.

So it is almost upon us, the biggest event of the year the YOGA show at London Olympia. This week I have been creating new signage and cutting out nearly 200 backing boards for when my prints show up some time next week. Such a show is always some what of a financial gamble with stand fees of many hundreds. It is a zen monk indeed who’s monkey mind doesn’t flit from will it be everything we hope, will anybody show up, will all the monetary outlays be met etc etc…

I have long since found that such fears are ultimately best left at home as they can strangle an event before you even start. No a deep breath is required and as Wayne Dyer says ‘Let go and let god’.

So why exactly is a visionary artist showing and selling his work at a YOGA show. Well 1st of all we do a number of events with ‘Prime Impact’ (the Organizers) over the year and we wanted to give a different style of show a go. While I enjoy the MBS fairs for me it is important not to get set in one way and try different things. Also I believe YOGA points towards a truth that lies much deeper than simply the striking of what would be for me impossible poses.

Yoga refers to traditional mental disciplines as much as it does physical ones. Yoga originated in India and it is associated with meditative practices in Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism.The word Yoga has many meanings but the one that deeply resonates with me is Union. It is the philosophy of yoga spread by Yogi’s that I find interesting rather than trendy exercise most gyms have latched onto.

My Photo art work Union (Yoga)

Rāja Yoga principal is the achieving of liberation over the mind via meditation. It is suggested that a good level of physical heath is required before the mind can be tamed. As a non dualist I find all the codes of conduct in Yoga fascinating but simply another plaything to amuse the mind. That sounds flippant but I worry that once again many people will get lost in the doing of yoga and miss the simple being which I believe Yoga points to.

I have not had the time or inclination to dig dip into the Yoga text but what I believe it all points to (and I happy to be wrong) is this simple being that I talk so much about in my work. The natural state that operates undisturbed below the level of thought. This life, this being, this divine matrix, this everything which we are all a part of operates throughout the universe is an uncontrollable force. By that I mean uncontrollable in much the same way we can’t control our organs from the level of thought. To that ends in order to truly embrace the everything one must surrender mentally not in the manner of War where one is ultimately defeated, but in the manner of Love where no-things matter.

The five Kleshas point to the stumbling blocks to this surrender I have summarized these below in my own way…
Ignorance (a belief that knowledge holds the key to peace)
Ego (The belief we are separate, the ultimate illusion )
Repulsion (The belief anything is good or bad, all is equal no thing is below or defective)
Attachment (The belief that we are our possessions that things matter beyond the superficial is a impossible dream we try to make real)
Clinging to life (The belief that death is somehow a failing runs through society like a cancer. It performs an injustice to us all for this mis-guided view of simply another part of life forms the bases of all our fears. Death is simply another doorway which we all gather outside and speculate.)

Now if you read my blog often you will know it matters not if you believe or act on the Kleshas as nothing ultimately matters from a Nondulistic point of view. But I feel these five Kleshas point to as much truth as can be found in all the libraries of the world and at the very least it will save to a lot of reading.

I guess like all human pursuits Yoga can be as simple or as complex as you wish but you are I believe mis-guided if you think the complex hides more that the simple. YOGA is Union and that is good enough for me it is the reason T and I will wait on our stand to meet with you and get lost in the work that has pointed me towards all this in the first place. Forgive me in advance if I am unable to engage you as much as I would like this show will be busy and for a virtual recluse it may be at times a little to much so I’ve no doubt words will fail me but my feeling never will.

About the show :-

There is plenty to do at this year’s show including free yoga & pilates classes, pilates reformer and 1:2:1 equipment sessions, children’s yoga, demonstrations and lectures. With over 200 exhibitors you will also find everything you need for your yoga & pilates practice together with inspirational products for a healthy lifestyle.

The YOGA Show, The National Hall Olympia
Hammersmith Road, Kensington
London W14 8UX

Opening Times
Friday 30th October opening times 11am – 6pm
Saturday 31st October opening times 10am – 6pm
Sunday 1st November opening times 10am – 6pm

Admission
1 Day Pass (Fri) Adult £7 Concession £6
1 Day Pass (Sat/Sun) Adult £12 Concession £10
2 Day Pass Adult £20 Concession £16
3 Day Pass Adult £27 Concession £22

Below is a link to the show program PDF

http://issuu.com/pievents/docs/yoga-show-program-09

As you will see I have a no comment option on this blog. In fact I usually disable comments or filter them on my you tube page and myspace etc. I’m surprised that so many people do keep comments on because no matter if they are good or bad they for me dilute the impact of an article or image.

Take a look at any YouTube page and it won’t be long until you find a comment which is inflammatory, vulgar or demoralizing. While I’m all for free speech I believe anyone who has an opposing view or an need to just be plain offensive should start up their own website or page and not just play verbal terrorists to others hard work or deep seated beliefs.

I know by taking this line I also stop people from spreading positive messages about what I do but I’m happy to pay that price.

My biggest problem is the whole sheep mentality with comments. Do we not all have very different tastes and perceptions on life? So is it not obvious for everything that is posted on the web there will people that love it while others will loath it. If I am basing my personal opinion on those of my peers or social networking friends then it is no wonder people don’t know their own minds.

I have for many years had a big problem with critics and reviewers, for basing any kind of decision on them like comments is a massive mistake. Years ago a guy called Barry Norman did film reviews on the BBC. Now this guy never liked any kind of action or sci-if film because the acting was never up to par. Yet if the film was foreign with subtitles it seemed he always liked it . (This is a generalization)

Mr Norman failed to understand that as a 15/16 year old all I wanted to see was cool effects, hot women and big guns (shallow I know) but that’s what I wanted back then. The BBC didn’t offer me a cool effects, hot women and big guns critic they offered me Barry Norman. Year in, year out who told me things like ‘Mr Stallone’s wooden acting fails to impress.’ I didn’t care acting was the last thing on my mind when I watched these films.

The same goes for cameras, tvs, food and car reviews. They are all pointless because they are all based on a set of values that are not mine, unless I’m Mr Everyman Followme, which I’m not. The problem is, if I did take any notice of critics I would never make a decision because nine times out of ten critics can’t even agree so where am I then?
Lost, confused, forced to make my own mind up??? Perish the thought.
I guess I can become a critic clone and only like what Jonathan Ross likes or buy what car Jeremy Clarkson would or moan about what Will Self would moan about but how sad would that be? I mean why even be alive if everything your going to be, do and say is what’s already been said and done.

I guess the need for Critics comes down to the simple fact is most people don’t want to standout in a crowd. They don’t want to wear pink when blue is in or eat Mexican when Italian is cool or listen to rap when it’s considered by someone to be crap.

Individuality is not something the bahhhh-ing! majority want. They want BMW drivers in dark suits using Iphones and eating big mac and they want it now! Anything different is just weird. Even God has been packaged into generic icons that you either believe in or don’t. Anyone open to possibilities, gray areas or new ideas are really not welcome at the table of the average Joe.

Comments and critics are simply not that interesting to me. They denote a wish to be chauffeur driven through life – something that sounds very dull for me. Personal common sense it seems in modern life is anything but common.

By all means know what you like but don’t become a born again-er on anything trying to convert anyone to your likes or way of thinking via stealth comments. Build a web site or your own blog and let those that relate to you find you as they always will. I would hope if you think I’m barking mad you will stay well clear of my sites, but if you like what I do then drop by often. This indeed is a far better support than any comment ever could ever be.

I will with deep love and respect tell you this – your validation or rejection won’t change the person I am one bit and likewise neither should you be changed by others comments and views.

Inner change is the only way and here is a simply suggestion :- 
Be your own critic, be true to yourself and challenge what you think constantly. Only then can you know what you like and be an unique and genuine person.

This video touches on some of the points made in my blog ‘Doubt’ so I thought I would post it. I never need much of a reason to post a Gangaji video as I find them all wonderful. Have a peaceful Sunday

It was the act of doubt in times gone by that the branch wouldn’t take our weight, or that we may not make it across three lanes of lumbering mammoths that helped our ancestors survive day to day life. Even today it plays an important part in keeping us alive by asking us to evaluate a situation more fully before making a decision. Sadly for many in the modern world doubt has manifested its self into something far less helpful.

I see many reasons why doubt is now dis-empowering people more than ever. For most, life has become typically safer. People have to worry less about things that may kill them, and more on things that merely bring them discomfort or make them miserable. Over a time these milder discomforts become mislabelled and are consider by us to be as bad as the situations that may bring us death.

Let’s look at the fear of failure: some are paralysed by it. Others simply don’t perceive failure to be that bad. They don’t take it personally. They can fail daily without any emotional scars. They just dust themselves down and try again. And so, by the law of averages they succeed often and are more likely to be where they want in life.

A person, who fears failure because of the past, will do anything to avoid situations in which failure is a possible outcome. Failure to them has become a traumatic event, one that sits along side personal injury and even death. For example, while a new job may be highly desirable and beneficial, the action of going through a job interview will be flagged by doubt as a situation which can have negative outcomes. After a short period of evaluation, it may be determined that the possible embarrassment and disappointment from the failure to obtain the position will far out strip any of the other positive outcomes. Here we can see that doubt has not only held back personal growth, it now also has an out of balance view on situations.

If you were stranded on a desert island, you alone would be left to evaluate situations that doubt has raised for review. You would follow a course of action based on your own personal experiences and your own gut feelings, which are usually far more in tune with the universe than those of the over evaluating mind.

In metropolitan society, the minds evaluation of situations raised by doubt not only references its own gut reactions and experiences it also pulls on what friends, family and even the media may have to say and think on the situation. This consideration of others views not only makes the correct decision for that self harder to find, but at times almost impossible. Decisions are now made on who we deem to know best or who we fear most. Doubt has now indirectly passed the minds controls over to others, hence why many people live life in the shadow of their mothers, fathers, husbands, wives, friends and leaders. The build up of negative energy from such a dis-empowering situation is massive and will ultimately lead to a point of breakdown some time in the future.

The time has come to re-evaluate doubt and return it to its background role of a survival tool and not the driver of our lives. Think on this and then take the appropriate actions. You might conclude to draw up a list of times you want doubt to play a role in your life. Maybe it is time to pay more attention to your gut reactions, your first thoughts and follow these. Often, they tend to bypass the opinions of others and those that are purely ego driven. Start to realign your life today and walk free from the grip of doubt.

Originally written by me for my first book in feb 2008

I just thought I’d post these beautiful songs to just prove that above all I’m just a sentimental old fool who still believes in the power of love. Enjoy and have a tissue at the ready.

Sarah Brightman
Canto Della Terra

Where The Lost Ones Go (live)
Sissel Kyrkjebø

Standup philosopher and best selling author Tim Freke talks about being ‘deep awake’ – an experience of oneness and big love. For more information see www.timfreke.com.

Check out Tim’s new book How long is now?

Just found this on Youtube so I thought i post it here.

Below my (Tony pinfolds) Oneness logo

At first glance you may not see all the people joined at their very core but once you do that will be all you ever see. Contrary to what the media would have you believe most people at their core are peaceful and just want to love and be loved.

Have a great day my friends.

Tony

Blog 1 of 2

I have never made it a secret that before I set on my spiritual path I was a glamour photographer. So I thought it would challenge everyone’s perceptions of me (if they even have one) by posting three blogs on the subject starting with this one. While I doubt you will find much enlightenment in what I have to say, you may find it at the very least intriguing. I have included some photos over the blogs but I have censored them so as not to offend anyone sensibilities which Iknow is in truth impossible as for some even the subject will be highly taboo.

When I was about 15 (1992) I was standing in the play ground at school and a group of boys asked me what I wanted to do when I left school, I answered just for a laugh, be a glamour photographer. Little did I know that many years later that is exactly what I would do, was this the law of attraction at work?

My first dip into the quick flowing ocean that is glamour was to start from a simple e-mail. It went something like this:-

‘I’m a model and I own a studio, I love your digital art and was wondering if you could turn me into a vampire’

Some weeks later, ill equipped and nervous as hell I was taking photos of the model. I did turn her into a vampire and she liked it as did I. Over the coming months I shot (with a camera not a gun ) her model friends who all like what I had done. Changing women into vampires and fairies was fun up to a point, but I had got a taste for studio glamour photography and wanted to learn more.

Some months later I met a guy who was running a studio locally. He said he would give me some tips. So off I went with my camera and met him. The studio was big but cold but Martin was a helpful chap and over the next few weeks I began to grasp the basics of how to light a shot. Any how time past and an odd friendship grew and the idea of a model agency came up. I had been using models for my work but half the time they didn’t turn up or had no clue what to do when they arrived they weren’t models just good looking women. There is a significant difference trust me.

We decided that if we started a model agency up it should be different than others we had used. We would take everyday women who wanted to be models and show them what it was like to work in front of the camera so they would see if they liked it. Martin could tell them what he knew about the industry (more than me) so they would be forewarned before taking the plunge and best of all we do it for nothing. The only time we would make any money is when the girls got a modelling job. It seemed the perfect idea the girls got free promotion on the web plus a hand full of images/or a cd to start a portfolio. We got the chance to offer photographers brand new models and we also got models to promote the business. I’m sure as many of you are reading this you are think it was a scam or had a seedy side to it and it really it didn’t trust me. I never pushed any women into doing topless or nude work and in fact we had a number of models on the books who never did that for all kinds of reason. This was a strictly no ‘touchy feely’ operation we where both happily married and over stepping the professional line with a model was a no no for us. At the high point we had over 40 local budding models on our books but of course not all of them got work as they where only ever book if people like their look. What people look for in a model is not always as it would seem and some times the most unassuming girls got jobs while the glamour pusses didn’t.

Time went on (as it always does) and I soon discovered I did not have the pushy/bouncer personality to be a model agent but I did have a natural affinity with women and the innate ability to get the best out of them during a shoot. Much time pasted and I found I was becoming very bored and I had come detached from the agency side of the company so I left on as good as terms as possible. Martin kept the company name all the photos and all the problems and I left with a big dent to my wallet (I had invested a lot of money in the company has had Martin) but I did have an invaluable schooling in studio photography. I created my own small home studio and decided I would only work with models who fit my look requirements. Much to my wife’s frustration and disbelief I still didn’t rate my ability as a photographer despite everyone telling me they loved my work. Once on my own I mainly undertook time for print shoots (which will be explain in a following blog ‘I want to be a model, how do I start?’).

I kept learning more and more about photography and most important of all lighting (which is everything in glamour). Over the next few years I produced some great images which I hope the models are still very proud of. I pored hours into digital dark room work (Adobe Photoshop) to create images that where visually stunning without looking too visually fake. Sometimes I would spend 8 hours on one photo and so the rod for may own back began to grow. Normal images no longer worked for me or the models, every photo I gave my clients had to be spot and blemish free, perfection was a reality in my world. Just before my holiday to Scotland in late 2006 and the subsequent awakening with my first visionary work ‘oppressed’ I was physically but most of all mentally exhausted. I had grown to hate glamour photography because of how much of my life it was taking up.

While I haven’t shot glamour in over 3 years I can’t say I will never shoot glamour again as it is in my blood now I have to say it doesn’t conflict with my nonduality beliefs and teachings. For me a body is just a body, it is meaningless. Everything you think or don’t think about is all down to your own perceptions or fetishes. It is you and your belief that makes boobs/bums sexy, nudity crude or something taboo it’s never the body, the model or even the photographer. Yes all three are trying to tap into general perceptions of Western sexuality but once you strip out you mental programming you are just looking at bodies that were designed ultimately to hunt and reproduce both natural states of being.

While even now I have hundreds of ideas for great images, but to do glamour photography well requires a great deal of money for sets, lights and the right outfits. Yes you can make great glamour on a shoestring but right now I don’t even have a suitable studio camera.

Want to see some great glamour?
I am a great admire of the work of the American photographer David LaChapelle as that for me is what true glamour should look like visionary, fun and at times hot. I guess many people doing what I do now would keep a past like mine a secret but I have never done anything to be ashamed of. My only regret from my glamour days is I didn’t have enough money to make it work as I would have liked. In fact I am still paying off the many thousands I invested in equipment and studios. Also its a shame that I have thousands of photo that for now will never see the light of day.

Watch out for my next Glamour Blog ‘I want to be a model, how do I start? ‘

Just glamour

The eyes have ‘it’
Despite what you may think the eyes are the most important part of a glamour shot
Model:- Natalie

Oh what a Tease

My generic remake of a classic 50’s pin-up mag cover that never was. Photo by me Tony Pinfold Model:- Alexandra Sim-Wise

This is my latest image ‘ The Tree of Knowledge’. I have always been fascinated by the metaphor of the eating of the forbidden fruit in that international best seller the bible. The translation I have goes as follows:-

And the LORD God commanded the man, saying: ‘Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it; for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.’

So what does it all mean? Well what it means is open to heated debate, but for me it suggests the worst thing man ever did was start thinking. In fact billions of people a day meditate in an attempt to escape their over heated brains. I’m sure before Eve came along and started eating everything in sight, Adam was blissfully at one with the natural order of things much like all undomesticated animals. Suddenly, the what, the why and how came into his brain and the pooh has been hitting the fan ever since. This was mainly spurned on through history by Christian theologians and Augustus of hippo who proposed ‘original sin’ was physically transmitted through the generations so suggesting we are all guilty simply by association with Adam and Eve.

Eve never really happened neither did Adam but what the story points to is man’s greatest folly:- A constant thirst for knowledge that has brought us to this point in history where we can destroy the very planet we live on with a press of a button…

The fascinating thing is that whoever wrote Genesis (no it wasn’t Peter Gabriel) knew that too much thinking would only bring mankind a whole bucket load of problems…
So what is the solution, lobotomies for all ? While that would work I think the Garden of Eden tale points to the answers:- a respect and alignment with the natural order that operates beyond our feeble physical control and a severe reduction in the need to eat from the tree of knowledge .

There are as many version of the Garden of Eden as there are Christian religions and even amongst them they can’ really agree on whether there was a tree of knowledge or even a Garden of Eden. But one things for sure without all that supposed knowledge from smart asses like myself the world and the web would be a much quieter place.
Any way I am off to eat an apple and ponder the problem some more.

The Tree of Knowledge will be available as a 16×12 only from Oct 17th.The picture represents the following:- On the left hand side there is a wave of knowledge flooding into Eves mind, filling it with thought as she takes a bit of the apple. In that instant she becomes she believes separated from her natural state of being, hence why she is rising out of the tangle wood behind. In the bottom right hand corner of the picture is a flame which represents the serpent disappear out of shot and beginning to burn up the perfection of the garden. In the distant you can see a perfect grove with a rainbow falling down into it, this part is Eden as yet untarnished the part we all pine for. And above is a tumultuous sky line anticipating the events to come.  Don’t forget the image like the tale it’s self is a metaphor.