Where Every Breath Is a Prayer: A Photographic Pilgrimage in the Spiritual Heart of Asia [Hardcover]

Jon Ortner (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1996

Photographs depict the temples, worshippers, and landscapes of India, Nepal, and Southeast Asia.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In this breathtaking book, photographer Ortner guides readers on a journey into the heart of Asian religious traditions through photographs and text. Although the traditional Asian religious architectural images that have become the standard fare of such photographic extravaganzas are well represented here, what leavens this loaf is an exceptional collection of portraits of men and women in the midst of ordinary worship. The images of sky-clad sadhus in their privations along the banks of the Ganges, the blood-spattered sacred images of the Dakshinkali shrine in Nepal and the noble portrait of the pemangku, or curator, of Pura Ulunin in Bali reminds us just how great a gulf separates the religious traditions of the West from the astonishing spirituality of Asia. In this marvelous book, Ortner has shown us the path he traveled, a path readers might follow, if only in their longings.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Ortner's astonishing photographs portray his love and devotion for the Asian countries he has traversed over a 20-year period. This grand tour of spiritual lands includes natural and architectural sites in Nepal, India, Cambodia, Java, and Bali. The artist's fascination with majestic mountains and remote temples is beautifully captured throughout the book. In his best work, he portrays bizarre Hindu and Buddhist statuary and the faces of disheveled religious mendicants. The only shortcoming is the text, which is factual, dry, and almost superfluous to the images. On the other hand, Journey to Enlightenment, though not as grand visually, is an excellent photographic and biographical treatment of a single holy man and his life in the realm of the ancient ritual traditions of Tibetan Buddhism. A Buddhist monk and Rinpoche's assistant, Ricard has flawlessly woven his narrative with excerpts from Rinpoche's autobiography to create not only a readable biography but also an intriguing introduction to the religion itself. Both books are recommended for general collections in public libraries and for all spiritual collections.?Terry McMaster, Onondaga Cty. Mental Health Svcs., Syracuse, N.Y.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 232 pages
• Publisher: Stewart Tabori & Chang; First Edition first Printing edition (September 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1556704399
• ISBN-13: 978-1556704390
• Product Dimensions: 12.1 x 10.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,064,836 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Jon Ortner was born in Great Neck, Long Island in 1951. He started painting and drawing at an early age, which laid the foundation for his photography. In college, Jon continued to pursue art, and the study of natural history and ecology. In 1978 he moved to New York City with his wife, Martha McGuire, where they opened a photography studio and continue to collaborate. Jon's books, WHERE EVERY BREATH IS A PRAYER (STC), ANGKOR (Abbeville), and BUDDHA (Welcome Books) are the culmination of numerous journeys to the far corners of the Himalayas and Southeast Asia. A compilation of NYC photographs was published as Manhattan Dawn & Dusk (STC). His award-winning images and stories have appeared in numerous magazines, including GEO, COMMUNICATIONS ARTS, TRAVEL & LEISURE and ARCHITECTURAL DIGEST. Beginning in 2005 Jon turned his focus and passion to the canyons and deserts of the Southwest. From the greatest canyons on earth to the brilliant swirling colors of the Grand Staircase and Vermillion Cliffs, through panoramic portraits of a vast, monumental landscape at once familiar and astounding, Jon shares with us his unique vision of the beauty and incomparable majesty of America's great wilderness.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A photographic Pilgrimage into the Spiritual Heart of Asia, April 16, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: Where Every Breath Is a Prayer: A Photographic Pilgrimage in the Spiritual Heart of Asia (Hardcover)

For twenty years, renowned photographer JON ORTNER has been devoted to exploring the wonders of the most haunting and mystical of all regions on earth

-spiritual Asia and the ancient lands of the Himalayas. Following the footsteps of holy men and shamans, Ortner has trekked thousands of miles-
many remote and dangerous-through Nepal, India, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Java, and Bali, to
rediscover and record sacred topography, archeological and architectural marvels, and people whose lives are focused on enlightenment
and growth.
Witness the world's highest peaks and deepest gorges of the Himalayas; the world oldest
city, Varanasi, on the holy Ganges River; the once forbidden temples of Myanmar and Cambodia; the
Grand Palace of Bangkok, and the magical landscape of Java.
Accompanying these evocative images are compelling factual and mythological narratives that trace the evolution and diffusion of Hindu and Buddhist religions. From the prmitive beginnings of animism, to the Hindu Creation Myth, to the birth of the Hindu ruler, Siddharta Gautama, and his legacy of Buddhist enlightenment, ORTNER leads us
down a path unbroken for thousands of years.
An unprecedented tribute to the wonders of the East, WHERE EVERY BREATH IS A PRAYER is destined to change Western conception of the natural World.
This is a lavish (300 stunning full-colour
photographs), large scale book, leavened by an exceptional collection of portraits of men and women in the midst of ordinary worship.
In this marvelous book, JON ORTNER has shown us the path he traveled, a path readers might follow, if only in their longings.
I recommend this book for its text and for its 300 stunning full-color photographs; it is in perfect harmony with the motto of its publishers
"The Heart and Soul of Illustrated Books"
Jan Mortelmans

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome, September 16, 2005

By 

Erika Mitchell (E. Calais, VT USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Where Every Breath Is a Prayer: A Photographic Pilgrimage in the Spiritual Heart of Asia (Hardcover)

This book is a visual exploration into the heart of Eastern religions. It begins in the high Himalayas, juxtaposing the fantastic mountain scenery with images of local temples and local life. From the Himalayas, it moves on to the Ganges, with scenes of celebrations and funerals along the river. The collection of photographs goes on to show religious people, temples, and scenery in South and Southeast Asia from India to Bali. The accompanying text provides a concise explanation of some of the basic tenets of Buddhism, as well as some information about the beliefs of the Hindus. The photographs are spectacular-some of the best that I've ever seen. I found myself thinking as I looked through the photographs, "Wow, I'd love to have that one hanging on my wall!" only to find that the one on the next page to be even more breath-taking. This is a book to read slowly, to savor again and again.

1 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars a spiritual disappointment, January 18, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Where Every Breath Is a Prayer: A Photographic Pilgrimage in the Spiritual Heart of Asia (Hardcover)

If it's the photos essay I would expect to see better quality of images that could capture the heart of what the author had intended. It has nice title and great attempt. The content could have been much more profound.