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The Asian Elephant Series 29


The Asian Elephant Series 29
Photo Information
Copyright: Goldy RS (goldyrs) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 974 W: 51 N: 2913] (11497)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2009-05-14
Categories: Mammals
Camera: Canon S2 IS
Exposure: f/4, 1/125 seconds
More Photo Info: [view]
Photo Version: Original Version
Theme(s): The Asian Elephant Series [view contributor(s)]
Date Submitted: 2009-06-21 6:23
Viewed: 3489
Points: 46
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
Elephants are part of folk lore in India...
One of the oldest collection of folk tales are the Jakata Tales...
Here's one story from the aforesaid..

Fearing the Wind

A Folk Tale from India

Long, long, long ago, before the Buddha was the Buddha, a beautiful baby elephant lived in the forest of India. Her skin was as white and silky soft as the feathers of a swan. While she was growing up, all the people who ventured into the forest and happened to see her there were amazed at her beauty. When she was fully grown, her size and strength were so great that the people who saw her were even more astounded. Word spread across the land about this great, big, strong, white, beautiful elephant.

When the king of that land heard about the elephant, he wanted it for himself. He sent his elephant trainers out to find her. After much hunting in the forest, they did. They caught her in a huge, hempen net, drove her back to the palace grounds, and chained her to a stake.

The king wanted to be sure that the elephant would obey his every command, so when the elephant didn't do what the trainers told her to do - and often she couldn't understand what they were asking - they jabbed her with their training sticks. Soon red, blue, and purple bruises broke out all over her beautiful white skin, and she was constantly terrified.

One day the elephant went crazy with fear. She reared up on her hind legs and her chain broke loose. The terror-stricken trainers scurried away, and the beautiful, white elephant escaped. She ran up into the mountains, so far and deep that the trainers couldn't find her. They searched and searched for a long time, but at last they gave up. Eventually they forgot about her.

But the elephant did not forget about them. Every time the wind moaned, whined, shrieked or blasted, she dashed off in terror, racing around in big, loopy circles, thrashing her trunk wildly from side to side.

Even though she was free, she might just as well have been recaptured by the king's trainers, for now her mind was often so troubled she forgot to eat. Her big, strong body became thin and weak. Running in heedless fear, she would frequently trip and collapse over rocks, fallen branches, or holes in the ground. Red, blue, and purple bruises broke out all over her beautiful white skin.

The only thing close to peace the elephant ever felt was when she'd lean against one special tree to catch her breath. This tree had a smooth, thick trunk and a big, sheltering crown of leaves where the wind would gently whisper.

Now at this time the Buddha was this tree.

Whenever the elephant would rest herself against the tree, it could sense the fear that was tormenting her, and so it felt great compassion for her. Finally, one day when the elephant was shaking against its bark harder than she ever had before, the tree could no longer stay silent. Waving its leaves and stirring the wind, it whispered these words:

Do you fear the wind?
It only moves the clouds and dries the dew!
Look inside your mind--
There, fear alone has captured you.
As soon as the tree finished whispering these words, the beautiful elephant smiled. Suddenly she realized that she had nothing to worry about but her own habit of always being afraid. From that day on she was at peace with herself. She enjoyed life in her mountain home. She had finally found her freedom.

Commentary
Jataka tales, from India, recount over five hundred previous lives of the Buddha before he finally achieved enlightenment under a sacred tree. This culminating event happened during his last earthly existence in the sixth century B.C.E. as the mortal prince, Siddhartha Guatama (later to be know as th Buddha) - a lifetime which began and ended beneath sacred trees. In some jataka tales, the Buddha is a human being. In the rest, he is another animal or a plant. In "Fearing the Wind," he is a tree.

Over the centuries, the jataka tales interwove their way into other story canons. For example, a host of them metamorphosed into Aesop's fables during and after Alexander the Great's occupation of Asian territory in the fourth century B.C.E.

Thanks for stopping by!!
eqshannon, zulfu, zetu, boreocypriensis, NinaM, nasokoun, sranjan, nglen, siggi, jaycee, haraprasan, KOMSIS, Noisette, CeltickRanger, anel, Argus, maurydv has marked this note useful
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ThreadThread Starter Messages Updated
To zulfu: Thanks so much!goldyrs 1 06-22 18:43
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Critiques [Translate]

I love your notes and your image with the small one brings real life to these humongous creatures. So well done. you really took your time thinking on this one Goldy. I would wish to meet some day a man who takes and has seen these...Very nice of you to be here..
Bob

  • Great 
  • zulfu Gold Star Critiquer [C: 685 W: 0 N: 2] (43)
  • [2009-06-21 6:44]
  • [+]

Hello Goldy, beautiful shot of these cute elephants with nice details and composition.
TFS and G's,
Mehmet

  • Great 
  • zetu Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 967 W: 26 N: 3888] (16941)
  • [2009-06-21 6:56]

Hello
Beautiful capture about this family. I like colors and details.
Regards
Razvan

Hi L'il Bro, anorher great shot and addition your elephant series.
Have a nice nwe week!
Cheers,
Bayram

  • Great 
  • NinaM Gold Star Critiquer [C: 773 W: 3 N: 1157] (4077)
  • [2009-06-21 8:17]

What a great note, Goldy, I forgot your picture while reading this. So interesting and beautiful, what a fantastic and old culture! The roots of humanity rest among those tales and thanks to you for having given TN one of those. I had read Siddharta by Herman Hesse at around 16 years old and it really moved me. So does your story and the whole context. But, there is a but!!! Your picture of elephants is so beautiful, the light shines like gold on those beautiful animals. To see such big creatures in the wild, like you do see them, must be fantastic. I have only seen elephants in zoos and circus as a kid. That is sad. But your picture is lively and glorious, many thanks,

Francine

hello Goldy
here the colours shine, very good light, beautiful composition and very fine capture
TFS
Nasos

Hello Goldy,
One of the best from your elephant series. I like the folk tale. TFS
Regards-Subhash

  • Great 
  • cirano Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 997 W: 0 N: 944] (13609)
  • [2009-06-21 11:22]

Slav Goldy,
Another beautiful capture from elephant series.Splendid light and colours,excellent sharpness.Very nice composition.
Regards.
Dûrzan

  • Great 
  • lousat Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 6595 W: 89 N: 15659] (65489)
  • [2009-06-21 11:30]

Hi Goldy,this different point of view is very nice and complete your collection very very interesting.Another time a top quality pic!!My best compliments,have a nice week,LUCIANO

  • Great 
  • nglen Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2883 W: 30 N: 9683] (36145)
  • [2009-06-21 12:07]

Hi Goldy. Just how close are you to the Elephants in this amazing picture. Your picture of the mother with different age young. You have taken this with fine detail and warm colours. I should love to see this in the wild. well done TFS.
Nick..

  • Great 
  • siggi Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3097 W: 109 N: 12399] (52850)
  • [2009-06-21 12:11]

Hello MF Goldy,
Very nice shot,with very good details, beautiful composition and wonderful colors. You have captured a lovely scene,
Best regards Siggi

  • Great 
  • PeterZ Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 5137 W: 166 N: 13121] (49139)
  • [2009-06-21 12:24]

Hello Goldy,
Another beauty of the elephants. Good timing, sharp details and natural colours. Excellent DOF, POV and a fine composition.
Regards,
Peter

  • Great 
  • joey Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1739 W: 224 N: 6872] (24909)
  • [2009-06-21 14:11]

Hi mate!
A fantastic shot of these Indian Elephants.
Superb detail.
Excellent composition.
Nice lighting as well.

Great work, Goldy!

Joe

  • Great 
  • jaycee Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2454 W: 10 N: 8044] (25460)
  • [2009-06-21 17:06]

Hi Goldy,

I would love it if your elephant series went on and on and on. I fall in love with each and every one of them. There is nothing like seeing these animals with their offsprings.
Once again, nice natural colors, fine details and a lovely natural setting. You are tempting me dear brother to make that return trip to India.

Jane

Hi Goldy,
A stunning capture with your Canon S2IS. Very professional. Sharp details and good composition. Thanks a lot for sharing.

  • Great 
  • KOMSIS Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 820 W: 0 N: 2419] (10674)
  • [2009-06-22 7:10]

Hi Goldy,
Good composition, successful your elephant series...
Superb focus and sharpness.Beutiful colours and light.
Best wishes,
Seyfi

bonjour Goldy
ces Elephants sont magnifiques surtout les petits et l'image est d'une grande qualité, les couleurs et la luminosité sont excellents, la photo est d'une grande netteté, le decor naturel est superbe
Passe une bonne nuit
Jacqueline

hello Goldy

another beautiful with full of charme photo, fine POV,
for the framing i would personnally zoom less the also
include the other baby on the image, sharpness and details
are excellent with wonderful eye-contact of the Mom, TFS

Asbed

  • Great 
  • anel Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 3053 W: 3 N: 8715] (40574)
  • [2009-06-23 2:12]

Hello Goldy,
Elephants seem to be a subject which suits you in an excellent way. Again a superb picture, this time with a marvellous golden light. So cute also to see the tight relation between mother and baby. Your story is marvellous too. Thanks a lot.
A great posting.
Anne

  • Great 
  • Argus Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 5038 W: 260 N: 15594] (50626)
  • [2009-06-23 4:39]

Hello Goldy,
A delightful tender capture of Elephant parental care in a nice composition of adults and youngsters taken with excellent sharpness and lighting.
Thanks for this and the accompanying Jakata tale.
All the best,
Ivan

Hello Goldy,
another splendid scene of the Asian Elephants, superb sharpness and marvellous colours in a very nice composition.
TFS
Best regards
Maurizio

Ciao Goldy, lovely family composition, wonderful light and colors, very well done, ciao Silvio

Beautiful capture of the elephant .Splendid light and colours,
excellent sharpness.Very nice composition.
Regards.
Eyal

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