- ihs096
- 1993
- «Do not pray for an easy life. Pray to be a strong person.»
I do not know who wrote this. I found it writen on the desk of the chief of the police at Shravanabelagola in Karnataka when I was working about the Jain Muni Digambara. That morning, I was having breakfast in a very poor restaurant, it was the only one opened in the village because it was very early. My assistant was late but I wanted to begin my work with the rising sun because the light then is more beautiful. Suddenly, I received on my back something very burning. A waiter (by will or not, I’ll never know) throw on my back a plate of hot Dal (Indian lentils). I was hurt and dirty but I did not want to leave my cameras far from my eyes to go and clean myself. However, it was allready too late. When I looked again at my seat, my photoreporter jacket, with 22 pockets, was not there anymore. It had been stolen with all my long lenses inside. And my passport, and my return ticket flight had also been stolen. It was very difficult for me because I was sent by the biggest french magazine, I was official guest of the indian government, so many people put their trust on me. It was too late and too far to ask the magazine to send me new lenses. Only my wide-angles were left. This event was happening only every 12 years (meeting of the Muni and onction of Bahubali statue). All the biggest agencies had sent their best photoreporters there, Ragu Rai for Magnum, Pablo Bartholomew for Gamma, Roland and Sabrina Michaud for Rapho, and so on. So there was a lot of competition. Moreover, I was very much suffering from a very painful infection at my stomach (in fact, I did not know it was appendicitis, and when I finally came back in France 3 weeks after the beginning of that pain, I had to be urgently operated ). I had to declare ten times the same story first to a cop, then to an other cop, then to their small chief, then to the chief of the chief and so on. It was very harassing for me and I was wondering why God gave me so much trouble. Then I arrived to the office of the Big Chief of the Police, I read that sentence on its desk and I suddenly understood the will of God to improve my strength through these obstacles. I also understood that it was a good way for me to understand how it is difficult to renounce one’s possessions, so I understood also better how courageous are these MUNI WHO GO NAKED BECAUSE THEY RENOUNCED EVERY POSSESSION. The story finished very well because I could make quite good photos, they were the first ones published in France and in Europe about that event and I earnt from that enough money to buy as many long lenses I COULD DREAM. But especially I learnt a big lesson about life, and about what and how I should always pray. Not to get money, not to get health, not to get easy life but to get strong. It is the best way to help myself, and it is the best way to help the others as well. I just want in my book to quote this sentence as a meditation for everybody who wants to improve him/herself, and so to share with others what India gave me and taught me.
(Letter to Marta, my publisher in NYC)
