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http://www.luketownsendphoto.com/, http://www.luketownsendprints.com/

Luke Townsend-Photographer, Manhattan, NY (2025)

04/26/2025

The Golden Rule
“Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”

As the first Pope of the Americas - The People’s Pope - Jorge Mario Bergoglio - “Franciscus”, was laid to rest at the Papal Basilica of Saint Mary Major, let us not forget this teaching the late Pope Francis gave to the U.S. congress in September 2015:

The Golden Rule: (Mt 7:12). “This Rule points us in a clear direction. Let us treat others with the same passion and compassion with which we want to be treated. Let us seek for others the same possibilities which we seek for ourselves. Let us help others to grow, as we would like to be helped ourselves. In a word, if we want security, let us give security; if we want life, let us give life; if we want opportunities, let us provide opportunities. The yardstick we use for others will be the yardstick which time will use for us.”

e. 4th street, nyc, 2022

04/22/2025

“No King Donald”
“Only Cowards Doge Service”

50501 Nation-wide protest
Manhattan, KS
2025.04.19

Posted across the street from Manhattan’s City Hall, Uncle Sam is joined by a soldier of the Continental Army to protest the Return of the King on the 250th anniversary of the start of the Revolutionary War.

©️Luke Townsend/ZUMA

#50501

04/21/2025

50501 Nation-wide Protest
Manhattan, KS
2025.04.19

April 19, 1775 - the first shots of the American Revolutionary War were fired.

250 years later, on April 19, 2025, Americans fly the flag of the United States of America upside down, sending a powerful visual message to the world, a warning, from inside the heart of America’s Midwest.

What’s the message?

The United States Flag Code:
§ 8. Respect for flag

(a) The flag should never be displayed with the union down, except as a signal of dire distress in instances of extreme danger to life or property.

——

Internationally, the same day, April 19, 2025, Pope Francis declined to meet with the U.S. Vice President, JD Vance, instead sending the secretary of state, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, and the foreign minister, Archbishop Paul Gallagher, for a meeting with the vice president in the Apostolic Palace.

“There was an exchange of opinions on the international situation, especially regarding countries affected by war, political tensions and difficult humanitarian situations, with particular attention to migrants, refugees, and prisoners,” the Vatican said of that meeting.

Pope Francis, who criticized the Trump administration’s deportation agenda and appeared to take issue with Vance’s use of Catholic doctrine to defend it, agreed to meet with JD Vance briefly on Easter Sunday.

One day after meeting with the U.S. Vice President, on Easter Monday, Pope Francis has died at 88 years of age.

“Finally, hope was expressed for serene collaboration between the state and the Catholic Church in the United States, whose valuable service to the most vulnerable people was acknowledged.”

04/21/2025

Celebrating 420 with a few of my favorite Lumen prints of natural growing cannabis found on my summer walks last year!

These Lumen prints were all made using Ilford MGFD matte paper and scanned after exposure prior to fixing.

#420

04/20/2025

“Peace”
50501 Nationwide Protest
Manhattan, KS
2025.04.19

This was one of the only images that I got really excited to make on Saturday. A universal symbol, a simple message which forces us to look at our shared humanity and interconnectedness with compassion rather than fear and hatred.

©️Luke Townsend/ZUMAPress

——
Below commentary shared by .norbu ཐུགས་རྗེ་ཆེ

‘This advice is very important now because passionate political opinions can make us lose our love and compassion which harms us more than the politicians and fellow countrymen we dislike.’

༼Awakening Compassion༽

“Transforming our world into a peaceful and loving place is the responsibility of each of us.

We cannot achieve world peace by relying on those in positions of power to set policy.

The root of peace is pure compassion based on great equanimity. To be most effective in the work of peace or any other efforts to benefit, our approach must be founded on unbiased compassion. This itself is a spiritual practice. Any antagonism we feel toward those we disagree with will contaminate our actions and undermine our efforts.

There was once a lama, the head of a monastery, who functioned as administrator of a particular region in Tibet. The monastery’s disciplinarian noticed that some local people were behaving very badly. He went to the lama and said, “These people are making a mockery of our authority. Can I reprimand them?”

The lama replied, “That might not be not be the best thing to do. You won’t accomplish anything by being overbearing. Let me try something else.” The lama sent the people some food and other gifts, and invited them for tea. Over time, they became friendly and the lama was able to suggest a change in their approach. They took what he said to heart because they had come to trust him.

Treating others in a kind and open way is far more beneficial than taking an adversarial stance, which only produces resistance and animosity.

Developing compassion for someone who is harming others doesn’t seem right in an ordinary sense. But in the long run, it will significantly benefit ourselves and others as well.”

-The Bodhisattva Peace Training of Chagdud Tulku Rinpoche

04/16/2025

Welcome to America

We sent a 19 year old to the death camp today

Would you trust this?

04/13/2025

“Protect Trans Kids”
Little Apple Pride Parade, 2025

these are kids, y’all
KIDS
marching through the streets

… is anyone listening yet?

03/12/2025

Excited to share my latest Tibetan calligraphy artworks in the next two posts!
✊

འགོག་རྒོལ་བྱེད་པ།
[to] RESIST

I made these artworks, la-la-la-lost in the feelings of current political ramifications, inspired by the graphic nature of traditional propaganda posters and yet unaware of how to verbalize a call-to-action that’s rooted in the right motivation with sustainable compassion. Resistance imbued with Dharma.

I am just a basic, ordinary human after all, plagued by the same mental poisons we all share, so who am I to speak on such subjects?

Luckily, during a dissociative threads doom-scrolling session I came across a post from the head lama at the in Kansas City, Lama Matthew Palden Gocha, who provides a wonderful commentary on Resistance Embodying the Bodhisattva Spirit and implementing the Six Paramitas ( generosity, ethical conduct, patience, diligence, meditative concentration, wisdom) into our actions.

Lama teaches that it’s important to not just work towards alleviating the suffering in the world but to also transform our own hearts and minds in the process - for in understanding our shared humanity and interconnectedness, our resistance becomes more than a reaction - it becomes a mindful, sustained commitment to alleviating suffering and building a more just and compassionate society for all.

🙏🪷🙏

———

Read Lamas full statement at the link in my bio, or scroll past the photos to the screenshots in this post!

———
22x30”
Watercolour ink on Fabriano Aquarelle

03/12/2025

Excited to share my latest Tibetan calligraphy artworks in the next two posts!
✊

འགོག་རྒོལ་བྱེད་པ།
[to] RESIST

I made these artworks, la-la-la-lost in the feelings of current political ramifications, inspired by the graphic nature of traditional propaganda posters and yet unaware of how to verbalize a call-to-action that’s rooted in the right motivation with sustainable compassion. Resistance imbued with Dharma.

I am just a basic, ordinary human after all, plagued by the same mental poisons we all share, so who am I to speak on such subjects?

Luckily, during a dissociative threads doom-scrolling session I came across a post from the head lama at the in Kansas City, Lama Matthew Palden Gocha, who provides a wonderful commentary on Resistance Embodying the Bodhisattva Spirit and implementing the Six Paramitas ( generosity, ethical conduct, patience, diligence, meditative concentration, wisdom) into our actions.

Lama teaches that it’s important to not just work towards alleviating the suffering in the world but to also transform our own hearts and minds in the process - for in understanding our shared humanity and interconnectedness, our resistance becomes more than a reaction - it becomes a mindful, sustained commitment to alleviating suffering and building a more just and compassionate society for all.

🙏🪷🙏

———

Read Lamas full statement at the link in my bio, or scroll past the photos to the screenshots in this post!

———
22x30”
Watercolour ink on Fabriano Aquarelle

02/13/2025

In a rare sight, deep in the rocky hills of the French Alps, the renowned yogi and Dharma artist, Lama Tashi Mannox - Tibetan Calligrapher emerges from the caverns of his posh retreat village to bask in the last rays of the suns energy.

Situated near the village of Oppedette, high above the gorge, lies Le Grand Banc, where the yogi instructs a small group of students in the sacred geometry of the Tibetan Uchen script.

An auspicious occasion to bear witness of not just a great yogi, but a true ambassador of the pen.

The yogi, recalling his experience, explained that “by writing, learning to write again, really puts us in touch with the earth. It puts us in touch with the heavens and the earth. It’s connecting these two together. It’s a really great joy and practice learning to write, and keeping this tradition alive.”

The next such retreat is set for this coming October, 2025! Click the link below for info on joining lama in an immersive Tibetan calligraphy retreat in Provence, France!

https://tashimannox.com/event/tibetan-calligraphy-meditation-retreat-in-provence/

01/29/2025

The war against evil won’t be quick, but it’s important to keep a steady mind.

Take a pause, drink some tea, regroup, and slay the demons!

Don’t forget to support local businesses in this time! is the best place for a lil mental health pause where you can be surrounded by lovely plants, teas, and wonderful people!

_________________________

Tibetan word & verb study
Sumi ink on Xuan paper

ཇ - (n.) Tea (large freebrush Uchen)
འཐུང - (v.) To Drink (small brushed Umed)

Pronounced : jah-tung

12/05/2024

The state of the union is getting pretty fu**ed lately. Greed, anger, hatred, fear, and all sorts of horrible mental qualities are rising, and a whole lot of really amazing humans, who are already subject to receiving those negative qualities from others, are about to have it all multiplied over the coming years. These things fuel stress, fear, sadness, anxiety, ptsd, and all the things that destroy our mental and physical health.

It’s an exhausting loop that never seems to end.

I made this calligraphy artwork as a reminder to give yourself permission to simply breathe…

…exhale
…let it all out

and then simply relax in the nature of mind.

You don’t have to be some realized yogi, deep in a dzogchen retreat to practice the act of resting.

Just a few minutes is all it takes.
Give yourself some grace.

༆ Tibetan Umed Script Study

དབུགས་བཏང་།
སེམས་ཉིད་ངལ་གསོ།

Breathe (exhale)
Relax in the Nature of Mind

11x14”
Carbon and Sumi ink on Canson Aquarelle cp
Multiple editions available

12/01/2024

If you believe the streets will provide, they usually do.

Macy’s 98th Annual Thanksgiving Day Parade
New York City, 2024

11/11/2024

Last month I was able to offer my first Tibetan calligraphy t-shirt to my teacher, , upon meeting in the remote hills of Provence, France.

Graciously accepting this gift, lama changed into this t-shirt without hesitation. Theres a real special honor in seeing your teacher, one of the foremost Dharma artists and Tibetan calligraphers, proudly wear your work on the first day of HIS calligraphy retreat!

Lama was in conversation with another student as I walked by on my way to brew a cup of tea, and naturally I had to make a picture, so I sat down on a stone and captured this portrait in the blotted sunlight poking through the trees.

When I was commissioned to create this artwork for I had no idea the support would spread across oceans, with shirts being worn in the UK, France, and soon I’ll be shipping two more to Korea!

To my MHK folks…during the “From the Ashes” print conference downtown art market, I teamed up with True Colours again and we were able to raise an extra $185 for the organization, all thanks to your support!!!

There are more shirts available, with all proceeds going to ! If you have the means, please consider supporting this wonderful organization which will become even more of a vital resource for so many during this shift in American politics.

It’s way too easy to be caught up in hatred, and it’s too great of a burden to bear. Love however, is the only cause of happiness!

Much love to for their ‘two thumbs up’ screen printing, Ash crushed it on that coloured heart background, and for your continuous support!

10/08/2024

A cheers for The Grateful Dudes

Auntie’s Mae’s Parlor | MidFest

09/24/2024

colourbend your reality
embrace the limitless

zeandale, ks, 2024

08/17/2024

Blessing | བྱིན་རླབས་

Twelve years ago I asked a lama for a blessing with a mala I had. After a good chuckle he proceeded in fulfilling my request. Returning the mala, he asked if I knew the real meaning of blessing. I certainly wasn’t confident to trust my own mind and assumed it to be a trick question. I had no answer, lol.

Now commonplace, blessing is seen in language throughout the world. We seek the blessings of religious figures, gods, ancestors, the universe, etc. When good things happen to us we say it’s a blessing…but what is the real meaning of blessing?�
Composed of two words:

བྱིན (Jin)- Synonymous with strength, power, force, capacity/or capability.

རླབས (Lab) - The action of transforming or effectively creating positive inner change, and can also mean the resultant form: the transformation, the positive change itself.

Sabchu Rinpoche explains the synthesized meanings:

- The force which brings about out positive changes from within.
- The power that causes positive, inner transformation
- That which gives rise to the innate capabilities to use effective change in ones self.

Rinpoche describes that instead of the idea of some outside “force” coming from an external source/person, touching someone inside, the closer meaning of the word ‘blessing’ is that “force” which emerges from inside of oneself in the form of positive change.

Perhaps, an external source such as a place/object/person could be a catalyst/spark/‘kick-starter.’ Perhaps one’s own trust toward the source could contribute toward the occurrence of jin lab.

The ultimate attribution is that blessing is the cause of inner, positive changes.

In this developed a deep importance and meaning behind the word and when I choose to use it. It showed me an indescribable preciousness within the people/things in my own life that have been catalysts for positive change. I can’t think of a greater act of compassion. I got quite the chuckle in thinking back to that moment with the mala came full circle.

In working through the composition, this particular arrangement appeared similar to a stupa, of which its shape symbolizes the perfect enlightened mind. Its shape diffuses the forces of chaos and negativity and moves the human mind towards enlightenment.

Kunzang Dorje Rinpoche explained that 'blessing' is the recognition of the nature of mind. We all have beginning-less non-dual nature, and when we see that - that - is blessing.

How that all seemed to come together without that plan in this way is quite remarkable!

08/12/2024

Dee Radkey warming up in that magical afternoon sunlight before headlining the last Arts in the Park on July 26,2024.

Slowly working through all the images and events from the last two months, from multiple Arts in the Park, Nirvana Hope, Eddy Green, Matt Wade/Dane Meloan, and more Pride in the Parlor Horse Gurl Summer!

Luke Townsend-Photographer

04/26/2025

04/22/2025

04/21/2025

04/21/2025

04/20/2025

04/16/2025

04/13/2025

03/12/2025

03/12/2025

02/13/2025

01/29/2025

12/05/2024

12/01/2024

11/11/2024

10/08/2024

09/24/2024

08/17/2024

08/12/2024

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