Here’s the story. At 1:30 pm last Valentine’s Day, I boarded Jet Airways 352 leaving New Delhi for Mumbai. I took my aisle seat (7D) in business class (two seats on either side of the aisle of the Boeing 737-900). Directly in front of me (6D) was an Indian man, tall, about 35 to 40 years of age. The window seat beside him (6E) was empty. Another Indian man sat to my right (7E).
The stewardess was distributing welcome drinks to the passengers in the row behind me when a Buddhist monk approached her. He got close to her and whispered, in perfect English, “The Dalai Lama will be boarding this flight. We have five seats reserved (pointing in different directions, including 6E in the row in front of me). I will ask the gentleman (pointing to 6D) if he will give up his seat for the Dalai Lama’s secretary.” (I’m not sure if that was the word he used but there was to be another monk who just had to be seated beside the Dalai Lama.)
I couldn’t help overhearing this but being on the same flight as the Dalai Lama was a once-in-a-lifetime chance. I immediately reached for my E300. I started to check my settings and decided I needed to use a higher ISO. I took a few pictures around the cabin (the stewardess made an interesting subject, ahem) to make sure I got everything right.
While fiddling with my E300, the monk approached the Indian man in 6D, telling him the Dalai Lama would be sitting in 6E and would he consider giving up his seat for the Dalai Lama’s secretary. At this, the Indian man, obviously elated, stood up and said, “But of course! Except that you must let me have a photograph with him.” This he said with a sly smile on his face.
Somehow the monk did not take kindly to this and shook his head while waving both hands in front of him in the universal gesture for “No Way, Jose!” He said, “Never mind. You are too demanding.”
The Indian man replied, “Wait. I’m not demanding. I think it’s reasonable for me to ask. After all, I’ve always loved and admired this man. This is a rare opportunity for anyone to have a photograph with the Dalai Lama.”
The monk turned away muttering angrily something about the man being demanding and unreasonable. The Indian man heard this and said, “Hey, wait a minute. Why are you angry? I was just trying to be charming, trying to get a photograph with a man I love and respect, and all of a sudden you’re angry! You should not be getting angry. You’re a Buddhist monk, for heaven’s sake. Why are you getting angry?”
I was really enjoying this exchange. I, too, had been surprised by the monk’s lack of control. It wasn’t something I expected from any monk, Buddhist or otherwise.
The monk turned to the Indian man and put his hand on the man’s shoulder. The latter, by this time, was showing some irritation himself and he brushed away the monk’s hand. “Don’t touch me!”
At this, the monk turned his attention to the other passengers who might want to give up their seats. I told the Indian man I was also surprised by the monk’s behavior, and said I also wanted to photograph the Dalai Lama, but not necessarily have a photo taken with him. He said he’d try anyway, with or without the first monk’s permission.
At this point, five very stocky men, round faced and red-cheeked, came on board, dressed in ordinary short sleeved shirts, and distributed themselves in the rear of the business class section. Obviously the Dalai Lama’s security detail. I imagined Kung Fu or Shaolin masters without the caps and queues and silk slippers. Very quickly, two monks followed them but moved into the first row. I had my camera ready and took the first grab shot of the Dalai Lama about to sit in 1E as his secretary put their hand-carried items in the overhead compartment.
The Indian man opened the overhead compartment above his seat and took out his camera and a book, “Understanding Human Nature.” Then he turned to me and asked if I had a pen he could borrow, saying he’d get a picture and an autograph. As he moved forward, I quickly followed behind him. It was while the Dalai Lama was autographing the book, with my pen, that I took the second photo. No one tried to stop us. Indeed, only the two of us seemed to be making a big deal over the Dalai Lama.
Back in my seat, I quickly reviewed my photos. I didn’t dare go back for a second attempt. In fact, I hadn’t had the temerity to ask for an autograph. I felt that was a bit much. After all, this was a holy man, the foremost of his religion, and the head of the Tibetan government in-exile. Obviously the Indian man didn’t share my feelings. He returned my pen, but it was a hotel giveaway and I didn’t remember to keep it. I managed to leave it somewhere else during the trip. That would have been a nice memento to go with the framed photograph.
At least I had the pictures. Nearing the end of our flight, an American carrying what looked like a Nikon D70 walked to the front to try and take a photograph. On his way back to his seat, the Indian man asked him if he got a picture. He said the Dalai Lama was asleep and he didn’t want to bother him.
I smiled to myself and remembered how exactly 12 months ago (in Singapore after coming from India) I was seriously thinking of buying the Nikon D70 when I changed my mind at the last minute and got the E300 instead. Was it fate that led me to take my once-in-a-lifetime photo of the Dalai Lama with an Olympus and not a Nikon? Hmmm.
Cheers,
Horacio
