10 Fetters
The 10 Fetters Gallery presents most of the images contained in an eBook available in the Downloads section of this site. The book pairs pictures of bullfighting in Southern Thailand with an interpretation of teachings generally referred to as The Ten Fetters. These teachings, presented here in simplified form, are explanations by the Buddha of limitations people must overcome in order to move beyond the painful repetitions of day to day existence. The photographs are associated with this imagery in address of an apparent dichotomy between the existence of such violence in a country where over 90% of the population practice Buddhism. This connection of images and text implies an existential dilemma -- or at least an ambiguity of interpretations of good and bad and inherent nature of actors and their ability to self-determine -- that occurs when real meets ideal and when practice falls outside comfortable norms for many. Posited as well are questions of the extent of control we have over our own natures and the extent that free will actually exists as an empowering force. In addition to the 10 Fetters book, there is another downloadable book titled Thai Bullfight that provides explanation of the sport and its great popularity in some rural Thai communities.