'We are basically social animals. We are not like turtles that lay their eggs, but never meet their offspring. Our survival depends on our mother's care and affection and someone who has received such affection has the potential to show affection to others.'

Back in the Sydney Entertainment Centre for the last of five sessions of Buddhist teachings, because it was his intention to give the Bodhisattva Vows, His Holiness sat quietly for some minutes while he refreshed his own vows. He then took his seat on the throne and the Heart Sutra was chanted in Vietnamese and English.

He began his instruction by quoting Chandrakirti's 'Introduction to the Middle Way' as saying, 'This very mind gives rise to the external conventional world.' The 7th Dalai Lama, Kalsang Gyatso, said, 'The whole of cyclic existence and the peace of liberation are merely designated by the internal world of the mind.'

His Holiness repeated that things exist merely by way of designation. Things are nominally existent; they exist as labels. Cyclic existence and the peace of liberation, samsara and nirvana, are brought about by our minds; without mind there is no karma. Nagarjuna said that cyclic existence and the peace of liberation ultimately cannot be found; they have to be understood in terms of our mind.

'Does it make any sense?' he asked. 'Since the text we've been reading is mainly concerned with praising compassion not wisdom, I wanted to balance it out. I make no claim to have any experience of bodhichitta or insight into emptiness, but I began to take an interest in my early teens. Once I became a refugee, when I had restarted my studies, I took more interest in emptiness. It wasn't until my late 30s that I really had the courage to consider altruism.'

Indicating the image of the 'Fasting Buddha' displayed behind the throne, His Holiness recalled that when he was young he had a copy of the same photograph in his room in the Potala, along with photographs of Bodhgaya and Sarnath, that had belonged to the 13th Dalai Lama. After 1959, he enquired about the location of the original statue and hearing it was in Lahore would have liked to go and see it, but that has not been possible. He described it as an important image for Buddhists because it reminds us of the hardship our teacher underwent in attaining enlightenment.

Because Atisha has written that someone receiving the Bodhisattva Vows should hold at least some personal liberation or pratimoksha vows, His Holiness first went through the ceremony for giving the layperson's precepts. As a preliminary to generating the awakening mind he asked the entire audience to recite the Seven Branch practice contained in chapters two and three of Shantideva's 'Guide to the Bodhisattva's Way of Life'. Following that ceremony he gave the Bodhisattva Vows.

'So now the teaching is complete,' he said, 'this afternoon I'll talk about secular ethics. Buddhism is only for Buddhists, but the universal nature of secular ethics makes them applicable to all 7 billion human beings alive today.'

After lunch he met members of the Parliamentary Group for Tibet and the Australia Tibet Council, who he told:

'Chinese policy about Tibet will not change unless there is an overall change in China. Former Prime Minister Wen Jiabao has spoken of China's need for reform and human rights' activist Liu Xiaobo has expressed concern for an open society. The free world has a responsibility to support people like Liu Xiaobo.'

While noting that as an ancient nation China cannot be overlooked, it must be brought into the mainstream of world affairs. At the same time there is an urgent need to find ways to preserve Tibet's language, religion, culture and ecology. He thanked them all for their support.

Returning to the stage, distinguished actress and Sydney resident, Cate Blanchett gave the audience of more than 11000 a warm and generous introduction to His Holiness. Choosing to stand, he began his talk:

'I am grateful to have this opportunity to speak to all of you. In my visits here and there, being able to address the public is what's most important. Everyone wants a happy life without difficulties or suffering. We create many of the problems we face. No one intentionally creates problems, but we tend to be slaves to emotions like anger, hatred and attachment. These emotions are essentially based on misconceived projections about people and things.

'These emotions are powerful and we need to find ways of reducing them by eliminating the ignorance that underlies them and applying opposing forces. So long as we don't learn A,B,C, for example, an ignorance of A,B,C remains. It is only removed by learning about A,B,C that our ignorance is removed. It's the same with our emotions.'

He explained that some experts say that any social animal has some limited sense of altruism. Without others we cannot survive; the rest of society is the source of our future. He compared this to having a piece of land on which our livelihood depends. We have to take care of it. Likewise, in human society we have to take care of others. Despite the superficial differences between us, we need to have a sense that all 7 billion human beings belong to one human family, the basis of our future. He cited going to hospital as an occasion when we are treated as equal human beings. We don't expect our nationality, race, religion or educational qualification to be an issue before receiving the treatment we need. Climate change and the environmental crisis similarly have no respect for national boundaries. From outer space you can't see them. All you can see is our one blue planet.

His Holiness spoke of a dream of harnessing the potential of great areas of desert to generate solar power that could run desalination plants and so generate water to make the deserts green.

Thinking about the whole of humanity, he observed that we have all taken birth from our mothers and that most of us have survived and grown as a result of her care. The affection she showed us gives us the potential to show affection to others.

'While murder, bullying, exploitation and scandal regularly make the news, when thousands of children receive their mother's care and affection every day it isn't reported because we take it for granted. We may be subject to negative emotions, but it is possible to keep them under control, to cultivate a sense of emotional hygiene, on the basis of the human values that are rooted in that affection. This is what I call secular ethics.'

Mikey Robins put questions from the audience to His Holiness, starting by asking him what it felt like to be a Buddha. The reply was swift:

'Me? Nonsense! I'm a human being like one of you.'

To a question about how to make a difference as an individual, His Holiness answered that the UN has shown that having a big office and a lot of paper doesn't produce peace. World peace must come from inner peace within individuals. About why I'm here, he said there are Christian and Buddhist answers, but a simpler one is not to worry about this and to try to be a happy person. Asked what to do to avoid a death full of fear and regret he recommended leading a more meaningful life, not creating problems, helping other people out and avoiding doing them harm. About forgiveness he said if you forget then there's nothing to forgive, but if you're angry and resentful towards others it's like being part of a chain reaction. Forgiveness is how we put a stop to anger, ill-will and a desire for revenge.

To the last question, if he'll promise to come back, His Holiness responded:

'Certainly, I love to come here. Maybe once every two years over the next 5-10 years. Yes.'

'Think about what we have talked about. If it makes sense, think about it some more. Discuss it with your family and friends. If it doesn't make sense, it doesn't matter, just leave it here in this hall when you go home.' His final advice was met by friendly applause.

Attending the Gathering for Tibet at Tumbalong Park, Darling Harbour, His Holiness took to the stage with Speaker of the Tibetan Parliament-in-exile, Penpa Tsering, Chinese liberal intellectual, Dr Feng Chongyi, and his old friend Rev Bill Crews. He spoke about Tibet's ecology and the role it plays as Asia's watershed that has earned it the name the Third Pole. He mentioned that since 1974 the Central Tibetan Administration decided not to seek separation, but to acknowledge that remaining with the PRC has the potential to be in Tibet's interest as far as development is concerned. But the Chinese government must give Tibetans meaningful autonomy and implement the rights included in the Chinese constitution.

'We have our own language, culture and way of life and want to preserve them. Our contacts with the Chinese people are improving, but because of censorship they are very poorly informed. Recently I have been advising Tibetans to reach out to Chinese people. I have been told that if they knew more about our Middle Way Approach, a majority of the Chinese people would support it. The best way to solve our problems is to take a realistic view of them. I appreciate all your support. Please, whenever and wherever you can, educate Chinese people about reality.'

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The longstanding debate on whether or not same sex marriage should be legal or not is a political and religious challenge that will be continued for years in the courtrooms and political cabinets. It's a religious matter, it's a political matter, it's a legal change, and it's something that should be encouraged in our world today. Couples should be able to live together, no matter their orientation or sex, and live happy together.

In addition, just like with traditional married couples, same sex couples go through slow or challenging sexual times as well. At Seducible, same sex couples are encouraged and inspired to shop in its virtual shelves for new and exciting ways to heat up their bedroom and bring out new ways to enjoy their sex lives. Whether it's a lesbian couple who needs to find a new vibrator, strap-on, dildo, or fetish wear, or even more BDSM gear, Seducible stocks all the needed sexual enhancers to get the female couple more active in the bedroom.

With male couples, Seducible also stocks a number of male sexual toys and enhancers to keep them active in the bedroom. From cock rings, penis pumps, lubricants, anal toys, shower enemas, and more, Seducible has hundreds of different male inspired sex toys that will keep men interested in men in the bedroom.

No matter what the sex orientation, marriage allowance, or tendency to have sex, same sex couples love to play, and at Seducible.com, they can shop freely to find their newest bedroom addition whenever and however they want without any legal or political barriers stopping them.

Seducible  Support's 'Same Sex Marriage' and encourages shopping at Seducible.com.

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In Latin, solstice means 'sun set still' and the Winter Solstice is the great stillness before the Sun's strength builds and days grow longer.Tina Christensen, a Melbourne woman and international labyrinth facilitator has created Labyrinth Lane as a place for people to reconnect with a more soulful handmade life. 

Speaking about Winter Solstice she says 'the darkness and cold at this time of year encourages our minds and hearts to turn inward and hear what it's time to let go of.'The stillness also facilitates birthing dreams or setting deep feeling intentions, that can gain momentum from the energy of Spring.''This is actually the natural time to make new year resolutions, not high Summer,' says Tina 'and walking the labyrinth supports going within, easefully.'

Ms Christensen, is offering the opportunity to experience the magic of a candlelit labyrinth walk at twilight, where the intention of the evening is to let go of what no longer serves and call in what you want for the next cycle of growth.'The evening will be fueled by soulful reflection rather than the parties and bravado of December 31,'

Ms Christensen said.'You can walk, accompanied by the ethereal sounds of a shakuhachi flute played by Mr James O'Brien or sit by firelight with piping hot soup, nana blankets and fellow pilgrims for the journey.' 'These walks are less about profit and more about supporting people looking for ways to take stock of their lives.' 

"I intend to create one each Season with the unique theme of each Solstice and Equinox as our guide for the evening and this Winter, I've collaborated with some talented people to create an evening of magic,' she said.
Ms Christensen is also gifting a beautiful handmade dream catcher to the lucky first 20 people to book online at: http://www.labyrinthlane.com/www.labyrinthlane.com/Solstice_%26_Equinox.html
A physical treasure to keep beyond the evening. Winter Solstice Twilight Labyrinth

Walk, Sunday 23 June, 5.45pm - 8pm
Labyrinth Lane
110 Gardenvale Road, Gardenvale 3185
$25 for adults, children free.
www.labyrinthlane.com or call Tina at 0407 553 386.
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This morning began with an interview by Maari McCluskey for MindFood magazine. She wanted to know if His Holiness thought that spirituality had the effect of blunting a person's competitive edge. His reply was straightforward:

'Material development alone does not bring peace of mind, so there is an increasing trend towards developing inner peace. For some this leads to an interest in religious faith, but there are others for whom this has little appeal. However, within our minds are many emotions and the better we understand how they work, the better will we be able to respond when they arise. We already accept the need for physical hygiene, what we need in addition is a sense of emotional hygiene.'

He said that when we are young we have a vivid sense of basic values like trust and warm-heartedness, but in the competitive world in which we live we tend to neglect them as we grow up, and yet from birth we all have a need for affection. He suggested that there is not much difference between the emotions experienced by human beings today and those at the time of the Buddha, but the interest increasing numbers of people are showing in their inner world and how their emotions work is a sign of maturity.

At the CBS Canterbury Arena where he was due to speak, His Holiness was given a traditional Maori greeting, which involved a welcoming song and a declaration by one of the elders who made the wish,

'May peace and good will prevail in the landscape.'

As he walked onto the stage in the Arena, an applauding audience of more than 2300 took to their feet and His Holiness saluted them with folded hands. After making three prostrations he took his seat on the throne before a backdrop of a large video screen and paintings of the 17 Masters of Nalanda and Avalokiteshvara. He requested followers of the Pali tradition to recite the Mangala Sutra.

'Respected monks and nuns, human brothers and sisters,' he began, 'we are all the same; physically, mentally and emotionally, which is why I greet you as brothers and sisters.'

He remarked that Buddhism belongs to the East and as does New Zealand geographically, while culturally looking to the West. In the past, communication with the outside world was poor, much as it was in Tibet, but now this has changed. The world has become one multi-religious, multi-cultural community. Although the West was not traditionally Buddhist, interest in Eastern thought, including Buddhism, seems to be growing.

'The topic for today is the Four Noble Truths, which are the basis of all Buddhist traditions. This is the first teaching the Buddha gave. In the Sanskrit tradition we have the perfection of wisdom of which the Heart Sutra is a short explanation. It discusses the ultimate reality to which the third noble truth refers. In the first turning of the wheel of Dharma, the Buddha taught the Four Noble Truths, in the second turning of the wheel he taught the perfection of wisdom and in the third turning of the wheel he taught about the clarity of mind and the path referred to in the fourth noble truth. The ultimate source of suffering, referred to in the second noble
truth is ignorance, which is the opposite of wisdom.'

Expressing a wish to explain the context of the Buddha-dharma, His Holiness remarked that people seem to have begun to cultivate spiritual faith 4-5000 years ago in the face of difficulties that seemed beyond their control. Religion gave them hope. About 2600 years ago in India Buddhism and Jainism emerged, while the Middle East gave rise to Judaism, Christianity, Islam and before them Zoroastrianism. All these religious traditions, along with indigenous Hinduism, Sikhism and so forth, have flourished side by side in India, proving that it is possible to achieve genuine religious harmony. His Holiness explained that these different traditions, as well as the different traditions of Buddhism, came about because of people's different dispositions and locations.

'Just as we need different medications to treat different ailments, we need different solutions to help us deal with our different disturbing emotions. Even when they take a different approach, all these religious traditions share a common message of love and compassion.'

He explained that in Buddhism there is no creator apart from us. The law of causality shows that certain actions bring certain results; our future depends on us. If we do good, there is a positive, happy result; if we do harm, the result is negative and unhappy. Because all major religions make guiding our actions their common purpose, they deserve our respect. With regard to the notion that there is one truth and one religion, he said this may be true on a personal level, but in terms of the wider community the reality is that there are several religions and several truths. What's more, we need to promote harmony and respect among them.

Turning specifically to Buddhism he referred to the Pali and Sanskrit traditions. The Buddha's teachings were gathered in three councils after his death and eventually recorded in Pali. These were studied in great centres of learning like Taxila, Nalanda and Vikramashila, from which Sanskrit Buddhist literature later emerged.

To suggestions that the Sanskrit texts were not taught by the Buddha, masters like Nagarjuna asserted that while the Pali texts represented what he taught in public, the teachings preserved in Sanskrit represented what he had taught to more select groups of listeners. Southern Buddhist countries such as Sri Lanka, Burma and Thailand preserved the Pali tradition well on the basis of the Vinaya or monastic discipline. The Sanskrit tradition travelled to China in about 3rd century CE and from there on to Vietnam, Korea and Japan. It was conveyed to Tibet in 8th century by the renowned scholar Shantarakshita who established it there with the aid of Padmasambhava.

In the first turning of the wheel of dharma, the Buddha taught the Four Noble Truths: suffering, the cause of suffering, cessation and the path. His Holiness clarified that the ignorance that is at the root of suffering refers to the contradiction between appearance and reality. The appearance that things exist independently is unreal, but gives rise to disturbing emotions in our minds. Any action motivated by ignorance is a source of suffering, while actions motivated by wisdom are a source for overcoming suffering. Wisdom is to understand reality, while ignorance is to misconceive it.

'Just as heat displaces cold, light eliminates darkness. We will not overcome suffering just by making prayers or engaging in thoughtless meditation, but by understanding reality. The third noble truth, cessation, refers to the elimination of suffering and the way to it is the path of the fourth noble truth. The ultimate method to overcome ignorance is wisdom understanding reality.'

The three trainings in morality, concentration and wisdom constitute the path. To achieve them we need mindfulness and determination and His Holiness outlined the four mindfulnesses of body, feelings, mind and phenomena that are included, along with the four restraints and so forth in the Thirty-seven Wings of Enlightenment. These culminate in the eightfold noble path that we can observe in practice in our daily lives.

His Holiness concluded that the desire to overcome ignorance is an aspiration for liberation. Once we cultivate that in relation to other sentient beings we develop the awakening mind of bodhichitta, the aspiration for enlightenment. We embark on the practice of the six perfections and engage in the four classes of tantra. Once we have a basic understanding of the teaching, we can follow the path gradually, step by step.

'This,' he declared, 'is a realistic approach.'

After lunch, His Holiness returned to the stage, where his public talk was introduced by Sam Johnson, who was honoured as 2012 Young New Zealander of the Year for his co-ordination of volunteers in clearing up after the recent Christchurch earthquakes. His Holiness began:

'I appreciate your invitation. I was glad to be able to visit here after the earthquake to express my sympathy and I appreciate your work to help others facing difficulties. I think what I do, just talking, is much easier than actually giving a helping hand like you have done. Sometimes hardship brings about a greater sense of community. We saw this in New York after September 11th, in Brisbane after the floods and in Japan after the tsunami and nuclear accident.'

Noting that this relates to an awareness of the oneness of humanity, he said we also have to remember that everywhere there is a huge gap between rich and poor. It is a gap we have to address not by making the rich poorer, but by improving conditions for the poor.

Recalling that 20th century was, for all its great achievements, a century of violence, he stressed the need to make this 21st century an era of peace. He said this can be done only if we seek to solve our problems through dialogue and non-violence. Doing this requires that we acknowledge the oneness of humanity, that people are essentially the same, rather than dwelling on secondary differences such as nationality, race, gender, education and so forth.

'If I think of myself as Tibetan, Buddhist, as Dalai Lama, this isolates me from you; it creates a gap between us. That's the kind of gap that allows us to bully, exploit and deceive others, to condone corruption. If, on the other hand, we think of ourselves as the same as others and concern ourselves with their needs, we become closer to them, which puts a stop to our negative behaviour.'

He pointed out that our experience of our mother's affection at the start of our lives is what prepares us to express affection and concern for others later on. However, we lack the training necessary to tackle our disturbing emotions, something that involves the mind and can only be achieved by using the mind. This is something we need to introduce to modern education.

Asked for advice on fostering inner values in the community, His Holiness recommended we check our motivation and cultivate will-power and determination. He said we naturally have self-interest but it should be wise self-interest rather than foolish self-interest. That means taking others needs into account as well as our own.

Answering a question about who he admires, His Holiness mentioned Mahatma Gandhi and Archbishop Desmond Tutu, who creates a happy atmosphere wherever he goes and who along with Nelson Mandela worked so hard for reconciliation in South Africa. About Tibet and China he encouraged people to go to Tibet to see for themselves what is happening there. He said visitors from abroad are good for Tibetan morale. But he also advised taking opportunities to explain the situation to ordinary Chinese. Tibetans need to preserve their language, culture and identity, but many Chinese are ill-informed about the situation in Tibet, because they are only provided distorted information that conceals reality. He asked for help to rectify this.

Finally, he answered a question about how to get through tough times:

'We are all the same as human beings; we have the same potential. The ultimate source of peace of mind is within us.'

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With the U.S. State Department's eye-opening Report on Religious Freedom showing that both Islamophobia and anti-Semitism are on the rise worldwide, the Foundation for Ethnic Understanding (FFEU), is spearheading a Mission to Washington of Muslim and Jewish Leaders from Australia, New Zealand and South Africa on June 4-5. The goal of the Mission, which FFEU is co-sponsoring with the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA), the largest Muslim- umbrella organization in North America, is to jump-start dialogue and cooperation between the Muslim and Jewish communities in those countries.  

The Mission will acquaint the visiting leaders with the 'American model' for strengthening Muslim-Jewish relations, which FFEU ,a New York-based not-for-profit devoted to strengthening relations between Muslims and Jews,   has pioneered over the past five years. Since 2007, FFEU has helped created a common Muslim-Jewish agenda, focusing on building ties of friendship and trust between American Jews and Muslims on the grass roots and leadership levels; standing together against Islamophobia and anti-Semitism, and working together to improve conditions for all people in the diverse communities in which Jews and Muslims  live side by side. In six short years, FFEU has worked to strengthen  relations between Muslim and Jewish communities in 30 countries on six continents.     

The Mission of Muslim and Jewish Leaders from Southern Hemisphere Countries Itinerary

Participants in the Mission will hold meetings with high-level officials at the White House and State Department and meet with Muslim and Jewish Congress people on Capitol Hill. They will visit the U.S. Holocaust Museum and the Washington Islamic Center, and will be hosted at receptions at the Australian and South African Embassies. The Mission participants are being hosted at a Washington Nationals baseball game in the owners' box at Nationals Stadium by the Lerner family, the owners of the team.  

The Mission of Muslim Leaders and Jewish Leaders from Southern Hemisphere Countries is the third such initiative by FFEU with the support of ISNA, including a Mission of European Muslim and Jewish Leaders in 2009 and a Mission of Latin American Muslim and Jewish Leaders in 2012. Many of the 'alumni' of past missions have since initiated joint Muslim-Jewish events in their countries as part of FFEU's  annual Weekend of  Twinning, an event held each November in which  Every November members of synagogues and mosques and Muslim and Jewish organizations in more than 25 countries around the world hold joint programs dedicated to fostering communication and cooperation.

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The unique style of the book, (both historical fiction and practical ministry textbook) sets it apart from most religious books. The book is based on exegesis of Acts 2:42-46 and follows Giannis and Dimitra, a fictional first century couple as they begin their Christian faith journey under the mentorship of the Apostle Paul. The book then applies seven New Testament principles to the American church today as it sets a standard for congregational health through an easy to read and practical narrative.

Readers take away a wealth of leading edge information they can immediately apply to their own church. Dr. High weaves personal illustrations and historic references together in an entertaining yet informative style that makes compelling reading.

Dr. Barry Davis says of the book, 'If you want a healthy church, follow God's instructions. For a detailed, entertaining, and informative roadmap concerning those instructions, read Seven Attributes of Healthy Churches.

According to C. Bowman: 'You will be amazed by the wisdom and simplicity of this book. This is a must read for anyone who is starting a church, Pastoring a church, or anyone wanting to know how their church stacks up. It is very simple to read, yet it contains the essentials for any healthy church. I have been born-again since 2003 and I found this book to be enjoyable and biblical to a T!'

According to Dr. High, Seven Attributes of Healthy Churches is the first in a planned series entitled 'The Healthy Church Series.' The book is available at Amazon.com in both printed form and as a Kindle digital book.

Dr. Max High is available for engagements. Contact him through www.healthychurch-soulutions.com or at drmaxhigh@gmail.com He resides in Fort Wayne, IN.

Contact:
Dr. Max High
drmaxhigh@gmail.com
260-4838391

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During the last twenty years, tattooing has experienced a real renaissance in modern societies. For hundreds of years before this, however, Buddhist monks, using magical incantations and spells, have been covering people's bodies with indelible ink in the belief that the markings will bring luck, wealth, and blessings. 

A widespread belief in Southeast Asia is that tattoos may be invested with some kind of intrinsic power. In this region, there is a long tradition of spiritual tattooing. These inked marks, belonging to the Buddhist world and known in Thailand as Sak Yant or Roi Sak, are believed to influence the life of the bearer. People remain convinced that tattoos provide protection against evil spirits and can render the bearer invulnerable, even to stab wounds and bullets. 

Today, these ancient tattoos are experiencing a revival in popularity, both in their countries of origin and beyond. Fashion or social phenomenon, the demand for these tattoos keeps rising. Hollywood stars, Singaporean businessmen, people from all walks of life flock to Thai Sak Yant masters to have these powerful designs inked onto their bodies. At the same time, these tattooists are regularly invited to practice their art abroad.

Why these sacred tattoos provoke such passion? Who are these men who perform Sak Yant and who are those who get tattooed? Do these tattoos really have magical powers? These questions raise the issue of the influence not only of tattoos but also of amulets, beliefs and rituals, on the mind and health of the individual. Although, formerly regarded as irrational, recently scientific studies show how these beliefs influence a person's life and how tattoos and other symbols can work as placebos. 

Today, for many people, travel and tattoos go hand in hand. They elect to travel to places where they can have traditional tattoos, and most popular destinations are Tahiti, Japan, New Zeeland, Borneo, Samoa and Thailand.

Partly triggered by Hollywood stars, singers, and sport personalities, every year hundreds of foreigners in search of original and magical tattoos come to Thailand to have a Sak Yant. Fashion or social phenomenon, the sacred tattoos of Thailand benefit  from the flourishing industry of tattoos in general.

In January 2006, according to a Harris Pool, one in five Americans have a tattoo, which means approximately 60 millions of US citizens. In December 2010, a survey from Foster's reveals that in Great Britain over 39% of adults already have a tattoo and 32% are thinking of getting one. In France, the newspaper Le Parisien published in July 2010 an IFOP survey showing that one in ten people have at least one of these skin ink marks. Nowadays, as Chris Keato, the President of the Baltimore Tattoo Museum said: 'The people who don't have them are becoming the unique ones' (Fox News, June 12, 2006). 

About the authors: 

Isabel Azevedo Drouyer studied archeology and art history at the Universite Lumiere in Lyon, and at the Universite Charles-de-Gaulle in Lille, France. She conducted a comparative study on iconography (stone sculpture between the 6th and the 11th centuries) between Cambodia and Central Java at the University Malaya, Kuala Lumpur.

Rene Drouyer, a French post-graduate engineer and a former student of Fine Arts School, is a passionate traveler, illustrator and photographer. His wide-ranging body of photographs and illustrations appeared regularly on the front cover of books, magazines and other publications.After living and working in Europe, Africa and Middle-East, today the authors inhabit Southeast Asia where they prepare their next book. 

Media Contact:
Rene Drouyer or Isabel Drouyer

Cell Phone: 
0066 (0) 863265828
0066 (0) 809136227
0060 (0) 162125570

Email:  renedrouyer@gmail.com  or  isabeldrouyer@gmail.com
Internet sites: www.renedrouyer.com or www.tattoos-tattoos.com

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