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Stuart Brown, a physician and clinical researcher who founded the National Institute for Play, describes Norbert Rosing's striking images of a wild polar bear playing with sled dogs.

Produced by Trent Gilliss
Photos by Norbert Rosing
Narration by Stuart Brown
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11 Likes
  • Blake Whitman 10 months ago
    in other cultures this is called Lila.
  • Speaking of Faith 10 months ago
    Hi Blake. Could you say more about this? The act of play itself, or the act of play between animals who are typically at odds with one another?

    Trent Gilliss, Online Editor
  • Blake Whitman 10 months ago
    surely.

    Lila is a beautiful Hindu concept that basically means 'divine play'. its a term used to describe the subtle nuances of life and their innate harmony with nature and their surroundings. You see these instances in everyday life and often miss them; A flock of birds lifting off of a tree, ambient sounds that all of sudden merge into a harmony, butterflies dancing with each other... it can be many different types of expression.

    Animals are a perhaps the greatest display of Lila because they are not caught up in the egoistic sense of self. They flow with nature, and nature guides them. Their natural instincts are an expression of the playful nature that embodies life. Its all play, all the time.
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  • Brett Russell Dougherty 9 months ago
    this is about the cutest thing ive ever seen. in the wild, that is.
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  • Suzette Cox 6 months ago
    These shots are wonderful - I would love to see more and am so glad someone sent them to me so I can share them with others.
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  • Speaking of Faith 6 months ago
    Thanks, Suzette. I attended the PUSH conference at the Walker Art Center last year, and when I heard that gasp from the audience, I knew there was something there. What's interesting is that these photos are more than 15 years old -- taken in 1994 for National Geographic.

    Trent Gilliss, Online Editor
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