A Visual Celebration of Buddhism in America

The first book is largely complete and focuses on the essential components of a modern, transformative Buddhist path. Its stories are drawn from a relatively small group of deeply committed practitioners across the major lineages. While powerful, this felt only like the beginning.

To more fully honor the richness, diversity, and lived reality of Buddhist practice, I felt called to create a second companion book—one shaped through meaningful contributions from many more communities and photographers. This next volume opens the lens wider. Drawing inspiration from A Day in the Life Series and Humans of New York, it pairs striking portraits with short, deeply human stories, offering a broader and more intimate view of how the Buddhist path is lived today.

Albert "Buddhist practice didn’t change who I was. It taught me to stop running from myself and finally come home" Dick and Bonnie "Nothing is separate. Plum Village helped us feel the threads that connect everything—and everyone" Kalpana "The teachings showed me: true connection has nothing to do with background and everything to do with presence."

Images of the Living Dharma

We’re seeking sangha members or experienced photographers to help showcase:

  • Lineage in Daily Life — Visual essays showing how Buddhist practice lives beyond the cushion through work, family, home altars, and everyday routines.

  • Asian & Diaspora Communities — Stories of intergenerational practice, cultural continuity, festivals, language, food, and community life within Asian Buddhist communities.

  • Lesser-Known Practices & Rituals — Devotion, mantra, ritual objects, body-based practices, and forms of practice that are rarely represented in Western narratives.

  • Sangha as Living Practice — Moments of connection, care, service, teaching, and relationship that reveal community itself as a field of practice.

  • Teachers, Places & Quiet Presence — Human portraits of teachers, sacred spaces, and minimalist studies of presence that honor Buddhism as lived experience rather than explanation.

We’re not looking for perfect images or definitive statements. We’re looking for lived truth—moments that feel ordinary to those inside the practice, and quietly revelatory to those outside it.

If you are semi pro or professional photographer, I would love to connect with you to collaborate on showcasing more photo essays. 

Micro Moments on the Path

We’re inviting practitioners of all backgrounds—newcomers, seasoned teachers, wanderers still unsure where they belong—to share short, true stories from their spiritual journey. These don’t need to be profound. In fact, the quiet ones often touch deepest:

  • Personal Practice Reflections — Short written pieces or audio reflections on how practice shows up in daily life: work, relationships, illness, parenting, aging, or loss.

  • Sangha Stories — First-hand accounts of community: how a sangha formed, moments of support or challenge, intergenerational experiences, or learning to practice together.

  • Lineage & Cultural Inheritance — Stories from those born into Buddhist families or communities, sharing what has been preserved, adapted, or rediscovered across generations.

  • Rituals & Devotion in Everyday Life — Descriptions of chanting, prayer, offerings, festivals, or home practices—why they matter and how they’re lived.

  • Moments of Turning — Quiet, honest accounts of what drew someone to the path, deepened their commitment, or reshaped their understanding—without needing resolution or conclusion.

If you’ve experienced even a flicker of transformation, your story belongs here.

Lama Thupten "We practice not to be perfect, but to be kind, compassionate, and awake" Liz "I used to think I just didn’t feel anger. But through Tibetan yoga, I realized I had deeply buried rage—and it was blocking me from feeling anything at all, even joy. These practices helped me unlock and transform that energy." Marc "When I think about my teacher, Geshe Jinpa Sonam, I don’t put him on a pedestal. I exalt his wisdom and compassion as a reference point: Am I getting closer to that?"