Monastics

This collection of portraits offers an intimate view of Buddhist monastics whose lives have been shaped by study, discipline, community, and a deep commitment to the Dharma. Representing different traditions and cultural backgrounds, they reveal that monastic life is not a single experience, but a continually unfolding path.

Jogen entered Zen monastic training at Great Vow and reflects on residential sangha life as both a source of friendship and a powerful mirror for confronting his own habits and projections. Ani Lodro’s journey from Hinduism into Tibetan Buddhism led her toward ordination as a way to step away from the distractions of career and relationships and devote herself more fully to understanding the mind. Geshe Denma began his monastic education as a child at Menri Monastery, carrying forward the rigorous study and living heritage of the Bön tradition.

Together, these portraits invite us to look beyond robes and titles and encounter the human beings within monastic life—their aspirations, sacrifices, struggles, and enduring dedication to awakening.