Sum Of Its Parts

Split screen profile of young monks-to-be who arrived from the dharmashala on the occasion of a visit from the Dalai Lama. The boys pictured here were from the state of Madhya Pradesh and seemed to be enjoying their carefree time in Bodh Gaya.

Split screen profile of young monks-to-be who arrived from the dharmashala on the occasion of a visit from the Dalai Lama.

I was moved by the penetrating gaze of these children. Chapped skin, bruised cheek, and blisters all over pointed to a life of austere living, although their spirits belied such a straightforward inference. By the time I had walked out of the temple, they were already circling the ice-cream cart.