I photographed this old monk at the Jokhang Temple in Lhasa. I’ve been going back to Tibet over several decades. It’s a place that intrigues me. I love the landscape, the mighty Himalaya, the way of life, the Buddhist culture. It’s contemplative, there is a serenity. The monasteries are open and free for a traveler to stop, wander and explore.
I think a great portrait is one that stays with you, one that you can’t forget, one that says something, reveals something about the person you are photographing. This old monk was full of character and emotion. As he looked into my camera, I was looking at him and wondering what kind of a life has this man led, having spent more than 70 years in this monastery in Lhasa. He had joined the monastery at age 7. He had spent his entire life in meditation and study, full of discipline, rising at four o'clock in the morning, eating two meals a day, but you can tell that a monk's life in Tibet is not easy. It’s full of chores and work and it’s very physical, in addition to the study and meditation that they perform. It’s a very rigorous, disciplined life and it’s a very harsh environment.