A Way Of Life
Zen Monastics At Work And Play
By Paul Davis
Parallax Press, 2017; 160 pp. $26.74 (cloth)
In this book by author and photographer Paul Davis, we see Buddhist monks and nuns from the Plum Village tradition around the world, of all ages, at work and play. Following an introductory essay by Davis, a student of Thich Nhat Hanh’s since 1990, it offers a series of beautiful candid shots of monastics in gardens, kitchens, and unexpected locations. The visuals are punctuated with quotations from Thich Nhat Hanh, such as, “May our heart’s garden of awakening bloom with hundreds of flowers.” Davis, whose work is often featured in Lion’s Roar, says that though he has seen great sadness in the monks and nuns he’s photographed, he has also seen great joy, even during work. “It is the joy that has been, and continues to be, the focus of my photographic journey,” he writes.