"The Dagpo Shedrub Ling Monastery was started in the Indian Himalayas by monks fleeing the 1959 Chinese takeover of its Tibetan namesake. To this day, young novice monks still risk their lives crossing the border from Tibet to India to get there. They say they're sad to leave their families, but happy to practice their religion in peace. While there, I caught the isolated face of this young monk looking up from his studies, while the the monastery and the mountains of the peaceful Kullu Valley reflected in the window. Monks must memorize passages of a book called The Great Lam Rim and prove their knowledge in daily debates. The monastery is renowned for its strict application of the the rules of monastic discipline."

From Mark's blog post about Christian's print:

Luxury, says British essayist Pico Iyer, is a function of scarcity. In Mumbai where the clamor of construction begins outside my bedroom window at four a.m. and where my neighbors watch me do living-room yoga to the backdrop of pigeon squawks luxury is space and quiet. Upon first glance, the life of Christian Bobsts monk seems luxurious to someone like me. But after reflecting on the photos backstory, I see the discipline and sacrifice required for the monk to live this way.  And I wonder, if Christian Bobsts monk were to look at a photo of me banging away at my white-collar job in a new seventh-floor apartment, would he see a picture of luxury, or something else?

View more of Christian's work on his website.