This January, we had the distinct pleasure of welcoming Buddhist monk and photographer, Nicholas Vreeland, to C.A.F.E. 229. Accompanied by host and classical musician, Dr. Joanne Chang, he shed light on his life as well as the spiritual lessons he has gained from the Dharma.
During our conversation, we drew many comparisons to that of the young prince Siddhartha Gautama, who would later leave a life of privilege to pursue wisdom and become who we know today as the Buddha. With his unique origins as a Vreeland (his grandmother is the former editor-in-chief of Vogue, Diana Vreeland), Nicholas left behind wealth and influence, including his career in photography, and became a Buddhist monk.
Then, as he continued in his monastic path, Nicholas found ways to bring photography into this new world, sharing an inside perspective and special lens into Tibetan Buddhism like no other. Here, we discussed all of this in this special talk.