Broadway Buddhists (or the Tao of Tattoo)

95th and Broadway, New York
95th and Broadway, New York

This is one of my favorite images from The Burghers of Broadway series. It was shot in September of 2006. There was some sort of Buddhist event at the Symphony Space, across the street. Crossing the median I encountered this pair and asked if I could take a picture. The monk on the left seemed largely unaware of, or uninterested in, me or my question. But the tattooed man on the right explained what I was asking and, receiving what I thought was a fairly non-committal response, posed. It was clear he felt greatly honored to have his picture taken in the monk’s company and I suspect he must be a revered monk of some renown.