Tulkus are children recognised as the reincarnation of great Tibetan Buddhist monks. They are institutionalised to become religious-political figures, as they might take on functions as the spiritual leaders of Tibet. Identified by certain religious and divinatory practices, visions and prophecies, these children are then brought under the teaching of their entourage, and they form loving relationships with the monks entrusted to the role as their caretaker. This signed sand-coloured hardcover collects photos by British-Belgian photographer Martine Franck, documenting the monastic life of Tulkus in the Himalayas, and the Bodhisattva's attribute of compassion shine through the photographs in the bonding between the Tulkus and those who surround him. Martine Franck (d. 2012) was a documentary and portrait photographer and a member of Magnum Photos for over 32 years. She was renowned for her documentary-style photographs of cultural figures such as philosopher Michel Foucault and poet Seamus Heaney, also of human conditions around the world.

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Signed by the artist

with an essay from David Seyfort Ruegg

ISBN 0 9520992 8 4 

2000, Hardcover, 31.5 x 21.5 cm, 42 pages