The Monk's Mission

Meditation leads to sustainable happiness says Gelong Thubten

- Kate O’Brien

Becoming a Buddhist monk at the age of 21 was an unusual life choice for an actor living in New York City. Tibetan monk, and author of A Monk’s Guide to Happiness, Gelong Thubten grew up in an open-minded environment, respectful of all religions and experiences. He is son of respected Indian actress Indira Joshi (British soap EastEnders and The Kumars at No.42) and his English father was also formerly a monk.

“I’ve been a monk for more than half my life so whatever went on before then is a distant memory,” Thubten says. “I had a wild time but I wasn’t happy. I was anxious, stressed and miserable.” So severe was his anxiety that it culminated in dramatic burnout. “When I hit rock bottom in New York and thought I was going to die, the first thing I turned to was meditation. While I had not meditated, both my parents did and I knew the Buddhist path could provide clarity on how to sort your head out.”

This powerful wake-up call led him back to the UK, where he trained for a year at a Tibetan Buddhist monastery in Scotland and become a monk. He says, “There was no question at the time of my staying any longer. A year felt quite manageable, not a radical life change really. I arrived desperate for anything that would give me stability, took my vows four days later––and of course––that year has become life.”