One Nights Shelter

One Nights Shelter – Home to Homelessness  – An absorbing Autobiography of an American Buddhist Monk. As an American living as a Buddhist monk in Sri Lanka, the most common question I was posed by the local population as well as by the Western tourists I met was, “Why have you become a Buddhist monk?” There is no simple direct answer to a question of such magnitude if one is to do justice to it. One Night’s Shelter is a long indirect reply or description of that process.

When the astronauts were beginning to orbit in outer space, a search or yearning of the opposite nature seemed to be stirring in the unconscious depths of America’s youth. It was as though something inside began asking questions, challenging the established values. The 60’s hippie movement seemed to be timed just right and was just the thing their tender minds needed as an alternative to the Establishment.

Then, almost like a signal from heaven, Indian Yogis and Buddhist monks from the East arrived in the West. This triggered a conscious inquiry, a search for a philosophy of life and supportive lifestyle that could offer a positive motivation and direction, for rekindling their enthusiasm for life.