Alex Sherab Gyatso is a married, Russian born yogi practitioner residing in Upstate NY with focus in practice lineages of Buddhist Dharma of Tibet, mostly as it reaches us today in the West through Nyingma traditions. Born in 1974 in Soviet Union, Moscow. The country that at time did not have a state-wide religious following and although since the time of 2nd world war Russian Greek Orthodox Church was allowed to have the doors open in just about every city, it still would remain to be very private undertaking to go in. A most memorable story about the spirituality that in a way very definably “set me sail” was a moment when I stood in from of the bookshelf and pointing to several volumes of old, beautifully bound books titled “Religions of the World” I asked my father: “Which one is the best?” To which my father rather fast but in a thoughtful way said: “Buddhism for sure” As I was eight and have read captions and looked all over the books, I could place it in the book somewhat. So, in same thoughtful way I asked: “Why Buddhism?” Then answer arrived that had to be explored again, my father said: “It is the easiest one” To that I surely had to ask, again: “How is it easy?” My father then continuing: “All you need is to know your mind” With a slight puzzling feel I asked then: “How do you know your mind?” Assuredly my father said to that: “Through reflective contemplation, of course” Somehow taking it at a face value, I seemed to know what he was talking about, likely only a child of eight could be so sure about such things. Through that I had unfailing connection to the Buddhism to this moment. I have gone on to become a fine arts painter, through that I was always interested in urban sage figures and painting sounds of music bands in performance. With my mother immigrating through Eastern Europe to America I could rebuild my understanding of what is around me, what is to be my home, ideas, and furnishings, all from scratch. Lack of fluency in English language seriously hampered my art career as well. This turned into a blessing in reality, because I have met American life face-to-face while working in antique stores, antiquarian book stores and at some point becoming a chef and running a kitchen of a restaurant, all prompting very intense self-examination.
I journeyed upstate to ask with my head bowed and palpable taste of angst: “Rinpoche, I really would like to become a monk and there seems a lot of obstacles to that”. With very happy air Rinpoche bowing his head in approval again and again spoke smiling, telling me that I should not worry, for it is clear to him that over time, slowly, slowly all the obstacles will be resolved and everything will be better.
Imagine my incoherent thoughts when in a small meeting of Buddhist-minded individuals on the second floor of a café in a small upstate NY town we hear a friend coming along, telling us that they in fact are ordained as Dudeist Priests.