Interview: L’Oeil de la Photographie
From the Challenger Defender project
I’m so grateful to Nadine Dinter, for the wonderful interview she did with me, for L’Oeil de la Photographie.
Nancy Scherl’s photographs immediately captivated me when legendary curator Elizabeth Avedon introduced us. Nancy’s lens reveals the profound rhythms of Tibetan monastic life, capturing sacred rituals, quiet contemplation, and everyday activities. The story behind these remarkable images proved every bit as compelling as the monastery walls they illuminate.—Nadine Dinter
Nadine Dinter: Your recent book, Challenger Defender: The Great Tradition of Tibetan Monastic Debate , offers a fascinating insight into the culture of Tibetan Buddhist monks living in India. How did you enter this world and who connected you?
Nancy Scherl: I was fortunate to be invited to Sera Mey and Sera Jey monasteries, both part of the Sera Monastic University Complex in Karnataka, southern India, during the 2019 Emory Tibet Science Initiative (ETSI), a program established in 2006 by Dr. Negi (co-director of the Emory-Tibet Science Initiative and the Emory Collaborative for Contemplative Studies at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia) and His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama. The goal of this program is to bridge Eastern and Western science and philosophy by opening a dialogue between Tibetan Buddhist monks in India and Emory University. I was invited by ETSI to join my partner, Richard K. Raker, who had been invited to teach a neuroscience course during the 2019 program.