If Geshe Michael is a monk, why does he wear long hair and jewelry?
During our 3-year silent retreat, Michael (who has a big bald spot which, he claims, came from worrying about how to feed all the Tibetan refugees) let the rest of his hair grow long, and began to wear specific pieces of jewelry. There are a number of reasons for this. The first is that we wanted to always have a constant reminder in front of us of the tremendous efforts and sweet experiences we had during our long retreat. This is reflected in the hair and personal appearance of a Buddhist yogi, or someone who dedicates themselves in deep practice and retreat to the Diamond Way. One famous yogi monk is the Indian master Naropa (1016-1100 AD), who is pictured at right in a carving from the Potala Palace of the Dalai Lama. Naropa was, in his time, the greatest scholar and monk of all of India. He was the esteemed abbot of Nalenda Monastery, which is still considered the greatest monastery in Buddhist history. Later in his life, Naropa became a yogi monk and dedicated himself to six spec
