being an individual

Some time back I got to know a very likeable Bhutanese monk who was teaching at a meditation centre in the UK. As the weather was getting chilly, it was thought it would be nice to buy him a fleece jacket and, when asked, he requested a maroon one, similar in colour to his robes. Although, eventually, a suitable jacket was found, initially, only a red one was, which he had declined as he felt it would make him stand out from other monks – preferring to keep to a ‘uniform’ appearance.

This made me reflect on our modern obsession on being individualistic which, perversely, seems to result in hordes of Jordan and other clones, whereas with this monk who was making great efforts to conform, his naturally, uncontrived, individual qualities shone delightfully.