From Mexico to the US: Exploring Life as a Buddhist Monk with Vasu Bandhu
I recently had the pleasure of interviewing Vasu Bandhu, a Buddhist monk and the Interfaith Manager for the Arizona Interfaith Network. In his role as an interfaith leader, Vasu is dedicated to uniting individuals from diverse religious backgrounds and promoting peace among communities.
I first met Vasu through our shared interfaith work, and I found his passion for interconnectedness, spirituality, and authentic living truly inspiring. He shared a rich, multicultural story that encompasses his religious and cultural experiences in both Mexico and the United States, as well as his evolving relationship with masculinity. Check out the full interview below.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Suraj: Hi Vasu! It is nice to see you again and look forward to hearing more about your story. Could you start your by sharing more about your cultural background?
Vasu: Yes, of course! I’m from a place called Tlaxcala, which is close to Mexico City. This place has an indigenous connection. I was born in a Catholic family and then my mother became LDS (Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints). With her, I went to church and served. Four years ago, I immigrated to the US to live with my husband, Johnny. I learned about interfaith and through my personal religious freedom, I become a Buddhist monk. Now, I’m at the Dhammapada Sangha, the name of our community.
Suraj: What brought you to Buddhism?
Vasu: When I was in the mission of the LDS church in El Salvador, I connected with Religions for Peace. I learned about different religions and then after a few years, I made the decision to practice my religious freedom and I connected with Buddhism.
Suraj: What values from Buddhism did you connect with specifically?
Vasu: Compassion is a value that I connect with deeply from Buddhism. Compassion is recognizing the interdependence and interconnection of everything and everybody. It is what helps me to do interfaith work because interfaith is about collaboration, cooperation, and recognizing the diversity of expression.
Suraj: I learned about the word for compassion in Buddhism recently: karuna. It seems to be embedded in the practice. Thanks for sharing more about your multicultural background. I’m curious what your experiences with masculinity were like growing up.
Vasu: I’m a gay, cisgender man. For me, it has been difficult to navigate and express my own identity without prejudice because in Latin America, specifically Mexico, there is something called machismo. That is a way of living and thinking that masculinity is only one expression. It requires me to be a specific way. Machismo has been very harmful for my life. I have seen machismo within my family and many people around me in Mexico.
Suraj: Could you share an example of how machismo played out in your upbringing?
Vasu: Yes. When I was in school, machismo and masculinity existed. The prejudice that exists in Mexico and around my family and friends requires men to play sports. I was never good at playing sports so it was hard for me to navigate that.
Suraj: How did you navigate those expectations?
Vasu: Having religious freedom helped me find myself. I found that my expression of religion and my expression of masculinity connected. I also found good people who inspire others to be free from suffering and to be themselves.
Suraj: It’s interesting that religion and masculinity connect for you. When I think about Buddhist monks, compassion, spirituality, and respect come to mind. Seeing these men must have been refreshing models of healthy masculinity for you.
Vasu: Yes, I appreciate the opportunity to serve as a monastic because it is a process to living with no attachment, living while being yourself, and expressing yourself as who you are.
Suraj: How has your monastic journey been living in the US?
Vasu: We are a small community in California. Because we are a minority, sometimes there is no awareness about what it means to be Buddhist. Many people don’t have the knowledge about it. There are many opportunities to educate society. I don’t want to live in a society where everybody is Buddhist. I appreciate having the diversity of religions around me in the US.
Suraj: The US is a pluralistic society, so not everyone holds the same beliefs here. I love that you are able to embrace all aspects of your identity while living here. I would love to hear more about the work you are doing now.
Vasu: I’m dedicated as a monastic. I’m also the Interfaith Manager for the Arizona Faith Network, which is a statewide organization that connects all religions. My work is dedicated to connecting religions. I also support the North American Interfaith Network, the United Religions Initiative, and United Nations Environment Programme. We also have a group called Faith for Earth Youth Council that connects specifically on the environment. With Religions for Peace, we have an International Youth Committee where we have representatives from each religion give a voice for the youth within the peace movement.
Suraj: Wow. Thank you for all the work you are doing to bring people together and foster peace. What is a lesson you have learned from all the work you doing in this space?
Vasu: There is always an opportunity to learn. Also, I appreciate the intergenerational awareness and collaboration. When I was 18, I worked with Religions for Peace in Central America during my mission with the LDS church. At that time, the bishop and religious leaders put their trust in me and because of that, I was able to continue these 11 years of interfaith work. The intergenerational collaboration is a key component of my work. I hope to pass all the work that I’m doing to the younger generations.
Suraj: I feel so comforted to know that you are supporting these efforts and are actively making a difference in our global community. Thank you for taking the time to be interviewed for my project, Vasu!
Vasu: Of course! Thank you for inviting me.