This is a portrait of 90-year-old Rangrik Naljor. I photographed him at a small ancient temple, Lotsawa Lhakhang, located in Pooh Village of Kinnaur District, Himachal Pradesh, India.

Rangrik was born in a remote Himalayan village and has been a monk for his entire life. Tangling is the last village of India on the way to the Shipki La mountain pass to Tibet (4720 m above sea level). Since ancient times, there has been a precipitous pathway, in some places suitable only for goats, as it was often pecked into a steep cliff, and one had to bend to proceed further. When Rangrik was young, he walked that journey several times to study Tibetan Buddhism.

- You are 90. What is the secret of living a long life? - I think that the most important thing that has made my life longer is that I do not seek any material things, wealth, or power. As long as my heart is fulfilled with love, I feel happiness. And that is what matters the most. On a physical level, due to the extreme isolation, we never had access to anything but organic self-made food and clean mountain water. For most of my life, I was walking steep paths in the mountains, as we had no roads for cars until just recently. So I had to be physically fit to walk long distances on a daily basis. And, of course, we have to do lots of physical work here as well.

- What do you think is the most important aspect of human life? - To do good to others, whether they are humans or any other living beings. You and I have this life in the form of humans because we did good deeds in our previous lives. If we live our lives with the purpose of doing good to others, we will be reborn as humans (or anyone we want to be) again. Otherwise, one can get reborn as a cockroach, for example. And it will be very difficult for you to do good deeds again as a cockroach.

- What message would you like to pass to all the people of the world who will see your photo? - Please try to be a good human in the truest sense. Whatever your spiritual path is, whatever your religion is, practice it from the bottom of your heart. Try your best not to harm anyone or anything, and have only positive intentions towards others.

One World. One People. One Love. 🌏❤️☮️🙏📸 The World in Faces photo project by Alexander Khimushin.

Ayya Yeshe