Before his journey to Buddhism, Bhante Sujato was known as Anthony Best, an Australian who played in successful indie-rock band Martha's Vineyard.

Now, he is an ordained Buddhist monk and teacher in the Thai Forest tradition of Theravada Buddhism.

In fact, he helped establish the Santi Forest Monastery in Bundanoon, NSW, where he was abbot for many years.

Recently, he spent more than two years in an intensive solitary retreat on a small island off the coast of Taiwan, translating key Buddhist scriptures into English.

Bhante Sujato is also a serious Buddhist reformer, including on women's rights issues.

Another modern Buddhist reformer is Elizabeth Mattis Namgyel. The American has been described as one of the extraordinary women shaping the transmission of Buddhism in the West.

Elizabeth's life changed forever when she travelled to Nepal and found a spiritual path in Tibetan Buddhism.

In 1997, she went on a solitary retreat for six years in the Rocky Mountains in Colorado. The result of her time away is a new book, The Logic of Faith, exploring one of the central teachings of the Buddha.

Elizabeth has been a Buddhist for more than 30 years.

Music featured in the program: 'Kyamdro Semkye' by Ani Choying Drolma (from Selwa, 2004) and 'Old Beach Road' by Martha's Vineyard (from Martha's Vineyard, 1989).