Robert T. Edison was born and raised in Nottingham, England. When he was fourteen years old he began to practice Buddhism. At eighteen years old he became a monk and went to Thailand where, for a decade, he spent his time in monasteries around the country. He became the first Buddhist monk in Iceland when he moved there in 1994 and founded a Buddhist sect. Five years later Robert decided to "derobe" and get married. After sixteen years of celibacy Robert had to deal with being "normal"--getting employment, paying his bills and dealing with the needs of his partner. After four years in "the real world" Robert travelled back to Thailand to become a monk again.