Reflections on Travels.

The other day a number of ten-years-on photos showed up in friends' Facebook feeds. Nostalgia-driven endeavors often draw me in, and I searched my 2009 photo albums for a suitable photo of my cat, Buddy.

Buddy was once a young cat.
(ca. 2009)

In scrolling through archived photos, I was struck by the number of photos from my travels in India and Nepal. I've been fortunate to have spent a good deal of time in South Asia, and I have many rich memories of the people, places and traditions I encountered in these travels. These encounters enriched my life in many ways, both expected and unexpected.

Buddy is now an old cat.
(ca. 2019)

My first trips to India were ostensibly to explore the roots of Yoga. At the behest of my friend Nagindas Sanghavi, I embarked on a pilgrimage to meet Sri Morari Bapu. After a whirlwind flight, 30-hour trans-India train trip and an introduction to the ubiquitous autorickshaws, I made it to my inaugural Ram Katha in Kolkata, India. Meeting Bapu proved propitious, as he let me in on an open secret; the Yoga postures I diligently practiced had absolutely nothing to do with historical Yoga. While this bubble-bursting took another few years to sink in, it did ultimately shift my life focus. At the time, I could not have conceived of the riches I derived from the shift in focus that arose from this trip. Life changing is an easily overused expression, though my first few trips to India were nothing short of life changing.

Mumbai street scene.
(ca. 2005)

As the Yoga bubble-bursting process unfolded, I became progressively more interested in Buddhism, particularly the Vajrayana Buddhism I was learning from Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche. On my first trip to Nepal, I found myself stumbling mistake by mistake down this unmistaken path, gimbaling my way down the narrow streets and alleyways of Boudhanath. The gently piercing gaze of adept practitioners suggested that this was a path of profound depth.

The nuns at Nagi Gompa demonstrated chöd practice.
(ca. 2013)

The depth of this Buddhist path inspired further South Asian travel, this time to trace the historical Buddha's journey. This pilgrimage ultimately brought me to the site of the Buddha's enlightenment, Bodh Gaya. When I sat under the Bodhi Tree, I glimpsed a sense of enlightenment as more than hagiography. To this day, I fondly recall circumambulating the Mahabodhi Temple, meditating under the Bodhi Tree and soaking in the sights, sounds and smells of this most holy place.

I met a cat at the Swayambhunath Stupa in Kathmandu.
(ca. 2017)

Despite the warm memories that arose from my trip-down-memory-lane, it's unlikely that I'll be leading any trips or even traveling to South Asia for the foreseeable future. Despite focusing on Buddhist Studies in my Religious Studies Ph.D. minor, my current grad-school endeavor likely precludes international travel - at least for the next few years. It is with no small amount of envy that I gaze upon the trips my friends are offering in the coming years.

My trusted friends and colleagues at Sacred Path Conscious Travel are offering two amazing-sounding trips in the coming years. If you're curious about the roots of the practices that have shaped many of our lives, it's best to travel with trusted guides, and the team at Sacred Path brings remarkable depth and breadth to these trips.