Bodh Gaya is the center of the Buddhist world . Every year, thousands of Buddhists from all over the world make a pilgrimage to this small Indian village to pray, meditate, and pay homage to the place where the Buddha found enlightenment under the bodhi tree over 2600 years ago. There are many Buddhist temples here – the Thai temple, the Japanese temple, the Bhutanese temple, the Bangladesh temple, and the Vietnamese temple – just to name a few. Each are glorious pieces of architecture and art in their own right. However, the centerpiece of the most holy place on earth for Buddhists is the Mahabodhi Temple – a huge complex that has a large pyramid temple in the center that houses a most revered golden statue of the Buddha, several smaller temples, meditation gardens, but most importantly, this is where one finds the bodhi tree. And it’s not just Buddhists who make pilgrimage here. In Bodh Gaya, at the Mahabodhi Temple, one also finds Hindus, Christians, Muslims, Jews, agnostics and atheists. This is truly a spiritual place – no matter what spiritual path one walks in life. (more…)
As of December, 2013, we’ve been living off and on the road ~ traveling the US and into Canada ~ with everything we need in the back of our Nissan Murano ~ for an entire year. Can you imagine? (Check our map out below. Forgive me if the geography isn’t quite right but you’ll get the picture.)
If you had asked us last year, “Where do you think you’ll be next year?”, never ~ not in our wildest imaginations ~ would we have predicted where we are now. We certainly had no idea we’d be in “the happiest place in the entire US” ~ and no, it’s not Disney World or Las Vegas ~ it’s San Luis Obispo, or SLO, as the locals call it. (more…)
When you love something, it’s always hard to leave…
~ Winnie the Pooh
One of the parts of this trip that I honestly hadn’t anticipated was the constant leaving. We are always leaving someplace, something, or someone. Beginning with the big ones ~ our home, our beloved city of Charleston, our family, and life-long friends. It wasn’t easy.
Now, on quite a regular basis, we are leaving new places and new people that we’ve fallen in love with along the way. This journey of traveling to and from spiritual centers around the country sets the stage for having deep, rich experiences and building close connections. It can be intense. And when it inevitably comes time to leave ~ it’s always a bit sad.(more…)
Michael turned 70 years of age this past Tuesday, June 4. Looking good, huh? This feels like a milestone. In all the best ways. He is healthy and happy. Who could ask for anything more?
And he is doing exactly what he wants to be doing. He is living his life by his own design. On purpose. With meaning. I am grateful to be along for the ride. And what a ride it has been!
So hold on, because he’s on a roll. His new mantra for life is:
