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…)
When we told our friends we were coming to New Delhi, we heard a lot of worries and concerns. One friend even recommended I read the book, Holy Cow, by Sarah MacDonald. In her book, she talks about how difficult it was for her to live in New Delhi as the wife of an Australian reporter. She describes chaos, poverty, filth, noise, smells, and way too many people. So I expected to be completely overwhelmed and disturbed being in “the most polluted city on earth”. (more…)
Bali is truly a paradise. From the holy temples, to the rice fields, the beaches, and the people. Even in the chaotic villages, everything in Bali feels synchronized to the rhythms and the glory of nature. However, in my opinion, the deepest beauty lies in the radiance of the colorful flowers, the lush overgrown grasses, and the vibrant green bushes and trees of Bali’s gardens. (And I don’t want to forget to mention that the lotus ponds here are absolutely mystical.) (more…)
Our last blog post was in March, 2014. We had just ended our 14 month journey through the US and Canada and finally settled in San Luis Obispo, California. After all that traveling around from place to place, we have loved having our own bed every night and our daily routines. We love our new community and our new friends. Already we’ve grown quite comfortable in our somewhat predictable lives. But, for some reason, we seem to not be able to sit still for long. The title of that last blog was “Is the Journey Ever Over?” And, of course, the answer is never. (more…)
