Dear Dharma Friends,

I’m visiting India along with a small group of folks, one of whom is Jon Seskevich, a dear friend who I have known for many years. We met back in 1979 at the Insight Meditation Society and moved to Durham NC to work with the Prison Ashram Project, now called the Human Kindness Foundation. We’ve always wanted to be in India together and at this late stage of our lives, now is the time! One of the photos included is of Jon and I.

This is my sixth trip to India, the last one being in 1993 that coincided with a trip to Thailand to be present at Ajahn Chah’s cremation. Of course, India has changed somewhat since that time. The city of Delhi has more of a modern feel to it, however the countryside hasn’t changed all that much except there are more motor driven vehicles (cars, motor bikes and Tuk Tuk’s) instead of animal driven carts and bicycle rickshaws. And everyone has a cellphone!! Fortunately there isn’t the rampant poverty that existed in 1972 during my first trip to this ancient land.

Jon and other members of our group are devotees of Neem Karoli Baba aka Maharaj-ji. Many of the places we have visited are Maharaj-ji temples including where we are staying in Kainchi Dham, which is in the foothills of the Himalayas at 7500 feet above sea level. The mountains only get higher from here. A beautiful setting as you see in the photo included. While I have never felt a strong connection with Maharaj-ji, many of my friends, including my colleague, Barbara Brodsky, know him as their guru and I respect and honor their spiritual path. This is primarily a Bhakti (devotional) path with a strong emphasis on love and service, especially feeding others.

Being here has invited me to reflect upon my own spiritual journey as it has unfolded over the last 50 years. While I came to India initially with a strong interest in Integral yoga with Swami Satchidananda as my first teacher, I soon met Buddhism which led me to ordaining in the Theravada tradition in Thailand. The Hindu system that I have felt most aligned with is Jnana yoga, the yoga of knowledge which is based on the Hindu philosophy of non dualism, called advaita (nondual) vedanta (Vedic knowledge). The Indian Jnana yoga teachers I have most connected with over the years are Ramana Maharishi and Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj. In my teachings of non duality you may have or will hear me speak of the wisdom offered by these teachers. Our practice of Pure Awareness is a non dual meditation that emphasizes that the conditioned realm isn’t separate from the unconditioned. Sound familiar?!

We are leaving the mountains tomorrow to return to Delhi where several of the people in our group will be returning home and my friend Jon and I will be flying to Varanasi. During my visit in 1993 I had a clear image of Jon and I walking the narrow streets of Varanasi together in a previous lifetime. This is the city of Shiva (the lord of death) and many Hindus either go there to die or have their bodies transported to Varanasi to be cremated. It’s a powerful place where I have spent much time in previous visits. Being in Varanasi is a wonderful meditation on death. This is in North Central India in Uttar Pradesh and close to Bodh Gaya where the Buddha was enlightened. I will spend time in Bodh Gaya and in Saranath, which is outside Varanasi and the place where the Buddha gave his first discourse and set the wheel of Dharma turning for the rest of his teaching life. After that it’s back to Vrindivan for Maharaj-ji’s 50th Mahasamadhi celebration, which honors his leaving his body 50 years ago.

I look forward to being back with you upon my return and sharing Dharma and meditation with you.

Love, John