Author: Swati Chopra
Publisher: Penguin
Year: 2007
Language: English
Pages: 277
ISBN/UPC (if available): 0143103067
Description
If there is thirst, Dharamsala presents the possibility of slaking it.
In this travelogue of the spirit Swati Chopra brings alive the narrow lanes of Dharamsala which echo with footfalls of seekers from all over the world. Interacting with them—old and young, Tibetan and non-Tibetan, guru and novice—she realizes it is possible in Dharamsala to retreat within, to heal one’s spirit, to learn skills for the inner life and perhaps even find answers to sticky life-questions—‘Does God exist?’, ‘Why do I suffer?’, ‘Does my life have a deeper meaning?’ Dharamsala emerges as a modern-day caravanserai on the inner journey, one of the few places in the world where one can access transcendental wisdom.
His Holiness the Dalai Lama, who lives in a house on the hem of the snow-clad Dhauladhar peaks in McLeodganj, a suburb of Dharamsala, has provided this place with a certain grace and turned it into a pilgrimage for many. Tibetan Buddhism forms a part of the rich tapestry of spiritual traditions, old and new, that have taken root in Dharamsala and are manifest in its old Devi temples, wandering Sadhus and the more recent centres for meditation, yoga and alternative therapies.
Through the stories and experiences of those that pass through Dharamsala, and those that find their refuge there, this book explores the nature of the spiritual journey and, indeed, of life itself.
Contents
Acknowledgements
Introduction
1. Arrival
2. Refuge
3. Serendipity
4. Wanderers
5. The Presence
6. Bridges
7. Co-Worlds
8. Sustenance
9. The Library
10. Bhagsu
11. Ancient Sacredness
12. A Yogi’s Footsteps
13. Monks, Nuns and Institutions
14. Mothers and Mentors
15. Young and Restless
16. Dharamkot
17. Nirvana