I hope everyone has a chance to travel the world and see places that feed them spiritually. Two places very sacred to me, influencing my life and spiritual path, are India and Sri Lanka. My early years in India shaped my sense of unity with all religions. The sights, smells, and sounds of India are like no others. It is quite simply the most transformative place on earth.
My favorite place is Benares, also known as Varanasi. It is on the banks of the Ganges river and a major religious hub. Buddha is believed to have founded Buddhism here when he gave his first sermon in nearby Samath. Varanasi has been my sacred home for 40 years. Hindus believe that dying here and getting cremated along the banks of the holy Ganges river allows one to break the cycle of life, death, and rebirth and attain salvation. Varanasi is also an important cultural and creative center in India, well known for its silk fabrics, perfumes, ivory works, and sculpture.
The stunningly beautiful island of Sri Lanka in South Asia is worthy of spiritual pilgrimage. Sri Lanka’s documented history spans 3,000 years, with evidence of prehistoric human settlements dating back at least 125,000 years.Its traditions run deep in Buddhist meditation, art, and ayurvedic healing.
Sri Lanka remains not only one of the most surreally beautiful places on earth but also one of the most authentically magical, a place where the refined and exalted vision of both Buddhism, and to a lesser extent Hinduism, has created a sacred culture of great beauty that is still vibrant and alive.
I had expected to be excited by the beauty of the country; I had not expected the beauty of Sri Lanka’s beaches and ruins and green flowering hills to be so astounding that it began to birth in me a wholly new and praise-filled relationship with the creation.
You owe it to yourself to experience the people, traditions, food, and cultures of places like Sri Lanka and India. Travel to places like these feeds your soul and changes the direction of your life forever, and it will be my honor to teach you and accompany you as your spirit friend.
Love,
Andrew
Andrew Harvey will be leading two incredible pilgrimages in 2020. Join us for Divine Love: Sacred North India with Andrew Harvey, February 13-27, 2020, or The Sacred Heart of Sri Lanka with Andrew Harvey, March 1-12, 2020, or take advantage of a unique opportunity to visit both India and Sri Lanka with Andrew!
