India is considered a very spiritual country. Yoga is an integral part of Hinduism and meditation is one of the way Buddhists seek enlightenment. And both religions believe in karma and reincarnation. In visiting two of the most revered sites I saw pilgrims and devotees practicing generosity and other good works.

My first stop was the Golden Temple in Amritsar and is the pre-eminent spiritual site of Sikhism. It is an awesome sight with the healing water surrounding the magnificent buildings. It symbolizes brotherhood and equality. They feed thousands of people every day and lodging, if it is needed, as the Sikhs adhere to the principle of service to humanity.

I also was able to visit the Dalai Lama’s monastery in Dharamshala. Serendipitously, it just happened to be a day where one ceremony was the graduation of young monks and another was a once a year gathering to pray for peace!

Close by the monastery in Dharamshala is the Norbulingka Institute which is dedicated to preserving the Tibetan culture. Besides a marvelous museum they also teach artists and craftspeople their many art forms and provide jobs to over 300 Tibetans. They have an awesome bakery/cafe and beautiful rooms to rent for visitors who want to take classes, rest or enjoy the experience. I am lucky in that I was able to visit the Potola Palace in Lhasa years ago where they were able to display similar artifacts.

At one of these spots I had a brief verbal encounter with a tall dark stranger that ended with his reply, “I’ll see you on the path.” While one foot is still mired in the mud I am attempting to get in that lane!