Hello Friends and Fellow Explorers,
I trust this finds you in soaring spirits!
So here I am again, back in Kathmandu!
You might recall that my initial visit to Nepal was back in 2019. After fifteen years of living and working in Los Angeles, I was ready to escape the trappings of the materialistic West and immerse myself in the mystique of the East.
No doubt about it, Nepal did not disappoint! At every turn, there were incredible ancient sites, awe-inspiring temples, monks, mystics, festivals, and the ever-present prayer flags gently waving in the breeze. The air itself was infused with spirit.
I’ve always held a fascination for spiritual matters. As a teenager, I was captivated by the books of Castaneda, Yogananda, and Lobsang Rampa - but as much as I wanted to believe their fantastic tales, l always felt skeptical of their supernatural claims. Los Angeles too, is a bit of a spiritual vortex. While I was there, I found myself diving headfirst into some pretty strange rabbit holes, hoping to find that elusive connection with the mystical and the divine.
But, well, as you might expect, the scene in LA can get pretty 'out there', and I found myself leaving LA more of a skeptic than ever before.
In Nepal, I was hoping things would be different. I sought a path less tainted by Western commercialism – and so, in the tradition of the East, I went searching for a teacher – a Guru, if you will. I spent months travelling around Nepal, India, and Thailand – meeting a mix of teachers, seekers, and a few charismatic rogues – it was a year I will never forget.
My adventures, both physical and spiritual, have inspired my upcoming book, 'A Skeptic's Guide to Enlightenment'.
The pandemic of 2020 sent me home to Australia to be with my family. While there, I decided to ground my year of introspection with a degree in Psychology. Three and a half years of lectures, statistics courses, research methods, and churning out lengthy practical reports left me yearning to reconnect with a sense of wonder and spiritual essence. I longed to be back among the mystics.
And so - here I am, back in Kathmandu – this time, about to embark on a month-long retreat in a Tibetan Buddhist monastery. Along with the many days of silence, I will be instructed in the Lam Rim, the Buddhist path of attaining enlightenment.
What lies ahead, I cannot say with certainty, but I do know one thing for sure – the course attracts people from every corner of the globe. So, even if I don't catch a glimpse of the radiant light of enlightenment, I'll be crossing paths with many intriguing souls and accumulating a fresh treasure-trove of stories to share right here on my blog.
So, get ready for the journey ahead! Given my fascination with the weird and wonderful, its bound to get surreal. I'm so happy to have you along for the ride!
✌️❤️
Grant.
Where to Next? Choose Your Adventure Below.👇
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how did you feel when meeting the dalai lama? i met him four times in venues small and huge.
Beautiful!!