Preface of  "Travelling Inward" 

          Love and peace surround me in the vast hollow of the Global Vipassana Pagoda, still under construction. I sit in a meditative pose, alone and undisturbed. The silence presses into me like a holy presence, and permits my mind to drift back over the last one hundred days, during which I met so many incredible souls in India. I see again each beautiful, smiling, caring face. I feel again the impact every one of them had on my spiritual growth. They welcomed me with open arms – even when they spoke no English – and went out of their way to ensure that I had a safe and memorable journey.

Tears well up from the bottom of my heart as I ask Buddha to help me send my love and gratitude to all these wonderful spirits for the life lessons they taught me.

“How will I ever have the chance to pay the people back for their kindness?” I ask aloud. My voice echoes and reverberates around the hollow dome. Then I gaze up at the Dhamma Wheel, smiling, searching for Buddha’s guidance.

“Write your story as your gratitude to India” breaks through the silence.

I must be dreaming. I cannot even write my own résumé. How could I ever write a book?

“I moved the mountain for you.”

I sit speechless in the silence, overwhelmed by the magnitude of this message. And then I realize with unwavering certainty that the generosity, compassion, and unconditional love of the Indian people are worthy of sharing with the world.

This is the story of my adventure in exotic India. But it is also the story of my spiritual growth – a journey inward, to look deeper and to find self-love – that was made possible by all the extraordinary encounters I had in this amazing country.

The Indian people inspired me to have self-realization: life is not about me, it is about being a blessing to others! Before I travelled to India, I thought that focusing on myself was normal behaviour. But God chose these kindhearted human beings to teach me how to live a truly meaningful life: as I touch someone’s life, it eternally changes my world too.

I write this story out of gratitude and with the wish that it will be an inspiration to all who read it. 

        Namaste. 

                   
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