Bodh Gaya

Our India Journey

My first trip outside the United States since I was six years old took me to Bodh Gaya. I was excited, but also warned about traveling to a place as impoverished as Bodh Gaya. And honestly, everyone was right. Nothing could have prepared me for what I saw, the effects of polio, deep poverty, and daily hardship. It was heartbreaking, and it made me both sad and deeply appreciative of the life we are fortunate to have in my own country.

We went there because HH Dalai Lama was giving the Kalachakra, an ancient Buddhist teaching. Receiving it in Bodh Gaya felt especially meaningful as this is the place where the Buddha is said to have attained enlightenment beneath the Bodhi Tree at the Mahabodhi Temple.

The journey itself was long: from Denver to Newark, then Newark to Delhi. After spending a night in Delhi, a four-hour pollution delay pushed our final flight even later before we finally departed for Gaya.

It was the beginning of an experience I would never forget.

2017 Kalachakra Teachings by HH Dalai Lama

The Kalachakra, often translated as “Wheel of Time,” is one of the most profound and complex teachings in Tibetan Buddhism. It is traditionally given over several days and includes teachings on compassion, wisdom, and the interconnected nature of the universe. Thousands of monks, nuns, and lay practitioners travel from around the world to receive it, gathering in a vast field of tents and temporary structures to listen, meditate, and participate in the ceremonies.

Receiving the Kalachakra in Bodh Gaya carries special meaning. The teachings take place near the sacred grounds where the Buddha is believed to have attained enlightenment beneath the Bodhi Tree at the Mahabodhi Temple. For many practitioners, attending the Kalachakra there is both a spiritual pilgrimage and a rare opportunity to receive this initiation from HH Dalai Lama, joining tens of thousands of people in a shared moment of devotion, learning, and reflection.

Visiting the Mahabodhi Temple

The Mahabodhi Temple stands at the heart of Bodh Gaya and marks the place where Siddhartha Gautama, the Buddha, is believed to have attained enlightenment more than 2,500 years ago. The original shrine was established during the reign of Emperor Ashoka the Great in the 3rd century BCE, making it one of the earliest Buddhist temples built specifically to honor the Buddha’s enlightenment. Over centuries the temple was rebuilt, restored, and protected, becoming one of the most important pilgrimage sites in the Buddhist world.

Inside the temple we saw the golden Buddha statue seated in meditation, facing the place where enlightenment is said to have occurred. Outside, we sat quietly beneath the Bodhi Tree, whose branches descend from the original tree under which the Buddha meditated. Nearby at Muchalinda Lake, countless prayer flags had been strung across the water, their colors moving gently in the breeze as pilgrims slowly circled the temple grounds in prayer and reflection. The temple complex is now recognized as the Mahabodhi Temple Complex at Bodh Gaya.

Under the Bodhi Tree

HH Dalai Lama

HH Dalai Lama 

During the teachings, HH Dalai Lama—Tenzin Gyatso—addressed the vast gathering of monks, nuns, and pilgrims who had come to receive the Kalachakra. Through a fortunate opportunity, I was granted a press pass, which allowed me to photograph him from only about ten feet away. Sitting that close to someone revered by millions around the world was an extraordinary moment.

As he spoke with warmth, humor, and compassion, the atmosphere felt both intimate and profound despite the enormous crowd surrounding us. Being able to witness and photograph him from such proximity was an experience I will never forget—deeply humbling and a reminder of how powerful presence, kindness, and wisdom can be in a single human being. 

Press article by Lions Roar about the Kalachakra Teachings using my image.

Our journey in Bodh Gaya conitnued with a visit to Ngagyur Palyul Thubten Shedrub Choekhor Dargyeling

Ngagyur Palyul Thubten Shedrub Choekhor Dargyeling

   During our trip to Bodh Gaya we also visited Ngagyur Palyul Thubten Shedrub Choekhor Dargyeling, a temple of the Palyul tradition established under the guidance of HH Penor Rinpoche.

Palyul is the tradition we study under when we go on retreats in Upstate New York so being able to visit another one was a real treat.

The temple serves as a place of study and practice for monks and practitioners within the Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism. While there, we had the rare opportunity to meet with Khentrul Gyangkhang Rinpoche, who welcomed visitors warmly and spoke with us briefly. It was a quiet and meaningful moment, offering a glimpse into the living traditions of Tibetan Buddhism far from their Himalayan origins.

Guru Rinpoche

Bodh Gaya: Sacred Ground, Human Reality

As I wandered through Bodh Gaya, the streets were quiet, dusty roads around the traditional mud-style houses that seemed unchanged by time. Loose dogs and pigs rested in the open, while children shyly offered tiny baby goats hidden beneath wicker baskets—just a few rupees, yet even ten rupees, enough for a small bag of potato chips, meant the world to them. The presence of HH Dalai Lama brought security forces everywhere, a constant reminder of the delicate balance between reverence and vigilance. Later, I was warned not to leave the teaching area, as it was too dangerous to wander alone, making the stillness of the streets feel both peaceful and precarious.

Amidst the quiet rhythm of daily life, the harsh realities of poverty were impossible to ignore—the people who begged, the people affected by polio, and families quietly struggling to survive. Yet even in these challenges, resilience endured: laughter breaking moments of hardship, new friends made along the way, and the enduring traditions that had shaped this community for generations. Bodh Gaya was at once beautiful, humbling, and unforgettable, and a place that I will always be connected with.

Monks bringing hot tea to the teachings. 

Prayer flags over Muchalinda Lake with the Naga protecting the Buddha.