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55 Years in Asia: Fund a Buddhist Pilgrim’s Journey
Fundraiser Extended to the Autumnal Equinox Sept. 20!
55 Years in Asia: Fund a Buddhist Pilgrim’s Journey
In the 1970s, the Beatles had made headlines visiting yoga
ashrams in India to learn meditation. Affordable travel made
Asia a destination for many spiritual seekers wanting to connect with
their inner wisdom and goodness.
Into this world walked American seekers such as Richard Alpert, a respected academic who became a Hindu yogi known as Baba Ram Das; and hundreds of ordinary youths who craved Eastern wisdom.
Among these young seekers was Richard David, who went East from his home in the United States in 1971, met up with Tibetan lamas, and became a lifelong Buddhist pilgrim.
Into this world walked American seekers such as Richard Alpert, a respected academic who became a Hindu yogi known as Baba Ram Das; and hundreds of ordinary youths who craved Eastern wisdom.
Among these young seekers was Richard David, who went East from his home in the United States in 1971, met up with Tibetan lamas, and became a lifelong Buddhist pilgrim.
For 55 years he has wandered the hills of northern India and
Nepal, meeting Buddhist teachers, receiving teachings,
empowerments and practices, and done retreats of all kinds to delve
deeply into the Buddha’s teachings of wisdom and compassion.
He spent short stints as an English-language
secretary for Tibetan masters, helped train other Western
Buddhist students and led pilgrimage journeys for other seekers from
around the world.
Now 77 years old, he continues to travel to temples, stupas,
and holy places around the region, making offerings and
prayers for sponsors and all sentient beings.
Semi-retired from the tour circult, Richard wishes to
spend the rest of his life in the sacred lands of India and Nepal,
doing pilgrimage and reciting his daily dharma practices.
Visa rules for foreign nationals have changed in
recent years, and Richard now must spend time in other Asian countries
each year to have the privilege of visiting his Buddhist teachers in
India and Nepal.
His small Social Security pension (from just a few
quarters of work in his youth in America) needs augmenting to enable
him to continue his yogi’s journey.
Your gifts will allow Richard to enlarge his pilgrimage
circuit to include the temples of Southeast Asia, so he can
regularly return to visit his gurus in India.
Sponsors will have lamps offered in their name at the
great stupa at Kathmandu and will benefit from prayers at the
monasteries and temples of Asia. They also can follow Richard’s
travels on social media and see the sights of Buddhist Asia from the
perspective of a pilgrim.
May all beings benefit!
Highlights
See all activity12Photos and Updates
Found a photo of Richard from the 1980s in his robes as a
"repa" or a yogi practicing in the tradition of the Tibetan
said Milarepa. Richard's on the left in this photo with his "repa
brother"Keith 
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