Dearests,

Just last week I was offered a partial scholarship to join a Buddhist pilgrimage through Northern India and Nepal with a Vipassana organization! Vipassana is an ancient technique of meditation taught by Gautama the Buddha, holding key insights into the path of spiritual liberation. The Pariyatti pilgrimage takes you on a tour of the major holy sites of the Buddha's life, involving deep meditation practice as you travel.

This wisdom path has profoundly transformed my relationships to impermanence, grief, loss and liberation. I have been practicing and serving in the Vipassana tradition for about a decade, including volunteering on inclusivity committees and hosting retreats for the LGBTQ+ community. Alongside the development of my practice, Vipassana has served my fascination with Buddhist history, and I would love to visit these significant sites in the flesh!

I am invested in this pilgrimage specifically for my ancestral ties to India. My family immigrated to Malawi (in the early 1900s), and has experienced the effects of British colonization both in India and Africa. Thus I have yet to fully experience my ancestral lands. At 33 years old, I am also hoping this trip will influence and inform the next steps in my life trajectory, and provide me with the experience, concentration and sustenance for my greater life's work.

I am asking for support to cover the remainder of my program fees and flight costs for the journey.

To get a better sense of the 3-week pilgrimage, here is the link to the itinerary!

Anything you can give would be greatly appreciated!

With metta,

Shahir