Six square terraces make up the bottom part of the temple and on top of these are three circular terraces. There are four stairways leading up to the top arched by intricately carved gateways. The upper terraces have 72 stone lattice stupas, each with a statue of Buddha meditating within. Throughout the complex peaceful-faced Buddha statues stare out into the gorgeous Javanese landscape.

A pilgrim circumabulates the temple leaving a ghostly trail with her flashlight in the pre-dawn hours.

Main dome of the Borobudur temple in Central Java, Indonesia

One of the many smaller domes on the temple has been destroyed revealing a meditating Buddha

A large statue of a meditating Buddha graces one of the perimeter walls of the temple

Sun rises revealing the beautiful landscape that surrounds Borobudur temple

Our meditation and wellness retreat to Indonesia takes us to Central Java among the five islands that we will visit. We’ll also have the opportunity to witness the sunrise at Borobudur….truly magical in every sense of the word.

In our upcoming wellness and meditation retreat to the islands of Indonesia in September this year we’ll be visiting the magnificent Borobudur temple in Central Java.

For the adventurers, the pre-dawn excursion to Borobudur temple to witness the sunrise is a surreal and unparalleled experience in south east Asia. As rays of light pierce the misty sky, rolling hills of tropical jungles, plains of paddy fields and swaying palms are revealed and so is Borobudur, Buddhism’s grandest citadel.

Built from over two million stone blocks by the rulers of the Sailendra dynasty sometime between AD 750 and AD 850, the name Borobudur is derived from the Sanskrit words ‘Vihara Buddha Uhr’, which mean ‘Buddhist Monastery on the Hill’.

The temple has survived a massive earthquake in 2006, terrorists bombs and ash flows from Mount Merapi. But it stands spectacular today as it must have once did.

In tomorrow’s post we will bring you more photos of Borobudur temple.

For more information on these meditation classes in New York City click this link.

When a quality meditation practice is observed consistently then progress starts to take place. One easy to recognize sign is that one becomes more observant. It is the first sign of the awakening of the superconscious mind. Your awareness is soaring within going past the subconscious and into the superconscious. Your perspective changes. You start to view things from the inside out. Your powers of observation becomes stronger.

With this new found perspective you also handle life differently. You start to adopt the attitude of intelligent action and dispassionate reaction as my guru says thus handling life’s circumstances wisely.

Here’s a link to previous FAQs on meditation.

If you’d like to ask a question please send it to me on email.  

His dad, the pumpkin merchant, saw I had a camera and told me to take a photo of his son. What more invitation did I need. So, I got up close, framed and shot. This photo has a Lightroom preset applied to it plus some additional tweaks that I made in this software. The Lightroom preset is called The “300″ Look and is made by Matt Kloskowski. Matt’s got some great Lightroom tips if this is something you are interested in.

Our Kumbh Mela 2013 tour will be ending in New Delhi. This trip will have many great opportunities for photography. If you’d like to find out more about this journey click here.

These classes are set up as warm, respectful and fun places of exploration for self discovery and meditation. Each class is divided into 2 parts.

The first half of the class involves learning a spiritual tool that when applied consistently each day can bring about a positive change in your life. These tools are simple and practical,and come with an exercise for the week. This interactive part of the class includes time for questions and answers.

The second half of the class is dedicated to meditation. You’ll learn a simple but highly effective and systematic meditation technique that takes you within yourself and brings you back out. The steps for the meditation including the goal is clearly outlined allowing everyone to easily follow even if you are a beginner.

Do join me in these series of meditation classes in New York City. If you are keen to learn about meditation and to make a change in your life that you can sustain, you’ll enjoy these classes. Students of all levels, including beginners, are welcome.

Next class is Friday, 7pm to 8pm on May 11th, 2012 at
Serenity Center NYC, 118 E. 37th Street, Ground Floor
(between Park and Lexington Avenues), New York, NY 10016

Click here for more info on these meditation classes in NYC.

Here’s the final photo in our 14 day series of images of Sadhus. The biggest gathering of sadhus takes place every 3 years at the Kumbha Mela festival. It comes around again next year but time a little special. Every 12 years the full festival is celebrated and this just happens to be in 2013.

Our spiritual adventure to the Kumbha Mela in February 2013 is ideal for those seeking a spiritual journey and unparalleled photographic opportunities. If you’d like to find out more information about this tour to North India and the Kumbha Mela festival click here.

After all, it was my beloved guru that boldly proclaimed, that life is meant to be lived joyously!

Here is a photograph of my guru, Sivaya Subramuniyaswami, which was taken during our visit to Oslo, Norway in 2001.

The Kumbha Mela festival taking place next year in Allahabad is the largest gathering of sadhus anywhere in the world. Having attended the smaller Kumbha Mela festival 3 years ago I can truly say it is an experience not to be missed.

Our spiritual adventure to the Kumbha Mela in February 2013 is ideal for those seeking a spiritual journey and unparalleled photographic opportunities.