Let's begin again

While circumambulating

Dear, Reader.

November is here doing November things, cold winds and fresh heartbreak renewing our longing for home.

So, let’s begin again.

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A few weeks ago, my husband and I were on a road trip in Southern India. We were visiting temples, some towering and with grand courtyards while others were smaller, but no less awe-inspiring. The temples were all between 1000-2000 years old and I was filled with a giddy exhilaration at having the enormous privilege to be in sacred space.

On one of those days, I found myself in the courtyard surrounding the main structure, circumambulating¹. It was early evening. This was the fourth temple we’d visited that day. Since it was a very short trip, we’d tried to see as much as we could in the time available to us. The stone path I walked on slowly was warm from the sun. The stones felt rounded and almost soft against my feet, shaped, I imagine, by thousands and thousands of feet over more than a thousand years. I remember there was this one crystal-clear moment when I felt their presence as though they were right there alongside me, all those people. All of us walking together in our shared humanity, and our longing for love, hope, and security.

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I’m donating all the money I receive (after Substack and Stripe fees) from each Ten Thousand Journeys Paid subscription to organizations that help kids. I’ll send Paid subscribers the details as soon as I figure them out. If you know any organizations that are doing great work, please email me or let me know in the comments below.

I hope November is also a month that reminds you we are all in this together.

As always, I’d love to hear from you because our conversations make my world go around!

Best,

Priya

1. Circumambulation: Here’s the Wikipedia article which describes the act of moving around a sacred object or space. I’ve also written about this circling around here.