“I was a young woman who had grown up in the mountains of Montana as a Protestant Methodist in a pretty good social gospel tradition. I became fascinated with the religious lives of others who seemed also to be very religious, yet in ways that were quite different from my own. That fascination led to relationships, in India and elsewhere, with families of Hindus, of Muslims, of Sikhs, and a lot of study.” WayDifferentYoungSocialReligiousMy OwnStudyMountainTraditionIndiaFascinatedElsewhereYoung WomenFascinationProtestantsLives Of OthersMontanaMethodistsReligious Life Author:Diana L. Eck
“My first intellectual challenge was to try to understand this incredible city of Banaras (also called Varanasi) in India and its meaning for Hindus. That was the place I lived for the first year I was in India and I've been back many times. It's a kind of home to me.” TryingYearsFirstsKindHomeChallengesCitiesIntellectualIndiaIncrediblesVaranasi Author:Diana L. Eck
“India is a culture in which religious life and spirituality is very much on the surface of things. That doesn't mean it doesn't have depth, but it is very visible. There are lots of temples, lots of Islamic centers, lots of gurdwaras, and lots of teachers.” MeanCultureSpiritualityReligiousTeacherIndiaDepthSurfaceVisibleIslamicTemplesReligious Life Author:Diana L. Eck
“The idea of going on a spiritual journey is really part of the DNA of India itself.” IdeasSpiritualJourneyIndiaDnaSpiritual Journey Author:Diana L. Eck
“The journey to sacred places is the most common way that people travel in India. They are always going on pilgrimages to sacred places. They are always undertaking spiritual journeys to visit the great shrines in the Himalayan tier of pilgrimage places; these places are called tirthas, a word that means "crossing place," a place where you can cross the river to the far shore but also cross over into another dimension of life. Cross over to heaven, in one sense it's used.” PeopleWayMeanSpiritualUsedHeavenCommonJourneyRiversCrossesIndiaSacredDimensionsShoreCrossingsUndertakingsPilgrimageSpiritual JourneyShrinesSacred Places Author:Diana L. Eck
“If you went to the headwaters of most rivers of the United States, you'd have a wonderful naturalistic hike or trek, but you wouldn't find a shrine there. At the headwaters of the rivers of India, they are pilgrimage places.” IfsStatesUnitedUnited StatesWonderfulRiversIndiaPilgrimageShrines Author:Diana L. Eck
“India is simply dotted with pilgrimage places, and with teachers and very powerful spiritual guides.” SpiritualPowerfulTeacherIndiaGuidesVery PowerfulPilgrimage Author:Diana L. Eck
“The practice of leaving settled society to undertake a spiritual journey, or a spiritual life really, is something that is much more common in India. Common especially to a certain phase of life, to the end of life. But not so unusual for younger people as well.” PeopleWellsEndsSpiritualCertainCommonPracticeJourneyIndiaLeavingUnusualSpiritual LifePhasesEnd Of LifeSpiritual JourneyPhases Of Life Author:Diana L. Eck
“I grew up going around with family, camping and living in a very beautiful mountain valley, knowing the names of the mountains and the rivers. I think it's no accident that I ended up studying the geography of India and knowing the names of the mountains and the rivers and all of that. I loved it. I think it gives a sense of space and a can-do-ness that was very powerful.” ThinkingGivingBeautifulNamesCan DoSpacePowerfulKnowingStudyGrewMountainGrew UpRiversIndiaAccidentsValleysGeographyVery PowerfulVery BeautifulCamping Author:Diana L. Eck
“I guess one of the things that is an advantage of the world in which we live is that I can at least I can have multiple homes. I can have that attachment to Montana and to Cambridge and to India.” WorldI CanHomeAdvantageIndiaAttachmentMultipleMontanaCambridge Author:Diana L. Eck