Following the Buddha's Journey: A Biker's Odyssey (The Story of Sacred Sites Associated with the Buddha and Buddhism Through the Ages) (Vol.1)

In recounting the story of the Buddha's journey, both literal and metaphorical, Sabya Sachi Ghosh follows the path of the Great Master not as a disciple, but as an inquisitive traveller-a biker who rides across the gulf of centuries, along roads that each has traversed in his own way. His journey unfolds along the trail of the Dharmic doctrine established by the Buddha, tracing the metaphysical voyage of a spirit across the ages, whose quiet resonance would later touch other spiritual traditions, including Christianity.

The evolution of Buddhism itself forms a narrative no less compelling. From the Buddha's simple yet profound teachings, it gradually blossomed into the refined philosophical systems of Mahayana and, eventually, into the esoteric currents of the Vajrayana traditions that continue to flourish in the Upper Himalayas. This book moves through the landscapes of the Buddha's life, both before and after his enlightenment. The author takes the reader to the places where the Tathagata was born, spent his childhood, received his education, started a family, renounced his princely life, attained enlightenment, taught the Dharma, and finally entered Mahapari-nirvana. The book also encompasses sites that later emerged as vibrant centres of Buddhist devotion and learning.

At the same time, the work reflects another dimension of the author's own travels-his journeys across the Buddhist heartlands of the Gangetic plains and into the Himalayas, through terrains that every passionate biker dreams of conquering.

The pages of this book offer far more than picturesque descriptions of Buddhist sites. They present the history of these places through the eyes of an artist, a student of history, an independent researcher, and an ardent motorcyclist who has personally traversed these roads to reach the destinations he describes and to undertake the field studies that bring this narrative vividly to life.