In the summer of 1970, I was deeply immersed in the hippie subculture of Ithaca, NY, home of Cornell University. In that subculture there was a great interest in Eastern religions. The Beatles popularized interest in Eastern religions when they went to India to learn Transcendental Meditation. While working in the graduate library at Cornell, I became a voracious reader of books about Buddhism and Hinduism.
A plan began to solidify in my mind. I had a commitment to work in the library until the fall of 1970. I would save money like crazy through the summer months and then head for India in September. Getting my first passport was a first step in the process. I also decided to live in the woods through the summer of 1970 so that I could save a maximum amount of money for my Indian odyssey.
