An amazing journey and a must read for anyone who is thinking of visiting the great spiritual places of the Buddha's life. I went to 7 of the 8 sites six months ago and wish i had read this book beforehand. It opened my eyes, mind and heart to so many things i wish i had known before making the Pilgrimage in 10/19. Even if you are not able to visit these sites it is a great book for all Buddhists and anyone interested in the history of Asia. I enjoyed the book so much and found it so informative I read it twice. With the book I hope to return at least to Lumbini, Sarnath (Deer Park), Bodh Gaya, and Kushinagar. Not a hard rear, but very inspirational and well written/translated.