Which country did Allen Ginsberg visit in 1962 on a journey that influenced his interest in Buddhism?

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Allen Ginsberg visited India in 1962 on a journey that influenced his interest in Buddhism.

Ginsberg traveled through India with Peter Orlovsky and spent an extended period there. The journey exposed him to religious teachers, devotional practices, meditation, and artistic traditions that became important reference points in his later life and writing.

His interest in Buddhism was not formed solely during this trip. He had already encountered Buddhist ideas through Beat circles and reading, and he later studied with Tibetan Buddhist teacher Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche. India nevertheless became a significant stage in the development of his spiritual outlook.

The trip is sometimes confused with Ginsberg’s later travels in Japan or with his visits to Tibet-related Buddhist communities. The specific country associated with his major 1962 journey is India.

Source: Wikipedia · fact-checked Sept. 2026

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