Photo and caption by Jackson Gore

At the sacred ghats of Kashi, every step brings a chance encounter with a new soul, some render lies through pure smiles, others speak truths from pure hearts - distinguishing the difference is, at times, as murky as the water that fills the Ganges just feet away, imparting upon me suspicious ills. Finding a Baba lost in concentration, speaking only to the invisible, finding hope in the touch of his mala beads, my suspicions lift, ills disappear, and as I walk away, the knowledge of witnessing purity on our earth instills a raw sense of understanding, as his hope is transferred.

Location: Varanasi, India