Diane Emerson had her moment of awakening in the lap of Southern Alps, New Zealand. The 57-year old discovered her new world while reading Autobiography of a Yogi, Paramhansa Yogananda’s masterpiece of spiritual literature.

Five years down the road today, her own autobiography is in the works from somewhere in the lush green slopes and valleys of Jammu & Kashmir, where UN-administered plebiscite remains pending since 1948. For the same reason, she plans to donate profits from her new book to promote peace in the region through various ways. She is currently in New Zealand to help February 22 earthquake victims.

Since 2006, this American with additional citizenship of New Zealand has volunteered in various organizations. From volunteering in the kitchen of Vipassana meditation Centre in New Zealand Diane to serving orphan children in Minneapolis, United States, she has done it all.

Enchanted by the life of a global nomad serving people and causes in her homeland or places as far as Kashmir, the petite humanist sees no lines defining geography or dividing people in the name of state or religion.

She believes: “The more I live with people of different cultures and religion, the more I see the similarities in all people. The understanding of commonality at the core is a wonderful way to increase compassion for people who seem so different to us.”

Emerson’s journey was started with a bit of emotional sacrifice. She had to sell the most prized possession, her house, without thinking twice; only to choose uncertain shade of a tent, forever.

“I used to work 16 hours a day in my youthful 20s to be able to own a house,” she recalls. For bigger goals and inner satisfaction, she gives away her favorite paintings, carpets and furniture to neighbours and friends.

Emerson recalls, “I found a wonderful new world opening up to me. I was energized by the sheer idea of traveling on bike and pitching a tent somewhere for night.”

Though her language skills were limited to work in remote areas of Asia or Africa, yet Emerson had a pretty long list of services she could offer.

“I could help people without charging for my services. I could help animals. I could work in organic gardens and farms. I could go to a monastery and serve there, and maybe some of their peace would make its way to me,” Diane pondered then.

Share this page