PILGRIMAGE TO INDIA - 2012
John Travis, mentoring teacher for DZIMC, will lead a pilgrimage to the sacred sites of the Buddha’s life in January/February, 2012. Heather Sundberg will co-teach and Christy Tews will handle logistics.
The dictionary defines a pilgrim: 1) one who journeys in foreign lands; 2) one who travels to a shrine or holy place as an act of devotion - from the Latin peregrinus meaning a wanderer or a stranger. As pilgrims we launch ourselves into unknown places. Sometimes the place is within ourselves. We search for a place where the divine pierces the mundane.
The journey to India provides unknown places, some of them within ourselves, the mundane, and power spots where for some of us, the earth buzzes. For those who are drawn to it, this pilgrimage is life-changing. The trip is 23 days from departure to return to the US. Please contact Christy or check the DZIMC website for an itinerary and description of travel in India. Christy@dharmazephyr.org Below is the itinerary.
SACRED PLACES OF THE BUDDHA: A PILGRIMAGE
22 days January and February, 2012 Touring & Studying
January 21 and 22 Days 1 & 2
USA TO BANGKOK Depart your home city in time to connect on the west coast with your transpacific flight to Bangkok. Air fare and transit travel costs are not included in land cost of trip.
January 23 Day 3
BANGKOK TO GAYA Midday Thai Air flight to Gaya, India. After customs clearance transfer to hotel in Bodhgaya. Rest of day at leisure to catch up with ourselves.
January 24 Day 4
BODHGAYA There are many, many things to see and do in Bodhgaya. The Mahabodhi Temple, built on the spot where the Buddha sat on his enlightenment night, is here. Park-like grounds surround the Temple and the Bodhi tree, a descendent of the one under which the Buddha sat. A lotus pond is to the south of the temple. An archeological museum houses a small collection of antiquities from the Temple site. Temples and monasteries built by nearly every country with a strong Buddhist presence are spotted all over the town. A seasonal village of restaurants and shops, plus a main street lined with small shops, should keep everyone busy for several days.
Some time during this day John and Christy will lay the groundwork for our 3 week moving and interactive retreat.
Throughout the journey we will set aside a time each day to check in with each other and share our stories.
January 25 Day 5
BODHGAYA Teachings begin today. The schedule will be flexible, to fit the weather and other circumstances in the present moment. Expect about ½ day of teaching and ½ day at leisure. Many sects of Buddhism are represented in Bodhgaya. In most temples respectful visitors are welcome while monks are conducting pujah. It may be possible to experience the sonorous, soul-moving overtone chant of the Tibetan Buddhist tradition, or Thai monks chanting the suttas. Early morning and late afternoon are probably the best times to catch these services. We can tour the temples together or in small groups, depending on our inclination.
January 26 Day 6
BODHGAYA Teachings and meditation at the stupa or at the temple of your choice. An option today may be to visit a school that serves children of the very poor farmers of Bodhgaya. The school has been established from donations made by attendees at the yearly Vipassana retreat held at the Thai monastery. This retreat was initiated in 1975 by Christopher Titmuss, also a founding teacher at Gaia House in Britain.
January 27 Day 7
BODHGAYA Teachings and meditation at the stupa or at the temple of your choice. Today’s option is a walk in the Indian countryside across the Neranjana river. This afternoon if you see fruit in the market which looks good to you, you might want to get some for the next day’s breakfast.
January 28 Day 8
RAJGIR 6:00 AM departure by bus to Rajgir (~ 2 1/2 hours on a paved road). We’ll take “packed breakfast” from the hotel. The Buddha spent many years in Rajagaha (the ancient name for this city). King Bimbasara made him welcome and offered him Velavanu, the Bamboo Grove, as a monastery for the rains retreats. We’ll explore the peaks, caves and groves the Buddha occupied before his enlightenment and after. Teachings at one of the sites.
January 29 Day 9
NALANDA We continue our tour by bus northward to Nalanda, the great Buddhist university, now in ruins. At one time 10,000 monks and students resided here. We will tour the ruins with a guide, after which we will meditate in the peaceful park. Afternoon visit to the Archeological museum. Return to Rajgir.
January 30 Day 10
RAJGIR TO VARANASI This morning we pay a leisurely visit to Veluvanu, the Bamboo Grove which King Bimbasara offered to the Buddha as the first monastic grounds for the growing Sangha. Then we board the bus for the drive back to Gaya where we catch an afternoon train to Mughal Sarai outside Varanasi. On arrival transfer to Hotel Alka on the sacred Ganges.
January 31 Day 11
VARANASI This fascinating city is said to have the longest continuous human habitation of any place on earth Our hotel sits high above the river, in full view of all the activity at the ghats and in the river. For those wishing respite from travel, sitting on the balcony sipping a leisurely cup of tea or coffee may be the thing to do. For those eager for exploration, the winding by-ways of the old city are right outside the door. Access to the bathing ghats along the river is just down the stairs.
February 1 Day 12
VARANASI Early morning river trip to see the bathers (and possibly cremations) at the ghats on the Ganges, this holiest of holy places for Hindus. Remainder of day at leisure for shopping and wandering. Early evening transfer by taxi to Sarnath.
February 2 Day 13
SARNATH We will pursue a flexible schedule of teachings and exploring in Sarnath. At Deer Park, also known as Isapatana, the Buddha first expounded the Dharma to five friends who had been his companions during his six years of aesetic practice. We can sit where King Asoka erected monuments to the Buddha’s presence and contemplate the Discourse on Non-Self.
February 3 Day 14
SARNATH This village has many ruins, a superb archeological museum and temples of many countries. It is a small, restful, quiet community . We will continue our schedule of teaching and exploring.
February 4 Day 15
SARNATH TO KUSHINAGAR 6:00 AM departure by bus for Kushinagar. This is an approximately 5 hour journey. An early departure will allow us to avoid heavy traffic as we leave the metropolitan area. In Kushinagar, the principal city of the kingdom of the Mallas, the Buddha passed into Nirvana after 45 years of spreading the Dharma. He taught his last student, Subhadda, only hours before his death, and then left us with his final words, “Now monks, I say to you – all conditioned things are subject to decay; strive on with diligence.” The Korean pilgrim Hye Ch’o visited in 725CE and mentioned that lone pilgrims were sometime attacked by tiger or rhinoceros. We can expect that these beasts have long vacated the premises. We will wander the ruins to find where the Buddha’s body was cremated and sit in meditation at the place where the Buddha attained final Nirvana.
February 5 Day 16
KUSHINAGAR TO SRAVASTI (ancient Svatthi) 5:30 AM departure for Sravasti on 7 to 8 hour bus trip. An early departure will allow arrival at a reasonable hour with breaks along the way. The ruins of an ancient city and an archeological park await us.
February 6 Day 17
SRAVASTI We will spend ½ day in meditation and teaching and the rest of the day investigating the archeological and temple sites. This capital of the ancient kingdom of Kosala was a wealthy and vibrant city. From years 20 to 44 of his enlightenment the Buddha spent every rains retreat here. Anathapindika, a wealthy merchant and alms-giver, purchased a beautiful grove from Prince Jeta at the price of a piece of gold to cover every inch of ground. He then built a monastery for the Buddha and his monks. Angulimala, the man who wore the fingers of his 999 murder victims as a necklace, was converted here. We can walk where the Buddha walked, meditate where he lived and slept.
February 7 Day 18
SRAVASTI TO LUMBINI 5:30 A.M. departure by bus for Lumbini. Approximately
7 hour trip. We will cross the border into Nepal mid-afternoon. This process will work most smoothly if everyone has obtained a Nepali visa before coming on the tour. Lumbini has been declared a United Nations world heritage site. Many temples are under construction, sponsored by countries all over the world.
February 8 Day 19
LUMBINI Here, on the full moon day of May, 563 BCE the Buddha was born. As was customary at that time, his mother, Queen Maha Maya was traveling to her paternal home to deliver her child. Labor pains began near a park and Queen Maya alighted from her palanquin, where the Buddha was born under a sal tree. We will wander in the ruins, sit and walk. We can visit the small village or explore temples as well.
February 9 Day 20
LUMBINI TO BHAIRAWAHA AIRPORT 7:00 AM departure by bus for the Bhairawaha airport where we will board a Buddha Air flight to Kathmandu. Transfer to our guest house in Boudha. Afternoon at leisure in Boudha. In late afternoon we can join the Tibetans murmuring their prayers as they circumnambulate the great stupa.
February 10 Day 21
KATHMANDU This morning we will travel to Swyambunath Stupa to hear the legends of how Manjushri brought the Kathmandu Valley into existence.
February 11, 2011 Day 22
KATHMANDU TO BANGKOK AND ONWARD DESTINATION Flight from Kathmandu to Bangkok. Overnight in hotel of your choice in Bangkok or transfer to onward flight. If trip participants wish they may extend their stay in Nepal on their own.
LAND COST: $2395
INCLUDED IN LAND COST:
- All hotel and guesthouse accommodations in India and Nepal
- All ground transportation in India and Nepal
- All meals and sightseeing with group
- The services of a teaching leader, the logistical coordinator and a facilitator
NOT INCLUDED IN LAND COST:
- All air transport:
Air transport from your home city to Bangkok Trans Pacific
Air transport from Bangkok to Gaya.
Air transport from Bhairawaha (Lumbini) to Kathmandu
- Hotel accommodations and meals in Bangkok or other stopover point
- Excess baggage charges, airport and departure taxes, visa and passport fees, medical immunizations prior to departure
- Trip cancellation, travel delay or baggage insurance
- Medical and evacuation insurance
- Items of a personal nature such as liquor, laundry, mail, phone calls and faxes, hotel or travel charges incurred as a result of delays beyond the control of the trip organizer.
AIR COST AS OF January 2011:
(RESPONSIBILITY OF PARTICIPANT AND SUBJECT TO CHANGE! ! )
rt LA/BKK economy best fare: $ 1344.96
Thai Airways one way BKK/Gaya $ 733.00
Buddha Air Bhairawaha/KTM $ 125.00
Thai Airways KTM/BKK $ 390.34
TOTAL $ 2593.30
