Bodhi Yatra - A Pilgrimage Guide

For the majority of Buddhists, going on a pilgrimage to the holy places mentioned by the Buddha, is a once-a-lifetime undertaking. With so much time, money and effort involved, it is imperative for the intending pilgrim to truly understand what a pilgrimage is all about, especially the mental aspect, since the physical part is normally taken care of by a travel company.

Mahabodhi Mahavihara, Bodh Gaya, Bihar

A pilgrimage is a journey to a sacred place as an act of faith and devotion. In the scriptures, faith or saddha is the professing of confidence in and the sense of assurance based on understanding that one places on the Buddha, Dhamma and Sangha. It is not the blind belief based on wrong view. As ignorance is the leader of immoral mental states, so saddha is the leader of moral mental states because its chief characteristic is the purification of the mind.

Thus the pilgrim is no ordinary tourist who travels for the pleasure of sightseeing and enjoyment. Unlike sensual delights, the sight of the holy shrines do not arouse craving but act as a condition for wholesome mental states to arise in the pilgrim’s mind. The Buddha himself advised us to visit those places where he was born, where he attained Enlightenment, where he preached the First Sermon and where he passed into Mahaparinibbana, and look upon them with feelings of reverence. By showing veneration or reverence at the holy shrines, one is able to purify one’s thought, speech and action. In this way, the pilgrim is endowed with the morality of Right Thought, Right Speech and Right Action. So we can see that visiting the places of pilgrimage with the correct mental attitude can help us in our practice of the Buddha’s Teaching.

The second aspect of a pilgrimage is that it is also an act of renunciation whereby the pilgrim does not crave for luxury but is contented with simple accommodation, food and transport. This non-greed state of mind enables one to endure any discomfort without complaint but with patience and loving-kindness. In the course of visiting the sacred places, one feels that one is in the Master’s presence and this fullness of faith conduces to joy and the observance of morality, the foundation of all merit. Many pilgrims take the opportunity to bring with them requisites to perform dana out of reverence and gratitude to the Sangha, who take care of the holy places. The holy shrines are also conducive places for pilgrims to reflect on the Buddha’s virtues and practise mindfulness to develop wisdom. These are various practices by which one can show veneration at the holy shrines in addition to the normal acts of devotion like the offering of flowers, lights, incense, and worship (puja). In the course of the pilgrimage, one will be able arouse many wholesome factors that cause one’s volition to become superior and lead to the accumulation of superior wholesome kamma. Indeed, one can develop the Perfections (paramis) and earn much merit when going on a pilgrimage. But it should not end when one has returned home. 9 After the journey is over, one should always try to recollect the joyful moments spent at holy places to keep them vivid in one’s memory. Such recollection is productive of joy and is a skilful means of re-enforcing one’s good kamma already acquired. In times of sickness, fear and worry, or sorrow, one can easily dispel these negative mental states by rejoicing in one’s wholesome actions during the pilgrimage.

While living in the Sala Grove at Kusinara, a few hours before Buddha attained Maha Parinibbana, at the age of eighty, the Buddha said to Venerable Ananda, His dutiful and beloved attendant thus: "There are four places, Ananda, which the devotees should visit with feelings of inspiration (Samavega). The places where he can say 'Here the Tathagata was born, here the Tathagata attained perfect and supreme Enlightenment, Here the Tathagata preached the first sermon on the incomparable wheel of the Dhamma & Here the Tathagata attained the final goal of Maha Parinibbana – deathless', and there will come, Ananda, to these places, pious Brethren and sisters of the Holy Order, and devout men and women."

After Lord Buddha’s Parinibbana, his devotees all over India built stupas and viharas to commemorate important events of the Buddha at these places. Thus we read about the 84,000 stupas built by King Asoka to honour 84,000 Dhamma-khandas (Groups of Teachings) and monuments built by Buddhist kings of various dynasties to honour the Buddha. Today the pilgrim has to travel long distances over poor road conditions to remote areas in north India only to see the vestiges and ruins of these once glorious monuments, that have been damaged or destroyed over time.

SOME ADVICE...

• Suggested Itineraries: We suggest one of two itineraries, both circular routes from Delhi and back again. The first will allow you to go to the main destinations while the second is for the more enthusiastic pilgrim who wants to see more or all of the known places associated with the Buddha and his disciples. Taking the first itinerary, you will go from Delhi to Sarnath, Bodh Gaya, Rajgir, Nalanda, Patna, Vesali, Kusinara, Lumbini, Kapilavatthu, Savatthi and then return to Delhi; ten places altogether. If you do this, allow at least 3 weeks. The full itinerary includes all 28 places and would require at least 5 weeks. These suggested durations will allow you to stay in some places for a few days both to see everything at an unhurried pace and also give you a rest from the usual frustrations of travelling in India. You can of course leave out some places according to your interest or your time limit. If during your stay in India, you go to Kolkata don't miss the Indian Museum which is a veritable treasure house of Indian Buddhist art. • Things to take: Apart from the usual and obvious travel requisites, We would like to suggest two other thing worth taking with you. In most of the places, the Buddha delivered one or more discourses. Nearly all of these can be found in either Maurice Walshe's Long Discourses of The Buddha or in Bhikkhu Bodhi's Middle Length Discourses of the Buddha. As both these books are a bit heavy to be carting around India, We suggest you make photocopies of the relevant discourses and bring them with you. To read a discourses at the very place where the Buddha delivered it can be profound and uplifting experience. Also the guide book Middle Land, Middle Way - A Pilgrims' Guide to the Buddha's India is a must for the modern pilgrim. With detailed information about places associated with the Buddha, their subsequent histories, the art and architecture found in each, maps and diagrams, this book will give you an in-depth understand of the things you'll see and help to bring them alive. • Best time to visit: The best time to go on pilgrimage to India is between November and February, the Indian winter. It is warm during the day and quite cold at night and in the early morning. Before this time travel is difficult because of the monsoon; bridges are out, trains are delayed and India's ubiquitous dust is transformed into slush and mud. By the end of March the heat and dust are already unpleasant. There are Vesak celebrations at both Bodh Gaya and Sarnath in May but by then, believe us, the heat is a foretaste of Niriya.

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HAVE A PLEASANT STAY & GOOD TIME INDIA!!!