India - Pilgrimage

The idea of a pilgrimage came from the Buddha himself over 2500 years ago, in answer to Ven. Ananda’s concern that the monks would no longer be able to see the Buddha and pay their respects after his Parinibbana, Buddha advised pious disciples to visit Four Places, the sight of which will inspire faith (saddha) and religious urgency (samvega) after He was gone. These places are called Samvejaniya-thana in Pali or places that arouse awareness and apprehension of impermanence.

LUMBINI: “Here the Tathagata was born! This, Ananda, is a place that a pious disciple should visit and look upon with feelings of reverence.”
BODHGAYA: “Here the Tathagata attained the unexcelled Supreme Enlightenment! This, Ananda, is a place that a pious disciple should visit and look upon with feelings of reverence.”
SARNATH: “Here the Tathagata set rolling the Wheel of Dhamma! This, Ananda, is a place that a pious disciple should visit and look upon with feelings of reverence.”
KUSINARA: “Here the Tathagata passed away into Parinibbana. This, Ananda, is a place that a pious disciple should visit and look upon with feelings of reverence.”

“And whosoever, Ananda, should die on such a pilgrimage, with his heart established in faith, he at the breaking up of the body, after death, will be reborn in a realm of heavenly happiness.”

Mahaparinibbana Sutta V, 16

LUMBINI: BIRTHPLACE OF THE BUDDHA
Lumbini is located in Nepal, about 20 km from the border town of Bhairawa, just across the Indian border crossing at Sonauli. The Buddha was born on the full-moon day of Vesak. His mother was Maha Maya, chief consort of King Suddhodana. Already 56 years old and in the final stage of pregnancy carrying the Bodhisatta for 10 full months, she was travelling to her parents’ home in Devadaha to deliver her first child following the tradition of her Koliyan clan.
Along the way, the entourage passed Lumbini Garden, a pleasure grove of Sala trees, which were then in full bloom. She decided to stop there to admire the flowering trees and plants. Soon she began to experience signs of impending birth. Quickly she summoned her female servants to cordon off the area with curtains. Then holding on to the branch of a Sala tree with her right hand for support, she gave birth to the Bodhisatta while standing up.

"Sun Shining Upon His Birthplace"

Maya Devi Temple - housing a shrine of Prince Siddharta's exact birthplace.

At front, a 3rd century Ashokan Pillar to mark the holy site.

"The Lion's Roar"

I am chief of the world,

Eldest am I in the world

Foremost am I in the world

This the last birth

There is now no more coming to be

In 249 BC, King Asoka visited Lumbini as part of his pilgrimage to the sacred Buddhist places and worshipped the sacred spot where the Buddha was born. To commemorate his visit, he built an Asokan Pillar with a horse capital and an edict written in Brahmi. Today only 6.7 metres of the pillar still stands but without its horse capital. According to ancient Buddhist literature, when Asoka visited Lumbini, he erected a brick shrine and placed a “Marker Stone” on top, to worship the exact site of the Buddha’s birth. In 1992, archaeologists started excavations at the old Maya Devi temple and discovered the marker stone pinpointing the exact spot where the Buddha was born.

Lumbini Pillar Edict Translation:

"20 years after his coronation King Piyadassi, Beloved of the Gods, visited this very spot in person and worshipped at this place because here Buddha Sakyamuni was born. He caused to make a stone (capital) representing a horse and he caused this stone to be erected.  Because the Buddha was born in here, he made the village of Lumbini free from taxes and subject to pay only one-eighth of the produce as land revenue instead of the usual rate"

Exact spot where the Buddha was born is not located at the Asokan pillar but inside this new temple built over the remains of old Maya Devi Temple, which was excavated in 1992. In the foreground is the Puskarni pond where Maya Devi washed herself before giving birth.

Inside the temple is a wooden walkway for pilgrims to circumambulate the spot where the Buddha was born.

The historical womb-shaped marker stone, which was place on top a brick shrine by King Asoka in 249 BC to worship the very spot where the Buddha was born, that pinpoints the exact spot where Maya Dewi gave birth to Prince Siddhatta. It is now inside a bullet proof glass case.

BODHGAYA, PLACE OF SUPREME ENLIGHTENMENT

Bodhgaya, where Buddha attained Supreme Enlightenment on the full-moon day of V esak in 588 BC, is the most hallowed place on earth to Buddhists. According to the Commentary, the Seat of Enlightenment (Bodhi Pallanka) at Buddhagaya is one of the four places that do not vary for all Buddhas (Avijahitatthanani).

King Asoka was the first to build a shrine at this sacred spot. In the 1st century AD, two Sunga queens enlarged the Bodhi shrine and in the 2nd century AD, the Kushan king Huviska (111-138 AD) built a temple on the site to install a Buddha image, which was then in vogue. Cunningham suggested that the entire Mahabodhi Temple as seen today follows the Huviska structure. As it was built over the remains of the Asoka shrine, the position of the Diamond throne remains unchanged. Inside the temple, one comes face-to-face with a great gilded image of the Buddha from 10th century AD seated on a patterned cushion instead of a lotus. It is supported by a pedestal, decorated with figures of lions and elephants.

"MahaBodhi Temple, Bodhgaya"

The temple was recently decorated with umbrellas of solid gold in early Dec,

adding a royal touch to the already-grandeurs temple

"Samadhi"

so still, so serene, so liberated

At the back of the Mahabodhi Temple is the Bodhi Tree under which the Buddha attained Supreme Enlightenment. It is a Bodhi/Pipal tree (Ficus religiosa), also known in Pali as ‘assattha’. The Diamond Throne is located between the Bodhi tree and the rear wall of the temple. It marks the actual spot of the Seat of Enlightenment (Bodhi Pallanka). It is said that the Buddha sat facing east with his back to the trunk of the Bodhi tree. A red sandstone slab measuring 2.3 meters long by 1.3m wide by 0.9m high now marks this holy spot.

The Mahabodhi temple in Bodhgaya is the most hallowed place on earth to all Buddhists who came from all over the world to pay homage under its sacred Bodhi tree where Lord Buddha attained Supreme Enlightenment. Shrine hall inside Mahabodhi temple showing 10th century Buddha image in earth-touching posture to signify the earth as witness to his Perfections when Mara challenged the Bodhisatta for the Diamond throne.

SARNATH, PREACHIN G OF FIRST SERMON

After spending seven weeks at the seven places in Buddhagaya, the Buddha was undecided about teaching the Dhamma that he had discovered to others. Brahma Sahampati, on reading his thoughts, implored him to teach otherwise the world would be lost without the Dhamma. Out of compassion, he decided to go to Sarnath to preach to his former companions, the Five Ascetics, who had abandoned him when he forsook the path of self mortification and adopted the Middle Path or the Noble Eightfold Path.

Travelling on foot, the Buddha arrived at Deer Park or Isipatana in Sarnath on the full-moon day of Asalha (Chinese 6th lunar month). When the Five Ascetics saw him, they were skeptical that he had realized enlightenment but the Buddha was able to convince them of his attainment. That night, the Buddha delivered the historic First Sermon, Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta or Discourse on Turning of the Wheel of Dhamma, which led to Ven. Kondanna attaining first stage of Sainthood at the end of the discourse.

"The Turning Wheel"

The very site where Buddha himself gave his first Sermon - Dhammacakkapavatana Sutta

The remaining four, namely: Ven. Vappa, Bhaddiya, Mahanama and Assaji attained first-stage sainthood successively over the next four days. Next day the Buddha preached the Anattalakkhana Sutta or Discourse on on Self, hearing which all attained Arahantship. In Sarnath too, the Buddha converted the rich man Yasa and his 54 friends, who all became Arahants. These were the first sixty Arahant disciples of the Buddha who formed the original Bhikkhu Sangha.

"Paradaksina"

Sangha to lead paradaksina/circumambulating Dhamekh Stupa as a form of respect

These events occurred during the first rainy season or Vassa. After the rains had subsided, the Buddha instructed his sixty disciples to disseminate the Teaching, no two disciples going by the same road.

Thus Sarnath became famous because of the following events:

• First sermon, Discourse on Turning the Wheel of Dhamma.

• Founding of Bhikkhu Sangha & spreading of the Dhamma.

• First Rains Retreat took place in Sarnath.

According to Commentary, all Buddhas preach their first sermon in Deer Park, Isipatana in Sarnath. It is called Avijahitatthanani or one of the four places that do not vary for all Buddhas.

KUSINARA, PLACE OF MAHAPARINIBBANA

Three months before he reached the age of eighty, the Buddha renounced his will to live at the Capala Shrine in Vesali. Travelling in stages via Pava where he ate his last meal offered by the smith Cunda, he reached the final resting-place at the Sala grove of the Mallas by the bank of the Hirannavati River in Kusinara. There on the full-moon day of Wesak in 543 BC, the Buddha passed into Mahaparinbbana, the passing away into Nibbana wherein the elements of clinging do not arise. His last convert was the wandering ascetic Subhadda. His last words to the bhikkhus were: “Handa ‘dani bhikkhave amantayami vo: Vaya-dhamma sankhara. Appamadena sampadetha.”

Translation: “Indeed, bhikkhus, I declare this to you: It is the nature of all conditioned things to perish. Accomplish all your duties with mindfulness.”

"The Morning of Mahaparinibbana"

It was a fine quiet morning when we visited,

the sun gave a touch of gold to the humble white temple

The Mahaparinibbana Temple and Stupa is the most hallowed place in Kusinara and marks the site where the Buddha entered Mahaparinibbana in 543BC.

The rear view of the Mahaparinibbana Temple showing the bell shaped Mahaparinibbana Stupa in the foreground is a low brick stupa which is believed to be the site where the Buddha entered Mahaparinibbana under the twin sala tee in 543BC

This 5th century image of the Buddha entering Mahaparinibbana is very special. It can arouse strong emotions depending on where one stands looking at it. Viewed from the middle, one can discern a mood of suffering in the face, but viewed from the head, one can discern calm and peace in the facial expression.

"Resting in Serenity"

The unique facial expression of this recumbent image captured the Bliss of Peace (Santisukha) as the Buddha enters Mahaparinibbana on his 80th birthday in Kusinara

The Buddha was accorded the funeral of a Universal Monarch. His body was wrapped in cotton and put in an iron coffin filled with oil and cremated at the Makutabandhana,the consecration ground of the Mallas.

Cremation Stupa shown here was erected by the Mallas and expanded by King Asoka during 3rd century BC later during the Gupta period.

"Sarira"

The cremation site of Buddha, where his relics were divided into 8 to the lord of each kingdoms