What place does pilgrimage have in Buddhist practice?

[Thomas Amundsen]

Pilgrimage hasn't been a big part of my practice, although I do consider it to be important. I definitely want to visit those four famous sites that Malcolm mentioned which the Buddha encouraged his followers to visit, among others (Paro Taktsang). So far, the only pilgrimages I've done are to stupas and large statues in North America and a few touristy temples in China.

Me too. And so when is the Dharmawheel Buddhist pilgrimage tour happening? I'd love to help organize it, or jump on the bandwagon with a good one already arranged.

I'm down!

[Thomas Amundsen]

like where?

Namdrol Pemay Gatshal stupa garden at Pema Osel Ling in Watsonville, California (near Santa Cruz). The 35 foot Vajrasattva statue and others at the Tashi Choling Mandala Garden near Ashland, Oregon. And the Garden of One Thousand Buddhas in Arlee, Montana.

You need to do Khandroling and Mahasiiddha. There is a very beautiful Peace Pagoda quite near us as well.

Those look like great places! Sounds like a plan for the near future

[Thomas Amundsen]

Here's an old thread of mine when I visited the Garden of 100 Buddhas for the first time, to leave a Dharma friends tsa-tsa.

https://www.dharmawheel.net/viewtopic.p ... as#p321668

The Garden of 1000 Buddhas is a really magical place. I got a nice shot of the sun setting behind the mountains this past January. I'd love to go back in the summer.

[Nyedrag Yeshe]

In Southern Brazil we have the first Tibetan Buddhist temple of South America, it was once the residence of Chagdud Tulku Rinpoche. It has become not only a center of prilgrimage to Brazilian Buddhists but also a tourist attraction. It also features a 3d representation of Guru Rinpoche's Copper Coloured Pure land. It also features a big Akshobhya statue, Stupas and a garden to the 21 Taras in indian classical style.

[Johnny Dangerous]

Here's an old thread of mine when I visited the Garden of 100 Buddhas for the first time, to leave a Dharma friends tsa-tsa.

https://www.dharmawheel.net/viewtopic.p ... as#p321668

The Garden of 1000 Buddhas is a really magical place. I got a nice shot of the sun setting behind the mountains this past January. I'd love to go back in the summer.

Ah man, that's a nice photo!

[Sentient Light]

Interesting that you mention that statue in Sugar Land, Texas. In my earlier post I mentioned how the U.S. is about exactly the other side of the globe from India, so decided to look up the exact spot which is exactly the other side of the globe and it turns out to be not too far from Sugar Land, Texas.

Sugar Land Texas is:
Coordinates: 29°35′58″N 95°36′51″W

And Maha Bodhi Temple, India is:
coordinates: 24.6959° N, 84.9911° E

85 degrees East (MBT) + 95 degrees West (Sugar Land) = 180 degrees

And then the coordinates north of the equator are also very similar.

The exact spot appears to be some spot just East of Brownsville, Texas in the Gulf of Mexico.

That's absolutely crazy! There's a thriving Vietnamese Buddhist community in that area. Someone should go let them know they're quite nearly at the opposite end of the earth from the seat of awakening.

[dzogchungpa]

It would be great to compile a list of pilgrimage sites in N. America and Europe. On occasion I've mapped out Buddhist temple/centers in NYC for a walking circuit but never actually did it. I've also thought of setting up a pilgrimage hiking trail someplace like the Catskills. It would involve setting up small, unobtrusive shrines. I don't know how that might be received by others in a public place so maybe not a good idea.

Odiyan should definitely be on that list, if they ever allow visitors, that is.

[DNS]

Odiyan should definitely be on that list, if they ever allow visitors, that is.

From their website:

Please note that we cannot accommodate short-term public visits.

That's too bad, that they don't allow visitors; it looks beautiful. They probably could make some money if they opened for visitors, to help pay the bills to run the place; restaurants, tours, etc.

[Queequeg]

Odiyan should definitely be on that list, if they ever allow visitors, that is.

From their website:

Please note that we cannot accommodate short-term public visits.

That's too bad, that they don't allow visitors; it looks beautiful. They probably could make some money if they opened for visitors, to help pay the bills to run the place; restaurants, tours, etc.

That place is pretty impressive looking... So many questions starting with how did they raise the money to build that?

It is a shame it's not open for short term visits. What kind of visits are permitted?

[dzogchungpa]

That place is pretty impressive looking... So many questions starting with how did they raise the money to build that?

It is a shame it's not open for short term visits. What kind of visits are permitted?

1. I don't know but I'm fairly sure that Tarthang Tulku has some very wealthy sponsors.
2. Other than being personally invited by TT, as far as I know you have to volunteer and, according to the site, the minimum commitment is 6 months although they "prefer" nine.

[KristenM]

So, one time I picked up Shirley Maclaine's book about her pilgrimage journey on the Camino Santiago de Compastela from a free book place, thinking I might give it to my mother. I've never been into her stuff, but it looked like a fun read for my mom. Took the book home and started to read the intro whilst sitting in my kitchen of my bachelorette apartment. As I was reading, I heard a really loud bang come from the living room. I got up to check what the sound was, thinking something must have fallen or what I didn't know.

Went into the living room and looked around, everything was in order, except there was a book laying on the floor by the bookshelf. Went and picked it up. It was my Lonely Planet Guide to India book. Tried to figure out how it fell off the bookshelf, from its place neatly tucked between other books. No idea how it happened to this day.

[weitsicht]

If things work out well, I'll be doing the Kailash kora this summer. Lhasa, Saga Dawa in Gyantse, Kathmandu will be also "on the way".

I like nature being my stupa.

[Queequeg]

So, one time I picked up Shirley Maclaine's book about her pilgrimage journey on the Camino Santiago de Compastela from a free book place, thinking I might give it to my mother. I've never been into her stuff, but it looked like a fun read for my mom. Took the book home and started to read the intro whilst sitting in my kitchen of my bachelorette apartment. As I was reading, I heard a really loud bang come from the living room. I got up to check what the sound was, thinking something must have fallen or what I didn't know.

Went into the living room and looked around, everything was in order, except there was a book laying on the floor by the bookshelf. Went and picked it up. It was my Lonely Planet Guide to India book. Tried to figure out how it fell off the bookshelf, from its place neatly tucked between other books. No idea how it happened to this day.

Did you accept the invitation?

[Grigoris]

The exact spot appears to be some spot just East of Brownsville, Texas in the Gulf of Mexico.

Maybe the Naga have built a stupa there?

[Grigoris]

In Southern Brazil we have the first Tibetan Buddhist temple of South America, it was once the residence of Chagdud Tulku Rinpoche. It has become not only a center of prilgrimage to Brazilian Buddhists but also a tourist attraction. It also features a 3d representation of Guru Rinpoche's Copper Coloured Pure land. It also features a big Akshobhya statue, Stupas and a garden to the 21 Taras in indian classical style.

That's awesome!

[A Ah Sha Sa Ma Ha]

I would love to go to Milarepa's cave.

[Aryjna]

Kailash seems to be an important place to visit. I am curious if it would be considered a priority over Bodh Gaya, Sarnath, etc. for Vajrayana practitioners.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Kailash

[Malcolm]

Kailash seems to be an important place to visit. I am curious if it would be considered a priority over Bodh Gaya, Sarnath, etc. for Vajrayana practitioners.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Kailash

Buddha was not born at Kailash, nor did he attain awakening there, nor did he teach there, nor did he die there, nor is there any sūtra or tantra that mention it is an important site, even though it is one of the 24 places mentioned in the Cakrasamvara cycle, etc. So, no, it is not more important than these traditional four sites.

[Aryjna]

Kailash seems to be an important place to visit. I am curious if it would be considered a priority over Bodh Gaya, Sarnath, etc. for Vajrayana practitioners.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Kailash

Buddha was not born at Kailash, nor did he attain awakening there, nor did he teach there, nor did he die there, nor is there any sūtra or tantra that mention it is an important site, even though it is one of the 24 places mentioned in the Cakrasamvara cycle, etc. So, no, it is not more important than these traditional four sites.

It is slightly disappointing that it is not mentioned more in the tantras.

[kirtu]

Sacred Ground by HE Jamgon Kongtrul, translated by Ngawang Zangpo.

Kongtrul wrote this text as a guide to a pilgrimage site in Tibet, Tsadra. Kongtrul comments that pilgrimage sites can be found in practically any valley anywhere in the world but people would need the preception in order to actually see it. He also comments that the true pilgrimage is intenal (and , from memory, also writes about pilgrimage strictly in the context of ones body).

I haven't read it in a while but highly recommend it.

Kirt