Finding Buddha with Dr. Miles Neale and Special Guest Geshe Tenzin Zopa A Pilgrimage to the Source of Awakening in Nepal and India Oct 28 – Nov 11, 2021 www.sacredearthjourneys.ca
Detailed Journey Description by Dr. Miles Neale
Journey with Buddhist psychotherapist and author Dr. Miles Neale and very special guest Geshe Tenzin Zopa on this outer, inner and secret pilgrimage to the source of awakening. Relive the milestones of Buddha’s epic biography amidst the power places of Nepal and India as you pursue your own adventure of self-discovery. The pilgrimage begins under the iconic gazing eyes of the Boudhanath Stupa in Kathmandu, Nepal, reaches its mid-point along the banks of the sacred Ganges river at Varanasi, and culminates upon the diamond throne (vajrasana) under the Bodhi Tree where Buddha gained enlightenment in Bodhgaya, India. The crown jewel of our tour is the presence of Tibetan master Geshe Tenzin Zopa who will be with us throughout the journey, including the very rare pre-trip extension to the power spots of Vajrayogini, offering teachings and sacred rituals that provide direct access to the Buddha within.
As is recorded in the Mahaparinibbana Sutta, during the final hours before his passing the Buddha’s chief disciple Ananda asked him how the community of seekers should maintain their inspiration after his departure. The Buddha recommended that those with sincere devotion to him and their own spiritual life should venture to the great sites associated with his birth, enlightenment, first teaching, and passing, and that at each of these holy places they would connect with the source of awakening within themselves. Thus commenced a longstanding tradition of pilgrimage stretching back through the ages and inspiring successive generations of pilgrims on the path to awakening.
Just as pious Muslims travel to Mecca to circumambulate the Kaaba, those seeking enlightenment venture to the four holy sites of Lumbini, Kushinagar, Sarnath, and Bodhgaya to connect with the historical Buddha, make offerings, purify karma, and collect merit. For Buddhists the world over this is considered an outer journey of unparallel significance. There is also the inner journey to the Buddha within, that occurs during teachings, meditations and prayer at these energetic portals, allowing the mind to be stabilized and become ripe for realization. Finally, there is the secret or tantric journey, deep into one’s own subtle body of bliss where one revels in the energetic confluence of nondual wisdom and compassion. On this epic pilgrimage we will combine all three journeys, outer ritual at physical sites, inner learning and contemplation, and subtle yoga practices that stimulate the vajra body.
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The tour commences with four days in Nepal, where we visit the wish fulfilling Boudanath Stupa and its vicinity, the tantric shrines and enclaves of the ancient cities of Patan and Bhaktapur, before making our way to Lumbini, site of Buddha’s miraculous birth. During this time our group will be hosted by Kopan Nunnery, one of the largest seats of higher learning for Tibetan Buddhist nuns, where we will have the opportunity to observe and participate in their morning rituals. Each daily excursion features some combination of group ritual, textual recitation, offerings, lectures, guided mediations and discussions led by Dr. Miles Neale and Geshe Tenzin Zopa, with ample free time allotted to rest and digest all the yogic fire and fury of the Kathmandu Valley and beyond.
From Nepal we will make our way across the border into India to Kushinigar for one night, where we will pay homage at sunrise to the Buddha at the site of his passing into final enlightenment and contemplate our own precious human life and imminence of death. From there we travel to Varanasi, one of the oldest continually inhabited cities in the world, where for three days we absorb the intense tantric energy of the so called abode of Shiva, experience a death meditation at the cremation ghat, wander through the mesmerizing maze of narrow streets and Hindu shrines, and observe the multifaceted expression of devotion along the banks of the holy Ganges river. We will also take a day of respite from the intensity of the city to savor the tranquility of the Deer Park at Sarnath, site of Buddha’s first teaching, and an opportunity for us to contemplate the power of refuge and our innate possibility for liberation.
The final leg of our journey takes us onwards to Bodhgaya, for the culmination of our pilgrimage into the heart of the cosmic mandala, and the very energetic throne of Buddha’s enlightenment. Here Geshe Tenzin Zopa will lead us through a series of preparations to receive refuge and Bodhisattva vows in and around the Mahabodhi Stupa. These ancient ceremonies, with the vajra master, at such auspicious sites, ensures our consciousness eventually reaches its final destination of awakening just as a river meets the sea.
As for our daily excursions in and around Bodhgaya, we will have ample opportunity to experience the vast diversity of architecture and practice represented by the many forms of Buddhist culture from around the world. We will visit the nearby Mahakala caves, site where prince Siddhartha discovered the Middle-way prior to becoming the Buddha, as well as the ruins of the Nalanda University, India’s heralded equivalent to the ancient library of Alexandria. We’ll also summit Vulture Peak in Rajgir, to savor the natural clarity of mind where the Buddha first taught the nondual teachings of emptiness. During this portion of our trip we are hosted by the Root Institute of Wisdom Culture, an oasis of Tibetan Buddhist learning founded by Lama Zopa Rinpoche, where we can enjoy the serenity of the lush garden, extensive library, inspiring shrine room, and savor the best home cooked meals in all of Bodhgaya.
Following the dramatic shift in global consciousness triggered by the pandemic of 2020, our outer, inner and secret pilgrimage to the source of awakening promises to be a once in a life-time adventure of profound transformation. To be led by such a master as Geshe Tenzin Zopa is truly a remarkable blessing of boundless measure. https://www.sacredearthjourneys.ca/ 2 1-877-874-7922
Nepal Pre-Journey Extension Rouse The Goddess: Pilgrimage To The Power Spots Of Vajrayogini Oct 24-28, 2021
Join Buddhist psychotherapist Dr. Miles Neale and Tibetan master Geshe Tenzin Zopa on this four-day pre-extension pilgrimage to power spots of Vajrayogini in Nepal. Vajrayogini is the female Buddha of unexcelled bliss, representing the alchemical transformation of human passion into the elixir of immortality. For centuries the Diamond Queen as she is known has been revered throughout the Himalayan region as one of the highest tantric deities and has occupied a central role in the imagination and daily ritual of Newari and Tibetan Buddhists of the Kathmandu Valley. For centuries, five main temple shrines dedicated to Vajrayogini have comprised a mandala spread across the Valley and have attracted devotees who come to receive her profound blessing. These temples include the Bajra Yogini Temple in Sankhu, the Guhyeshwari Temple at Pashupatinath (restricted to Hindus), the Bidhjeswori Temple near Swayambunath, the Phamting Vajrayogini Temple in Parphing and the Mahbuddha Temple also known as the Pulchowk Khagayogini Temple in Patan. During the Extension and main Journey we will visit all five sites to summons the Diamond Queen through myth, ritual, and offerings, while igniting the inner fire of latent bliss in our own bodies through visualization, mantra and yogic practices.
https://www.sacredearthjourneys.ca/ 3 1-877-874-7922