Connecting to the Sacred Sites of the Buddha: India and Sri Lanka India: December 9th - December 18th, 2013 and Sri Lanka: December 18th - December 24th, 2013 Light of Buddhadharma Foundation International Connecting to the Sacred Sites of the Buddha: in India and Sri Lanka India: December 9th-December 18th, 2013 And Sri Lanka: December 18th-December 24th, 2013 About Light of Buddhadharma Foundation International Light of Buddhadharma Foundation International (LBDFI) was inspired and established by Venerable Tarthang Tulku, founder and Head Lama of the Tibetan Nyingma Meditation Center in California, USA. Venerable Tarthang Tulku was born in eastern Tibet, where he studied with many of the greatest Tibetan Buddhist masters of the twentieth century. After leaving Tibet, he taught from 1962 to 1968 at Sanskrit University in Varanasi, India, where he also established one of the first printing presses to print sacred Tibetan texts. Since 1969 he has lived and worked in America. There he has actualized a long-range vision of preserving ancient teachings of the Buddha and transmitting them to the modern world which has manifested in the largest distribution of Buddhist texts in recorded history. LBDFI was founded by Venerable Tarthang Tulku in 2006 with the aim of revitalizing the Buddhist community and teachings in the holy land of India. Currently LBDFI acts as the primary sponsor of the International Tipitaka Chanting Ceremony, an annual gathering of the international sangha of the Theravadin school of Buddhism. Thousands of bhikkhus attend this ceremony coming from nine countries to join the Indian Bhikkhu Sangha in the place of enlightenment. Further information about our projects can be found on its web site at www.lbdfi.org. This gathering brings together 9 different countries from Southeast Asia and many lay devotees who are there to pay respect to the Triple Gem during the ten days of chanting parts of the Tipitaka ( precious teachings of the Lord Buddha divided into Three Baskets). You will be given a special copy of the chanting materials for you to be able to participate in the ceremony. The Tipitaka is divided into three baskets: *Vinaya Pitaka, Sutta Pitaka, and Abhidhamma Pitaka and is the doctrinal foundation for Theravada Buddhists (Access to Insight Meditation website) *Vinaya Pitaka The collection of texts concerning the rules of conduct governing the daily affairs within the Sangha — the community of bhikkhus (ordained monks) and bhikkhunis (ordained nuns). Far more than merely a list of rules, the Vinaya Pitaka also includes the stories behind the origin of each rule, providing a detailed account of the Buddha's solution to the question of how to maintain communal harmony within a large and diverse spiritual community. Sutta Pitaka The collection of suttas, or discourses, attributed to the Buddha and a few of his closest disciples, containing all the central teachings of Theravada Buddhism Abhidhamma Pitaka The collection of texts in which the underlying doctrinal principles presented in the Sutta Pitaka are reworked and reorganized into a systematic framework that can be applied to an investigation into the nature of mind and matter. Around the main temple, you will be able to hear the chanting of the Sanghas from nine countries. For ten days, this great auspicious occasion brings together for the first time in 700 years the Mahasangha as well as bringing forward the masters of this tradition to illuminate the meaning of the texts being recited for the benefit of those attending. Dear Friend, You have been invited to join an extraordinary journey to the Sacred Places of the Buddha, which is being organized in collaboration with the Light of Buddhadharma Foundation International and Buddhapath. During this journey, there will be a precious opportunity to partake in the 9th International Tipitaka Chanting where thousands will be seated under the precious Sacred Bodhi Tree to recite the teachings of the Lord Buddha in Pali. This journey culminates in the second part of the journey to Sri Lanka where we will have a rare privilege to making prayers at the Tooth Relic Temple in Kandy and finally make a pilgrimage to the awe inspiring Sri Pada in Sri Lanka where it will require each of us to make a 3-5 hour walk up this mountain. We will finally arrive at Sunrise where the view from this Sacred Place is breath-taking. In addition to joining this pilgrimage, you will have the extraordinary opportunity to make offerings directly to the Sangha in three most auspicious occasions. For every pilgrim, we will also gift you with the Sacred Places of the Buddha book, which will become an important part of deepening your understanding of these most sacred sites. We are asking each pilgrim to make a generous donation of $1080 which will be given directly to support three auspicious causes: Suggested Donation: ----$1080 (Dedication of Merit towards the Name (s) of your Loved Ones) Part of making a pilgrimage is also one’s ability to make offerings to the Triple Gem. This is an extraordinary opportunity for your donation to go directly to three very auspicious occasions, which has a direct connection to the Sacred Place of the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha. Your $1080 donation will go directly towards: General expenses towards the 9th International Tipitaka Chanting Ceremony Bodhgaya, which includes donation towards food, transportation expenses for the monks, flowers and/or butterlamps for 2,500 participants. Sacred Gardens of the Buddha-offering plants/ trees to the Sacred places of the Buddha in Nalanda around the World Peace Bell; Sri Lanka Tipitaka Chanting Tooth Relic Ceremony-towards the general expenses of the printing of the Tipitaka in Sinhalese We hope very much that you will be able to experience these sacred places with us in an intimate way. Please contact us directly at [email protected] or [email protected] to learn more about this extraordinary opportunity. With our best wishes, Wangmo and Nelson Directors of Light of Buddhadharma Foundation International Please view the YouTube mix at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZS_jPtu-ioI&feature=youtu.be ABOUT BUDDHAPATH Buddhapath has been organising highly acclaimed pilgrimage 'In the Footsteps of the Buddha' led by Dharmacharya Shantum Seth since 1988. The pilgrimage has all the ingredients of a truly memorable journey, widening our perceptions and consciousness. It is an opportunity not only to deepen our knowledge and practice of the Buddha and his teachings but also to get an insight into an India that few penetrate. On this journey we touch a culture and civilization that are both ancient and contemporary. We take an inner and an outer journey through a fascinating and mysterious India. www.buddhapath.com TEACHER/LEADER BIOGRAPHIES Shantum Seth Dharmacharya Shantum Seth, an ordained dharma teacher, has been leading pilgrimages “In the Footsteps of the Buddha” since 1988, when he organized the pilgrimage for his teacher, Vietnamese Zen Master, Thich Nhat Hanh. Shantum lives in India and has been an advisor to the United Nations on volunteering, peace, and social development issues for more than 15 years. He has co-authored books such as Walking with the Buddha and been a consultant for films like BBC-Discovery’s Life of the Buddha and BBC-PBS’s The Story of India. On the Sri Lanka leg of the tour, Shantum will tell stories of the Buddha’s life and give teachings to help us understand the Buddha as a human being, the drama of his life and the significance of what he taught. We will schedule time for daily sitting and walking meditation, regular discussions, and contemplative time for ourselves. The creation of a traveling sangha will be an important aspect of this trip, giving the journey a greater cohesiveness and building a sense of support for those seeking to deepen their practice. MATHEWS KURIAN with Buddhist monks A practicing Buddhist, Mathews has trained under Dharamcharya Shantum Seth in Mindfulness and also leading pilgrimages and other journeys in India and elsewhere. He has extensively studied Tibetan Buddhism and also attended retreats by Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh. In addition Mathews is a trained hiking and adventure guide as well as a Yoga instructor. NELSON CHAMMA Please view the YouTube mix at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZS_jPtu-ioI&feature=youtu.be Nelson Chamma holds degrees in economics and International Relations. A native of Brazil, he currently divides his time between Brazil and Portugal, where he attends to business interests. He has been involved with the Nyingma Institute of Rio de Janeiro from 1990 to the present. Nelson has been key in bringing pilgrims to the Sacred Places of the Buddha and plays an instrumental role in running the Foundation. He brings with him years of experience as a Buddhist practitioner as well. The price does not include travel insurance. ITINERARY Day Date Day of the week Travel Night's stay 1 9th Dec Monday Arrive in Delhi. Fly to Gaya Bodhgaya 2 10th Dec Tuesday Bodhgaya Bodhgaya 3 11th Dec Wednesday Bodhgaya Bodhgaya 4 12th Dec Thursday Bodhgaya Bodhgaya 5 13th Dec Friday Bodhgaya-Varanasi Varanasi 6 14th Dec Saturday Varanasi Varanasi 7 15th Dec Sunday Varanasi-Vaishali Vaishaili 8 16th Dec Monday Vaisali-Patna Patna 9 17th Dec Tuesday Patna-Delhi Departure/Delhi 10 18th Dec Wednesday Delhi-Colombo Colombo 11 19th Dec Thursday Kandy Kandy 12 20th Dec Friday Kandy Kandy 13 21st Dec Saturday Kandy Kandy 14 22nd Dec Sunday Kandy-Sri Pada Adam’s Peak 15 23rd Dec Monday Sri Pada Adam’s Peak Sri Pada-Colombo by Departure/ 16 24th Dec Tuesday road/Anuradhapura. Anuradhapura Anuradhapura-Colombo by road. 17 25th Dec Monday Departure Departure SPECIAL PILGRIMAGE TO INDIA: December 9 - December 18.