A Buddhist Pilgrimage
"Ananda, there are four places the sight of which will arouse strong emotion in those with faith -- Which four places? "Here the Tathagata was born" -- this is the first. "Here the Tathagata attained enlightenment" -- this is the second. "Here the Tathagata set in motion the Wheel of the Dhamma" -- this is the third. "Here the Tathagata attained final Nibbana without remainder" -- this is the fourth. And the monk, the nun, the layman or the laywoman who has faith should visit these places."

--Digha Nikaya II, 141
Going on pilgrimage now is easier than it was for Huien Tsiang and Fa Hien, but India still requires a great deal of patience, good cheer, and perseverance.

The suttas begin, "Thus have I heard. When Buddha was staying at the Deer Park at Isipatana... Mucalinda's pond...Jeta's Grove...Vulture's Peak...the Bamboo Grove." The names are thrilling. Just to see the remains is both glorious and humbling. It focuses the mind and clears the head. In the welter of sights, sounds and smells, the chaos that is India, the Buddhist sites are quiet and calm, sane and restoring.

Calcutta didn't exist at the time of Buddha, and some people suggest that it is still impossible. We arrived five hours late because of the terrorist shooting at the Parliament in New Delhi, but Ven. Nandobatha, an Arakanese monk in Calcutta, and Bruce were there at the airport to meet us.

Howrah Station is a black hole, a world into which people are born, live, and die without ever leaving its roof. It is dirty, dark, noisy, and chaotic. Just walking the long platform to our car left us numbed. Our friends from the MahaBodhi Book Agency helped us get from the hotel to the station. Without them, we couldn't have found our berths and gotten settled.

Our agent had arranged first class hotels, but our berths were second class three tiers--upper and middle. A family of three had the two bottoms. The wife kindly changed with Visakha to spare her climbing up. Ken had little more than one-third of a berth, since he had the computers, cameras, and a suitcase with him. We managed to stay warm, thanks to our Nepalese blankets.

The MahaBodhi Temple

At six o'clock the next morning we got down at Gaya where Ven. Pannasila was waiting. He could travel with us because he had just been replaced on the MahaBodhi Temple Management Committee by a Hindu, related to the Bihar minister running the state government from his jail cell.

Bodhgaya is glorious! The MahaBodhi Temple is majestic and magnificent. Visakha's wheelchair proved invaluable. Ken and Bruce pushed her to the entrance stairs, so that she could walk without fatigue around the temple precincts.

We began each day with worship in the narrow space in front of the main image. All around us, monks and nuns were reciting in their own traditions–Pali, Tibetan, Sanskrit, and Chinese.

There was a steady stream of people circumambulating the shrine, past the Bodhi tree. Some made prostrations, others spun prayer wheels, many carried incense. Everywhere, worshipers chanted, mediated, or made bows. We could meditate anywhere without disturbance. In spite of the cold and damp, pilgrims thronged in silence from early morning to late at night. All were centered upon the place and the liberating event that had occurred there more than two thousand six hundred years ago.

One morning we visited Mucalinda Pond, a kilometer from the temple, where the Naga King had protected Buddha from the storm. Standing beside the pond, enshrouded by mist, we read the Mucalinda Sutta. A cluster of curious village children gathered around and listened with rapt attention.

We also visited the village of Sujata, the woman who had offered the Bodhisatta rice cooked in milk before enlightenment. There is an Asokan stupa there, but it is not much more than a hill now. The families in that ancient hamlet still keep cows.
In the afternoon we went to Magadh University to meet some of the monks Buddhist Relief Mission is supporting. They have to buy their own food, but by forming small groups and combining resources, they are able to manage.

We had been warned about the main road from Bodhgaya to Rajgir, so our driver decided on the back road, a narrow "lane" running through villages. In some places we could have reached out and touched the doorjambs. Bihar–extreme poverty, caste violence, corruption and hopelessness! It is disheartening to realize that the most important Buddhist sites are in the poorest and most lawless state in the country.

Veluvana was the bamboo grove King Bimbisara donated to Buddha. In the center of the well-kept garden is a tank, the only place positively identified. No one is sure where the Squirrels' Feeding Ground was.

The view of Vulture's Peak as you ascend
Rajgir is the oldest continuously inhabited city in India. We saw the remains of the jail where Ajattasatu had imprisoned his father, King Bimbisara. Not far away was the place where Ven. Mahamoggallana had been attacked by thugs. After being beaten, he bound up his wounds with meditation and went to Buddha to ask permission to pass away.

Ken, Bruce, and the monks climbed Bimbisara's ancient road to Vulture's Peak to worship at the caves Buddha had loved so much. The peak was deserted and quiet, but they went with a police escort to protect against attack by dacoits.
In nearby Nalanda we met more monks receiving BRM scholarships. Bruce offered robes donated by U Khe Min Da Sayadaw in Japan.

The site of the ancient university of Nalanda has been much improved since our 1983 visit. There is now an entrance fee to the spacious grounds. Inside the fence, beggars and guides pose no nuisance. In its seven hundred years of existence, Nalanda's monasteries housed thousands of scholar-monks from all parts of the Buddhist world. Pillaged and burned by Muslim invaders, the ruins still have great majesty. In some places, remains of delicate stucco work suggest the past glory of this magnificent monastic graduate school.

One morning we were invited to the home of an Indian Buddhist family who wanted to serve lunch to the monks. They live in the village where Sariputta, one of Buddha's chief disciples, was born, but they are the only Buddhists there. The husband is a history professor who converted in 1989. Later we stopped at the home of another Indian Buddhist family for tea on their roof. The husband is a retired school teacher with an interest in archeology. He proudly showed us some of his collection of images and amulets found nearby. Local farmers are ignorant of the history of the area. Hinduism has bewitched them to forget their precious, peaceful past.

Stucco Buddha at Nalanda
On our last evening in Nalanda, we went to the Chinese temple, which now houses Burmese monks. This had been the headquarters of the Young Buddhist Student Literacy Mission until Ven. Nandobatha moved to Calcutta. The abbot is establishing a free clinic to provide medical care for the local population. Another example of the monks' compassion for the impoverished people around them.
Our time in Kushinara, where Buddha entered final Nibbana, was superb. The temple enshrines the same ancient reclining Buddha image described in so many pilgrims' accounts. The expression of the golden statue is serene and detached, as if already passed away, extinguished with no more becoming. We meditated there peacefully despite mutterings from Hindu caretakers hoping for gifts.

The great Arakanese monk, Ven. U Chandramani, arrived in Kushinara at the turn of the century, when it was still overgrown with jungle, home to wild animals. He had been given 1000 rupees, a considerable sum then, by a Burmese devotee, but was robbed on the train. The devotee donated another 1000 rupees, with which Ven. U Chandramani was able to purchase a small plot of land. The monastery he built was the first in modern times. Later Arakan refugees displaced by the British came to Kushinara. By eating only one meal a day, they saved enough money to build a resthouse which still stands today.

Mahaparinibbana image at Kushinara

In 1956 Ven. U Chandramani changed the course of Indian Buddhism when he converted Dr. Ambedkar along with half a million Untouchables at a ceremony in Nagpur. Both Ven. U Nandobatha and Ven. Pannasila look to this monk their teacher. The current abbot of the Burmese temple, Ven. U Nyanassara, has been threatened so often by chauvinistic Hindus, that he has been provided body guards from Indian Central Intelligence.

After Kushinara we crossed into Nepal to visit Lumbini, the birthplace of Buddha.

The Master Plan for the development of Lumbini, begun in 1976, is a fraud. Despite millions of rupees collected, the entire Lumbini area is a dusty, disorganized mess. The authorities demolished the Mahamayadevi Temple, erecting an ugly tin roof over the excavations beside the Asokan pillar. Near the gate to the Sacred Garden a new pavilion houses the carvings previously enshrined in the temple. Although the old Brahmin we recalled from our earlier trip is gone, he has been replaced by a Hindu woman who also extorts money from pilgrims. Visakha saw the woman blow her nose and wipe her hands on a Buddhist flag inside. The Master Plan calls for filling in the ancient tank where Mahamayadevi bathed after the Bodhisatta's birth. It seems Lumbini will become a theme park and a sanctuary for crane conservation.

Ven. Nandobatha, Ven. Pannasila, Ven. Wimalananda, Bruce, Ken, and Visakha in new Nepalese temple
We were delighted to find Ven. Wimalananda, the senior Nepalese monk we had met twenty years before, as energetic as ever. He has a new vihara and medical dispensary supported by funds from Japan. He also has a plan for the establishment of a permanent Buddhist community, but he observed that the Lumbini project as a whole was not progressing. Furthermore, he commented, Lumbini was increasingly unsafe. Some time ago, he escaped being murdered only because some visiting Newari Buddhists were sleeping at his temple. That same night a young monk at the Japanese temple was beaten to death. We had seen a picture of his battered corpse at Ven. Kim Cang's Khmer temple in Virginia last year.

Thanks to the Chinese pilgrims, British archaeologists, and recent excavations, most of the Buddhist sites have been positively identified, but not Kapilavatthu, where the Bodhisatta spent his first twenty-nine years. The Nepalese claim that the site is in Tilaurakot, not far from Lumbini. We stopped our car near an ancient gateway on the western side of the site. We crossed a meadow to the eastern gateway and the remains of a palace. As usual, local children flocked around. When questioned, however, they knew nothing about Buddha. Many children living near Buddhist sites believe that pilgrims come because there is a "god" inside.

The Indians make a better claim for Kapilavatthu at Piparahwa, just on their side of the border. The site includes a huge Sakyan stupa from which stone caskets and relics were removed. These are now unceremoniously displayed in museums in Calcutta and New Delhi. It was a moving experience to light incense and pay respects at the place where the remains of Lord Buddha had been enshrined by his kinsmen 2547 years ago. Again, we reflected on the splendors of this religion with its consistent teachings and indisputable archeological evidence.
One day, we served the monks lunch at a fly-blown shop where we could get a tire repaired. With our tiffin carrier full of delicious curries, chapatis, and rice from the hotel, we ordered hot chai. There was a pump, but no toilet. In India, people relieve themselves everywhere--on dikes between rice fields, behind haystacks, and beside streams. Hindus have a concept of "ritual pollution," in which the touch or even the sight of a lower caste person can affect one's purity, but we worried about contaminated water, flies, and disease.

Savatthi has changed greatly since our first visit. Twenty years ago we saw a few unidentified excavations. This time we found the Angulimala Stupa, the old city walls, and Visakha's monastery, Pubbarama. Most important is Jetavana, Prince Jeta's Grove, now a beautifully landscaped park. It was a joy to offer incense at the Ananda Bodhi Tree, planted by Anatapindika with ceremony and devotion. We meditated at the Gandhakuti, where Buddha spent many rainy season retreats. Jetavana was especially serene as evening approached.

Visakha directing the building of Pubbarama (from Sri Lankan monatery in Savatthi)
We were the only guests at the Japanese hotel, so the staff pampered us. We were shocked, however, to see a statue of the bloodthirsty Hindu deity, Durga, at the front desk. Visakha expressed dismay that there was no Buddha image anywhere, but the manager replied that since Buddha was a reincarnation of Vishnu, it didn't matter. On the evaluation form, we praised the service, but remarked the absence of Buddha statues, since the only reason for a hotel in Savatthi is its association with Buddha. As we left, we smiled at the manager and suggested, "Why not put a Buddha image here if you really respect him. That would make us happy!" He chuckled and promised that we would see one when we visited again.

As we left Savatthi at 6 AM, the road to Lucknow was covered with patchy fog. Along the highway, we saw lorries carrying sugarcane turned over in the ditch because they were too top heavy. Colorfully painted lorries invariably have signs saying "Blow Horn" and "Use Dipper At Night." Wandering cows, herds of goats, ox carts, pedestrians, and bicyclists make driving hazardous even under the best conditions.
Our reason to visit Lucknow was the State Museum, which despite being old, dim, and grimy houses some splendid pieces of Buddhist art. After viewing the exhibits, Ken went to the second floor to the director's office on a fruitless quest for books. Visakha went in search of the women's toilet. She was directed to a door with a sign in Hindi. There were women's urinals set in the floor, but, preferring privacy, she went to the far end of the room to a stall with a wooden door, where she found a squat toilet. She stepped inside and gave the door a push. When finished, she discovered that the door was jammed at the bottom and that there was no handle. She tried using her fingernails at the top, but that only wedged the bottom tighter. She didn't panic–her companions wouldn't leave without her, but how long before they discovered she was missing? No other women came in, so she couldn't ask for help. She just waited. Ken returned, and learning that Visakha had gone to the restroom, went back to admire the Mankumar Buddha. When Visakha heard his voice, she started shouting. Ken heard her and began searching. At last he spotted the right door. "Get me out of here!" she shouted. He hurried into the women's toilet, gave the stall door a kick at the bottom and she was free. Moral: Never travel alone in India.

In Lucknow, we had the unexpected pleasure of a visit to a park dedicated to the Untouchable leader, Dr. Ambedkar. Although not yet completed, the grounds were already landscaped with trees, flowers, fountains and pools. The focal point will be a stupa, still under construction. Soon the citizens of Lucknow will have a spacious green area with Buddhist associations.

Mankumar Buddha, State Museum, Lucknow
In Sarnath, our last stop, Bruce stayed at the Burmese temple, built by Ven. U Chandramani in 1910, while we lodged in nearby Varanasi.
IAt the Dhammarajika Stupa, which had been leveled by Muslims invaders, we lit incense while Ven. Nandobatha recited Buddha's first sermon, the Dhammacakka Sutta. Afterwards, we dedicated the merit of our pilgrimage to our relatives who had already passed away.

n the morning mist, we strolled through the extensive excavations. In the afternoon we paid respect to the small stupa dedicated to Anagarika Dhammapala, the Sri Lankan who had struggled to wrest control of Buddhist sites from the Hindus, and visited the new Mulagandhakuti Vihara with its excellent paintings.

We were happy to have another day to meditate and to reflect on the pilgrimage we had just completed. We could not help but agree with the abbot of the Burmese monastery. "Buddhists in India win on all counts," he told us. "We have more ancient and beautiful buildings, more sacred books, more literature, more philosophy, and certainly more enlightened Ariyas!"

Buddha's first sermon, at new Malagandhakuti Vihara in Sarnath
In the late afternoon we drove to a station about a half-hour away to catch the Doon Express back to Calcutta. After haggling with porters, we followed our luggage up several flights of stairs and over many tracks to the platform, only to learn that the train was late. Fog was one reason, but a troop buildup in Kashmir was another. We sat down and made ourselves comfortable. Despite an eight-hour wait, we were never bored. We were entertained by an endless stream of passengers of all descriptions, hawkers, beggars, soldiers, porters, wandering cows, and rats. A sweeper swept rubbish into a corner. Along came a cow to eat what she wanted. As she ambled off, she stole a piece of fruit off a vendor's tray. A gang of rats quarreled over what she had left. An hour later, the cycle was repeated.

At last, the train arrived; our porters heaved our cases into the car and grumbled for "baksheesh" when we paid them the agreed price. We settled into our berths just in time to wish each other Happy New Year.

Back in Calcutta, traffic was even wilder than in Bihar. Our driver once made a suicidal plunge into a "tunnel" between a moving trolley on the right and a speeding bus on the left with the gap narrowing rapidly. We slipped through with only an inch to spare on either side. Ken gasped. Bruce closed his eyes. Visakha tried to be mindful to catch the pain of impact at death. Ven. U Nandobatha "felt something." To our amazement, we survived.

During our pilgrimage we felt the sharp contrast between the peacefulness of the Buddhist places and the tensions of communal discord among religions and castes. Ven. Pannasila believes that Indian Muslims are probably descendants of Buddhists forcibly converted from the lowest castes of society. We are committed to returning in October to visit Dalit communities to see how Buddhist Relief Mission can assist the Buddhist revival in India. Certainly, Buddhism is the best answer for the problems of the subcontinent.
Click the photo of the oxcart on the right to begin a 260-photo slide presentation of this pilgrimage with a description of the places we visited, including their importance in the life of Buddha and Buddhist history.