Buddhist Pilgrimage Tour - All You Need To Know About

Relaxation and travel. Those are probably the two words that you want to feel and achieve. More often than not, those two words can be felt one after the other. Did you know the best way to attain this is through a Buddhist Pilgrimage Tour?

Yes!

You can get to feel both relaxed and get to travel— overseas for that matter. You see, there are countries that offers relaxation and travel through Buddhist pilgrimage. These are some of the best countries to visit for your Buddhist Pilgrimage:

• India
• Sri Lanka
• Taiwan
• South Korea 

What is a Buddhist pilgrimage Tour?

A Buddhist pilgrimage is an opportunity for you to leave your troubles and seek for inner peace. You will visit sacred Buddhist places and get to know of more Buddhism stories. It is a time for you to practice good deeds. It is also a time when your minds can easily find calmness and be recharged with positive thoughts. It is also an opportunity for you to pray for good health and fortune. One common place for Buddhist pilgrims is to India & Nepal.

To preserve the teachings of the Buddha, his birth place is known today as the Lumbini Grove. Due to cultural differences, one might rename the Lumbini Grove as another. But, one thing in common, is that ancient Buddhist monks developed a tradition of making a Buddhist pilgrimage there.

The legends tell that the Buddha was born when his mother, Maya was travelling from her home in Kapilavatsu to her parents home for the hope of giving birth there. However, she suddenly went into labor in Lumbini. Scholars and tell-tales describe Maya’s giving birth was painless between the twin Sala trees. Other than that, it was told that when the Buddha was born, he uttered the words “This is my final rebirth”.

Thereafter, the Buddha took seven steps to four cardinal points. From each step is a lotus flower growing from each foot print.

Furthermore, the place where he attained his enlightenment or the Bodhgaya is also included in the pilgrimage. The Bodhgaya roughly translates to “the land between the Bodhi tree”.

Under the Bodhi tree was where the Buddha attained enlightenment.

The Buddha’s first sermon is also celebrated in the pilgrimage, this is in a place known as the Sarnath.

Why is this considered important?

It is considered vital because this is where the Buddhist monks were born! The place is also relaxing because it has well maintained gardens and relics.

Lastly, the pilgrimage devotes to the place of Buddha’s death. The Buddha died in Kusinara. This place eventually became an ancient mecca for Buddhist monks who have a hard time adjusting to their newly acclaimed world.

Hence, the Lumbini Grove, the Bodhgaya, the Sarnath and the Kusinara are the four central points of the Buddha.

Why go for pilgrimage tours?

This is what the Buddhist pilgrimage is trying to preserve. Its purpose is to encourage spiritual control, to complete a spiritual promise or just to travel and understand the life of the Buddha. The ultimate feeling of being in the pilgrimage is the fulfilment of devotion and having the experience of connecting to history.

Countries to visit for Buddhist pilgrimage tours

India

Figure 1: Buddhist Pilgrimage Tour In India

India, offers one of the best Buddhist pilgrimage experience. Since, it is the origin of Buddhism. Moreover, many sites related to early Buddhism are well preserved, making it one of the elements for an amazing experience. The sites include Bodhgaya, Sarnath, Kusinagar, Shravasti, Dharamsala, Tawang, Sanchi, Ladakh, Vaishali and many more.

Pilgrimage Tours in India

Relaxation and travel. Those are probably the two words that you want to feel and achieve. More often than not, those two words can be felt one after the other. Did you know the best way to attain this is through a Buddhist Pilgrimage Tour?

Sri Lanka

Meanwhile, Sri Lanka was also exposed to Buddhism. Sri Lanka have many Buddhist temples over the years and its Kings  ("Census of Population and Housing of Sri Lanka, 2012 – Table A4: Population by district, religion and sex" (PDF). Department of Census & Statistics, Sri Lanka.) are Buddhists, hence, Buddhism is the main religion of the country even today. The popular pilgrimage sites are Dambulla Caves and Temple of Tooth Relic.

Popular Pilgrimage Tours in Sri Lanka

Relaxation and travel. Those are probably the two words that you want to feel and achieve. More often than not, those two words can be felt one after the other. Did you know the best way to attain this is through a Buddhist Pilgrimage Tour?

Taiwan

But if you crave to travel over East Asia, the countries Taiwan and South Korea are for you!

Taiwanese people dominantly practice Buddhism. In Taiwan, some famous temples to visit are Dharma Drum Mountain and Fo Guang Shan, one of the more relaxing and one of the pilgrimages for Buddhists or travellers.

Figure 2: Pilgrimage Package To Fo Guang Shan

Our Popular Taiwan Pilgrimage Tours

Relaxation and travel. Those are probably the two words that you want to feel and achieve. More often than not, those two words can be felt one after the other. Did you know the best way to attain this is through a Buddhist Pilgrimage Tour?

South Korea

Meanwhile, described as eye candy for many travellers, South Korea offers many Buddhist temples. They are well known for the Three Jewel Temples (Tongdosa, Haeinsa, Songgwangsa) which contains many national and Buddhist treasures. Other than that, you can visit the Beopju-sa, Bongjeong-sa, Buseok-sa, Daeheung-sa, Magok-sa, Seonam-sa, and many more.

Figure 3: Activites In Beopju-sa Pilgrimage Tour

Figure 4: Pilgrimate Tour To South Korea Beopju-sa Temple

The Buddhist pilgrimage happens to be more than a religious tradition to the central points of the life of Buddha. It has also become a part of a country’s traveller’s experience, whether they are Buddhists or not. So yes, it is a mixture of a spiritual, relaxing and historical experience.

Our Popular Korea Pilgrimage Tours

Relaxation and travel. Those are probably the two words that you want to feel and achieve. More often than not, those two words can be felt one after the other. Did you know the best way to attain this is through a Buddhist Pilgrimage Tour?

Hence, the premise is solved - there can be a relaxation and travel combined experience for everyone.

SOURCES:

BBC News. (2014). Buddhist Customs. Retrieved from https://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/buddhism/customs/customs.shtml

"Census of Population and Housing of Sri Lanka, 2012 – Table A4: Population by district, religion and sex" (PDF). Department of Census & Statistics, Sri Lanka.

Jellison, J. (2019). The Buddhist Pilgrimage: How ghosts of the past drive the believers of today. Retrieved from https://www.thephuketnews.com/the-buddhist-pilgrimage-how-ghosts-of-the-past-drive-the-believers-of-today-73289.php

Lewis, C. (2018). Seven Buddhist Mountain Temples in South Korea Receive UNESCO World Heritage Status. Retrieved from https://www.buddhistdoor.net/news/seven-buddhist-mountain-temples-in-korea-receive-unesco-world-heritage-status

Lonely Planet. (n.a.). Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic. Retrieved from https://www.lonelyplanet.com/sri-lanka/kandy/attractions/temple-of-the-sacred-tooth-relic/a/poi-sig/450797/357477

Perpetual Pilgrim. (2018). Temples of Taiwan. Retrieved from https://theperpetualpilgrim.com/2018/03/12/temples-of-taiwan/

Sarin, P. (n.a.). Buddhist Places in India : The Buddhist Circuit - Holidify. Retrieved from https://www.holidify.com/collections/buddhist-places-in-india 

UNESCO. (n.a.). Lumbini, the Birthplace of the Lord Buddha. Retrieved from https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/666/

Violatti, C. (2013). Lumbini. Retrieved from https://www.ancient.eu/amp/1-12398/