Footsteps of the Buddha with Plum Village
My first pilgrimage to India and Nepal (November 10 to 19, 2017) was organised by the Buddhist Charity of Hong Kong. In seven days, I visited Varanasi, Bodhgaya, Gridhakuta Hill (Vulture Peak), Venuvana (Bamboo Forest), ruins of Nalanda, Vaishali, Kushinagar and Lumbini. I am keen to go on pilgrimage again after having taking refuge of the three gems in 2023. With right conditions, I joined a 14-day pilgrimage “Footsteps of the Buddha” led by Dharmacharya Shantum Seth of the Buddha Path and joined by 8 monastics of the Deer Park Monastery California and Plum Village.
The Eight Great Places in Buddhism
Gautama Buddha (c. 563 or 480 BCE) had identified four pilgrimage sites for his followers. They are Lumbini (his birthplace), Bodhgaya (where Buddha attained enlightenment), Sarnath (where Buddha delivered his first sermon and Kushinagar (where Buddha passed away). Buddhist texts written later written by Buddha’s followers mentioned four more sites namely Rajgir (a major city of ancient India), Vaishali (capital of the Vajjian Republic of ancient India), Sravasti (where Buddha spent the largest amount of time) and Sankassa (where Buddha descended to earth from Tavatimsa heaven). There are other pilgrimage places in India and Nepal also connected with the life of the Buddha that are mostly located in the Gangetic plain (Eight most important sites are indicated in the map)
February 8 – My flight from Leh to Delhi was delayed and I landed in Delhi after 2:30 pm. I had booked a night in a hotel for one night before joining the pilgrim group on February 9. Shantum’s office met me on arrival and taken to to the hotel. To my horror, the hotel had cancelled my booking though I had been already charged. I was furious. Luckily Bina of Shantum’s office found me another hotel nearby where I had to pay another 5,000 rupees. I had a spacious self-contained flat in a nice residential gated area and had a good sleep.
February 9 Delhi
I made my way to Crowne Plaza to meet up with the group at 11 am. I met Sue from the US who stayed in the same hotel. We had a large group comprising 63 pilgrims with 13 nationalities, 7 monastics from the Deer Park and Sr Trai Neighm whom I met in the New Hamlet, Plum Village Bordeaux last November. Shantum, the organiser and leader, was supported by Jahdish, Jackie, and Santosh. We had a dozen Japanese pilgrims and Rahul was their translator.
Around noon, the hotel lobby was swarmed with passionate and enthusiastic pilgrims. We were divided into two bus groups (yellow and orange) and the only place to visit in Delhi is Gandhi Smriti where Mahatma Gandhi spent his last 144 days and was martyred. We queued up to register before boarding our bus. Sue who was in front of me, missed a step and fell while looking for the bus. I tried to find Bina and got ice for Sue. When we arrived at Gandhi Smriti, the museum staff managed to find Sue a wheelchair. Being a nurse, she knew what needed to be done. We walked mindfully to the location where Gandhi was martyred and sat on the grass to meditate. Before lunch, we had time to walk around in silence and look at the murals depicting Gandhi’s life. We gathered after lunch for a briefing and had time to introduce ourselves and our purpose/reason for joining this pilgrimage. Though I could not remember all the names and faces, I was impressed to meet several couples and mothers and their children taking this spiritual journey hand in hand. We also had time for a quick tour of the museum with Gandhi’s bedroom and study, and plenty of historical photos and artefacts of the life of the father of India. After dinner we returned to the hotel and met my nice roommate Mirella from the US.
February 10-12 Sarnath & Varanasi (Clarks Varanasi)
We departed for the airport around 8:30am. The flight was on schedule and we arrived at the Varanasi International Airport after 2pm. In 2017, I was bumped off by Jet Airways together with the HK guide and another pilgrim. As a result, I did not arrive till dinner time and missed the visit to Sarnath. I am impressed by the new/renovated airport which looks modern and user-friendly. We proceeded to the Mulanganda Kuti Vihara Monastery where Buddha upon enlightenment gave the first sermon to five monks. The Vihara was built in 1931 with financial support from Mary Robinson Foster under the supervision of Dharmapala, a Sri Lankan monk who was instrumental in the revival of Buddhism in India. I first walked around the bodhi tree and the statue of Buddha with his first disciples. There were many pilgrims from Sri Lanka and Thailand. The Turning the Wheel of Dharma (Pali – Dhammacakkappavattana) Sutra is inscribed in Pali, Sanskrit, Chinese, English, Japanese, Tibetan, Korean etc. I chanted in Chinese before watching a group of monks chanting during circumambulation. It was atmospheric and reverent.
There is a daily chanting of the Dhammacakkappavattana Sutra at 6pm inside the Vihara. Shantum arranged the group to sit close to the platform. As I arrived late, I sat with the pilgrims from Sri Lanka at the back with full view of the temple and the devotees. Owing to my hip problem, I cannot sit on the floor. People around me kindly found me a stool. The insides are completely covered with most beautiful pastel-colored frescos by Japanese artist Kosetsu Nosu depicting scenes of the Buddha. As I had learnt Pali for my Master of Buddhist Studies in 2020-21, I was able to join in and chant the sutra in Pali for the first time of my life. It was a mesmerizing experience.
We set off at 5:30am on February 11 for the Ganges. This was my second visit to the timeless Varanasi (formerly known as Kashi) situated on the left bank of the Ganges. This iconic and the spiritual capital of India with 88 ghats most of which are for bathing and the puja ceremony, is one of the oldest cities in the world. The place was already packed with Hindu pilgrims who performed religious rituals and bathing in the river and dozens of boats cruising on the river. We took two boats and first sailed downstream towards the bridge. Then we sailed upstream passing the colorful ghats with and watching flurry of activities in all directions. I noticed more and bigger boats, people and birds than in 2017. Hundreds of Hindus were lining in front of Ganga Dwara (Gateway of Corridor that connects Kashi Vishwanath Temple with Ghats of the Ganges). Our boat moved closer to the shore when approaching the Manikarnika Ghat and Harishchandra Ghat, the only two cremation ghats. The sights of enormous piles of wood and a head-shaved man watching the wood in flames reminded me of death and impermanence. Varanasi is forever a symbol of life, vitality, force and death.
We returned to the hotel for breakfast. Afterwards, we went to the Deer Park which I have heard endless times. It was evocative when I went into the park and saw the awesome massive Dhamek Stupa (43.6m high with a diameter of 28m) marking the location where the Buddha gave his first teaching to his first five disciples. Shantum chose a quiet and cool spot under a gigantic tree facing the stupa. We listened with keen interest to his talk about history and events associated with Buddha at this site and Thay with whom he came on pilgrimage three times since 1988. We also meditated for half an hour. Given my hip problem, I had brought a foldable chair with me. Unfortunately, I had nerve pains and could hardly sit still. Eventually I found a concrete to sit on.
After meditation, we followed Shantum on a tour of the remains of the Mulanganda Kuti Vihara Monastery including the Buddha’s hut and an Asoka pillar. Then we visited the Archaeological Museum to see many well-preserved sculptures including the famous Preaching Buddha, a 5th century sculpture of the Sarnath school of Buddhist art. It is a most beautiful serene and humane image of the Buddha filled with wisdom, compassion and loving kindness. Shantum said Thay would sit and meditate in front of the Preaching Buddha. We did the same for five minutes.
After the museum, we stopped by a silk making workshop. It was the first time that I learnt about the Kashi / Banarasi silk saree known for its gold and silver brocade or zari, fine silk and opulent embroidery. For Indians, it is a symbol of grandeur and nobility. But in modern India, this handicraft is disappearing: the shop-owner tries to preserve this heritage by employing a couple of weavers who produce the silk saree with the loom.
February 12-14 Bodhgaya (The Royal Residency)
Bodhgaya is about 250km from Varanasi. We set off after 8am. The road conditions have not improved much since 2017. The toll highway seems half-built and below international standard. This time we spent over eight hours on the road instead of seven hours in 2017 due to heavy Kumbh mela/festival pilgrim traffic. Luckily we had a nice delicious Thai vegetarian lunch and clean toilets in a Thai temple. After settling in the hotel, we were divided into five share groups. I joined a BIPOC (Black Indigenous People of Color) group with participants from divergent background. We shared our feelings and thoughts of the pilgrimage. Mirella and I went to bed early as we would depart for meditation at Mahabodhi temple/tree at 5:30am the following day.
Most members joined the early morning meditation session on February 13. We took tuk-tuk to the Mahabodhi Temple, a massive complex and a most revered and sacred Buddhist site. The full moon shining over the temple was mesmerizing and sacred. The temple ground packed with pilgrims was bustling and fairly noisy as the Kagyupa sect was holding a ceremony presided by a Rinpoche with several large tents set up for their pilgrims. Shantum found a quieter spot facing the full moon between the shikhara towers for the group to sit down in silence. Again I had trouble sitting on my foldable chair. At the end, I practiced standing meditation. Though it was crowded in 2017, it was relatively quiet as groups of pilgrims mostly from Sri Lanka and Southeast Asia were sitting quietly in groups or individually reciting sutras in low voices or meditating. We left after 7 am and returned to the hotel for breakfast.
We returned to the Temple after breakfast and stayed there for about three hours. The complex was much quieter with fewer pilgrims. Shantum showed us the temple and key spots all of which I had visited in 2017. What I enjoyed most this time was when we sat under a bodhi tree at the southwestern corner of the Muchalinda Sarovar Holy Pond. There was no noise except the sound of wind blowing and dry leaves. Shantum talked about Buddha’s enlightenment under the bodhi tree and we had time for meditation. I sat comfortably on concrete at the bottom of the tree enjoying my breathing with nothing on my mind. We returned to the hotel after 1 pm for lunch.
After lunch, Mirella and I had a short nap before setting off to Uruvela village where Sujata offered rice/milk to the ascetic Gotama. We first stopped in a plot of sangha land where Thay planted a bodhi tree seventeen years ago. Next we walked through the village which is tidy and clean to reach expansive fields where the villagers grow padi and vegetables. From the field we could see the hills where the ascetic Gotama once lived and practiced in a cave. We were joined by a dozen of children who looked healthy and energetic. It was almost sunset when we reached the Sujata Stupa. Santosh’s family lives not far from the stupa and we had a warm reception meeting his mom, wife, sisters and children. We were served the rice/milk that Buddha had received 2,600 years ago. His daughter sang for us and in return we sang songs of Plum Village. Our amazing evening ended with us watching the full moon rising behind the fields.
February 14-16 Rajgir (Indo Hokke Hotel)
While a group went to meditate in the Mahabodhi Temple at 5:30 am, Mirella and I slept in and took a leisure tuk-tuk temple hopping trip at 8am. There are at least 29 Buddhist temples and monasteries in Bodhgaya. We only had time to stop at the Great Buddha Statue (built by the Japanese), Royal Bhutanese Monastery, Metta Buddharam Temple (Thailand) and Tergar Monastery (Tibetan). We were able to go inside the Bhutanese and Tibetan monasteries to appreciate their respective architectural and cultural styles, as well as religious artefacts.
We left the hotel around 10 am and drove 12 km to the Pragbodhi Cave where Gotama Buddha lived as an ascetic while searching for a path to enlightenment. It was hot. After getting off the bus, we had to walk about 15 minutes to reach the caves on a steep cliffside. A large group of Bhutanese pilgrims on puja whom we had met before at the Mahabodhi Temple was there. We had to queue to go into the small cave which surprisingly can hold about a dozen people. We sat inside for guided meditation with Shantum for five minutes. It was about 1 pm when we departed for Rajgir which is 65km away.
Rajgir, “The City of Kings”, is an ancient city and university town. It was the capital of the Haryanka dynasty (established by King Bimbisara), Pradyota dynastry and Brihadratha dynasty and the powerful Mauryan Empire. There are still ruins of the ancient cyclopean wall surrounding Rajgir, capital of Kingdom of Magadha, which was the scene of many important events in the Buddha’s time. Buddha had close relationship with King Bimbisara who built Venuvan (Bamboo Grove) for the Buddha and his sangha to spend their first rain retreat.
After lunch and a short rest, we proceeded to Venuvan which was mentioned in many scriptures. The sun was setting with soft and enchanting lights coming through the bamboo forests. We set down meditating for a while before listening to Shantum’s stories. It got dark quickly and we had to leave. I loved watching the street night scenes with numerous food stalls. Though the hotel was not far from the town centre, Shantum advised us not to wander around at night on our own.
On February 13, we departed for Griddhakuta Peak (Vulture Peak) at 6am with packed breakfast in order to catch sunrise from the peak. I walked slowly and watched the gorgeous sunrise on our way to the peak. By the time we arrived at the Mulagandhakuti (the small courtyard where the Buddha sat to meditate and preached the dharma), most of the sunrise watchers were gone. The monastics performed a brief ritual in front of the Mulagandhakuti and the whole sangha bowed and sat together at this holy site in silence. We dispersed when other visitors arrived. I continued to sit and meditate close to the Mulagandhakuti before joining Shantum’s talk on the Buddha’s life and events at this location.
This was my second visit to Vulture Peak and I had was an amazing experience. I did not experience particular joy in 2017 as the platform was full of noisy tourists. We stayed briefly after reciting the Heart Sutra. I was then not a Buddhist and had little knowledge about the Buddha’s life and teachings and the importance and significance of this spot. This time, I sat (like Buddha 2600 years ago) in silence, bathing in the morning sun, gazing at the beautiful landscape below and mountains beyond, and enjoying the tranquility. I could visualise the scene when Buddha delivered the Lotus Sutra, turning the Second Dharma Wheel.
We had just over an hour’s free time till 11 am. I followed the path leading up to the Peace Stupa on the top of Bao Son Ratnagiri. The 400-m high stupa built by Japan in 1969, is one of the 80 Peace Stupa built around the world. I remembered I had taken the same path to the top in 2017. On the way back to the carpark, I took time to look for “the Stone House” (where Buddha stayed and meditated), the Boar’s Cave, Ananda Cave, Sariputra Cave, Maudgalyayana meditation cave, and Saptapani Cave as these names made sense to me now. I walked slowly (owing to the hip problem) and mindfully: I was following the footsteps of the Buddha and walking with the Buddha.
It was about noon when we left the park to return to the hotel for lunch. We stopped at two archaeological sites. In the first site, we looked at a long and deep chariot wheel marks and some engraved characters on the ground. What language? There is no clear description. The second site was the remains of the Bimbisara jail which offers a beautiful view of Gridhakuta Hill. Ajatshatru, son of King Bimbisara, under the bad influence of Devadatta, imprisoned his father in this jail so that he could take over the kingship. King Bimbisara who died in jail, was said to be able to see Lord Buddha and hear his preaching from the jail.
We set off for Nalanda around 3:30pm. Established by emperor Kumaragupta I of the Gupta Empire around 427 CE, Nalanda was a great monastery in ancient and medieval Magadha and widely considered one of the greatest centres of learning in the ancient world for a thousand years till around 1400 CE. Nagarjuna, Dharmakirti, Asanga, Vasubandu, Silabhadra, Chandrakirti, Shantideva, Xuanzang and Yiying from China, to name just a few most renowned Buddhist monks and scholars, were students or were associated with the faculty.
At its peak, Nalanda attracted scholars and some ten thousand students from near and far, with some travelling from China, Tibet, Korea and Central Asia. It was indisputably the scholarly centre of the Mahayana Buddhism world. It was destroyed by an army of the Mamluk dynasty in c 1202 CE and was finally abandoned around 1400 and forgotten till the 19th century. Systematic excavations conducted since 1915 have unearthed 11 monasteries and six brick temples arranged on grounds of 12 hectares in area. All monasteries are very similar in layout and general appearance. We had a short tour of Monastery 1, which is considered the oldest and the most important of the monastery group, passed by the Shariputra Stupa (Temple no 3) before sitting down to meditate and listen to Shantum’s talk. The sun was setting and we had to leave without having a chance to walk past Temple 12, 13 and 14. What a pity!
February 16 -17 Vaishali (The Vaishali Residency)
We had a relatively leisure day spending a wonderful afternoon time at the remains of ancient Kolhua Vaishali. This spot was significant: a monkey chief had offered a bowl of honey to Lord Buddha (the brick stupa was erected to commemorate this event), allowed nuns to the sangha for the first time, and announced his approaching nirvana. The imposing and iconic 11-metre high Asoka Pillar topped by a seated lion capital facing west is the centerpiece of Kolhua Vaishali’s historical allure. Excavations have exposed three phases of construction of Kutagarshala which represents where Buddha used to stay during the rainy seasons spent at Vaishali. Beginning as a small chaitya during the Sunga-Kushan period, it was enlarged into a lofty temple during the Gupta period and was finally converted into a monastery. There is an impressive large tank measuring 65×35 metres with two bathing ghats. As this was the spot where nuns were allowed into the sangha for the first time, Shantum invited Sr Tuc Nghiem to share her feelings and thoughts. She was emotional and evocatively about the fortune and blessing to be a nun of Plum Village. The four sisters had a picture together. Memorable and moving!
Nuns were first allowed into the sangha by Buddha on this spot 
Before leaving Vaishali, we walked mindfully from the hotel to the Buddha’s Relic Stupa at sunrise. According to Buddhist traditions, after attaining mahaparinirvana, his body was cremated by the Mallas of Kushinagar, the mortal remains were distributed among eight claimants including Licchavis of Vaishali, Ajatshatru, King of Magadha, Sakyas of Kapilavastu, Bulis of Alakappa, Koliyas of Ramagram, a Brahmin of Vethweep and Mallas of Pave and Kushinagar. The original mud stupa here measuring 8.07 metres in diameter, was one of the eight original relic stupas built over the corporal remains of Buddha. It was subsequently raised and expanded to its present size with a 12-metre diameter. Excavations carried out in 1958 miraculously discovered the relic casket of stone partly filled with ashy earth besides a small conch two glass beads, a fragmentary piece of gold and a copper punch marked coin. We sat and meditated for a while. I circumambulated three times before leaving. We returned to the hotel for breakfast before setting off.
February 17 am Kesariya
After a short drive from Vaishali, we arrived in Kesariya and stopped at the Buddhist Stupa, the largest stupa in India. It is believed this stupa was built in two phases (Sunga-Kushana and Gupta periods) at the spot where Buddha had offered alms bowl to the monks who followed when he departed from Vaishali after announcing his approaching nirvana. When we sat comfortably below a banyan tree, Shantum told the stories of the Kalamas living in this area at Buddha’s time and I remember the Kalama Sutta which is described as Buddha’s “charter of free inquiry”, advocating for prudential and critical thinking and reasoning and avoiding fanaticism, bigotry, dogmatism and intolerance. When circumambulating the stupa, we saw plenty of kusa grass. It is popular for pilgrims to use the grass to tie a knot and take home. We had a quick lunch at the restaurant nearby and drove onto Kushinagar.
February 17 – 19 Kushinagar (Hotel Lotus Nikko)
We spent the whole morning at the Parinirvana Temple with a Stupa on the same platform and two sala trees at the front. I visited the temple in 2017. Built by the Indian Government in 1956 as part of the commemoration of the 2,500th year of the Mahaparinirvana, it has a 6.1-metre long reclining Buddha image. This time, I sat sit inside the temple to contemplate for some ten minutes. When a large group of pilgrims arrived, I got up so that other could take my place. I circumambulated watching many devoted Cambodian pilgrims from the US spreading red robes over the Buddha image. We sat and meditated afterward in the garden. When we broke into five sharing groups, I decided to sit on my own on a bench as I could not sit on the ground for an hour. I meditated and chanted the Buddha name.
Kushinagar was the capital of the Mallas. In the late afternoon, we proceeded to see the excavated remains unearthed by Carlleyle in 1876 and later by Archaeological Survey of India between 1904 and 1912. They include the giant Ramabhar Stupa (the cremation place of Buddha), the Nirvana Temple on a raised platform surrounded by a group of monasteries on the western side, a group of small sized stupas with carved bricks and ornamental pilasters on the southern side, a large two tiered brick platform and smaller sized stupas on the eastern side and votive stupas and monasteries on the northern side. From here Shantum led us to the nearby Hiranyati River or better known as the Buddha Ghat where Buddha spent his last moments. Instead of taking the bus back to the hotel, I decided to walk. It was dark and I walked in the wrong direction for about five minutes. I turned back not scared. I felt safe having a most enjoyable walk for about 15 minutes before reaching the hotel for dinner.
February 19- 20 Sravasti (Hotel Lotus Nikko)
We had about 250km to drive to reach Sravasti. We sat off after breakfast and had a picnic lunch at the Piparahwa Stupa, one of the eight original stupas with a portion of Buddha’s ashes given to the Sakya clan. This is an ancient site in Kapilavastu where Buddha spent his first 29 years. This site was excavated by William Claxton Peppe, a British engineer who discovered in 1896-97 a large stone coffer containing five smaller vases containing bone fragments, gold ornaments and intricately fashioned jewelry, after digging through 18 feet of solid brickwork. These reliquaries together held the largest group of precious offerings ever recorded in a single deposit: around 1,800 gemstones and semi-precious stones, rock crystals, pearls, coral, sheet gold and silver etc.
The site is serene and beautiful with water lilies booming in a large pond. We sat down in a mango grove facing the stupa, had picnic lunch and listened to Shantum’s account of the Buddha’s life. Meditation at this special place is a blessing. We had a long drive to Sravasti with two nice surprises. First we saw a large group of beautiful sarus cranes before sunset. Second, we had a nice stop in a Thai temple which offered pilgrims nice ginger tea and noodles! I was greedy and had both!
February 19 – 21 Sravasti (Lotus Nikko)
We were thrilled when Br Phap Dung told us to sign up for a Five Mindfulness Trainings transmission ceremony to be held in the Jetavana Grove the next day. I took refuge in the Three Gems in July 2023 and joined a winter retreat in Hong Kong in end 2023 and another two-week winter retreat in Plum Village last November. Since I have deepened my faith and understanding of Buddha’s profound teachings, I felt ready for undertaking formally the Five Mindfulness Trainings.
Sravasti, close to today’s Nepalese border, was the capital of the ancient kingdom of Kosala and the place where Buddha lived most after his enlightenment. It was home of King Prasenajit, the royal patron of the Buddha and home of Anathapindada, the richest early donor for the Buddha. After their first meeting in the Venuvana in Rajgir, he bought the land of the Jetavana Grove with gold and offered it to the Buddha. It is believed to be where the Buddha taught many of his sutras: 871 sutras in the four Nikayas of Buddhist Canons are based in Sravasti. Buddha also converted many famous disciples and performed the “Sravasti miracles”. It was a prosperous area from the time of the Buddha (c 5th century BCE) to at least 12th century CE. The site, one of the most famous monasteries in Buddhist history, was rediscovered by a team of British and Indian archaeologists in late 19th-century with excavations through the 1990s.
After breakfast on February 20, we walked mindfully to Jetavana Grove (about 1.5 km) which is now a historical park with remains of many ancient buildings including Gandhakuti (Buddha’s hut), Kosambakuti, stupas and the Anandabodhi Tree (the second-holiest tree of Buddhism). As soon as I entered the complex, I felt something unique and special about this atmospheric place: morning rays shining through mature trees and bamboo groves fell on the blackish and reddish brick remains. We walked past the Anandabodhi Trees with pilgrims from Sri Lankan sitting under it. Shantum found a wonderful place under bodhi trees not far from Temples 17 and 18. As usual, we sat listening to his wonderful account of the Buddha’s life and special events taking place here. When I closed my eyes meditating, I had a feeling of deja vu: I had been here before! I was moved and moist came over my eyes: I have arrived; I am home.
The ceremony was held in this most befitting and beautiful setting. The Five Mindfulness Trainings of the Plum Village tradition represent the Buddhist vision for a global spirituality and ethic. They are concrete expression of the Buddha’s teachings on the Four Noble Truths and the Noble Eightfold Path. They encompass “Reverence For Life, True Happiness, True Love, Loving Speech and Deep Listening and Nourishment and Healing“. The ceremony was simple and dignified. One participant was invited to recite one practice; a monastic asked those who had signed up whether they would follow the practice and we replied “yes, I do”. At the end, each of us was called up to collect a certificate with our dharma name. Mine is Sacred Way of the Source. I was elated feeling tranquil and peaceful: I have found the Path.
In the afternoon, we visited the Angulimala Stupa and the Vishakha Palace. Angulimala was a dreaded dacoit who wore a necklace of fingers that were chopped from his victims. Appearing at his door when Angulimala was about to kill his mother, the Buddha stopped him and later turned him into a disciple. His transformation is seen as the example par excellence of the redemptive power of the Buddha’s teaching and his skill as a teacher. Angulimala is seen by Buddhists as the ‘patron saint’ of childbirth and is associated with fertility in South and Southeast Asia. Vishakha, the chief female patron of the Buddha, founded the temple of Migaranatupasada which together with the monastery in Jetavana Monastery are considered the two most important temples in the time of Gautama Buddha.
February 21-22 Lucknow (Holiday Inn)
Today was the last day of the pilgrimage. After breakfast, I walked on my own and met up with the group at Jetavana Grove at 9:30am. We stayed comfortably in the same cool tranquil spot under the bodhi trees meditating before sharing our feelings and thoughts. The three – hour sharing was moving. Shantum had suggested earlier that we could reflect on the journey by composing a poem. Some shared their beautiful poems while other talked emotionally about their thoughts and feelings. I was very moved. I told my friends that I first visited India in 1978 and this pilgrimage was totally different from the one in 2017. As a Buddhist, I found this pilgrimage a spiritual journey and not a tourist trail as before. While sitting at this particular spot the day before, I felt instinctively that I had been here before and was ready for taking the transmission of the Five Mindfulness Trainings (Five Precepts). After this pilgrimage, I am determined to practice more diligently and would return again. The brothers and sisters gave us the best souvenir: they sang beautifully for us with Sr. Trai Neighm playing the violin. After lunch, we sat off at 3pm heading for Lucknow which is about 160km away and we arrive around 8 pm.
February 22 – Delhi – Hong Kong
Today, about half of the group including myself would end our journey in Delhi and return home. The remaining half including my roommate Mirella would be heading to Agra and depart on February 23. A small group would go onto visit Ajanta and Ellora caves on February 24 – 26. We had an emotional farewell: we embraced each other, took plenty of pictures and sang heartily for the last time. It was noon when I landed in Delhi. As my flight to Hong Kong would not be leaving till 11 pm, I had at least five hours for a whirlwind visit of the capital. I originally planned to store my luggage at the airport and take the metro for the first time. Unfortunately the luggage storage facility which looks limited was full(!). I therefore took a taxi for 2,600 rupees for five hours and invited a monastic from New Zealand to join. As it was Sunday, the traffic was not too bad. The driver drove through leafy and posh districts including the Presidential Palace to the Indian Gate before taking us to a restaurant nearby. We had a nice vegetarian lunch before heading to the famous Lotus Temple, Baha’i House of Worship. It was close to 5 pm and we had to return to the airport. The driver took me to a local commercial area near the airport where I bought a few cheap Indian cotton tops. I checked in after 7pm. As usual the Delhi airport is hectic: I took over an hour to check in and got through security and immigration. I waited for another half an hour to get into a paid-lounge! Delhi airport 2025, though much better than the one in 1975, still has a lot to catch up. Anyway, I had an enjoyable and wonderful afternoon touring around the capital, departed on time and was back in HK before 7 am on February 23.
Remarks
Today was April 3: I was in Cape Town about to embark on another journey sailing along the West African Coast to Lisbon which was the path of many explorers since the 15th century. I told myself I must complete my reflections and the notes on the pilgrimage which has been the most memorable spiritual journey in this present life. I confess there are simply too many memorable aspects including people, places and moments and it is impossible to recount all aspects. Anyway, all phenomena are empty! Nonetheless as a mortal / uncultivated person, I still wish to put down a few worth noting aspects of this unique journey.
First, I wish to express my deepest gratitude to the compassionate monastics and fellow pilgrims, and the most knowledgeable Shantum.
Second, I find the sacred and holy sites more endearing this time as I have learnt more about the Buddha’s life and teachings through my Buddhist studies from 2020 to 2023, Thay’s book “Old Path White Clouds” which Shantum reminded us to read before the trip, and his highlights at each site.
Third, India has made some changes since my first visit in 1978 and first pilgrimage in 2017 especially its airport facilities. Nonetheless, the noise, vibrant colours, diversity of people and cultures, or in short the DNA of India and Varanasi, remain unchanged.
Finally, I have put the most evocative and illuminating moment of the journey in a short poem for memory and sharing. I am sure I shall undertake another pilgrimage if conditions permit.
