The Eight Places of Buddhist Pilgrimage
by Jeremy Russell
First published in 198, by Mahayana Publications, Tushita Mahayana
Meditation Centre
This article first appeared in Teachings from Tushita,
Journal of Tushita Mahayana Meditation Centre.
|
Jeremy
Russell was born in England and received his degree in English Literature
from London Universiy. He studied Buddhist philosophy
at the Library of Tibetan Works and Archives, Dharamsala,
for four years. Jeremy teaches in Japan where he has resided for the past
twenty years, editing Cho-Yang, the Journal of Tibetan Culture,
and translating other material from Tibetan. |
Lord
Buddha said:
Monks,
after my passing away, if all the sons and daughters of good family and the
faithful, so long as they live, go to the four holy places, they should go and
remember: here at Lumbini the enlightened one was born; here at Bodhgaya he
attained enlightenment; here at Sarnath he turned
twelve wheels of Dharma; and here at Kushinagar he
entered parinirvana.
Monks,
after my passing away there will be activities such as circumambulation of
these places and prostration to them.
Thus it should be told, for
they who have faith in my deeds and awareness of their own will travel to
higher states.
After
my passing away, the new monks who come and ask of the doctrine should be told
of these four places and advised that a pilgrimage to them will help purify
their previously accumulated negative karmas, even the five heinous actions.
Lumbini the birthplace of the Buddha
Bodhgaya the site of Buddha's enlightenment
Sarnath where Buddha first turned the Wheel of Dharma
Rajgir where Buddha gave the second turning of the Wheel of
Dharma
Shravasti where Buddha gave many teachings in the Jetavana Grove
Sankashya where Lord Buddha descended from Tushita
Heaven
Nalanda the site of the great monastic university
Kushinagar where Buddha entered mahaparinirvana
Conclusion and Books Consulted