1/28/09
Pilgrimage with Jetsun Kushok Chimey Luding Rinpoche
October, 2009
What is a Pilgrimage?
Jetsun Kushok Chimey Luding Rinpoche is planning to lead students on a pilgrimage around India starting October 3rd, 2009 and lasting 16 days . It will be possible for participants to extend their trip longer, by going on to Kathmandu from Lumbini at the end of the organized portion of the pilgrimage. The size of the group is limited to a maximum of 30 for easy conversation with each other, and with Jetsunma.
For Buddhist students who haven't had the chance to go on pilgrimage with a lama, this opportunity will cultivate one’s experience with the sacred places, provide opportunities to practice and make teaching connections, and give students a deeper understanding of what pilgrimage means. This is the reason to do it together, rather than on one's own. So, Jetsun Kushok Rinpoche is offering this to her students.
This journey is a pilgrimage/teaching trip, and not a tourist trip to some faraway land. The emphasis is on meditation and Dharma study. We will be visiting Bodh Gaya where the Buddha attained enlightenment; Sarnath, where he first turned the wheel of Dharma; Rajgur, where the Buddha spent many rainy seasons in retreat and where the Heart Sutra was given; Lumbini, where the Buddha was born; Nalanda, the site of a vast university in ancient times, from where the Mahayana tradition spread; Sravasti, where the Buddha performed the miracle of sitting on a 1000 petalled lotus and multiplied himself a million times, and Kushinagar, where the Buddha passed into Parinirvana.
In each of these places, Jetsun Kushok will conduct a guided tour of the site. The pilgrimage is intended to be an inner journey as well as a visit to the sacred sites. There will be time for individual exploration, Dharma study and practice. Group practice sessions will be held where possible. Varanasi is the oldest continuously inhabited city in the world, and the most important pilgrimage place for Hindus. While in Varanasi there will be opportunity to explore the ancient bazaars and to observe cremations by the river Ganges. Pilgrimage offers opportunities for understanding and realization. It will be a memorable and hopefully a transforming experience.
An auspicious prayer, “The Verses of the Eight Noble Auspicious Ones”, is included in this information as per Jetsun Kushok’s instructions for its use. She said that she normally recites this prayer three times before starting an activity, and suggests to everybody attending the pilgrimage to recite three times before starting the pilgrimage to pray that the trip go smoothly.
TRAVEL
Air travel to India
Please note that the pilgrimage begins and ends in New Delhi. Airfare is not included in the cost. All people attending the pilgrimage must be in New Delhi by October 3rd, 2009 with pilgrimage starting October 4th, 2009.
Most international flights arrive prior to midnight in New Delhi. You should make sure that your flight arrives by October 3rd in New Delhi. Depending upon the time zone you are coming from, you may need to depart from home on October 1st in order to arrive in Delhi by the 3rd. We will not wait for anybody who comes late for the pilgrimage. Please try and make your air reservation as soon as you receive final confirmation of the pilgrimage (by early July 2009) and send all the flight details to Sakya Foundation in the Release of Liability and Indemnification form provided by July 15th, 2009. You may email the information to Jennifer Harrington .
Passport and Visas
Each person should have a passport that is valid for at least six months from date of travel. Each person is also responsible for obtaining his/her own visa for India before going to India. Visas are not issued at the Delhi airport. You will need to obtain a multiple entry visa as the group will visit Lumbini in Nepal and re-enter India. Tourists arriving without a visa for India have been known to be put on the next flight out of Delhi as they cannot obtain a visa at the Delhi airport. Be sure your visa is valid for the entire duration of the pilgrimage and if you are staying longer in India, then the visa should cover the length of your stay as well. Do not get the visa too far in advance as they are generally valid for entry within three months from date of issue.
To visit Lumbini, a visa for Nepal can be obtained at the Indo-Nepal border. Please ensure that you have two passport photos with you and US$ for the visa fee (about US$30 - $50 depending on your length of stay).
Health
Health is a legitimate concern when traveling in India and Nepal. However, with certain precautions (primarily not eating raw food or drinking untreated water) it is possible to avoid serious illness although some minor discomforts may be experienced. Bottled water is now available in most places we will visit. One bottle of mineral water will be provided to each person each day during the bus journeys. Participants are encouraged to bring their own water bottle and purification system to reduce plastic accumulation in land fills.
Sakya Foundation is not responsible for any sickness or injury experienced by people on pilgrimage. People who travel on the pilgrimage are responsible for their own health. If you have a medical condition, please consult your physician to see if such a trip is suitable for you. In general, a fair amount of walking is required. At certain places, you may need to take a short hike uphill (gentle slope though) to visit the destination, such as the Mahakala cave.
Please consider purchasing travel insurance, and medical insurance before leaving on the pilgrimage. We will do our best to inform you and protect your interests on the pilgrimage: this information package is part of such an effort.
It is good to contact public health centers, that specialize in immunization for travelers abroad, at least six weeks before you travel. Most cities have a travel clinic that deals specifically with immunization for travelers going to tropical countries. Some suggested immunization shots for India/Nepal include:
· Tetanus, diphtheria and polio (one shot is good for ten years)
· Hepatitis A (contact with contaminated food and water can cause hepatitis A)
· Hepatitis B
· Japanese encephalitis
· Meninggococcal Meningitis
· Typhoid fever
People on medications of any kind should bring sufficient quantity from home while on the pilgrimage. It might be very difficult to get what you need in India. It may be helpful for such people to get in touch with the organization called the International Association for Medical Assistance to Travelers (also known as IAMAT). They carry a list of western doctors in tropical countries. They can be reached at http://www.iamat.org or:
CANADA: 40 Regal Road, Guelph Ontario, N1K 1B5
Phone: (519) 836-0102, Email:
or Suite #1 - 1287 St. Clair Avenue West, Toronto Ontario, M6E 1B8
Phone: (416) 652-0137, Email:
USA: 417 Center Street, Lewiston, NY 14092
Phone: (716) 754-4883
New Zealand: P.O. Box 5049, ChristChurch 5
Switzerland: 57 Voirets, 1212 Grand-Lancy-Geneva
Children
Children (minor under 18 years old) will not be allowed to join the pilgrimage.
Finance and Security
It is advisable to have sufficient local currency (Indian Rupee) available at the onset of the tour. US$ travelers checks are cashable in big cities such as New Delhi. It may be difficult to change money in smaller towns. Some hotels provide foreign exchange service, but the rate may not be very good. US dollars are generally easier to cash than other currencies. Visa travelers checks are the easiest to cash but Thomas Cook and American Express are also accepted.
To minimize disaster in the event of theft, don’t keep all your valuables in one place. You should carry your passport, traveler’s checks and plane ticket on your physical body at all times. Photocopies of important documents will help you to recover them if they are lost or stolen. Don’t put a wallet with money in your back pocket or back pack. A money belt is good for carrying cash. A neck pouch is good for other valuables.
What to Bring?
The following is suggested as a guideline. Please remember that at times you will have to carry your luggage for short distances. As well, luggage space on trains is limited. Do not bring suitcases measuring more than 16 inches in height. It won’t go underneath the train berths.
· Sunhat and sunglasses
· Short sleeved shirt
· Long sleeved shirts
· Wool or fleece sweater and/or wool shawl
· 1 jacket or windbreaker.
· Durable pants such as jeans or cords
· Skirt, mid-calf or longer length is optional for women instead of pants (no short skirts please)
· 1 pair of sandals (rubber beach thongs are ideal and are standard footwear in India-they can be worn in showers)
· Warm sleeping bag is advised if you are going on the supplemental trip to Kathmandu
· Personal toilet articles-soap, toothbrush, shaving needs, towel, shampoo, etc. Women should bring sanitary pads or tampons as may be needed.
· Water bottle and purification method is suggested to reduce the amount of plastic generated. India does not have the sophisticated recycling and solid waste facilities many of us enjoy in the West.
· Wrist watch and battery powered travel alarm clock
· Flashlight and extra batteries
· Small padlock or combination lock
· Suntan lotion
· Insect repellent
· Camera-with lots of film or chips: film is expensive and not very good in India.
· Pocket knife is useful. Make sure you do not carry on a knife on your airline as Security will confiscate it.
· Unbreakable cup
· Any special medicine or foods you need (herbal teas and good coffee are not available)
· Small cushion or pillow for meditation (could be inflatable type)
· Rain poncho or folding umbrella
· Small quantity of detergent for washing your own clothes
· Toilet paper (they are not provided on train, and other places)
Weather
Delhi temperatures in October are mild to warm, high temperatures will likely be in the 70’s and low 80’s F. Varanasi and Bodh Gaya will likely be a few degrees warmer. Since this is the time of changing seasons, from fall into winter, layered clothing is advisable.
Accommodation
Please note that accommodation is mostly in guesthouses and moderately priced motels. Accommodation will be based on double sharing basis. Couples will be put in one room but we do not assure that the hotel will arrange for a double bed for you.
For additional days in Delhi, rooms are approximately US$40 per person for single occupancy and US$45 for double occupancy. The rooms are simple and clean and have clean attached bathrooms and hot water. You will be requested to pay for this separately, directly to the tour operator in India for any additional services you require.
Transportation
Overnight trips will be with sleepers, second class air-conditioned compartments. The sleeping berths are spacious and quite comfortable though you should not compare them with those of western standards. The trains have four occupant compartments along one side of the car and a two occupant compartments on the other side of the aisle. Bedding is provided on the trains… one blanket, two sheets, one pillow and a small towel. The compartment is open, with a curtain closing off an area of four sleepers on one side of the aisle and another curtain closing off on the other two on the other side. There are two toilets (one Indian style and the other western style) on each end of the train coach. Toilet paper is not provided.
Bus travel will be by two-tiered chartered bus with an Indian driver and conductor. The buses are reasonably comfortable, with padded seats and large windows. They will be air-conditioned where possible. Roads are relatively underdeveloped, so bus trips are at times quite bumpy and dusty-with many single lane roads crowded with pedestrians, bicycles, bullock carts, camel trains, elephants, buses, cars, rickshaws, trucks, etc. Road travel often rivals the most thrilling midway rides at the carnival. Indian buses usually have tape decks or CD players and many speakers. The driver will no doubt have a good supply of Indian popular music, and may agree to play some western music if anyone cares to bring a CD or a cassette or two. None of the Indian Buses have toilets inside the bus. Once on the road, you may have to attend to the call of nature (especially those with stomach problems) outside in the vast open fields. Places with proper toilets are very scarce. We will also use taxis, auto-rickshaws and bicycle rickshaws for transportation where appropriate.
Transportation and Accommodation in India.
As previously mentioned, travel in India is quite different from travel in the west. We are trying to make this pilgrimage comfortable, yet reasonably priced and appropriate for a spiritual pilgrimage and experience. Most pilgrims in Asia are very poor by our standards, and travel in a style which most of us would find very difficult-walking long distances, camping out, cooking meals, and so on. At the other extreme are very wealthy pilgrims who travel first class, with air-conditioned buses and 5-star hotels, private train coaches, etc. Our pilgrimage will be the Middle Way, as taught by the Buddha. In no instance will we be traveling by the highest standard available. It is our aim to travel comfortably, but not to isolate ourselves from the local people and other pilgrims, or to cause local villages to view us with envy or resentment. If we remember this is a pilgrimage, and that India is quite poor and underdeveloped by our standards, then we should have no difficulty respecting ourselves, other pilgrims and the people who live at or near the holy places, while benefiting all beings immeasurably by our actions.