Pilgrimage of INEB-Thai to Tibetan Buddhist Sacred Sites

A fourteen-hour bus ride along the road from Delhi to Dharamsala cannot deter our delight to visit the headquarter of Tibetan in exile. We, sixteen INEB members and friends from Siam including one monk and one six-year old boy manage to reach a guesthouse at Institute of Buddhist Dialectics to begin our pilgrimage to learn Tibetan Buddhism and situation of Tibetans from 19th - 28th March 2004. The program is jointly organized by Buddha’s Smile and INEB. An enthusiasm from our brothers Prashant Varma and Rana who coordinate the pilgrimage assure me that we will have a chance to meet the best of Tibetan Buddhism.

In Mclodge Gunj, thousands of people, Tibetan and non Tibet gathered to attend the series of public lecture by His Holiness The Dalai Lama. Without knowledge a word of Tibetan language, we sit at the courtyard of Namgyal Monastery and open ourselves to receive power of metta and panna from His Holiness’s voice. We can sense humor and wisdom of his.

INEB is always given kindness from our patron, His Holiness The Dalai Lama. Despite his tired days of annual teaching, he grants us a special audience for almost an hour. During the precious moment, he reminds us that the way out from all violence and problem is already paved by our great teacher, The Buddha. The only thing is that we have to sincerely practice Buddha Dhamma. He then expresses his concern over restoration of Bhikkhuni sangha and cooperation and understanding between Tibetan Buddhists and Thai Buddhists. As a meaningful gift for his birthday in upcoming July, he prefers a deep discussion on comparison of the Tibetan and Thai Buddhism to cultivate friendship to a vain ceremony.

We are also fortunate to meet with many high lamas and receive their teachings, including The Ven. Samdong Rinpoche, the Prime Minister of Tibet government. His kindness to us make him squeeze a meeting with us into his busy schedule. One of the moving issue he raises is that, the Tibetan in the past could endure physical torment without losing the calmness. But now a lot of Tibetan are shaken by consumerism and modernization to depart more and more from spirituality. This influence never remits its attempt even in a faraway land of hardship in Himalayan range.

Added into a blessing for us is the teaching from renowned Buddhist scholars such as The Ven. Pema Dorje and a quick audience of His Holiness The Karmapa at Gungto Monastery.

From busy town of Mclodge Gunj, we moved on to a quiet Tashi Jong monastery. We touch upon the tradition of Drukpa Kagyu school with strong traditions of retreated hermits. Here we have a discussion on meditation with The Ven. Choegual Rinpoche. Our pilgrimage ended with a retreat in the sacred site of Rewalsar where Guru Rinpoche began his journey to bring Buddhism into Tibet.

International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB)
E-mail: [email protected]
Contact Person: MS. Lapapan Supamanta
666 Charoen Nakorn Road, Klong San, Bangkok 10600 Siam (Thailand)
tel 662-860-2194 fax 662-860-1277

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