Make a donation to support Dhammadīpā on this journey on which she will go to the heart of Buddhism's ancient heritage!
"This is the journey of a lifetime." - Dhammadīpā
The image above depicts the birth of Siddhartha Gautama in a forest in Lumbini, which is now part of Nepal. In his lifetime, he would bring an end to suffering and attain supreme enlightenment to become the Buddha. The Buddha's mother, Maha Maya, is holding a branch of a tree for support during childbirth.
Image: Wikipedia
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The Buddha himself encouraged folks to visit four sites associated with the pivotal moments of his life. In Long Discourse No. 16, the Mahāparinibbānasutta, he says that people should visit:
Lumbinī, Nepal - the place where Maha Maya gave birth to the Buddha.
Bodh Gaya, India - the place where the Buddha awakened under the Bodhi tree.
Sarnath, India - the location of his first discourse, where he began transmitting the Dhamma.
Kushinagar, India - the location at which the Buddha passed into mahaparinirvana, completing his teachings.
After 38 years of practice, Dhammadīpā has chosen to go on pilgrimage with a thoughtful cohort of travelers, including other Dharma teachers. They will be mindful of the impact of their travel and use double carbon offsets to minimize harm. She will end the trip with a visit to a copper workshop in Nepal, visiting with artisans who create Buddhist statues, and she has been invited to present the findings of her art history thesis to the group.
These profound experiences will become a rich part of DBC's offerings to the greater global sangha.
Please support Dhammadīpā on this pilgrimage. Donations open now.
Travel Dates:
February 6 through 26, 2025