In January, 2006, Kushok-la and a group of 15 GSL members and friends flew to India to attend the Kalachakra Initiation offered by His Holiness the Dalai Lama. The initiation was held in rural southern India in a town called Amaravati (in the state of Andra Pradesh) where Shakyamuni Buddha had first given the Kalachakra teachings. It is estimated that 100,000 people attended. Many westerners, Tibetans who had travelled all the way from Tibet as well as from around India, and great numbers of monks and nuns were there. There was a sea of red everywhere! The Kalachakra Initiation had been given by His Holiness 29 times before and many have said this may have been the last time he will offer this initiation in his lifetime.
After the Kalachakra Initiation, Kushok-la took a smaller group farther north, by train, to go on pilgrimage to some of the major sites of Shakyamuni Buddha's life and activities. First stop was Sarnath (near Varanasi), which is also known as Deer Park, where Buddha gave his first teaching after achieving enlightenment.
From there we were off to Bodh Gaya where the Buddha attained enlightenment. We were also fortunate to visit the ruins of Nalanda, one of the ancient worlds largest and most respected Buddhist universities where many great scholars such as Nagarjuna and Shantideva studied. Rajgir was nearby and was the place where the Buddha delivered the Heart Sutra.
After this, we travelled across the border into Nepal and visited Lumbini, where the Buddha was born. Then it was back to India to Kushinagar, the place of Buddha's parinirvana. Nearby we visited the site of the stupa containing the ashes from Buddha's cremation.
We were blessed to be able to travel with Kushok-la. It made our India experience much richer.
Count of 15 is based on the following people:
- Holly
- Nwang
- Marissa
- Elke
- Jodi
- Christine
- Kevin
- Bob
- Chester
- Bonnie
- Germaine
- Susan T.
- Susan (Jane's friend)
- Susan's neice
- Mary-Anne
