Tricycle | Awake in the World

2012 Tricycle “In the Footsteps of the Buddha” Pilgrimage
February 15 through March 4, 2012
Tricycle’s sixth journey to India, co-led this year by John Peacocke and Justin Kelley.

This classical pilgrimage will take us to the places in north India where Siddhattha Gotama, the historical Buddha, lived and taught in the 5th century BCE. We will begin the journey in Sarnath, near Benares, where the Buddha delivered his first sermon, then proceed to Bodhgaya, the site of his awakening, Nalanda, Rajgir, Vaishali, Kushinagar, the site of his death, Lumbini, the birthplace of the Buddha, Kapilavastu, where he was raised as a young man, and Sravasti, where he spent 24 rain retreats.  As we navigate across northern India, through modern day Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and southern Nepal, we will deeply investigate both the historical world that the Buddha existed in as well as our inner terrain, through periods of intensive practice, discourse and engagement.

Teacher Bio:
John Peacocke, Ph.D. is a native of the United Kingdom, and has been practicing Buddhism since 1970. His Buddhist education took place in the Tibetan monasteries in South India and in Sri Lanka. In the 1980s he began work on a degree in philosophy and went on to complete a Ph.D. in Buddhist Studies. Since then, he has taught Buddhist and Hindu studies at a number of universities and currently works as part-time lecturer at the University of Bristol in southwestern England. He has served as director of the Sharpham Centre for Buddhist studies and is on the teaching council of Gaia House, an unaffiliated retreat center that offers teachings and meditation instruction in a variety of traditions. John’s main interest, in both his academic work and his dharma teaching, is the thought and practice of early Buddhism.

Guide Bio:
Justin Kelley has been living in India and Nepal since 2005.  He has closely studied under a variety of masters in both the Tibetan and Theravadan traditions.  At present he has taken monastic ordination with Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche, with whom he has practiced with since 2007.  He has designed south Asian travel programs 2007, creating excellent environments to explore both inner and outer terrains.  He speaks proficient Tibetan and conversational Hindi and sits on the Tergar International Translation Committee.  

Daily schedule:
Our standard schedule will include daily sitting and walking meditation, often starting with a morning meditation at one of the Buddhist sites or in a temple. This will be followed by breakfast at the hotel, after which we’ll visit one of the Buddhist sites listed in the itinerary. Our guides will offer a detailed talk on that site in the context of the Buddha’s life and teachings, and what was happening in the area 2,500 years ago. Pilgrims will have some time at the site itself, after which we will go to lunch. We’ll rest after lunch or we may visit another site, go to a village, school, visit a teacher or institute, etc. We return to the hotel by evening in time for dinner and usually end with a group discussion on the day.

Retreat days:
There will be three retreat periods during the pilgrimage: two full days and one half day. During these times, the group will join in a schedule of contemplation and meditation.  The focus will be on relevant teachings of the Buddha that accord with the places we are visiting.  Each of these periods will commence and culminate with sessions at the local places of significance.  The days will be broken into periods of silent sitting, dharma teachings and experiential discussion.

Guests:
In addition to the program teacher and guide, we will have the opportunity to work with a variety of individuals with a range of expertise.  They will help to enhance our connections with the local areas and allow us additional perspectives on these diverse locations.  In addition to those listed below, we will visit with numerous local spiritual masters, in a variety of traditions.

Gyalwang Karmapa: The spiritual head of the Karma Kagyu lineage of Tibetan Buddhism. (Tentative)

Fulbright professor, Delhi (TBD): We will be joined by a Delhi Fulbright professor at Raj Ghat, Gandhi Smitri, etc. who will highlight important historical Indian figures and places of interest in Delhi.

Rana Singh, Varanasi: Professor Emeritus at Banares Hindu University. Rana specializes in pilgrimage in both the Hindu and Buddhist traditions in Nothern India.  He has published on numerous topics in India and abroad.

Valentino Giacoman: Founder and director of the Alice Project.  Valentino has worked for over 20 years in India, designing and implementing educational programs based on Buddhadharma in schools in the greater Varanasi/Bodhgaya area.

Deepak Anand, Rajgir: Coordinator for the Rajgi-Nalanda revitalization project.  Expert in the greater Rajgir/Nalanda area.

Sayadaw U Vivekananda, Lumbini: The senior disciple of Sayadaw U Pandita and resident teacher at Panditarama, Lumbini.  Sayadaw has been ordained for well over thirty years in the Burmese tradition and teaches annually in the US and Europe.  He also is integrally involved in the preservation and protection of greater Lumbini.

*For a complete 2012 Pilgrimage information packet, download a PDF here

or email pilgrimage@tricycle.com

Image © Craig Morton