Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche offers advice to pilgrims in his new book, What to do at India’s Buddhist Holy Sites, available for download as a PDF.
Rinpoche wrote the book in response to the questions students frequently ask about going on pilgrimage to Buddhist holy sites. What to do at India’s Buddhist Holy Sites is not a guidebook for ordinary tourists, but for Buddhists who wish to purify their defilements and accumulate merit by going on pilgrimage. Focusing primarily on the teachings of Shakyamuni Buddha and the great Indian masters of the past, Rinpoche offers pilgrims advice on every aspect of pilgrimage: where to go, what to do, the meaning of pilgrimage and generating the right motivation before leaving home. He explains what Buddhists mean when they describe a person, place or object as being “holy.” Included are suggestions for which prayers and practices one can do at the four main Buddhist holy sites in India and Nepal.
Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche writes, “The aim of all Buddhist practice is to catch a glimpse of the awakened state. Going on pilgrimage, soaking up the sacred atmosphere of holy places, and mingling with other pilgrims are simply different ways of trying to achieve that glimpse.”
What to Do at India’s Buddhist Holy Sites is a work in progress. Its initial release date was pushed forward so that it would be available in time for the pilgrimage season. A new version is already available since it was first announced in January. We will keep you informed as refinements are made to the text. The book is now being translated into Chinese, Portuguese, and other languages. The Chinese version will be published later this year.
