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BUDDHIST PILGRIMAGE TOUR
(INDIA & NEPAL)
WALKING IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF THE BUDDHA
18-29 DECEMBER 2023
You are invited to attend the Buddhist Pilgrimage Tour - Walking in The Footsteps of The Buddha held in India and Nepal starting in New Delhi, India, to learn and practice The Teachings of The Buddha by visiting the original sites connected to the lifetime of The Buddha.
You will be accompanied by a dedicated Practitioner and Teacher of The Teachings of The Buddha (David Roylance) who will guide you in visiting the original sites of The Buddha connected to his lifetime along with optional group meditations, interactive group discussions, and you will be able to connect with an international Community of Practitioners while integrating these Teachings into your life practice along the journey.
This tour and retreat focuses on guiding Students in developing a solid foundation in understanding the original sites connected to the lifetime of The Buddha while understanding the progression of his life and Teachings. The Teachings and practices of Gotama Buddha (i.e. The Buddha) will be shared along the journey to help you progress towards Enlightenment where the mind will be peaceful, calm, serene, and content with joy - permanently.
At the conclusion of this tour and retreat, Students will have gained a deep appreciation for The Buddha through directly connecting with the sites from his lifetime while learning his Teachings along the journey to benefit your life.
Students will need to make payment for the travel costs of this tour and retreat as an investment into developing your life practice.
The Tour/Retreat Package includes:
- All travel arrangements for a roundtrip travel tour from New Delhi to all the Buddhist Pilgrimage sites listed in the below “Tour Plan".
- Lodging for 12-days from 18-29 December 2023 as part of this tour/retreat.
- Food as detailed on the tour schedule. (10 days x 3 meals per day and 2 days 1 meal per day). Students are welcome to purchase any and all food they would like, in addition to, the food that is provided.
- Air conditioned transportation to tour sites and hotels.
- Tour escort/guide.
- Monument entry fees.
- Boat ride at Varanasi.
- Flight from Varanasi back to New Delhi.
Each Student will need to support the cost of their international air travel to arrive and depart the New Delhi Airport (DEL) prior to and after the tour separately from the tour package.
Travel and Lodging
Students need to secure international transportation to arrive in New Delhi, India on the date of arrival and departure. Transportation will be provided from the New Delhi Airport (DEL) to the hotel at the beginning of the tour and back to the New Delhi Airport (DEL) upon completion of the tour.
All lodging and accommodations will be provided as a single, double, or triple occupancy. (See below for details.)
Visas
Each Student will need to ensure they have visas to enter India and Nepal based on each country's requirements.
You will find visa information for India and Nepal using these links.
India: https://indianvisaonline.gov.in/evisa/tvoa.html
(You will need a double entry visa for India.)
Nepal: https://nepaliport.immigration.gov.np/
(You will need a single entry visa for Nepal.)
Learning Tour/Retreat Participation
Students are welcome to attend tour events during the retreat based on their own needs and interests.
You are welcome to participate in as many or as few of the tour events during the retreat as you would like. The tour is offered to any and all participants, including children and families.
All instruction during the retreat is provided openly and freely by our Teacher.
David Roylance will provide all talks on meditation instruction and The Teachings of The Buddha.
Begin Your Learning
Students are encouraged to use the book “Developing a Life Practice: The Path That Leads to Enlightenment” (Volume 1) by David Roylance as a source text for this retreat. Reading this book prior to the tour/retreat can provide Students advance learning in preparation to gain the most benefit from the tour/retreat.
The book can be accessed using this link. https://www.buddhadailywisdom.com/freebuddhabooks
Ongoing Support
Continued support and guidance is available to all Students beyond this tour/retreat through books, audiobooks, videos, podcasts, online/in-person classes or retreats, online community, and personal guidance - offered openly and freely to all. You can gain access to these resources using this link.
https://www.buddhadailywisdom.com/
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To fully register for this tour/retreat, a Student will need to complete the registration form and submit payment.
LOCATION OF
THE BUDDHA'S BIRTH
LUMBINI, NEPAL
LOCATION OF
THE BUDDHA'S ENLIGHTENMENT
BODHGAYA, INDIA
LOCATION OF
THE BUDDHA'S
FIRST TEACHING
SARNATH, INDIA
LOCATION OF
THE BUDDHA'S
DEATH
KUSHINAGAR, INDIA
Four Places Which Should Arouse Confidence in the Dedicated
‘Venerable Sir, formerly Monks who had spent the rains in various places used to come to see The Tathāgata, and we used to welcome them so that such well trained Monks might see you and pay their respects. But with The Perfectly Enlightened One’s passing, we shall no longer have a chance to do this.’
Ānanda, there are four places the sight of which should arouse confidence in the dedicated.
Which are they?
Here The Tathāgata was born is the first.
Here The Tathāgata attained supreme Enlightenment is the second.
Here The Tathāgata set in motion the Wheel of The Teachings (Dhamma Wheel) is the third.
Here The Tathāgata attained Final Enlightenment (Final Nibbāna; Death of Physical Body for an Enlightened being) without remainder is the fourth.
(Gotama Buddha)
(Reference: DN 16)
TOUR PLAN &
DESCRIPTIONS OF
SITES TO VISIT
Sites That Will Be Visited
- Location of The Buddha’s Birth (Lumbini, Nepal)
- Location of The Buddha’s Enlightenment (Bodhgaya, India)
- Location of The Buddha’s First Teaching (Sarnath, India)
- Location of The Buddha’s Death (Kushinagar, India)
- Location of Jivaka Komārabhacca's Temple in a Mango Grove, the Doctor of The Buddha and The First Buddhist Council. (Jivakarama Vihara & Saptaparni Cave in Rajgir, India)
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Early Life of Siddhartha Gotama ("The Buddha")
- Kingdom of King Suddhodana (Kapilvastu) - (Father of Prince Siddhartha Gotama - "The Buddha" - Location where The Buddha grew up from childhood to adulthood).
- Maya Temple (Location of Siddhartha Gotama’s birth - "The Buddha").
The Buddha's Attainment of Enlightenment and Life Dedicated to Teaching
- Mahabodhi Temple (Location that is attributed to The Buddha’s attainment of Enlightenment).
- Dhamek Stupa (i.e. Deer Park) (Location where The Buddha gave his very first Teaching of The Four Noble Truths).
- Chaukhandi Stupa (Location where The Buddha met his first five (5) Students.)
- Ananthapindika Stupa and Angulimala Stupa. (Two of the well-known Students of The Buddha - a banker/merchant and a murderer who transformed their life through The Teachings of The Buddha).
- Jivakarama vihara (Originally a mango grove, the Doctor of The Buddha built a Temple for The Buddha and offered it to The Community of Practitioners. The Buddha was treated by his Doctor at this site).
- Jetavana Monastery (Location where The Buddha most often taught).
- Dungeshwari Cave (Location where The Buddha spent a significant amount of time prior to Enlightenment and often meditated.)
- Sujata Stupa (Monument dedicated to the woman who fed The Buddha rice when he was near death due to starvation.)
- Sujata Garh (Location where Sujata fed The Buddha rice where he started to realize “The Middle Way”.)
- Visit the remains of The Buddha’s hut
- Mulagandha Kuti Vihara Monastery (Location where The Buddha meditated).
The Buddha's Death ("Final Enlightenment")
- Mahaparinirvana Temple: (The location where The Buddha died).
- Rambhar Stupa: (The location where The Buddha was cremated).
- Dharmarajika Stupa (Location that houses a portion of The Buddha’s ashes).
Preserving The Teachings of The Buddha After Death
- Saptaparni Cave (Location of The First Buddhist Council).
- Vaishali (The location of The Buddha’s last discourse and The Second Buddhist Council).
- Ashoka’s Pillar (Dedicated supporter of The Buddha who is credited with extensive distribution of his Teachings).
- Multiple Temples constructed by various countries from around the world to honor The Buddha.
(Locations will be visited based on the Tour Schedule.)
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To fully register for this tour/retreat, a Student will need to complete the registration form and submit payment.
TOUR SCHEDULE
Day 1 - (18 December 2023)
Arrive New Delhi, India with transportation from the airport to hotel, departing airport at 2:00PM.
(Meal: Dinner)
Day 2 - (19 December 2023)
Travel from New Delhi to Agra.
Visit Taj Mahal (the wonder of the world) and Agra Fort.
(Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)
Day 3 - (20 December 2023)
Travel from Agra to Sankasia and Lucknow.
Visit Ashoka’s Pillar and a small Temple devoted to Maya (the mother of The Buddha).
Additional Sites: Sankisa
(Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)
Day 4 - (21 December 2023)
Travel from Lucknow to Sravasti.
Visit Jetavana Monastery, Saheth, Maheth, Anathapindika Stupa, Angulimala Stupa and visit the remains of The Buddha’s hut.
Additional Sites: Saheth, Maheth, and Yamaka Patihara.
(Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)
Day 5 - (22 December 2023)
Travel from Sravasti to Lumbini.
Maya Temple, Asoka Pillar, and Kingdom of King Suddhodana.
(Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)
Day 6 - (23 December 2023)
Travel from Lumbini to Kushinagar.
Visit Mahaparinirvana Temple and Rambhar Stupa.
Additional Sites: Matha Kunwar Shrine
(Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)
Day 7 - (24 December 2023)
Travel from Kushinagar to Rajgir.
Visit Vaishali, Ashoka Pillar, and Buddha Relic Stupa.
Additional Sites: Kesariya, Viswa Shanti Stupa, and Abhishek Pushkaran.
(Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)
Day 8 - (25 December 2023)
Travel from Rajgir to Bodhgaya.
Visit Jivakarama vihara and Saptaparni Cave.
Additional Sites: World Peace Pagoda, Griddhakuta, King Bimbisar Jail, Swarn Bhandar, Venu Van, Ajatshatru Fort, Hot Water Spring, Hiuen Tsang Memorial Hall, Nalanda University, Black Buddha Temple, and Nalanda Museum.
(Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)
Day 9 - (26 December 2023)
Travel from Rajgir to Bodhgaya.
Visit Sujata Stupa, Dungeshwari Cave, Mahabodhi Temple, Sujata Garh, and Multiple Temples constructed by various countries from around the world to honor The Buddha.
(Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)
Day 10 - (27 December 2023)
Travel from Bodhgaya to Varanasi.
Visit Ganga Aarti by boat on the river Ganges.
(Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)
Day 11 - (28 December 2023)
Travel from Varanasi to Sarnath and the Varanasi Airport.
Visit Dhamek Stupa, Dharmarajika Stupa, Chaukhandi Stupa, Mulagandha Kuti Vihara Monastery, and Asoka Stupa.
Additional Sites: Sarnath Archeological Museum.
Flight to return back to New Delhi.
(Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)
Day 12 - (29 December 2023)
Travel from New Delhi Hotel to New Delhi Airport.
(Meal: Breakfast)
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To fully register for this tour/retreat, a Student will need to complete the registration form and submit payment.
Map of Buddhist Pilgrimage Tour
TOUR PACKAGE &
PAYMENT OPTIONS
SINGLE OCCUPANCY
DOUBLE OCCUPANCY
TRIPLE OCCUPANCY
Single - $2,124 USD | Double - $1,794 USD | Triple - $1,734 USD
A 60% deposit is needed to secure your participation on this tour prior to 1 July 2023. The remaining 40% of the total cost is due on 1 October 2023.
You can either make a full payment for the total cost of the tour or two separate payments as a registration deposit and final payment.
If you are registering as double or triple occupancy, you can specify who you will be sharing a room with at the time of registration. That individual(s) will also need a registration submitted designating you as their roommate. Any registrations submitted that does not include a preference for a roommate will be matched with individual(s) of the same gender.
Cancellation of tour prior to 1 November 2023 will receive a 50% refund. There are no refunds for cancellations made on or after 1 November 2023.
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The Tour/Retreat Package includes:
- All travel arrangements for a roundtrip travel tour from New Delhi to all the Buddhist Pilgrimage sites listed in the below “Tour Plan".
- Lodging for 12-days from 18-29 December 2023 as part of this tour/retreat.
- Food as detailed on the tour schedule. (10 days x 3 meals per day and 2 days 1 meal per day). Students are welcome to purchase any and all food they would like, in addition to, the food that is provided.
- Air conditioned transportation to tour sites and hotels.
- Tour escort/guide.
- Monument entry fees.
- Boat ride at Varanasi.
- Flight from Varanasi back to New Delhi.
Each Student will need to support the cost of their international air travel to arrive and depart the New Delhi Airport (DEL) prior to and after the tour separately from the tour package.
To fully register for this tour/retreat, a Student will need to complete the registration form and submit payment.
OUR TEACHER
David Roylance
David Roylance is a dedicated Practitioner and Teacher of Gotama Buddha’s Teachings who has been part of the Thai community since 2001. He visited Thailand for the first time in 2002 and brought the Traditional Thai Healing Arts back to the United States of America to share with people in the Western World.
His Traditional Thai Healing Arts centers, located in the Washington DC area, provided traditional Thai healing arts to clients and educational opportunities to Students to explore the Thai healing arts, Thai culture, and The Teachings of Gotama Buddha. David is a published author with books on the topics of Traditional Thai Healing Arts and The Path That Leads to Enlightenment.
David has taught Gotama Buddha’s Teachings since 2005 in the United States of America. In 2015, he closed his businesses and relocated to Chiang Mai, Thailand to be closer to the Thai culture and the Thai Community of Buddhist Practitioners.
David shares Gotama Buddha’s Teachings with Household Practitioners and Ordained Practitioners in Chiang Mai, Thailand and around the world through courses, retreats, and special events providing guidance to help people attain Enlightenment - a peaceful, calm, serene, and content mind with joy.
David Roylance
RESTORATION OF
THE BUDDHA'S TEACHINGS
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THE PATH TO ENLIGHTENMENT
The Buddha taught over 2,500 years ago. He taught The Path to Enlightenment guiding countless beings to a mental state that is peaceful, calm, serene, and content with joy that is permanent, where the mind has eliminated 100% of all discontent feelings such as sadness, anger, frustration, irritation, annoyance, guilt, shame, fears, boredom, loneliness, shyness, jealousy, resentment, stress, anxiety, etc.
Immediately following the death of The Buddha (i.e. Gotama Buddha), The Teachings were shining in the world continuing to guide countless people to Enlightenment. But, over the course of many generations, just as Gotama Buddha predicted, people’s understanding of his Teachings gradually diminished due to modifications and adjustments made by people after him. The modifications made to his Teachings, handed down through oral transmission, have made it increasingly difficult for human beings to attain Enlightenment.
The goal of David’s Teachings is to root the learning and practice he shares in “The Words of The Buddha” based on The Teachings that existed during the lifetime of Gotama Buddha, so that countless beings can now attain Enlightenment based on the original Path to Enlightenment discovered and declared by Gotama Buddha.
David does this through connecting what he teaches to the largest most complete source of Teachings from Gotama Buddha - The Pāli Canon. The Pāli Canon is the original source text of The Teachings from Gotama Buddha as spoken by him during his lifetime.
David has spent countless hours dedicated to restoring The Words of The Buddha by updating a significant portion of the translations of Gotama Buddha’s Teachings from The Pāli Canon. He now offers several resources for Students to learn, reflect, and practice The Path to Enlightenment to experience the results of an Enlightened mind.
David offers books, audiobooks, videos, podcasts, online learning programs, personal guidance, and retreats without any requirement for financial support. All the work that is being done is offered openly and freely for all beings without any requirement to provide any financial support. David accepts donations but Students are not required to provide donations for any work that he does in supporting them on The Path to Enlightenment. David does not request donations and instead, just accepts whatever is offered to him, if anything at all.
His dedication to sharing these Teachings is not motivated by finances. He shares openly and freely with everyone who has a sincere interest in learning and practicing The Path to Enlightenment.
Ultimately, David plans to preserve The Teachings of The Buddha in a format that is easily, readily, and openly accessible to anyone in the world while offering support to learn, reflect, and practice to experience the results of the Enlightened mind.
His plan is to guide countless people to Enlightenment during his lifetime and leave a Community of Enlightened beings who can continue to share The Teachings long after his death. Through developing a Community of Enlightened beings and preserving The Path to Enlightenment in resources that are easily, readily, and openly accessible to anyone in the world, David is revealing the hidden Teachings of Gotama Buddha and doing the best he can to remove any obstacles one might have to learn, reflect, and practice these Teachings, allowing countless people to experience the results of an Enlightened mind.
Upon his death, David predicts that his closest Student, his son and a continued lineage of Teachers, will share these same Teachings continuing to support and grow The Community of Enlightened beings long into the future - for the next 1000 years.
These efforts will culminate into restoring The Path to Enlightenment back into the world so that all of humanity can experience Enlightenment evolving the human species to one where every being has the opportunity to attain Enlightenment creating “heaven on earth”.
THE GOAL
AN ENTIRE SPECIES OF ENLIGHTENED BEINGS
Having experienced Enlightenment and knowing the peace, calm, serenity, and contentedness with joy that comes with having attained Enlightenment, a Buddha’s goal is to share his Teachings worldwide so that “all beings” can experience Enlightenment.
The Enlightened mind no longer experiences any discontent feelings such as sadness, anger, frustration, irritation, annoyance, guilt, shame, fears, boredom, loneliness, shyness, jealousy, resentment, anxiety, stress, etc.
All discontent feelings have been eliminated 100% from the Enlightened mind (i.e. all suffering is eliminated).
An Enlightened mind will have loving-kindness, compassion, sympathetic joy, equanimity, and generosity among many other wholesome qualities.
Can you imagine an entire world where all human beings have liberated their mind to no longer experience these discontent feelings and are practicing wholesome qualities of mind at all times?
With “The Buddha” (Gotama Buddha) having attained this permanent mental state of Enlightenment on his own as The Perfectly Enlightened Buddha, he would have known that through his dedicated and persistent pursuit to Enlightenment, he had acquired the wisdom needed to guide “all beings” to this same mental state.
However, his teaching career of 45 years would not be enough time to share his Teachings worldwide. He knew, that it would require many centuries for his Teachings to reach all parts of the world. During his lifetime, travel of people and information was limited based on several constraints.
Today, we are in a unique time in history where these same constraints have been eliminated. A time when people and information are able to travel around the world in an instant.
Not only can information travel quickly but all of humanity is slowly coming to the point where there is a common language spoken around the world - the English language.
Criteria exist today that did not exist during Gotama Buddha’s lifetime that make now the perfect time for all of humanity to gradually attain Enlightenment realizing a better existence.
People can travel worldwide.
Information can be shared worldwide in an instant.
Commonly spoken language among a large percentage of the worldwide population and this is only growing.
These criteria did not exist during the lifetime of Gotama Buddha and it is only now that the world has come into an age where his original goal is realistically possible.
But, during Gotama Buddha’s lifetime it seems they had something that we may not have….
The people during Gotama Buddha’s lifetime had perseverance and dedication to learning, reflecting, and practicing The Teachings to realize the results of experiencing the Enlightened mind. They were not afraid of hard work.
With our modern day conveniences, I am unsure how many people are willing to apply their determination, dedication, and diligence with time, effort, energy, and resources towards The Path to Enlightenment with the goal to experience the Enlightened mind.
When a being decides they are finished with the sadness, anger, frustration, irritation, annoyance, guilt, shame, fear, boredom, loneliness, shyness, jealousy, resentment, etc., that is the time when one can turn towards The Teachings and goal of experiencing Enlightenment.
Through each individual deciding to learn and practice The Teachings of Gotama Buddha, as a collective world, our species will gradually evolve. We evolve to a higher consciousness where we train the mind to not harm others through our intentions, speech, nor actions.
Through each individual deciding to learn, reflect, and practice The Teachings of Gotama Buddha, each person benefits and we all benefit as there will be less and less harm in the world.
Through individuals deciding to focus on developing a comprehensive approach to learning and practicing The Teachings of Gotama Buddha with guidance from a Teacher, your life drastically improves and the entire world improves essentially creating “heaven on earth”.
We do not need to “fix” the world. That is not the problem. The problem is the unEnlightened mind does not understand The Natural Laws of Existence and it is quite a struggle to live in a world that one does not understand.
Through learning and practicing The Teachings of Gotama Buddha, a Practitioner comes to deeply understand The Natural Laws of Existence to acquire wisdom that will end the struggles and misery one may face on a regular basis.
Are you ready to apply determination, dedication, and diligence with time, effort, energy, and resources towards The Path to Enlightenment with the goal to experience Enlightenment?
If one enjoys anger, sadness, boredom, loneliness, resentment, etc., there is nothing to do.
But, if you are interested to eliminate these unwelcomed feelings from the mind, then I suggest you turn towards The Path to Enlightenment and apply your dedication and diligence to learning, reflecting, and practicing The Teachings of Gotama Buddha.
And then, as all of humanity gradually experiences Enlightenment we will have accomplished “the goal”.
“An entire species of Enlightened beings”.
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