Pariyatti pilgrims meditate in Lumbini, Nepal, facing the Maha Devi Temple, erected at what is said to be the exact location where the Buddha was born. vipassanapilgrimage.org |
A Decade of Walking in the Footsteps of the Buddha |
Visiting places connected to the life and teachings of the Buddha and his followers can truly deepen one’s awareness and be of great inspiration while walking on the path of Dhamma and for one's daily practice. Pariyatti has been facilitating pilgrimages specifically for Vipassana meditators (as taught by S.N. Goenka) since 2013; this year marks the tenth anniversary of the pilgrimage program. During this past decade, twenty-two pilgrimages have taken place in India, seven in Myanmar (Burma); a total of 599 Pariyatti pilgrims walked in the footsteps of the Buddha and the teachers in the lineage of the tradition of Sayagyi U Ba Khin. We keep the price of our pilgrimages low to make them as accessible as possible for all. We also have a Pilgrimage Fund in place for those who otherwise woould not be able to join; in total we have already awarded 21 scholarships, with a total value of almost $20,000. Joining an organized pilgrimage has various advantages. Not having to spend any time organizing transport, accommodation, and other daily pursuits, a Pariyatti pilgrim has the chance to solely focus on visiting and meditating at the various sacred sites. Without the distraction of 'worldly worries', many previous participants likened the pilgrimage to a 'mobile meditation course'. The opportunity to share the experience with fellow meditators is another advantage of joining an organized pilgrimage. To be able to sit together with others in the same tradition at the various sites—sometimes at the exact same place the Buddha and the Sangha used to meditate—is indeed very special. A larger group of meditators usually doesn’t go unnoticed by devotees and tourists along the path, something that often results in very supportive surroundings, allowing the pilgrims to complete their daily group sittings without real disturbances—even at the major sites. The Buddha expressed the importance of surrounding oneself with good friends, virtuous people. The Upaddha Sutta reports on friendship on the path: Ānanda addressed the [Buddha]: "This is half of the holy life, Bhante, having virtuous people as friends, companions and colleagues."
[The Buddha replied]: "Don’t say that, Ānanda. Don’t say that. Having virtuous people as friends, companions and colleagues is actually the whole of the holy life. When a Bhikkhu has virtuous people as friends, companions and colleagues, it can be expected that he will pursue the Eightfold Noble Path, that he will develop the Eightfold Noble Path." A previous Pariyatti pilgrim found the most valuable aspect of his journey "the opportunity to sit and develop strong connections with a group of meditators in a more relaxed and applicable way than is possible at the centers" and added "over the course of the pilgrimage I made a solid handful of friends who I have no doubt I will be staying in contact with for the rest of my life." |
Along the Path – India & Nepal: October 23–November 13, 2023 February 03–23, 2024 (NEWLY added) |
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Above images were taken during the February 2023 pilgrimage. View the entire |
What pilgrims from the most recent pilgrimage (March 2023) reported to have found valuable about their experience: “The inspiration and gratitude I felt (and still feel) while walking along the path with Dhamma brothers and sisters of our tradition and to have the unique opportunity to meditate together at such important sites.” “That all the logistics, itineraries, sites visits, food, accommodation, etc., were sorted out. Being in a group of like-minded people (Sangha) is also very valuable, nice and beneficial. The diversity, with pilgrims coming from different parts of the world and backgrounds…” |
The Jhānas and the Lay Disciple According to the Pāli Suttas |
Regular Pariyatti audiobook narrator Jonathan Nelson has just completed reading one of the essays in Investigating the Dhamma by Bhikkhu Bodhi called The Jhānas and the Lay Disciple According to the Pāli Suttas. We will slowly release more recordings of these essays as we complete them. Stay tuned! |
A big thank you to the volunteer narrator who generously donated his time and expertise. |
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Besides the original in English, A Meditator's Handbook is available in Chinese, Farsi, French, German, Hindi, Kannada, Korean, Marathi, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Swedish, Vietnamese. |
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With the revision of Chapter 2 of the online Pāli course Exploring the Path a whole new lesson was added, no doubt of special interest for Vipassana students. Sayagyi U Ba Khin had an unshakable conviction—quoted so many times, as he was certain—that “The time clock of Vipassana has now struck!”. Sayagyi based this on the strong Burmese belief that the period had arrived for Burma to pay back its gratitude for receiving the precious gem of Dhamma to the country of its origin, India. According to this credence, the Buddha-sāsana was to last 5000 years, divided into two periods of 2500 years with five cycles of 500 years each. The prophecy was that after the first period of 2500 years the aspect of insight-wisdom (pañña) was to be revived—which seems to have turned out to be true based on how widely available the practise of Vipassana is today. This firm Burmese belief is based on the textual source of the Phussattheragāthā |
The last part of Unit 7 (on the present tense) from the course Evaṃ me sutaṃ (Thus I have heard) explores the conjugation of atthi, Root √as + genitive case, negation with natthi, and a Dhammapada story of Verse 67. |
A big thank you to the course creators. May your service be of benefit to many! |
Residential Pāli Workshops |
1–10 June: Introductory Workshop (Teacher: Adriana Patiño) Temecula, California, USA 🇺🇸 Last seats available * application deadline May 20 |
Student feedback from the most recent residential workshop in Spain:
"In a few days the teacher has given an incredible amount of Pariyatti, with an impressive energy, and with inspiring readings. Adriana has a lot of knowledge and has extraordinary qualities as a teacher and communicator."
"… it is a grammar and Pali language workshop, [but] in reality it is an immersion in Pariyatti and in the concepts and theory of very necessary and inspiring Dhamma for all meditators."
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Donations: Either one-time or monthly pledge |
Pariyatti is a charitable, non-profit, educational support system for the Dhamma community. Pariyatti exists because of funds donated by supporters. |
FACT: Did you know that since our Pāli workshop program started in 2012, we have facilitated 31 residential workshops in ten countries (Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Israel, Malaysia, Mexico, Morocco, Poland, Spain, and the USA)? Goenkaji emphasized that Pāli workshops are very beneficial; they help meditators develop their inspiration to practice and improve their understanding of the theoretical aspect of Dhamma. Expenses of the workshop program are met by donations to the Pāli Workshop Fund from past students. Another way to give dāna is to serve during a workshop; serving is a wonderful opportunity to develop one's pāramīs, strengthen one's practice, and meet many Dhamma friends. Once the work is done servers can join classes and receive the benefit of learning the direct words of the Buddha. |
Pariyatti 867 Larmon Rd. Onalaska, WA 98570, USA |
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