The Golden Path– Burma Pilgrimage

The Golden Path – Burma

Pilgrimage for 17-nights (US$2,450)

• Day 1: Yangon
  Arrive in Yangon and check into our accommodations. Once all the pilgrims have arrived, we will have an orientation session, followed by a group sitting at the beautiful Shwedagon Pagoda. We will return to the hotel for dinner and rest.
• Day 2: Shwedagon and International Meditation Center (IMC)
  We’ll begin the day with a group sitting at the sacred Shwedagon Pagoda followed by a tour of Shwedagon. After a hearty lunch, we’ll have a group sitting at IMC, the meditation center founded by Goenkaji’s teacher, Sayagyi U Ba Khin. We’ll return in the evening for dinner and rest at the hotel.
• Day 3: Kaba Aye Pagoda and Mahapakasa Cave
  This special pagoda contains relics of the Buddha, Moggallana and Sariputta. The pagoda is a hollow type of pagoda referred to as “Pato” and contains an inner shrine room where we will meditate for one hour. After lunch, we will visit Mahapakasa Cave where the 6th Buddhist council was held from 1954-1956. This cave also marks Goenkaji’s first Dhamma service, as he arranged for vegetarian food for the participants in 1954. Goenkaji also gave a speech at this Cave for the Buddhist World Summit in 2004.
• Day 4: Saya Thetgyi day - Pyaw Bwe Gyi
  After a hearty breakfast we’ll take a peaceful ferry ride across the Yangon River to the small village where Sayagyi U Ba Khin took his first ten day Vipassana course with his teacher Saya Thetgyi. Each pilgrim will have the unique opportunity to meditate in Saya Thetgyi’s private meditation cell, and to sit in the Dhamma Hall where Sayagyi took his first course. Pilgrims will also have time to explore the village or meditate more at Saya Thetgyi’s center. In the evening we will catch the ferry ride back across the river for dinner and rest at our hotel.
• Day 5: Dhamma Joti - one day sitting
  To help frame the pilgrimage experience, we will join a one day course at Dhamma Joti, the Vipassana Center in Yangon.
• Day 6: Travel to Mandalay via flight
  We will leave early for a flight to Mandalay and check into our hotel. After lunch and rest, we will enjoy a guided tour of the Maha Muni Pagoda followed by a group sitting. As a young boy, Goenkaji used to visit this location with his grandfather (Read More). In the evening, we will watch the sun setting from the top of Mandalay Hill. We will return for dinner and rest to our hotel.
• Day 7: Maha Muni Pagoda and Dhamma Mandapa
  We will have a group sitting at the Maha Muni Pagoda followed by free time. This is a good place to purchase Burmese bells and gongs that meditators often like to buy for their friends or local Vipassana centers. You may also be able to watch the skilled marble carving if you walk around the area. After lunch we will visit Dhamma Mandapa, the small Vipassana center inside the city limits of Mandalay. Although the center is no longer holding regular ten day courses, many meditators sit at this center for one day courses and one hour group sittings. We will have a one hour group sitting there followed by a visit to Maha Bodhi Meditation Center next door to Dhamma Mandapa. This location will be of special interest to those who have read Journey into Burmese Silence by Marie Byles.
• Day 8: Webu Sayadaw day
  We will travel to Kyauk Sei where Sayagyi U Ba Khin came in contact with the Ven. Webu Sayadaw when Sayagyi was on his regular Railway office accounting rounds. After morning meditation at the hut location where Sayagyi met Webu Sayadaw, we will have the opportunity to participate in a Sangha dana, the offering of requisites and lunch, for the resident monks. In the afternoon, each pilgrim will gain the precious opportunity to meditate for one hour in the cave where Webu Sayadaw used to meditate. During the time when some pilgrims are meditating in the cave (only 6 can fit in the cave at a time), others will have free time to explore the monastery at the top of the stairs which may contain relics of Webu Sayadaw. We will return to the hotel in Mandalay for dinner and rest.
• Day 9: One day sitting - Dhamma Mandala and visit to Kuthodaw Pagoda
  To help absorb the pilgrimage experience we will join a one day course at Dhamma Mandala, the picturesque Vipassana meditation center just outside of Mandalay in the mountainous countryside. On the way back to the hotel in Mandalay, we will stop by the Kuthodaw Pagoda, containing the world’s largest book: 729 marble tablets inscribed with the entire Tipitaka Pāli canon.
• Day 10: Sagaing hills
  We’ll begin the day with a beautiful bus ride across the bridge into the Sagaing hills. We will meditate for one hour in the peaceful and quiet cave of Prekkama Monastery, followed by the special opportunity to provide Sangha dana for the resident monks. After lunch, we will explore Pa Bar Jaon Monastery followed by a group sitting together. We will return for dinner and rest to our hotel in Mandalay.
• Day 11: Travel to Monywa
  We will leave for Monywa after breakfast. After a 3 to 5 hour bus ride, we will enjoy lunch and settle into our hotel for rest. In the afternoon, we will leave for Su Taung Pye pagoda to wander the grounds, see the Agga disciple display and join a group sitting with local old students. We will have dinner together back at the hotel in Monywa.
• Day 12: Maha Ledi Monastery
  This morning we will pay homage to the great Ven. Ledi Sayadaw by meditating at the Maha Ledi Monastery, and offering Sangha dana to the resident monks and current Ven. Ledi Sayadaw. We will have a walking tour of the forest hut and marble tablets containing all of Ven. Ledi Sayadaw’s writings. After lunch, we will have the option to take in some of the famous tourist sites of Monywa like Thanboddhay Pagoda and the Standing Buddha. In the evening we will have dinner and rest at our hotel in Monywa.
• Day 13: Ledi Sayadaw’s cave and Dhamma Ñaṇadhaja
  After a hearty breakfast, we'll depart for Shwe Taung Oo Pagoda (Ledi cave) and Dhamma Ñaṇadhaja, the Vipassana Center near the cave. Each pilgrim will have the happy opportunity to meditate in Ven. Ledi Sayadaw’s cave and explore the pagoda complex. We will eat lunch at the lovely Dhamma Ñaṇadhaja followed by a group sitting in the pagoda. We will return to the hotel for dinner and rest.
• Day 14: One day course at Dhamma Ñaṇadhaja
  To help further absorb the experiences of the pilgrimage, we will meditate for one day at the comfortable Dhamma Ñaṇadhaja Vipassana Center near Ledi Sayadaw’s cave in Monywa. We will return to the hotel for dinner and rest.
• Day 15: Travel to Ingynbin
  We will begin the day early with a group sitting and breakfast followed by a bus trip to Saine Pyin Gyi village, the birthplace of Ven. Ledi Sayadaw. After a celebratory and rare opportunity to join the local village in giving a Sangha Dana to local monks in this most auspicious location, we will enjoy lunch and carry on traveling to Ingyinbin, the location of one of Webu Sayadaw’s monasteries. After settling into the monastery, we will sit together for one hour followed by dinner and rest.
• Day 16: Webu Sayadaw Monastery at Ingynbin
  Our morning will begin with a group meditation on the grounds of the monastery followed by a tour of important sites within the compound, including Sayagyi U Ba Khin’s room (where he came to Ingynbin to take robes for one week), and Webu Sayadaw’s hut. We’ll then have time to rest and explore the monastery and village, followed by a group sitting together. We will enjoy dinner and a night’s rest within the monastery grounds.
• Day 17: Farewells
  After breakfast we will travel back to Mandalay where we will visit the Maha Muni Pagoda one last time for our final group sitting together. We will then share a lovely farewell meal together. All onward flights can be booked for the next day out of Mandalay, as we will spend one last night in the hotel in Mandalay.

view route on Google Maps

Optional Ease into Burma Package for 2-nights (US$ 250)

• Day 1: Arrival in Yangon at any time; hotel check-in; Welcome dinner
• Day 2: Small briefing/introduction; Yangon sightseeing; Group sitting in a Shwedagon Pagoda; Dinner
• Day 3: Breakfast; Yangon sightseeing.

Pilgrimage for 17-nights (US$ 2,450)

• Yangon: 5 nights (includes 1-day Vipassana course at Dhamma Jyoti)
• Mandalay: 6 nights (includes 1-day Vipassana course at Dhamma Mandala)
• Monywa: 4 nights (includes 1-day course at Dhamma Ñaṇadhaja)
• Ingyinbin: 2 nights