A Buddhist Pilgrimage. The idea of a pilgrimage came from the Buddha himself. Before he passed into Mahaparinibbana, the Buddha asked us to visit four places that may be for our inspiration after he was gone. They are Lumbini, where he was born; Buddhagaya, where he attained Supreme Enlightenment; Deer Park in Sarnath, where he preached the First Sermon; and Kusinara, where he passed into Mahaparinibbana. He said that we should visit these places and look upon them with feelings of reverence, reflecting on the particular event of the Buddha’s life connected with each place. Since the Mahaparinibbana of the Buddha, these four shrines of Buddhism have become the focal points for all to rally around and seek inspiration.  In Buddhism, understanding plays the key role in one’s spiritual progress. So, for the intending pilgrim, it is imperative to understand that a pilgrimage is essentially a spiritual journey in veneration of the Buddha. This act of veneration purifies one’s thoughts, speech and action and through it, many noble qualities can be developed. In answer to Venerable Ananda’s concern that the monks would no longer be able to see the Buddha and pay their respects after his Mahaparinibbana, Lord Buddha mentioned four places which we should visit and look upon with feelings of reverence. The four are as follows:♥ Lumbini: “Here the Tathagata was born! This, Ananda, is a place that the pious should visit and look upon with feelings of reverence.”♥ Bodhgaya: “Here the Tathagata became fully enlightened, in unsurpassed, Supreme Enlightenment! This, Ananda, is a place that the pious should visit and look upon with feelings of reverence.” ♥ Sarnath: “Here the Tathagata set rolling the unexcelled Wheel of the Law! This, Ananda, is a place that the pious should visit and look upon with feelings of reverence.”♥ Kushinagar: “Here the Tathagata passed away into Nibbana wherein the elements of clinging do not arise! This, Ananda, is a place that the pious  should visit and look upon with feelings of reverence.” “And whosoever, Ananda, should release themselves from the physical plane on such a pilgrimage, with his heart established in faith, he at the breaking up of the body, after death, will be reborn in a realm of heavenly happiness.” Mahaparinibbana Sutta Other sacred sites , and often scenes of  principal miracles that the Buddha performed, are as follows: ♥ Shravasti: where the Buddha performed the Twin Miracle to silence the heretics, after which he ascended to Tavatimsa Heaven to preach to his mother. Here, at the site of Jetavana [Jeta's Grove], Buddha and his followers spent many rainy seasons. Buddha delivered more discourses here than in any other place.  ♥ Rajgir: where the Buddha tamed the drunken elephant, Nalagiri. Outside that town, at Vultures Peak [Gridhrakuta], the Buddha gave the Second Turning of the Wheel of the Law & The Perfection of Wisdom teachings.  ♥ Vesali: where a band of monkeys dug a pond for the Buddha’s use and offered Him a bowl of honey.  Here was the place that Buddha delivered his last sermon & announced His prospective Mahaparinirvana. ♥ Nalanda: In about the 5th century CE a monastic university was established at Nalanda that was eventually to develop into the greatest ancient centre of Buddhist learning. Students from China and Korea, Sri Lanka and Indonesia and from all the regions of India came to Nalanda to study.  This was also where the Buddha met and converted Maha Kassapa, the man who was later to become his successor.  ♥ Boudhanath: The Great Stupa of Boudhanath in the Kathmandu valley, a vast dome-shaped monument representing the Mind of the Buddha, is the primary pilgrimage destination for Tantric Buddhists of the Himalayas and a major draw for Tibetan Buddhists from all over the planet.  One of the holiest and most recognisable sites in Kathmandu, Boudhanath was assigned UNESCO world heritage status in 1979. The stupa here has a height of 36 metres and a diameter of 120 metres, making it the largest in Nepal and one of the largest in the world.  ♥ Varanasi: is one of the oldest living cities in the world, generally believed to be about 3,000 years old.  Regarded as holy by Hindus, Buddhists and Jains, this city is mentioned in the Mahabharata and in the Jataka tales of Buddhism. Varanasi is situated along the bank of the River Ganga & the culture of Varanasi is closely associated with the River Ganges and the river's religious importance. The city has been a cultural and religious center in northern India for several thousand years. *Please note, much of the information in the above section is courtesy of Chan Koon San's "Buddhist Pilgrimage" END=NAM MO SAKYAMUNI BUDDHA.( 3 TIMES ).WORLD VIETNAMESE BUDDHIST ORDER=VIETNAMESE BUDDHIST NUN=GOLDEN LOTUS MONASTERY=AUSTRALIA,SYDNEY.7/11/2013.THICH CHAN TANH.THE MIND OF ENLIGHTMENT.