Places I Want to Visit In This Lifetime Part 1

This planet that we call home has many wonderful and beautiful places, too numerous to list them all. So if you had the chance to visit just a few where would you want to go For me as a Buddhist I would say that these would have to be the top of my list.

1. Bodh Gaya- The place where Buddha Shakyamuni attained enlightenment. It is also known as the Vijra Seat and the spiritual center of the world. The main temple is well over 2500 years old. Seeing this place would be of great significance to anybody. Imagine the history that this place would contain.

location of Bodh Gaya from Google Earth

2. Lumbini Park- This is the park where Siddhartha Gautama was born. It is situated in Nepal. This is where our Buddha was born.

the pool where Siddhartha Gautama's mother wash him after giving birth to him

3. Swayambhunath Stupa located in Kathmandu Nepal. This Stupa is one of the most holiest sites in Nepal and for Buddhist as far back as the 5th century. For some reason I can't stop thinking of this place after since seeing a picture of it.

4. Rumtek Monastery- Located in Sikkim,India. This is important for me because I follow the Kagyu lineage of Tibetan Buddhism and Rumtek is the current seat for the Kagyu order and also the Black Hat Lama. Ah the thought of just meditating there and chanting some mantras in Rumtek is just enchanting.

the inside of Rumtek Monastery and also a map showing Rumtek's location

5. Benares or Modern Vanarasi- Lord Buddha in his lifetime visited this holy city which lies along the river Ganges many times. Till today this city is still a great city surviving since before the times of Lord Buddha.

life along this holy river and city revolves around many religious ceremonies


map of Varanasi/Benares location