The tradition of pilgrimage is common across most religions. The Buddha encouraged pilgrimage as a helpful way to generate merit that leads to realizing the truth or awakening, but it is not a requirement—just another method. Devotion and longing are more essential to pilgrimage than simply traveling to a destination.

When visiting holy sites, Buddhists can engage in the following practices: 1) Paying homage to the triple gem, which is a common practice at holy sites. 2) Reflecting on and contemplating the meaning of the Buddha’s teachings, such as “all compounded phenomena are impermanent.” 3) Reading sutras, shastras, and biographies of the buddhas and bodhisattvas. 4) Chanting and meditating to connect the mind with the sacred. 5) Making offerings to the Buddha and circumambulating the holy sites (walking in a circle around them).

The top four holy sites for Buddhist pilgrimage are: Lumbini, the birthplace of the Buddha; Bodh Gaya, the site where the Buddha attained enlightenment; Sarnath, the location of the Buddha’s first sermon; and Kushinagar, the location where the Buddha attained parinirvana. The next four sites are Rajgir, where the Buddha subdued an angry elephant; Vaishali, where he received an offering of honey from a monkey; Sravasti, where the Buddha performed the twin miracle; and Sankassa, where the Buddha returned after spending three months teaching his mother in heavenly realms. Other holy Buddhist sites include: the Ajanta Caves, Anuradhapura in Sri Lanka, Ayutthaya historical park in Thailand, Angkor Wat in Cambodia, Borobudur in Indonesia, Lhasa in the Tibetan Autonomous Region, Mount WuTaiShan in China, and Nara in Japan.

A pilgrimage is not just a vacation; it’s an active practice involving meditation and is an opportunity to increase merit and wisdom.

Reflect on the experience of visiting a holy place in person if possible, or the experience of learning about and seeing photographs of a holy place.

• Which Buddhist holy sites would you want to visit, and why?

Identify and locate major Buddhist pilgrimage sites while analyzing their historical and symbolic significance, evaluate the practices and attitudes that constitute authentic pilgrimage versus religious tourism, and demonstrate culturally appropriate conduct that honors the sacred nature of Buddhist temples and holy places.