Dear Friends, We have organised a 'Padayatra: a Walking Tour through the Curtain of Fire' to recreate the experience Bhante had according to his memoirs ''The Rainbow Road' (available online here). We are a bunch of ten inspired Order Members and Mitras from Vidharbha. We are all set to begin our walk on 10th May morning.  Like Sangharakshita, we intend to reach Kusinara on the full moon of Wesak.

 

We are undertaking this journey partly to practice walking and using the traditional robe and bowl of the Anagarika to deepen our going for refuge and partly to raise funds for the installation of a Buddha statue on our land at Sarnath.   Also, on our way we will benefit people by studying and teaching the Dhamma. We would like to take the vows of anagarikas for our journey. We would very much appreciate your thoughts and good wishes to accompany us for this journey.

 

Here is a little of Sangharakshita’s story - In May 1949, two young wanderers wearing ragged robes, Dharmapriya and Satyapriya, set out on foot to cover the 180km from Sarnath to Kusinara in order to meet the Burmese monk U Chandramani. It was the hottest time of year with temperatures rising relentlessly every day and scorching hot winds gusting across the plains. Despite the dangers, the two young men were not to be dissuaded.  “So great was our desire for ordination that if necessary we would have prostrated ourselves the whole distance”. Following the railways tracks, wearing wet towels as turbans, sheltering in mango groves and ashrams and depending on the generosity of those they encountered, the wanderers completed the epic journey in 8 days. Shortly after arriving in Kusinara, Dharmapriya was ordained as the novice called Sangharakshita.

 

To contact Manidhamma manidhamma@gmail.com and the Dhammaloka Trust, Sarnath is at www.dhammaloka.com or  www.dhammayatra.in.

 

For our fundraising, any contributions are welcome from you or your friends.  Thanking you, and we are looking forward to hearing from you.

 

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With metta, Manidhamma