Chronicle of Buddhist pilgrimage
May 1,
2015 adrian chan The Star Online
In the outskirts of Varanasi, India, a peculiar edifice stood 44
metres tall, jutting above a sea of trees.
That was what archaeologist Alexander Cunningham saw
in 1833, which led him to one of the most important archaeological
discoveries of the 19th century — the ancient city of
Sarnath.
Buddhist scriptures described the city as having a
park filled with free roaming deer, a place in which the historical
Buddha was recorded to have delivered his first sermon.
Framed in flight: Bodh Gaya marks the spot where the
Buddha attained enlightenment.The Maha Bodhi temple was built to
commemorate this momentous event.
Deemed as one of the four sites worthy of pilgrimage
by the Siddhartha Gautama himself, no one — not even Buddhists —
stepped into the place for more than 1,000 years.
Abandoned in time, the city gradually became a myth,
turning into a place heard only in Buddhist stories, until
Cunningham’s discovery.
In modern times, hundreds of thousands of Buddhist
pilgrims visit Sarnath each year to pay homage to the birthplace of
the religion.
Sitting in ruins: Carted off as building materials
in the 18th century, what remains of the Dharmarajika Stupa (dated
to have been built more than 2,200 years ago) at Sarnath is but its
foundation.
Sunanda Ong Huey Chian, who went there two years
ago, described her visit as “awe-inspiring”.
“It was where the whole teaching of Truth began,”
said Ong, the director of Nalanda Dharma School.
She was reminded of the Dhammacakkappavattana
Sutta, the Buddha’s first discourse.
“It was where the Buddha not only defined what
suffering is, but also laid down the path leading to eternal
happiness,” said Ong.
Standing on the spot where “it all started” 2,500
years ago, she felt a deep sense of calmness and was filled with
gratitude.
“It was a powerful experience. I felt the immediate
urge to end dukkha (suffering),” said Ong, who aspired to
attain enlightenment one day.
Ong’s experience is not unique.
Serene grace:A Buddhist monk medatating outside the
Maha Bodhi temple at Bodh Gaya, India as the sun rises across the
horizon.
Buddhists, who went on a pilgrimage to India,
reported feeling an immense increase in faith.
Apart from Sarnath, pilgrims will usually visit
three other holy sites marking important events in the great
teacher’s life: Lumbini (his birthplace); Bodh
Gaya (his Enlightenment) and; Kusinara (his passing
away).
In an attempt to bring the same experience to
Buddhists who have not visited India, Dr Tan Ho Soon led a five-man
documentary team to each site in 2014, recording their splendour
and the history behind them.
Apart from the pilgrimage sites, the team also tried
to capture the essence of Indian culture.
Dr Tan, an expert in Buddhist history in India,
pointed out that the people’s way of life had remained the same for
thousands of years.
“In India, the culture has endured while monuments
crumbled,” said the founder of Nalanda Buddhist Society.
Still standing: Ancient walls of Rajgir still
standing strong after thousands of years. It is believed that the
Buddha's disciples held the first council at a cave near this
wall.
An ambitious project, Dr Tan’s team travelled
2,000km across India within 26 days, taking 32,000 photos and five
terabytes of video footage.
The team also managed to obtain filming permits for
the Patna museum and recorded a legitimate Buddha relic.
“Most relics do not have history,” said Dr Tan,
adding that the relic at Patna Museum has been authenticated and
can be traced back directly to the Buddha.
Scriptural records indicate that when the Buddha
died, his body was cremated and the remains distributed to eight
kingdoms in Northern India.
First steps:Buddhist mythology tells the story of
the infant Bodhisatta who, after being born walked seven steps at
Lumbini park with his index finger pointing towards the
sky.
“This relic is one of them,” said Dr Tan.
The team’s journey is on display at the “Passage
Through India” photo exhibition from today to May 3 at Nalanda
Buddhist Society, Sri Serdang in conjunction with Wesak Day.
Entrance is free.
For details, contact 03-8938
1500 or visit www.nalanda.org.my
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