My Trip to India - Colour &

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However our destination was this Gridhakuta Peak, better known as the Vulture's Peak located some 200m below the Ratnagiri hill. We had to walk some 4km downhill on steep steps and uneven rocks

The hill is listed in Buddhist canonical texts as one of the places stayed in by the Buddha when at Rajgir; and several notable events, including an attempt on his life by his evil cousin Devadatta occurred there. The Mahayana tradition goes further; a number of its major texts, most famously the Lotus Sutra, were supposedly delivered as sermons there. As such, it ia a major destinations for pilgrims in both ancient and modern times

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And just in case you are wondering why this place is better known as the Vulture's Peak, here is why. It's a wonder that after some 2,500 years later, we still gets the opportunity to see and feel for the place as per the descriptions in Pali discourse .

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Just as we left the Vulture's Peak, the peace and serienty were immediately broken by the persistent touts and beggars. On our way downhill, we met this medicine man who claimed that his herbs could cure many illness. Almost have the urge to buy his herbs for my problem

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This place is Venuvana. It used to be a bamboo grove where the Buddha stayed. Although this bamboos were no longer original, I have a special liking for this place as one of my favourite discourse "Sammanapala Sutta - The Fruit of a Comtemplative Life" was taught here.

A brief story of what happened in this discourse: - King Agajasatu of the Magada Kingdom killed his father in order to seize the throne. After he seized the throne, he felt uneasy throughout and decided to listen to a talk. Some of his Minister suggested him to listen to this speakers and that speaker but he turned them down. Just then, one Minister suggested hearing the Buddha out since he was in the bamboo grove.

He agreed and with 500 soldiers proceed to the bamboo grove in chariots and elephants until the chariots cannot go further and they had to walk some distance. As they were walking, the King became suspicious of his Minister because he was told there were 1250 monks with the Buddha but the place was so quite as if nobody was around. He asked the Minister if he was out to kill him but the Minister adviced him to walk further. There he met the Buddha and asked about the Fruits.

Finally at the end of the talked, he understood but because of his deed, he couldn't turn back. Anyway years later, he received the same treatment as he was imprisoned by his son who seized the throne from him.

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Ruins of the ancient Nalanda University. Nalam - means "Lotus or Knowledge" and da means "to give". and aptly this was the location of the ancient Buddhist University. Many subjects were taught here such as medcine, astromy etc....

During ancient time, new building were built on top of the older one. Archeologist have found building built in the 3rd CenturyAD , 5th Century AD and 7th Century AD stacking on top of each other. These great University were destroyed when the Mongul King invaded India

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Vaishali was a city, the capital of the Licchavis and the Vajjian Confederacy. At the time of the Buddha, Vesali was a very large city, rich and prosperous, crowded with people and with abundant food. There were seven thousand seven hundred and seven pleasure grounds and an equal number of lotus ponds.

It was said that once the Buddha visited the place and a courtesan, Ambapali, was famous for her beauty offered him lunch. Just then, the King of Licchavis heard of his visit and also offered him lunch. But the Buddha turned down the King offer. King questioned the Buddha why he turned down his offer as Ambapali being a courtesan is from the low caste. This being proof that the Buddha do not accept the caste system pratice

Below is the ruins of a Relic Stupa that had 1/8 of the Buddha relics being build by the King of the Licchavis after the passing away of the Buddha

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very very interesting...i may embark on this journey one day...

one - for knowledge
two - for inner peace
three - for photography
four - for simpler holiday
and most importantly - to lose weight (vege meals..) Embarassed

Mr. Green

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Laughing

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Kolhua, a part of the ancient city of Vaishali. This mark the spot to several events that occured in the Buddha time. A beautiful story that the Chief of the monkey offered a bowl of honey to the Buddha.

During the Buddha's time, there was a great drought, famine and evil spirit haunting the people. The King of Licchavis did not know what to do and finally invited the Buddha who was staying in Sharvasti to help. The Budhha gave the Ratana Sutta (Virtue of the Three Jewels) discourse requested his attendance Ananda to chant the Ratana Sutta and sprinkle some water at the village. It was said that after that, it started to rain and the problems were sloved.

Perhap the most significant event was his announcement his passing away in 4 months time. This Asoka Pillar is the best conditioned remains. A sad looking lion stood 11 meter high on a monolithic polished sand stone that mark the stupa where the chief monkey offered the bowl of honey

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This picture will tell you just how peaceful and serene the place is. It is located in a remote village where farming methods are still backward

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A young lady pounding the rice to remove the husk manually

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Life in the village is slow and easy. These 2 ladies were chatting until I interrupted with the photo shoot. The lady on the left decided to shy away from the photo shoot

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As most of the jobs are done by men, women remains at home doing household chores and farming.

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Kushinagar - This was the capital of the Mallas during the Buddha's time. This stupa is known as the Makutabhandana Chaitya and was excavated in 1910 AD. It represents the site of cremationof the Buddha.

The peaceful and serene vibration of this site brought me to tears during the chanting of this Paticca Samuppada stanza. I have thus decided to include the English translation for reading

Paticca Samuppada - The Reflection on the Wheel of Life

Dependent on Ignorance arise Activities (Moral and Immoral)
Activities arises Consciousness (Re-birth Consciousness)
Consciousness arise Mind and Matter
Mind and Matter arise the six Spheres of Sense
the Six Spheres of Sense arises Contact
Contact arises Feeling
Feeling arises Craving
Craving arises Grasping
Grasping arise Actions (Kamma)
Actions arises Rebirth
Birth arise Decay, Death, Sorrow, Lamentation, Pain, Grief, and Despair.

Thus does the entire aggregate of suffering arise. The first two of these twelve pertain to the past, the middle eight to the present, and the last two to the future. The complete cessation of Ignorance leads to the cessation of Activities.

The cessation of Activities leads to the cessation of Consciousness.
Consciousness leads to the cessation of mind and matter.
Mind and Matter leads to the cessation of the six Spheres of Sense.
the six Spheres of Sense leads to the cessation of Contact,
Contact leads to the cessation of Feeling.
Feeling leads to the cessation of Craving.
Craving leads to the cessation of Grasping.
Grasping leads to the cessation of Actions.
Actions leads to the cessation of Re-birth.
Re-birth leads to the cessation of Decay, Death, Sorrow, Lamentation, Pain, Grief, and Despair.

Thus does the cessation of this entire aggregate of suffering result.

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Notice the peaceful and serene saddness of this place? The morning sun adds on to the atmosphere bringing solitude to the place

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Matha-Kuar Shrine - This place was excavated in the 1800 where this site was found. This was his last stop before passing on. He was said to have diarrhea here before procceding to where he passed on

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Sal or Sakhu (Shorea robusta) is another most important timber species in Madhya Pradesh. It is a large evergreen tree belonging to the family dipterocarpaceae. It white flowers gives off sweet fragrance smell during the summer. It was said that the Buddha laid between 2 sal trees and passed on. Although this is not the original tree, the presence of the trees brings memory to the discourse.

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it's alot more interesting if you have a knowledge to the history and culture of the place. with the right company, it will be really fun. usually i dislike group tour as i alway felt like being a chased and shoved brood of chicken. but for this one, it not so much.

One day, i may return and stay for 1 week at each place.
Very Happy

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Kushingar - On the left of this picture is the Parinivrna Temple and on the right is the Parinirvna Stupa. The remains of this site was discovered behind a 40 foot moulded bricks surrounded by dense thorny forest.

As usual, the clues leading to the dicovery was due to the chinese traveller monks Fa Hisen and Xuan Zang whose records in some sense form the basis of the history of India.

This is the place where the Buddha taught the famous Mahaparinibbana Sutta before passing on.

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Inside the parinirvna temple lies a colossal monolithic red sandstone carving of the reclining Buddha by a 5th century greek artists. This beautiful carving offers 3 different views in different directions.

If you look from the legs positions, the statue gives you the look of a passed on person. If you look from the torso position, the statue gives you the look of a sick person. If you look from the head position, the statue gives you a similing person. Such is the beauty of the artist artwork.

As I have mentioned that this is a redstone, devotees have pasted gold leaves out of devotion but have thus damaged the originality of the artwork. Worst, there was a vietnamese devotee who sprinkle perfume on the statue but was scolded by my teacher for causing the damage to such great artwork.

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