Fwd: The Journey Is the Practice

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From: Lion's Roar <newsletter@lionsroar.com>
Date: Fri, Jun 20, 2025 at 8:02 PM
Subject: The Journey Is the Practice
To: <seelindsay@gmail.com>

With the right intention and awareness, every destination, every step can become an opportunity for practice.

View this email in your browser 06.20.2025 The Journey Is the Practice   Pilgrimage has long been a meaningful aspect of Buddhist practice — not only a physical journey, but an inner one as well. For Buddhists, visiting the places where the Buddha was born, attained enlightenment, taught the dharma, and passed into parinirvana can be a deeply moving and transformative experience. For me, walking on the very ground where the Buddha once walked offered a profound shift in perspective. It allowed me to reflect deeply on the path he laid out and to recognize that each of us, too, holds the capacity for awakening. Most recently, I had the opportunity to go on pilgrimage to Nepal, where I met with teachers and practitioners from around the world. One of the most transformative practices for me — one that I cherish deeply — is the circumambulation of the Boudhanath Stupa. Being surrounded by people wholeheartedly engaged in practice — praying, prostrating, and reciting mantras — created a powerful sense of shared devotion. It offered me a glimpse into the deeper meaning of sangha, not just as a local community, but as a global network of practitioners walking the path together. You can hear more about my time in Nepal and my reflections on pilgrimage in my conversation with Scott Tusa, recorded during my visit. The articles below explore the rich tradition of Buddhist pilgrimage from multiple angles: practical advice for those setting out on their first journey, reflections on walking in the Buddha's footsteps in India, and personal stories of what pilgrimage reveals about the dharma — and about ourselves. These pieces remind us that pilgrimage is not just about where we go, but how we go. With the right intention and awareness, every destination, every step can become an opportunity for practice. At Lion's Roar, we're honored to offer this experience to our community. We invite you to join us on one of our upcoming trips, which offer a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to walk in the Buddha's footsteps, deepen your practice, and connect with a community of fellow seekers. Click here to learn more. —Mariana Restrepo, deputy editor, Buddhadharma In the Footsteps of the Buddha When we visit the very places where the Buddha lived and taught, we discover deeper meaning in his teachings. Shantum Seth takes us on a sacred pilgrimage. As he lay on his deathbed, the Buddha comforted his distraught disciple Ananda by telling him there were four places that those with faith in the buddhadharma should visit. These four were the pleasure garden in Lumbini, where he'd been born; under the tree by the Niranjana River in Bodhgaya, where he'd awakened; in the Deer Park in Sarnath, where he'd first taught; and in the sal forest of Kushinagar where he would breathe his last. This was the Buddha's way of saying that he could always be found wherever he'd walked and taught. ADVERTISEMENT Scott Tusa on Pilgrimage, Parenting, and Practice in Nepal Mariana Restrepo, deputy editor of Buddhadharma, speaks with dharma teacher Scott Tusa while on pilgrimage in Nepal, reflecting on the intersections of practice, pilgrimage, and parenting—from shared monastic roots to the realities of everyday life. While on pilgrimage in Nepal, I had the good fortune of running into dharma teacher Scott Tusa. We took the opportunity to sit down and reflect on the themes of pilgrimage, practice, and parenting—and how these seemingly separate aspects of life are deeply intertwined on the spiritual path. In this conversation, we explored the monastic and householder paths, and how we both share this experience—having lived as monastics and now bringing our practice into the everyday realities of parenting. We also talked about how to approach pilgrimage with intention and how to carry that view into the rhythms and responsibilities of daily life. How Travel Opens Your Mind and Heart Travel wakes us up to the world. Three personal stories of transformational travel in Thailand, Ethiopia, and Yemen. I, simply by virtue of bungling through the country as a traveler just the month before, saw in my mind's eye something very different. I saw the old man who had risked his life to drive me through treacherous roadblocks. I saw the friendly stranger walking slowly among the graves of almost everyone he cared for. I saw the veiled women in a back alleyway, tapping away on borrowed keyboards to try to track down loved ones—and new futures, perhaps — in Manhattan. The world is always larger — more human — than our ideas of it. Pulling out the arrow of suffering the Buddha talked about is of much more help than speculation about where the arrow came from. And projections never throw off as much light as even the most bewildering meetings in the flesh. Pico Iyer MORE FROM LION'S ROAR  OUR MISSION  |  DONATE  |  SUBSCRIBE STORE  |  ONLINE COURSES  |  BUDDHIST DIRECTORY ADVERTISE IN THIS NEWSLETTER  CONNECT WITH US Copyright © 2025 Lion's Roar Foundation · 2403 Clifton St · Halifax, NS B3K 4T9 · Canada This newsletter was sent to seelindsay@gmail.com. You received it because you signed up on our website, or through a a Lion's Roar registration or product purchase. Manage your preferences to find out what emails we send and choose what you want to receive. Unsubscribe from all emails.