Picto Diary - 09 December 2019 - Sarnath
Above: Dhamekh Stupa. Sarnath, Uttar Pradesh, India. 09 December 2019.
Shaly instructs Drums and TIMDT on life of Buddah.
Sarnath is a place located ten kilometres north-east of Varanasi near the confluence of the Ganges and the Varuna rivers in Uttar Pradesh, India. The deer park in Sarnath is where Gautama Buddha first taught the Dharma, and where the Buddhist Sangha came into existence through the enlightenment of Kondanna (Sanskrit: Kauṇḍinya).
Singhpur, a village approximately one kilometer away from the site, was the birthplace of Shreyansanath, the Eleventh Tirthankara of Jainism. A temple dedicated to him, is an important pilgrimage site.
Also referred to as Isipatana, this city is mentioned by the Buddha as one of the four places of pilgrimage to which his devout followers should visit. It was also the site of the Buddha's Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta, which was his first teaching after attaining enlightenment, in which he taught the four noble truths and the teachings associated with it.
Numerous pilgrims, from all over the Buddhist world, were visiting the site while we were there.
India just keeps on giving and giving. We lived in India for three years in the early '70's and have been back a dozen times since. But, this is our first visit to this important spot.
Above: Drums feeding deer. Sarnath Deer Park. Sarnath. Uttar Pradesh, India. 09 December 2019.
.
Sarnath is one of the four main pilgrimage site for Buddhists. It's hard for me to internalize that Gautama Buddah was at this spot. Perhaps one day, Drums will look at this image and realize the significance of this place.... umm... that being said, maybe he knows more than I think.
Sarnath reminds of India's intense spiritualism. Most Indians are devout in their respective religious faiths. Buddhism and Hinduism, respectively the worlds fourth largest and third largest religions, were founded in India. Despite the fact that the religion was founded in India, Buddhism no longer has a significant following there. Two hundred million Indians are Muslims, members of the world's second largest religion. There are 25 million, mostly active, Christians in India and 25 million Sikhs. Jains and Parsees represent a small percentage of adherents in India, though both religions have disproportionate influence. For example, The Tatas are Parsee. Anshu Jain, a Jain, was a former co-CEO of Deutch Bank. Without a doubt, the most recognized figure in the Buddhist world is Tenzin Gyatso, who is best known as the fourteenth, and current, Dalai Lama. This former monk is not only Tibet's current (and exiled in Dharamsala, India) spiritual leader, but also an outspoken peace activist. Koessler, who accompanies us on this trip, was presented, as an infant, to the Dalai Lama, at the request of his surrounding monks, one late night in 1973, in the departure lounge of the Dum Dum Airport (Calcutta).
Above: Drums at the third generation Bodhi tree of the real Bodhi tree under which Buddah received enlightenment. Sarnath, Uttar Pradesh, India. 09 December 2019.
Tree descends from tree which descends, via transplanted twig, from original Buddah enlightenment Bodhi tree. When Bishop asks about hardness of provenance, guide Shaley insists that the Sarnath tree's ancestry is well documented.
Above: Ashoka Pillar. Sarnath Museum. Sarnath, Uttar Pradesh, India. 09 December 2019.
File image (no phone cameras allowed, but we saw an original).
ASHOKA PILLAR. Pillars like this were placed around India by Mauryan emperor Ashoka circa 250 BC. Pillars are seen as first symbol of a united India.
Ashoka was an Indian emperor of the Maurya Dynasty, who ruled almost all of the Indian subcontinent from c. 268 to 232 BCE. The grandson of the founder of the Maurya Dynasty, Chandragupta Maurya, Ashoka promoted the spread of Buddhism across ancient Asia. Considered by many to be one of India's greatest emperors, Ashoka expanded Chandragupta's empire to reign over a realm stretching from present-day Afghanistan in the west to Bangladesh in the east. It covered the entire Indian subcontinent except for parts of present-day Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Kerala. The empire's capital was Pataliputra (in Magadha, present-day Patna), with provincial capitals at Taxila and Ujjain.
Now, also, a symbol of modern India, is the Buddah wheel at the base of the Ashoka Pillar represented on India's Flag.
Above: Flag of India showing Buddhist Wheel derived from Ashoka Pillars.
Addendum:
DR G ;Looks to be having a super time just as your group is 🏍
Mr. Z3,
Oxnard, CA
Dear Steve
Lovely reading your blogs and now you have more fans in the office who would like to be included in your mailing list.
My colleague AK and Raj.
Hope all is well ...
Wish you all a Happy Holiday Season!
Regards, Praveen,
Gurgaon, India