On his deathbed, the Buddha instructed his followers to visit the important sites from his life, the places of his birth, enlightenment, first sermon, and death, because these would inspire powerful emotions and propel their practice. These places were imbued with a magical sense and the Buddha suggested that dying in one of these places with a serenely joyful heart would guarantee a good rebirth.

This “sacred geography” was expanded by the dissemination of the Buddha's remains and other relics. Subsequently, mountains became sacred pilgrimage sites, including Mt. Kailsh in Tibet, Mt. Fuji in Japan, Mt. Wutai in China, and “Adam's Peak” in Sri Lanka. Tibetan pilgrims may circumambulate long distances making full-body prostrations. Some of these journeys may be hundreds of miles and take years to complete, one prostration at a time. To protect themselves, the pilgrims wear leather aprons and hand and knee protectors. Pilgrimage is a special form of practice, away from daily routines; the pilgrim brings the intention of devotion to the journey.

The Sennichi Kaihogyo

A May 2010 NPR news story, “Monk's Enlightenment Begins with a Marathon Walk,” presents an intriguing account of walking Japanese Zen monks. These monks aren't going for a stroll. One monk completes the “Sennichi Kaihogyo, 1,000 days of walking meditation and prayer over a seven-year period around Mount Hiei. He walked twenty-six miles a day for periods of either 100 or 200 consecutive days.” That's the equivalent of a trip around the earth. Japanese Zen is notorious for such feats, but the Sennichi Kaiho gyo is a walk in the park compared with the “test” that occurs 700 days into the process.

Here, he “prays nonstop for nine days, without eating, drinking, sleeping or even lying down. It's a near-death experience, the monk says.” Such a test burns away all traces of self-related story and resistance and provides the practitioner with an unencumbered look at existence. This is an existential experience of purity and one must be willing to relinquish everything to have it. “Finally, his old self dies, at least figuratively, and he is reborn to help and lead all beings to enlightenment.”

This extreme experience cuts away at the illusion of separation, helping the monk to pursue his bodhisattva path — working for the betterment of all sentient beings. Such experiences are the equivalent of Buddhist Olympics and not the sort of thing that you might contemplate or practice on a daily basis. They are certainly not necessary for you to have a taste of that interconnectedness with everything and everyone around you. Certainly, the Buddha spent a lot of time walking around northern India with his retinue of followers, and walking meditation is an important practice for mindfulness. So, you can embody this spirit each time we walk in a deliberate manner. As a lay practitioner, you may not have the time to spend 1,000 days walking the equivalent of a marathon each day, but as Tich Nhat Hanh said, “peace can be in every step.”

A pilgrimage is much more than a holiday with a spiritual destination. A pilgrimage is a journey to a shrine or sacred place that can change the traveler in an irrevocable way. The Buddha made pilgrimages all over India, traveling from place to place, spreading his teachings. Today, you can walk in the Buddha's footsteps and follow his path. If you are interested in experiencing some of the sacred places in the history of Buddhism, you will have many to choose from.

The Holy Sites of Buddhism

The four holy sites of Buddhism are: Lumbini, the Buddha's birthplace; Bodhgaya, the site of his enlightenment; Sarnath, the site of the First Sermon; and Kushinagara, where the Buddha died. This list is not comprehensive. You can also visit Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Bhutan, China, Taiwan, Tibet, Thailand, Vietnam, Japan, Korea, and more. The Buddha himself may not have left footsteps in these countries, but Buddhist culture and history is rich and there are many wonderful places to experience.