Walking in the Valley of the Buddha: Buddhist Revival and Tourism Development in Bihar

Abstract

On December 12th 2015 the Eleventh International Tipitaka chanting ceremony in Bodh Gaya reached its conclusion. Some 4,500 senior monks, nuns and lay persons from Cambodia, Thailand, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Lao P.D.R., Indonesia, Vietnam, Nepal, Malaysia and India gathered in the shade of the Bodhi Tree to recite the words of the Buddhist Pali canon. Organized into separate national stalls and amplified by speaker systems, for ten days the Mahabodhi temple complex resounded with the words of the Buddha, albeit separated by diverse linguistic intonations.The Tipitaka chanting ceremony in Bodh Gaya is organized annually by the International Tipitika Chanting Council (ITCC), along with many international devotees who share in making offerings. The primary sponsor is the Light of Buddhadharma International Foundation (LBDFI), a non-profit organization dedicated to the restoration of the Buddha sasana in India, promoting pilgrimage, educating monks and supporting Buddhist publications. Although founded by Tibetan Rinpoche Tarthang Tulku, much of the work is carried out by his daughter, Wangmo Dixey, Executive Director of LBDFI and now a regular fixture in Bodh Gaya during the winter season. Although I first met Wangmo in 2006 as a volunteer during the first International Tipitaka chanting ceremony, this was the first time I had the opportunity to participate in the events, in particular, the Buddha Carika, or Dhammayatra (Dharma Walk), organized on December 13, 2015 to the nearby Jethian Valley.The Jethian Valley is 55 km east of Bodh Gaya, around 100 km southeast of Patna near the city of Rajgir between the Sone and Ganges rivers. This beautiful corridor of lush green jungle and rocky hills straddles the jurisdiction of the Nalanda and Gaya districts, and is believed to be one of the main routes taken by the Buddha during his 45 years of wandering and preaching in various parts of India. During the Buddha's time, Rajgir was the first capital of the Kingdom of Magadha, and according to legend, it is believed that King Bimbisara had greeted the Buddha in the scenic Jethian Valley and welcomed the Tathagata to reside in the area of Venu Van (Bamboo Grove) where he gifted land for the Sangha's rain retreats. In the nearby Gridhra-kuta, (Hill of the Vultures) it is also believed that Gautama Buddha delivered some of his most famous sermons and it was in the nearby Saptparni caves that the First Buddhist Council was held. Today Rajgir is a bustling town surrounded by low-lying hills and remains an important pilgrimage center that sits at the confluence of several religious traditions, most notably Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.The Dhammayatra started in the small village of Jethian, where several buses and vans from Bodh Gaya began to arrive in the early morning. In connection with the LBDFI and Nav Nalanda Mahavir (deemed university), a special sangha-dana had been organized in the village involving a group of 30 monks in multi-colored robes from different nationalities. The monks weaved their way through the rustic Jethian village receiving alms in their begging bowls from the local villagers. Following a decorative chalk pathway, the barefoot group of monks moved from door to door with slow and mindful steps. At one point during the walk, a Cambodian monk briefly called me aside and pulled out his tablet beneath his robes and asked if I would take some photos of him receiving the dana in his alms bowl. Clearly the foreign Buddhist monks were honored by the generous village reception and took great pride in renewing sacred ties with the ancient site of Jethian at the entrance of the valley. After weaving their way through the village the group settled in a grassy patch where the monks ate from their begging bowls and village women darted through the group of onlookers offering home-made sweets, such as the popular tilkput.As the mid-day sun began to burn through the morning mist, a large event was organized on the nearby maidan as buses of pilgrims and visitors from surrounding villages continued to arrive. …