Buddha attained perfect enlightenment, we enter into one of the most powerful sacred sites of the world.

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1 Dear Friend, We are writing to invite you to partake in a unique peace pilgrimage to some of the India and Nepal s most sacred Buddhist places from January 23-February 14th, This year s pilgrimage is being co-sponsored by the Tibetan Aid Project and the newlyestablished Sarnath International Nyingma Institute. For the past forty years, the Tibetan Aid Project has helped support and preserve the Tibetan culture. The mission of the Sarnath International Nyingma Institute is to serve as a bridge of goodness between the East and West. As co-sponsors of this pilgrimage, we hope to offer you an experience of a lifetime that communicates the value of your own connection and generosity to the Tibetan people and the impact it has had on preservation of the culture. Pilgrimages to Buddhist sacred sites have long been a means to renew and inspire faith amongst the young and the old. The sacred sites of the Buddha are often marked with temples, or stupas, and commemorate a great act: birth, enlightenment, the first teaching, and passing. These four great acts of the Buddha are considered the most sacred sites in the world and are Lumbini, Nepal and in India, Bodh Gaya, Sarnath, and Kushinagar. We begin our journey from Delhi to Bodh Gaya, the site of the Buddha s Enlightenment. Journeying to the exact spot of where the Buddha was enlightened over 2500 years ago to the Mahabodhi Gandola - both a temple and a stupa, and the Bodhi Tree where the

2 Buddha attained perfect enlightenment, we enter into one of the most powerful sacred sites of the world. For the past 26 years Tarthang Tulku has sponsored the Nyingma Monlam Chenmo. This ceremony, dedicated to world peace brings together over 10,000 Tibetan monks, nuns, lay people and pilgrims from Asia and around the world to pray for peace for all people. Throughout the ceremony, thousands of sacred texts printed by our sister organization Dharma Publishing will be offered to assembly, or Sangha. Over the five days, you will spend time joining the assembly in prayer and meditation under the Bodhi Tree, circumambulating the sacred temple grounds, making offerings to the lamas presiding over the ceremonies; offering food to the hundreds of beggars that live in and around the town of Bodh Gaya, and facilitating the distribution of texts to the schools, monasteries, monks and nuns. The entire experience is an invitation to awaken the seeds of enlightenment and nourish your heart for the benefit of others. On the sixth day, we will travel by private bus to Rajgir and Nalanda University. Nalanda University is considered the world s greatest monastic university. It is here where some of the most important students and scholars of the Dharma studied and imparted the heritage of wisdom, harmony and compassion that continues to benefit the entire world. Flourishing from fifth through the end of the twelfth century, we will tour the massive Nalanda archeological site and see the remains of once-great temples, assembly halls, monastic cells and sacred art.

3 The next day we will travel to Vulture Peak; the site where the Buddha offered some of the most profound Mahayana teachings, including the profound teachings of the Prajnaparamita and Heart Sutra. Here, we will take a lift to the top of Chatha Hill which is crowned by Vusvasanti Stupa, erected by Japanese Buddhists. This entire valley is infused with rich history and the teachings of the Buddha. We will then travel by private bus to the Sarnath International Nyingma Institute (SINI), outside of Varanasi. We will spend three days at the beautiful and serene SINI campus. The Institute was dedicated in 2013 with a mission of creating bridges of understanding through art, culture and education. One of their primary programs is the study and translation of sacred texts in Pali, Tibetan, English, Sanskrit and Chinese for a resident group of abbots and monks. While here, we will visit the Deer Park of Sarnath where the Buddha set the wheel of Dharma in motion with the first teaching and Dhamekh Stupa which marks this holy site. We will then move to the Surya Hotel in Varanasi for one night to see a Fire Ceremony and wake up early for a sunrise boat trip on the sacred Ganges River. This same day, we will board a train to Gorakhpur and then travel by private car for a short trip to Kushnigar, the place of the Buddha s death and Parinirvana, and then travel on to Lumbini, Nepal, the birthplace of the Buddha. We will spend one day and two nights seeing the many temples, beautiful gardens and archaeological site. We leave early the second morning by private van, traveling to the Kathmandu Guest House for a couple of nights in a classic British colonial hotel in the heart of the Thamel District. Enjoying a day of rest and relaxation here, you will be able to shop, try local Nepali cuisine, and get great spa treatments to renew yourself.

4 The next morning we will go to Swayambhu Stupa, considered the oldest Stupa in the world, and a UNESCO world heritage site, is perched atop a hill on the western edge of the Kathmandu Valley. The Swayambunath Stupa (known to tourists as the Monkey Temple) is one of the most important Buddhist shrines and was renovated in Following the steps of pilgrims, we will climb the 365 stone-carved steps to the top. There we find more shrines and votive stupas amongst the many small handicraft shops. In the afternoon we will move to a lovely monastery-run guest house in Boudha near the Boudhanath Stupa which is seven km east of the downtown Kathmandu. It is Nepal's most distinctive Stupa. Simple, massive and powerful, it rises majestically above a mandala, with its iconic painted eyes gazing solemnly over the countryside. Here we can join the constant circumambulation of pilgrims, morning, day and night or stop in any of the many temples, shops or restaurants surrounding the Great Stupa.

5 From Kathmandhu, we will take a few day trips to see additional important power places including, Namo Buddha, the place where in one of the Buddha s previous lives offered his body to a starving tigress, establishing his many selfless acts, and visiting Pharping cave, the famed meditation place of Padmasambhava. We will then take a van to Nuwakot, another power place of Padmasambhava and Yeshe Tsogyal and spend the night at a beautiful farmhouse overlooking the Valley. The next morning we will drive to Daman in Southern Kathmandu Valley to see the Daman View Tower, another power place of Padmsambhava, and then we will return to Kathmandu Guest House and enjoy an afternoon of rest and relaxation. The next day you catch a flight to Delhi and back to the US or as an additional add on, we can arrange a trip to the Taj Mahal with private car to Agra for tour of Taj Mahal. This very personal sacred pilgrimage will be guided throughout by Buddhist scholars and lay practitioners. A Tibetan monk from Sarnath Institute will guide and practice with us during our trip to Rajgir. We will have suggested readings before the trip to help us prepare for this special journey. Toni and Doug Nurnberg will be the pilgrimage leaders. Together they bring years of heart and experience to leading individualized tours throughout India and Nepal. Doug has been a student of Tarthang Tulku Rinpoche since 1974 and has made over a dozen trips to India and Nepal over the last 18 years. He currently serves on the Board of Sarnath International Nyingma Institute and is the project manager overseeing the many and various building projects. Toni has been a long time student of the dharma, most recently living and working at Ratna Ling Retreat Center as a retreat manager and completing a 6 month Kum Nye (Tibetan Yoga) teacher training program. She has been to India twice. She was fortunate to have completed this same pilgrimage last year, and is now honored to be able to act as coordinator for this year s pilgrimage. Participating in this pilgrimage is an opportunity to not only deepen your own connection to these sacred sites but to also to ensure the continuity of cultural preservation and prayers for peace in the world. All proceeds raised from this program will go towards supporting the TAP and SINI programs. Suggested donation is $2000 per traveler in addition to in-country travel which is expected to be $ Each traveler is responsible for their transportation to and from Delhi. A $1000 deposit will reserve you place and allow us to make all of the necessary reservations. The deposits should be made by November 15. For further details and any questions you may have, please contact Toni Nurnberg. tdnurnberg@yahoo.com home cell

6 Pilgrimage Itinerary Jan. 21 February 11, 2015 Depart US on January 21, 2015 and arrive in the early morning hours of January 23. We will arrange for a shuttle driver to meet you at the airport and take you to our hotel the Hyatt Place 1511 Old Delhi Gurgaon Road, near the airport for a few hours of sleep and then to meet up with everyone on the tour before we depart for Bodh Gaya in the afternoon. Day 1 Jan 23 Afternoon Plane to Bodhgaya Bodhgaya Regency Hotel Day 2-7 Jan World Peace Ceremony Day 7 Jan 29 Afternoon Van to Rajgir to Tour Nalanda University Indi Hokke Hotel, Virayatan Road, Rijgir Day 8 Jan 30 Visit Rajgir Vulture Peak Van to Sarnath Stay at Sarnath Institute Day 8-10 Jan 31 Lodging and meals at SINI Van to Dhamekh Stupa and grounds Day 11 Feb 2 Move to Surya Hotel, Varanasi Hindu Fire Ceremony at the Ghats on the Ganges Day 12 Feb 3 Sunrise boat trip on Ganges Train to Gorakapur Van to Kushnigar Van to Lumbini Nepal Hotel- Lumbini Buddha Garden Day 13 Feb 4 Visit Temple marking the birthplace of Buddha Day 14 Feb 5 Private Bus to Kathmandu Kathmandu Guest House Day 15 Feb 6 Day off for resting and shopping Thamel District Day 16 Feb 7 Swayambhu Stupa Move to Sechen Guest House Boudha Day 17 Feb 8 Boudhanath Stupa Day 18 Feb 9 Day trip to Namo Buddha and Pharping Caves Day 19 Feb 10 Van to Nuwakot Overnight in Farmhouse overlooking the Valley Day 20 Feb 11 Visit Daman in Southern Kathmandu Valley Visit Daman View Tower Return to Kathmandu Feb 11 Van to airport for flight to Delhi Late night flight to US OR Hotel near airport Day 21 Feb 12 Day trip to Agra Taj Mahal Late night flight to US