Alex Wilding

I won't go on, as you'll find plenty of good information if you search the net and look at sites such as Buddhist pilgrimage sites on Wikipedia. But myself, as a student of Tibetan styles of Buddhism, I do really have to mention at least the Patala Palace in Lhasa, the capital of Tibet, and Mount Kailash and its nearby lakes.

I won't go on, as you'll find plenty of good information if you search the net and look at sites such as Buddhist pilgrimage sites on Wikipedia. But myself, as a student of Tibetan styles of Buddhism, I do really have to mention at least the Patala Palace in Lhasa, the capital of Tibet, and Mount Kailash and its nearby lakes.

Mount Kailash is looked on as a sacred site, not only by Buddhists and burnt Tibetans, but also by Hindus who see it as an abode of Shiva, and by the Jains.

Mount Kailash is looked on as a sacred site, not only by Buddhists and burnt Tibetans, but also by Hindus who see it as an abode of Shiva, and by the Jains.

Having been on an all too brief visit to the Potala years ago, a pilgrimage to Kailash is one that I would still love to do, although I don't really see it happening, either when I peer into the tea leaves or when I look up into the stars and constellations.

Having been on an all too brief visit to the Potala years ago, a pilgrimage to Kailash is one that I would still love to do, although I don't really see it happening, either when I peer into the tea leaves or when I look up into the stars and constellations.

As if the hardships of these pilgrimages were not already enough, you'll even see those who prostrate their way around Kailash, measuring their length, as it is said. and around special sites such as the Jokhang. Lhasa, the capital of Tibet, as I said, is most famous for the Patala Palace, which is of course extremely photogenic. You must have seen pictures.

As if the hardships of these pilgrimages were not already enough, you'll even see those who prostrate their way around Kailash, measuring their length, as it is said. and around special sites such as the Jokhang. Lhasa, the capital of Tibet, as I said, is most famous for the Patala Palace, which is of course extremely photogenic. You must have seen pictures.

But the Jokhang in the centre of town comes higher up on the scale of sacredness. So how can we think about this? When Buddhism puts so much emphasis on the state of our mind and our motivation, how can we tie that in with something as obviously external as a pilgrimage?

But the Jokhang in the centre of town comes higher up on the scale of sacredness. So how can we think about this? When Buddhism puts so much emphasis on the state of our mind and our motivation, how can we tie that in with something as obviously external as a pilgrimage?

I think quite a lot of the answer lies in a principle that's quite central to the Vajrayana approach, and that is the power of enactment. We often speak of the Vajrayana rather than the Tantrayana largely because of the way the word Tantra has been hijacked and distorted in the West by cheap jack would-be gurus and exploiters.

I think quite a lot of the answer lies in a principle that's quite central to the Vajrayana approach, and that is the power of enactment. We often speak of the Vajrayana rather than the Tantrayana largely because of the way the word Tantra has been hijacked and distorted in the West by cheap jack would-be gurus and exploiters.

Another term, which is in fact quite synonymous with this, and widely used in Tibetan writings, is the Mantrayana, or the secret mantra vehicle. It is, after all, well known that practitioners of this style of Buddhism spend large amounts of time reciting mantras.

Another term, which is in fact quite synonymous with this, and widely used in Tibetan writings, is the Mantrayana, or the secret mantra vehicle. It is, after all, well known that practitioners of this style of Buddhism spend large amounts of time reciting mantras.

And when they do this, the mantra is not just some sort of soothing spiritual sound that we repeat in the same way as we might put on a CD of Buddhist chant, together with a candle and some incense and go, oh, peaceful. Rather, the mantra is a statement of the deity concerned. It almost is the deity concerned. It embodies the deity and often does not contains the deity's name.

And when they do this, the mantra is not just some sort of soothing spiritual sound that we repeat in the same way as we might put on a CD of Buddhist chant, together with a candle and some incense and go, oh, peaceful. Rather, the mantra is a statement of the deity concerned. It almost is the deity concerned. It embodies the deity and often does not contains the deity's name.

It's an enactment of the deity's speech. In the same way, we might consider the famous preliminaries. When a practitioner does, over a period of months or years, a basic set of preliminaries, they actually do throw themselves down on the ground in a full-length prostration 100,000 times, usually while reciting a version of the refuge prayer.

It's an enactment of the deity's speech. In the same way, we might consider the famous preliminaries. When a practitioner does, over a period of months or years, a basic set of preliminaries, they actually do throw themselves down on the ground in a full-length prostration 100,000 times, usually while reciting a version of the refuge prayer.

the practitioner will not just meditatively think about feeling remorse for the harmful things they have undoubtedly done, and wishing to do better and make amends, they actually do recite the hundred-syllable mantra of Dorje Sempa, also called Bhajrasattva in his Sanskrit name, reciting it out loud, even though perhaps quietly, 100,000 times.

the practitioner will not just meditatively think about feeling remorse for the harmful things they have undoubtedly done, and wishing to do better and make amends, they actually do recite the hundred-syllable mantra of Dorje Sempa, also called Bhajrasattva in his Sanskrit name, reciting it out loud, even though perhaps quietly, 100,000 times.