Research Trip to Egypt in Feb. 2008 (Part 1)

FORGOTTEN PATHWAYS OF BUDDHISM ITINERARY

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Day

Date

 

During the day

 

At night

 

 

 

 

 

 

1

13/2/08

 

Pyramids

 

Giza

2

14/2/08

 

Egyptian Museum Cairo

 

Giza

3

15/2/08

 

Egyptian Museum Cairo, Saqqara

 

Giza

4

16/2/08

 

Sphinx, pyramids, Luxor Museum

 

Luxor

5

 

17/2/08

 

 

Luxor Temple, Valley of the Queens,

Ramesses II and III, Workers Village

 

Luxor

 

6

18/2/08

 

Temple of Hapshepsut, Valley of the Kings

 

Luxor

7

19/2/08

 

Denderah and Karnak

 

Luxor

8

20/2/08

 

Balloon and boat

 

Luxor

9

 

21/2/08

 

 

Library of Alexandria, Dr Sahar Humoda

and Dr Jean-Yves Empereur

 

Alexandria

 

10

 

22/2/08

 

 

Catacombs, Pompey’s Pillar, lighthouse

and Alexandria National Museum

 

Cairo

 

11

23/2/08

 

Flight to Athens

 

Athens

12

24/2/08

 

Acropolis and Agora

 

Athens

13

25/2/08

 

National Museum

 

Athens

14

26/2/08

 

Flight to Cairo and bus trip to Giza

 

Bangkok

15

27/2/08

 

Funeral for senior monk

 

Bangkok

16

28/2/08

 

Flight to Gaya and Meditation Centre

 

Bodh Gaya

17

29/2/08

 

Visit old friends and Mahabodhi Temple

 

Bodh Gaya

18

1/3/08

 

Bodh Gaya Museum and Mahabodhi Temple

 

Bodh Gaya

19

 

2/3/08

 

 

Nalanda and site museum, ancient chaitya

or shrine, Vulture Peak

 

Bodh Gaya

 

20

3/3/08

 

Big Buddha, temples of other traditions

 

Bodh Gaya

21

4/3/08

 

Patna Museum, Ashoka Pillar

 

Patna

22

5/3/08

 

Delhi Museum, book shops

 

Delhi

23

6/3/08

 

Mathura, Agra, Taj Mahal

 

Bangkok

 

 

 

 

 

 

INTRODUCTION

 

This is the second book recording the pilgrimages of Phra Mana Viriyarampo, tracing the footsteps of the Buddha and the early history of Buddhism.

 

The first book, A Buddhist Pilgrimage to Northern India, concerned travel in India in February 2007 to places central to the life of the Buddha, including the four pilgrimage sites nominated by the Buddha, other significant Buddhist sites from later times, such as the Great Stupa at Sanchi and the caves of Ajanta and Ellora, and several museums which displayed Buddhist art and early coins.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This second book concerns travel in Egypt, Greece and India in February and March 2008, examining contacts of Buddhism with the Mediterranean world and two of the great powers of the early Buddhist era, Pharaonic Egypt and Hellenist Greece. These contacts were greatly facilitated and enhanced by the arrival of the armies of Alexander the Great on the north western boarders of India in 327 BCE, which opened up the trade routes to allow unprecedented freedom, safety and ease of movement of goods and people between India and the Mediterranean.

 

So far as practical, I have attempted to avoid repeating in this second book material contained in the first book. However a certain amount of repetition is unavoidable, particularly in regard to Alexander, Ashoka and Gandharan Buddhist art.

 

PILGRIMAGE SITES

 

The Buddha nominated four sites that would be appropriate destinations for those who wished to undertake pilgrimages. Those sites were :-

 

Lumbini, in present day southern Nepal, where he was born;

Uruvela, present day Bodh Gaya, where he attained enlightenment;

Sarnath, where he delivered his first discourse after his enlightenment; and

Kushinagar, where he died.

 

The events which took place at those sites were at first represented symbolically, as depicted on page 13, and later featuring the Buddha image, as depicted on page 15.

 

THE BUDDHA IMAGE

 

For many years, there was considerable debate amongst historians as to when and where the Buddha image first appeared, with a time frame mooted at around the beginning of the common era, and the location as between Gandhara and Mathura, although the weight of evidence favoured Gandhara.