Advice from Lama Zopa Rinpoche about being on pilgrimage

Rinpoche has told us that it is good to do different practices on pilgrimage, to make people’s lives very meaningful and very productive.

“Normally when people go on pilgrimage, they are just like tourists; maybe they take some pictures, and that’s it. They don’t use the places to collect merit or to meditate or to get some benefit for their minds. If it’s just like sightseeing, then it won’t be that much benefit.”

Rinpoche says that by doing pilgrimage, we receive blessings from the holy places where enlightened beings, great yogis, and bodhisattvas have practiced. With the blessing entering our hearts, we are able to soften; our mind becomes subdued; and we are able to decrease the delusions. We are then able to develop compassion for others and to strengthen our devotion, renunciation, and wisdom. Our mental continuum becomes Dharma.

Rinpoche has also advised that when we see the Great Stupa in Boudhanath for the very first time, even from the airplane, we should make special strong prayers. “This stupa is so powerful that anybody who makes prayers to it has their wishes fulfilled. Whatever you pray for, it will succeed. So do your best prayer!”

Leadership: Charok Lama (Ngawang Rigdzin Gyatso Rinpoche) is the recognized reincarnation of the previous Charok Lama, Kusho Mangde, a famous mountain yogi and a good friend of the Lawudo Lama, Kunsang Yeshe, the previous incarnation of Lama Zopa Rinpoche. He was born in 1995 and at the age of three was recognized as an incarnate Lama. Charok Lama studied at Kopan Monastery, Kathmandu and Sera Je Monastery in South India. He was very close to Lama Zopa Rinpoche and remains very connected to FMPT. Rinpoche speaks fluent English.

Leadership: Paula Chichester is originally from Berkeley, CA and has been interested in Buddhism since she was fourteen. About ten years later she went on retreats with Lama Kunga Rinpoche and Lama Yeshe, and was inspired by their teachings. In 1982 after three months of teachings by Zong Rinpoche in Dharamsala, India she left her Ph.D program tat UC Berkeley, to pursue enlightenment full-time.

Guided by Lama Yeshe, Lama Zopa Rinpoche and Ribur Rinpoche; and in partnership with Roger Munro she devoted the next 23 years to full time study and retreat. In 2005, after completion of her second four year solitary retreat, she began splitting her year in retreat with service of the FPMT. These activities have included leading retreats, restarting Land of Calm Abiding as Co-director, and completing with Roger Monroe 108 Springs Chöd retreats in Scotland and New Zealand. She has also led a previous pilgrimage to Tibet organized by Himalayan High Treks and led meditations for the Maitreya Relic Tour in Africa and Viet Nam.

In 2017 Lama Zopa Rinpoche encouraged the FPMT Centers in Europe to request Paula to lead retreats for them. Another longtime student of Buddhadharma, Geoff Jukes, offered her home in the Shetland Islands where she could live and practice. There she hosts retreats in the little gompa by the sea. For more information about Paula and her teaching schedule please go to www.braveview.org.

Guide: Amber Tamang is from a small village in the Solu Khumbu region of Nepal— a hamlet not on most maps! Amber became a porter in 1992, to put himself through high school and college. He is an advocate for better working conditions for trekking staff. For his undergraduate law degree, his presentation was on legal protection for workers in tourism. He achieved a Master’s Degree in History, Culture, and Archaeology. Amber has worked as the local guide for many pilgrimages. An independent researcher in the culture and religion of the Himalayas, Amber has published several articles in Nepali and English. Amber became a guide with Himalayan High Treks in 1995 and has introduced many travelers to the wonders of Nepal, Tibet, and India. Those who’ve traveled with him praise his patience and kindness. They tell how well he describes the local customs of the Himalaya and its people in articulate English. Amber and his family live in Kathmandu.

Amber Tamang
+977 98510-84961
amber@hightreks.com

Pilgrimage • Your Day–by –Day Itinerary Detail:

Pre Trip Days: Fly to our meeting point in Kathmandu, Nepal. You must arrive in Kathmandu no later than Sunday, February 8, 2026. (Travelers from the Americas ‘lose’ one day crossing the international dateline.) We strongly suggest you arrive a day or two early. We can arrange transfers and additional accommodations on request (additional cost).

DAY 1 (February 8, 2026):
Everyone meets in Kathmandu. Our local staff will pick you up at the airport and transfer you to Kopan Monastery near Boudhanath Stupa (about 30 to 45 minutes). First, you will go through immigration, and then go upstairs to claim your luggage (take a cart for this), and finally, go through customs and proceed to exit the airport. As you go outside, look for a sign that says Dharma Journeys, as advised above.

Established in 1970 as a place of Buddhist teachings for Westerners and eventually a monastery for the monks of Solu Khumbu (where Lama Zopa Rinpoche is from), Kopan is beautifully situated on a hill above the Kathmandu Valley. One of the best Gelug monasteries in Nepal, it is home to 400 monks and, at Kachoe Ghakyil down the road, 400 nuns.

People come from all over the world to attend retreats and courses at Kopan, especially the famous November course. The accommodation is comfortable and the food very satisfactory. There has even been a cookbook published with favorite recipes from Kopan. Overnight Kopan Monastery. (Dinner)

Kopan Monastery
www.kopanmonastery.com
+977 (1) 482-1268
info@kopanmonastery.org

DAY 2 (February 9, 2026):
A typical day on retreat starts early with meditation, followed by breakfast. Then there will be teachings and discussion until lunch, with a tea break. After lunch, there will be a two-hour break during which you can take a short easy walk, rest, or study quietly in the excellent library or on your own. During the afternoon, there are more teachings and discussion; and after dinner, a final session of teachings and meditation. Often a group in retreat will opt to maintain silence for all or part of the time (for example, before breakfast, and after dinner) as this adds to the contemplative quality of the experience.

DAY 3 (February 10, 2026):
In the morning, we visit Swayambhunath stupa. According to legend, Kathmandu Valley was filled with a great lake, at the center of which a lotus flower grew. With the slash of the sword of the Buddha of Wisdom, Manjushri, the lake was drained and the lotus settled on top of the hill and transformed into the stupa. There is evidence that the great Indian Buddhist Emperor Ashoka visited the site 2,000 years ago.

In the afternoon visit Boudhanath stupa and temples, monasteries, and the village. Boudhanath is the religious center for Tibetans living in Nepal and is especially beloved by them. Lama Zopa Rinpoche says that upon first sight of the stupa, all one’s prayers will be fulfilled. Overnight Kopan Monastery. (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)


DAY 4 (February 11, 2026):
Morning tour to Pharping 15 miles outside of Kathmandu. Pharping is renowned as a place where Guru Rinpoche (Padmasambhava) a central figure in Tibetan Buddhism, is said to have meditated and attained enlightenment in the Asura Cave.


DAY 5 (February 12, 2026):
Meet in the lobby at 7 AM (after tea) for transfer to the airport for our 30-minute flight to Bhairahawa airport on Buddha Air. It’s an hour’s drive to Lumbini and Hotel Lumbini Garden New Crystal. After lunch, visit the birthplace of the Buddha, a 15-minute walk from the hotel. Here there is an Ashokan Pillar with an inscription of King Ashoka from 250 BC, a sacred pond, ruins of the ancient monasteries, stupas, and the temple of Mayadevi, the Buddha’s mother. Overnight at Hotel Lumbini Garden New Crystal. (Tea, Lunch, Dinner)

Hotel Lumbini Garden New Crystal, Lumbini
www.newcrystalhotels.com
+977 (71) 580145

DAY 6 (February 13, 2026):
Lumbini to Sravasti. After breakfast, we will drive to Sanauli, the Nepal–India border, an hour away. We stop for passport control and continue on an all-day drive to Sravasti, with a light lunch en route. Overnight at Hotel Lotus Nikko, Sravasti. (Breakfast, Light Lunch, Dinner)

Hotel Lotus Nikko, Sravasti
+91 (5252) 265-2 91
info@lotusnikkohotels.com

DAY 7 (February 14, 2026):
After breakfast, we visit Jetavana Grove, in Sravasti, the capital of the ancient Kosala kingdom, where Buddha and his disciples retreated every rainy season for twenty-five years and where he gave many of his teachings. According to Lama Zopa Rinpoche, it is easy to meditate here. Relax in the afternoon, or visit the cave of the former bandit, Angulimala. After meeting Lord Buddha, the bandit calmed down and embraced Buddhism. Overnight Hotel Lotus Nikko, Sravasti. (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

DAY 8 (February 15, 2026):
Drive to Kushinagar, stopping for a light lunch en route. In the afternoon enjoy a couple of hours of free time before dinner. Kushinagar is the place where Buddha passed away. His last words were said to be, “Decay is inherent in all component things. Be diligent in your practice.” Overnight Hotel Lotus Nikko, Kushinagar. (Breakfast, Light Lunch, Dinner)

Hotel Lotus Nikko, Kushinagar
+91 (5564) 273 026
info@lotusnikkohotels.com



DAY 9 (February 16, 2026):
In Kushinagar. After breakfast, we visit Mahaparinirvana Temple where there is the statue of Buddha passing away in meditation. In the afternoon, we visit the unadorned but very holy Rambhar Stupa, where Buddha was cremated. “Do not be sad,” he told his disciples. “Let the Dharma I have taught you be your teacher after my passing.” Overnight Hotel Lotus Nikko, Kushinagar. (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

DAY 10 (February 17, 2026):
An all-day drive from Kushinagar to Rajgir via Patna, in the state of Bihar. Light lunch en route. Overnight Indo Hokke Hotel. (Breakfast, Light Lunch, Dinner)

Indo Hoche Hotel, Rajgir
+91 (6112) 255245
https://www.theroyalresidencyhotels.com/rajgir.php

DAY 11 (February 18, 2026):
Enjoy a morning visit to the ruins of Nalanda Monastery. From the 5th to the 12th centuries, Nalanda was a major Buddhist university with 10,000 monks and students in residence. After lunch at the hotel, we’ll visit Vulture Peak, where Buddha gave many teachings, including The Heart Sutra. We will take a leisurely walk up to the top for meditation and teachings. Later in the afternoon, we drive to Bodhgaya and visit Mahabodhi Stupa, the site of Buddha’s enlightenment. (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

Marasa Samovar Primiere
+91 (631) 220 0222
https://www.sarovarhotels.com/marasa-sarovar-premiere-bodhgaya/

DAY 12 &13 (February 19 & 20, 2026):
Visit Root Institute, an FPMT center set in tranquil gardens. Continue on to visit other FPMT centers to learn about charitable activities such as the Maitreya School and Tara’s Children Project. In the evening, we can enjoy another visit to Mahabodhi Stupa. Overnight at Marasa Samovar Primiere. (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

DAY 14 (February 21, 2026):
Bodhgaya to Varanasi. We’ll get an early start for the drive to Varanasi and have a simple breakfast en route then a late lunch/early dinner at the hotel.

In the early evening, we can pay an optional visit to the banks of the famous River Ganges, one of the holiest Hindu sites. Overnight Radisson Hotel, Varanasi. (Light Breakfast, Early Dinner)

Radisson Hotel, Varanasi
www.radissonhotels.com/en-us/hotels/radisson-varanasi
+91 542 250 1515

DAY 15 (February 22, 2026):
Visit Deer Park at Saranath where Lord Buddha turned the wheel of Dharma for the first time, teaching the four noble truths and the eightfold path to the five ascetics who were his first disciples. (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

DAY 16 (February 23, 2026):
Travel to Kathmandu. Early check-out from the hotel and transfer to the airport. Transfer to the hotel and check in then some free time and overnight at the Hyatt Regency in Kathmandu. (Light Breakfast)

Hyatt Regency Kathmandu, Boudha
www.kathmandu.hyatt.regency.com
+977 (1) 449-1234


DAY 17 (February 24, 2026):
Optional tour of Kathmandu then our final group activity, a late-afternoon puja at Boudha Stupa, followed by dinner at the hotel. Overnight at Hyatt Regency, Kathmandu. (Breakfast, Dinner)

DAY 18 (February 25, 2026):
Transfer to the airport to depart Kathmandu or continue exploring the region. (Breakfast)