Visiting India is a fascinating and rewarding experience. It is an amazing country where ancient cultural and religious traditions flourish amidst the commercial and technological developments of the modern world. Traditional village life continues unchanged in many ways, but the towns and cities are growing at an extraordinary rate. Everywhere in India people are friendly and welcoming to foreign guests.
India is also the homeland of the Buddha. Over 2,500 years ago he taught people how to develop wisdom and compassion and started one of the world’s greatest religious traditions. Although Buddhism faded away in India 1,000 years ago the places where the Buddha lived and taught have been re-discovered in the last 200 years and are now destinations for pilgrims from around the world. In places like Bodh Gaya and Shravasti it is possible to literally walk in the footsteps of the Buddha.
Equally important, the Buddha’s teachings on social equality have also been re-discovered and are inspiring millions of people to turn away from the oppressive caste system. All across India the new, ‘modern’ Buddhists are working for social justice and positive development.
DharmaJiva is the only organization that provides a way to see these two aspects of India – the pilgrimage sites in the ancient homeland of the Buddha and the modern social movement that is putting his teachings into practice.
Modern India Ancient India
