In 1991 Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche accompanied a group of western Buddhist students to each of the four major pilgrimage sites from the life of the Buddha (Bodhgaya, Sarnath, Kushinagar, and Lumbini). This book contains the teachings Rinpoche gave to the group at each pilgrimage site. So here the reader not only sees history and pictures of these major Buddhist sites but also Rinpoche’s teaching of the significance of each.

The History of Buddhism in India includes Rinpoche’s teaching on the twelve great deeds of the Buddha’s life; the subsequent Buddhist councils, which recited and then compiled all the words of the Buddha, and universities which oversaw the development of the sutras, shastras, and tantras and finally the emergence of the Mahayana and Vajrayana traditions of Buddhism in India.

Thrangu Rinpoche’s teachings are accessible to new students while at the same time offering new insights to advanced students. The teachings are supplemented by a guide to the many sites of Buddhist pilgrimage that includes historical and archaeological information, maps, and photographs of major places, making this a valuable companion to Buddhist pilgrims.