International Pilgrims’ Week: Walking the Rainbow Road

27 Jul – 1 AUG | LED BY Khemabandhu, Lokeshvara, Vidyamala, Ksantichara

A special event with an entirely optional programme.

Many of us know the story of a young Sangharakshita who burned his identity papers in 1947 and set off with a friend across India as a homeless wanderer. Beginning by walking down to the plains from the hill station of Kausali accompanied by a series of rainbows at every bend in the descending road.

This year’s Pilgrims Week draws inspiration from the stories, meetings and meditations that he recorded in the volume of memoirs that became “The Rainbow Road”.

Join us as we walk alongside Sangharakshita on his pilgrimage to search for a context to deepen his engagement with Buddhism and explore our own experience of pilgrimage, both inner and outer.

We’ll start with a walking pilgrimage from Ledbury arriving at Adhisthana for the start of the event and you’re very welcome to join us. And for the rest will be a relaxed feast of spaciousness, friendship, ritual, tours, tea ceremonies, meditation, talks,  body work and, of course, plenty of circumambulation.

Suggested Reading: The Rainbow Road

You can attend for the whole week to get the full experience, just come for the weekend or flexibly pick the nights you’d like to come.

We will continue the tradition of 108 hours of continuous circumambulation around Bhante’s burial mound.

DRAFT PROGRAMME (all optional)

	Sunday (Shakyamuni)	Monday (Manjusri)	Tuesday (Padmasambhava)	Wednesday (Green Tara)	Thursday (Amitabha)	Friday (Shakyamuni)
7.00am		Morning Meditation	Morning Meditation	Morning Meditation	Morning Meditation	7am Morning Meditation  8am Closing ritual 9.30am Clear up
10.30am		Groups (reporting in)	Groups (to discuss talk)	Groups	Spacious morning
11.15am		Tea Break	Tea Break	Tea Break	Tea Break
12pm		Mantra  & Meditation Ksantichara	Mantra  & Meditation Ksantichara	Mantra  & Meditation Ksantichara	Mantra  & Meditation Ksantichara
2.30pm	Pilgrimage Walk  from Ledbury 1.30pm Lift to Ledbury for those already at Adhisthana 2pm Meet at Coffee Culture (1 hr) 3pm Second Lift to Ledbury from Adhisthana 3.30pm Depart Ledbury Station 5.15pm Arrive Adhisthana	Garden Tour Sanghadeva (Courtyard) OR Tea Ceremony (max 8 people) Sona	Guided Local Walk Lokesvara (Courtyard) OR Tea Ceremony (max 8 people)  Sona	Urgyen House Tour Paramartha (Courtyard) OR Tea Ceremony (max 8 people)  Sona	Relax OR Tea Ceremony (max 8 people)  Sona
4pm		Tea Break	Tea Break	Tea Break	Tea Break
4.45pm		Qi Gong with Sona & Body Scan with Vidyamala	Ritual walk around the grounds	Qi Gong with Sona & Body Scan with Vidyamala	Report out
7.30pm	Welcome, Dedication Ceremony & 108-hour Circumambulation Ritual Khemabandhu + team	Walking the Rainbow Road  Lokeshvara Talk + Tea Break + Puja	Pilgrimage Stories Vidyamala & Khemabandhu	Film Night in the Beams OR Listen to a talk by Bhante in Urgyen House	Final Ritual