Maps of Ancient Buddhist India

Cattàri Saüvejanãyàni òhànàni
The Four Places that Produce Enthusiasm

The Four Places that Produce Enthusiasm

The map shown above is approx. 550 km from East to West and 400 km from North to South

from Mahàparinibbànasuttaü, Section 35:

These are the four places, ânanda, that are to be seen that produce enthusiasm for a faithful man of good family. Faithful monks, nuns, laymen, and laywomen will come, (thinking): `Here the Realised One was born', `Here the Realised One awoke to the unsurpassed and Perfect Awakening', `Here the Realised One set rolling the Wheel of the Teaching', `Here the Realised One was Completely Emancipated in the Emancipation-element which has no basis for attachment remaining', and whoever, ânanda, will die while on pilgrimage to the Shrines with a confident mind they will all, at the break-up of the body, after death, re-arise in a fortunate destiny, in a heavenly world.

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To give some idea of the distances involved: when the Bodhisatta left Kapilavatthu he walked down to Ràjagaha, which is approx. 360 km; from Rajagaha he walked down to Uruvelà (approx. 80 km south), which is where he practiced and attained Awakening; after Awakening he walked over to Isipatana near Bàràõasã (approx. 250 km). On his last walking tour at the age of 80, he first walked from Ràjagaha to Vesàlã (approx. 90 km, and after the Rains Retreat from Vesàlã to Kusinàrà (approx. 270 km), quite a feat for someone who was 80 years old and ill.

 

last updated: October 2008