Register for this Tour by Clicking Here
Information on the Dharma Rain Tour
This tour explores the scenic area around Hangzhou Bay, including famous West Lake in beautiful Hangzhou. The tour also travels into the heart of China, where we'll explore scenic areas of Jiangxi and Hubei Provinces.
Basic Tour Information
Oct 28: Arrive Shanghai
Oct 29: Morning visit to Bund. Jade Buddha Temple. Lunch. Coach to Ningbo. Overnight Ningbo.
Otc 30: Visit Tiantong, Ayuwang Temples. Dogen studied under Rujing at Tiantong Temple. Ayuwang Temple was the home of the cook Dogen met when he arrived in China. Overnight Ningbo.
Oct 31: Morning visit to Tian Yige Garden. Overland transport to Nanchang City. Overnight at Nanchang..
Nov 1: Morning coach to Baizhang Temple. This mountain monastery was the Dharma seat for Baizhang Huaihai (Hyakujo). It is the site where the koan "Baizhang's fox occurred, plus the place where the "pure precepts" for Chan monasteries was established. We will use this monastery as our base as we practice and explore other important sites in the area. Visit and practice at Baizhang. Overnight Baizhang.
Nov 2: Visit to Huangbo Temple. Huangbo, a towering figure in Chan history, wrote the historic text "Essentials of Mind." We will visit the new temple built on his ancient Dharma seat, plus visit his stupa. Overnight Baizhang
Nov 3: Visit Moshan and Dongshan. Moshan is perhaps the most famous of all women teachers in the Chan tradition. She taught on Mt. Jiufeng. Now a small nunnery and practice center exists where she once lived. After visiting Moshan's place we will visit the founding temple of the Caodong (Soto) Zen school on Mt. Dong. We'll also visit the Peng Ju Qiao (Meet it Bridge), the place where Dongshan gazed into the river, saw his reflection, and woke up. Overnight at Baizhang
Nov 4: Travel to visit Baofeng and Donglin Si. Baofeng is the site of Mazu Daoyi's principle Dharma seat. Here he expounded the famous doctrine that "Mind is Buddha," as well as its corollary, "No Mind, No Buddha." We then will proceed to the Fourth Chan Ancestor's temple (called Sizu). That place, where the "East Mountain School" of Chan was established, has great importance to Chinese Chan. We stay overnight at that monastery (Sizu).
Nov 5: Stay and practice at Sizu. Hike to visit nunnery on nearby mountain.
Nov: 6: Morning at Sizu. Afternoon trip to Fifth Ancestor's Temple, the place of the famous "poetry contest" between Huineng and Shenxiu. Return for overnight at Sizu..
Nov 7: Coach to Nanchang City. Flight from Nanchang to Zhengzhou City. Transfer to Dengfeng City near Shaolin Temple. Overnight at Dengfeng.
Nov 8: Shaolin Temple. Visit with the abbot Shi Yongxin. Visit the Bodhidharma cave. Overnight again at Dengfeng.
Nov 9: Coach to the Longmen Grottos, a world UNESCO site. Afternoon visit to White Horse Temple (Baima Si), the place where legend says Buddhism arrived in China. Proceed to Sanmenxia City. Evening banquet at Sanmenxia with Bodhidharma conference participants. Overnight at Sanmenxia.
Nov 10 Participate with Chinese Chan Buddhists at celebration of Bodhidharma's memorial at Empty Form Temple. Afternoon coach to Zhengzhou City. Night train to Shanghai.
Nov 11: Visit Shanghai Museum. Bund. Old City shopping. Farewell dinner.
Nov 12 Depart Shanghai.