Kushinagar, Uttar Pradesh The Parinirvana Temple is one of three of the great Buddhist pilgrimage sites in India (the fourth great Buddhist pilgrimage site being located in Nepal). According to tradition, Kushinagar is the place where Siddhartha Gautama died and where he achieved Parinirvana, or Nirvana after death. There are actually two sites of importance here: the temple, … [Read more...]
MAHABODHI TEMPLE
Bodh Gaya, Bihar The Mahabodhi Temple is one of three of the great Buddhist pilgrimage sites in India (the fourth great Buddhist pilgrimage site being located in Nepal). As the location where it is believed Siddhartha Gautama achieved enlightenment, it is by some accounts the most sacred Buddhist site in the world. It is also one of the most awe-inspiring Buddhist temples … [Read more...]
HSI LAI TEMPLE
Hacienda Heights, California The Hsi Lai Temple in Hacienda Heights is the oldest operating Buddhist Temple in the United States, as well as the largest and arguably the most beautiful in the Western Hemisphere. Modeled entirely on traditional Buddhist architecture, the massive complex looks as though it could have easily been lifted straight out of China or Taiwan and … [Read more...]