Triratna Buddhist Order

International Order Convention

Bodh Gaya, Bihar, India, 24–31 January 2025

In January 2025, the Order will again be able to hold its convention at the very spot at which the Buddha gained Enlightenment. We will practise on our own land at the Three Jewels Centre, and around the Bodhi Tree.

This is the page where we will publish information on the Convention as we have it.

If you need to get in contact with us with questions you can email triratnaorderevents@gmail.com

To communicate with other convention-goers about travelling together, accommodation etc. please use our Padlet board

Important information for attending the convention

This document contains important information for all those attending the convention.

Other information:

Convention location

The main convention site is held on our land, where food and refreshments will be served throughout the day, together with drinking water. The late morning and afternoon programme will take place here.

Morning meditation and evening puja will take place within the grounds of the Mahabodhi temple – the location of the Bodhi tree –  which is a 30 minute walk from our land. Rickshaws are plentiful and comparatively cheap.

Convention accommodation

Bookings for the inclusive package – convention plus accommodation – are now closed. There is still space to attend the convention only; see section below headed ‘Booking for Convention only.’

Booking for convention only

If you’d prefer to arrange your own accommodation, then you can book for the Convention only. The cost, including all meals and Convention activities, will be around £160. The final costs are still being confirmed with our colleagues in India.

Hotel accommodation and travel to/from Bodhgaya is not included. You will need to arrange this yourself.

To book your place at the Convention, complete this form

You will then receive an email asking for a deposit of £50 to be paid by bank transfer or PayPal. Once your deposit has been received, we will notify you that your Convention place is confirmed. The balance will be due by the start of December

Travel

The easiest way is to fly to Gaya airport (GAY). There are direct internal flights from New Delhi (DEL), Kolkata (CCU) and Mumbai (BOM). We hope to provide a transfer bus service for a small fee. Otherwise a taxi is not too expensive. If you travel by train, be aware that they can be very heavily delayed (over 10 hours).

Travel is not included in the price of the convention – you will need to book your own travel.

Food

Three meals per day, refreshments and drink are supplied on our land, and included in the convention price. Low spice versions of the meals will be offered. It is plentiful and tasty!

Special requests

If you have never travelled to India before, then be aware that while people are willing to go to great lengths to make non-Indian visitors comfortable, there are inherent differences that mean it is not the same as visiting a more “westernised” country. You will need reasonable mobility and health, and will need to exercise more kshanti and less attachment to preferences! This, for the most part, is all part of the magic and going forth involved with a convention held in India.

We anticipate having a reception on our land, staffed by western volunteers, who will do their best to help with any problems.

Pilgrimages

You may like to combine your visit with a pilgrimage:

 

  • Akshayadeep an order member based in Cambridge and founder of ‘Joy Tours Ltd’ , is organising ‘International pilgrimage’ from 12th till 24th Jan just before the convention. Joy tours also offers tailored tours for India, and for many other Asian countries. For further details on tours and bookings please visit the website or email joytours4you@gmail.com or info@joytours.co.uk
  • Parayana Tours also organises pilgrimages and Himalayan treks, offering English, Spanish and Hindi, and can be flexible on dates. They can be reached on info@parayanatours.com
  • Vishvapani is leading a pilgrimage shortly after the convention (8–21 February 2025) with a couple of optional days at the end in Kathmandu. The tour is organised by Tricycle and RetreatTours. The tour will visit the major sites from the Buddha’s life and Vishvapani will be the guide, drawing on his book on the Buddha. More information is available here
  • Boddhi Tours are running several pilgrimages in January and February and can be contacted on boddhitours@gmail.com More information is available on their website
  • Manidhamma is offering iconic Dhammayatra pilgrimages before and after the convention. Exploring Buddhist holy sites 13-24 January and
    Teachers of Enlightenment exploring Kalimpong, Darjeeling and Sikkim 31 January -9 February. For more details on pilgrimages and bookings
    please email dhammayatra@gmail.com  or whatsApp on +91-8007740666 or visit the webpage