Mount Kailash

Mount Kailash, Zhang Zhung & the Guge Kingdoms: Western Tibet

August 02-25, 2013

An Educational & Cultural Expedition Hosted by Jonang Foundation

We are happy to announce that our biannual pilgrimage to power places in Tibet continues in 2013. Different from our previous pilgrimages, the 2013 expedition will have Tibet's most sacred mountain — Mount Kailash — as the apex of the journey. We will embark southward from Tibet's cultural capital in Lhasa to the Great Stupa at Jonang and head to Mount Kailash, considered the axis of the cosmos, before exploring the ancient western Tibetan kingdoms of Zhang Zhung and Guge.

Download the flyer, "For the Buddhist Pilgrim".

Download the program, "JF Pilgrimage to Tibet 2013".

Educational Program

This journey will take you through the ages and across the boundaries of cultural imagination to encounter the sacred sites of Tibet's living spiritual traditions. We have designed this pilgrimage to be an educational exploration of Tibet's living Buddhist culture. By supplying both the highest quality accommodation and transportation, as well as expert leaders and local guides, we have designed this pilgrimage to be a life-enriching experience.

Jowo Buddha, Lhasa

Meditation sessions, pilgrimage rituals, personal exploratory time, optional hikes as well as regular lectures and discussions at monasteries and cultural sites on Buddhist philosophy and Tibetan culture with Tulku Zangpo Rinpoche and Tibetologist Michael Sheehy will be integral to the journey. A pilgrim's reader will be sent upon enrollment.

Travel in Tibet

We at Jonang Foundation host this pilgrimage to both give you an opportunity to visit and explore the deeply ingrained Buddhist culture on the Tibetan plateau as well as to support Tibetans in Tibet. We work directly with local Tibetan-owned businesses that employ Tibetans. We are ecologically conscious to leave minimal traces of our own pilgrim footprints on the land. Proceeds raised from this pilgrimage are allocated to education and cultural preservation projects that we facilitate on-the-ground in Tibet. This pilgrimage gives back directly to Tibetan communities.

Guides

Tulku Kunga Zangpo Rinpoche is a recognized reincarnate lama of the Jonang tradition. Born and educated in the Golok region of far eastern Tibet, Tulku Zangpo Rinpoche later spent six years studying and visiting the sacred places of the Buddha's life in India and Nepal. For the past several years, he has lived throughout China, teaching and working to facilitate programs hosted by Jonang Foundation as the director of field operations. Tulku Zangpo is a Tibetan monk who speaks English and Chinese.

Dr. Michael R. Sheehy is the founding director of Jonang Foundation. He is the Head of the Department of Literary Research at the Tibetan Buddhist Resource Center, a digital library of Tibetan literature based in Cambridge, MA. Michael lived in a Jonang Buddhist monastery in the Golok region of eastern Tibet for several years where he studied with Tibetan scholars. His forthcoming book, The Living Jonangpa, is on the intellectual history of this little-known Tibetan tradition. He regularly leads group pilgrimages to Tibet. See his personal site.

Itinerary

Potala Palace, Lhasa

Friday, Aug 02: Depart from home port
Sat., Aug. 03: Arrive in Chengdu
Sun., Aug. 04: Chengdu -> Lhasa: Explore old town
Mon., Aug. 05: Explore Lhasa: Potala Palace, Norbulingka Palace, Jokhang
Tues., Aug. 06: Lhasa: Drepung, Nechung, Sera monasteries -- or -- Kyomolung and Tsurphu Monastery
Wed., Aug. 07: Lhasa -> Shigatse: Bon Yungdrung Ling Monastery
Thurs., Aug. 08: Takten Phuntsok Ling Monastery, the Mountain Retreat at the Great Jonang Stupa
Fri., Aug. 09: Travel to Tangtong Gyalpo's Riwoche Stupa. Camp.
Sat., Aug. 10: Explore Tangtong Gyalpo's Rowoche Stupa. Camp.
Sun., Aug. 11: Manosarowar Lake and the Paryang sand dunes. Camp.
Mon., Aug. 12: Manosarowar Lake. Camp
Tues., Aug. 13: Purang. Guest House.
Wed., Aug. 14: Mount Kailash circumambulation day 01. Camp.
Thurs., Aug. 15: Mount Kailash circumambulation day 02. Camp.
Fri., Aug. 16: Mount Kailash circumambulation day 03. Camp.
Sat., Aug. 17: Thirtapuri. Camp.
Sun., Aug. 18: Kingdom of Zhang Zhung. Guest House.
Mon., Aug. 19: Zhang Zhung -> Dungkar & Piyang. Camp.
Tues., Aug. 20: Dungkar -> Manosarowar Lake. Camp.
Wed., Aug. 21: Manosarowar -> Dargyeling. Camp.
Thurs., Aug. 22: Dargyeling -> Zangzang. Camp.
Fri., Aug. 23: Zangzang -> Gyantse Stupa. Guest House.
Sat., Aug. 24: Gyantse -> Gongar, fly to Chengdu
Sun., Aug. 25: Fly from Chengdu to home destination

*A 7-day travel extension to the 24-day program is optional. This 7-day program will explore the Dangra Yumtso and Namtso Lake regions. Download the 7-day Extension Itinerary.

JF's 2011 Pilgrims, Tibet

Enrollment & Cancellation

To enroll, contact us at info@jonangfoundation.org; a $1,000 enrollment downpayment is required to reserve each spot. This enrollment downpayment will be credited towards each person's total cost. Spots are being reserved in the order by which each person enrolls.

Spots are limited to insure a small group with maximum flexibility for exploration. Early enrollment is encouraged. Once an enrollment fee is received, each participant's place will be confirmed. We are now taking enrollment reservations.

The enrollment downpayment is nonrefundable and is required to reserve a spot. In the case of a person's necessary cancellation, costs paid towards the total will be refunded on a case-by-case basis after June 01.

Cost of the Pilgrimage

Total trip cost paid before June 01 = $5,750 per person

Enrollment downpayment to reserve = $1,000 per person (credited towards total)

Total trip cost paid after June 01 = $6,250 per person

Trip cost of the 7-day extension = $1,500 per person (in addition to total)

*Please contact us to coordinate payments. Checks made payable to "Jonang Foundation" are preferred. Credit card payments via the JF PayPal Account are also accepted.

Cost includes: Full board including meals and accommodation in hotels, guesthouses, and camp sites; round-trip flight tickets from Chengdu to Lhasa to Chengdu; camping equipment; cooks and cook assistants; pack yaks and yak men for Kailash circumambulation; inland transportation by bus in Chengdu and 4x4 Toyota Land Cruisers along with a support truck in Tibet; roundtrip inland airport transfers and related airport fees (Chengdu/Lhasa/Chengdu); English speaking local Tibetan guides; all necessary road permit and travel documentation; visitation, entrance and conservation fees to sites and monasteries.

Cost does not include: Roundtrip international flight tickets from/to port of origin, visas, airport taxes, travel insurance, sleeping bags, tips, personal expenses, drinks.

Contact Information

For all queries about the pilgrimage, please contact us at info@jonangfoundation.org with the word "Pilgrimage" in the subject line.