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FACE TO FACE | EASTERN HORIZON 35

Bodhi tree Intergenerational practice

Benny: Did you grow up in a Buddhist environment of filial piety to fulfil my mother’s wish to go with her
or influenced by Buddhist teachings? children to the Buddhist pilgrimage sites, the journey
turned out to be very meaningful for me as well. My
Sandra: No, I didn’t. I do, however, remember thinking mother was of course pleasantly surprised.
the altar we had at home was quite elaborate but I also
had very limited idea who’s who and why there were In the next couple of years, I undertook more
several statues there. I remember there was a statue of pilgrimages again to Nepal and India, and also to China.
the Buddha and a statue of Kwan Yin. But the stories I Each journey nurtured my curiosity and enthusiasm to
heard are mostly about Kwan Yin. It also appears that learn about what might be the reasons and motivations
there are several types of Kwan Yin, which I found for people to go on pilgrimages. While I recognize
hard to wrap my head around back then. Based on the significance in carrying out the pilgrimage as
the stories, it sounded like Kwan Yin could do many performing one’s Buddhist duty, as I continue talking
miraculous things. Therefore, I decided that Kwan Yin to other pilgrims, and reflecting on these conversations
must have multiple roles, each requiring her to put on a as well as my personal observations and participations
different hat, so to speak. from all my journeys, it became very clear to me that
there is more to the pilgrimage than meets the eye.
You chose the topic of Buddhist pilgrimage for your
doctoral study. Why this topic? From your research, what was the main motivation
that Buddhists go for pilgrimage, e.g. to fulfil a vow,
I was inspired since my very first pilgrimage to Nepal as a form of spiritual practice, or just to travel and
and India in 2009. Throughout the journey, I was rather enjoy India?
lost in translation because the group I travelled with
mainly communicated in Mandarin and translation time Let me begin by saying that I conducted a total of 27
was extremely limited. Therefore, I had little clue as to in-depth qualitative interviews with Buddhists living in
what was being said. At the same time, because I didn’t Malaysia and Singapore as a method of data gathering.
understand most of the things that was being said, I Based on my research findings, I identified three main
depended very much on my observations. Additionally, motivations: prescriptive, ambivalent, and a matter of
my participation in the activities we carried out, the fidelity. The first motivation is born out of wanting to
people we crossed paths with and the places we visited fulfil one’s Buddhist duty. The second is the individual’s
also built and shaped my experiences of the journey. I’ll willingness to go through with the journey in spite of
add that although my initial reason for going was out feeling ambivalent about what a pilgrimage is. Turns out