June 23- July 12, 2019: Bengaluru, Shravanabelagola, Bylakuppe (Karnataka), India.
Youth Interfaith Pilgrimage and Dialogue programme is an annual programme for a group of young adults in India selected through a rigorous process of application and interviews to come together for a three-week period to learn about the different faith traditions and belief systems. It is an initiative of the Foundation and organized with the able partnership of 14 different organizations in Bangalore and surrounding areas.
The prime objective of this programme is to serve as an attempt to fulfil one of the four core commitments of His Holiness the Dalai Lama- to build harmony among the world’s different religious traditions. To this end, this programme is an effort to build cross-cultural understanding and encourage spiritual enquiry through the first hand exploration of different faith traditions; their philosophies, belief systems and practices.
During the programme, the participants go through an experiential journey that spans different religious beliefs and practices. They visit and sometimes stay in different monasteries, ashrams and other sacred spaces where they devote time to study and exploration of basic tenets and practices of different faith traditions through means of listening to lectures, having dialogues with religious leaders and scholars, interaction and reflection sessions with their cohort, and film screenings.
The programme also incorporates daily meditation and yoga sessions in the mornings of the programme period.Apart from learning from and about different religions, the participants also engage in scientific inquiry of workings of the mind at the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences and explore the relation between man and nature at the Study Center, Krishna Murti Foundation.
The 15th Youth Interfaith Pilgrimage & Dialogue was held from June 23- July 12, 2019. There were 16 participants; eight males and eight females four of whom were Tibetan Buddhist monks and nuns. Two staff members from the Foundation coordinated the programme.
