Journey to the Land of the Medicine Buddha focuses on the wealth of medical wisdom and experience that is inherent in the Tibetan and Indian cultures. The journey affords a select group of twenty people the opportunity to visit and have a direct experiential insight into two of the most ancient, relevant and alive medicine-wisdom cultures in modern times. This journey is designed for far-sighted, self-reliant individuals with keen inquiring minds and the vision and drive to actually make a difference for a better world. At the same time, the Journey to the Land of the Medicine Buddha is designed to be fun, relaxing and a travel partnership of joy for all who come along. We provide the options, you set your own pace.

The purpose of our journey is two-fold: 1) to introduce you to the Tibetan traditional medicine systems, with a menu of classes at Men Tsee Khang, the Tibetan Medical and Astrological Institute; individual time with Tibetan physicians as they diagnose patients and prescribe Tibetan traditional medicines; time with Tibetan astrologers who will give `readings and teach about the connections between astrology and Tibetan medicine; 2) to introduce you to Indian traditional healing practices, including Reiki, Ayurvedic medicine, yoga and meditation as a path to wellness. Journey to the Land of the Medicine Buddha will challenge each of us to share our skills and interests in a mutual, meaningful exchange.

At 7,000 feet, at the foot of the Himalayas, Dharamsala is an exciting hub for the Tibetan culture, arts, healing and spiritual practices--a repository of sacred knowledge brought to India by the Tibetan masters who have escaped from Tibet over the last forty years. Bridging the past and the modern world, it is also a community where Internet facilities abound and you can choose Tibetan momos for lunch and Italian pasta for dinner--all on the same block.

As such, the purpose of our journey is two-fold: 1) to introduce you to the people who are successfully leading a peaceful struggle to preserve the cultural traditions and doctrines of Tibet in exile while at the same time giving to the Western world an extraordinary input of wisdom and a model for compassionate leadership; and 2) challenge each of us to share our skills and interests in a mutual, meaningful exchange. 

The Travelers on the Tour Will Have Direct Contact With:

• Local Tibetan people (recent refugees who have escaped from Tibet, young Tibetans making their life and livelihood in exile, long-time residents who escaped from Tibet years ago and those who have been born in exile and continue to make their way in the world as “Tibetans” despite growing up within the borders of India
• Local Indians who live in Mcleod Ganj and are artisans, gardeners, educators and public officials
• The outstanding leaders and capable people who have created and manage the various departments of the Tibetan exile Government
• Non-profit organizations and their leaders- groups that form the backbone of the Tibetan community in exile
• Religious leaders, Indian and Tibetan healers from many traditions, as well as contemporary and traditional artisans

The tour format which includes Tibetan and Indian translators and guides at every step of the way plus special invited guests at lunches and dinners, insures a personal and in depth experience for all travelers.

A Group Donation:

The Tour Package is inclusive of major donations to some of the most compelling and worthy environmental and humanitarian projects of the Dharamsala community. At the end of the journey, as a group we will decide, on one or several projects that need our support. They will receive our donation, our “investment” in their future. Perhaps it will be the Tibetan Medical and Astrological Institute where we may support the training of new Tibetan doctors and nurses. Perhaps it will be the Reception center that takes care of the immediate needs of families who have recently escaped from Tibet over the Himalayas, and have arrived in Dharamsala with only the clothing on their backs. Or perhaps our group will give a donation to The Dogga, an adult education program that serves all adults in McLeod Ganj; or to the Tibetan Torture Survivor’s Project or the Youth Employment Workshop.

Past travelers have declared this part of the tour to be “as exciting, as meaningful, as life-changing as all other aspects put together! Everyday we were having the experience of a lifetime, but when we gave the donations away and saw the impact it would have on the lives of so many people, it was absolutely the best hour of my life-I will never forget it.”