Introduction
Nepal, the
land of the Himalayas, is also home to Lumbini,
the birthplace of Buddha and millions of Buddhist followers. With a significant
number of Buddhist residents, Nepal is considered to be the common meeting
point between the Indian and Tibetan streams of Buddhism which is justified by
the small nation's geographical location. Nepal is bordered to the north by
Tibet and India to the east, west and south. This close proximity has helped
both streams of Buddhism to flourish all over the nation. The religion of
Buddhism is deeply embedded in the culture and traditions of the Nepali people.
Though the majority of Nepali people identify themselves as Hindus, one can
observe considerate amount of Buddhist influence in the daily lives of Nepali
people. This is justified by the presence of various cultural and religious
heritages sharing places of worship for the people of both the faiths. That is
why the distinction between Hinduism and Buddhism is not always clear in Nepal.
Buddhism In Nepal
The history of Buddhism
in Nepal dates back to the days of Siddhartha Gautama, the prince of Shakya
clan of Kapilvastu which is located in the present day Rupandehi district in
Nepal. Following his Buddhahood, his birthplace has been revered as a holy
pilgrimage for millions of followers of Buddhism all
over the world. Many legends also suggest that various Boddhisattvas and
previous Buddhas visited the land. One can see various monuments and landmarks
around the capital city of Kathmandu which
are dedicated to them. Nepal has served asa great meeting point for many Indian
and Tibetan teachers of Buddhism. One of the legends suggest that Nagarjuna,
the great Boddhisatva visited, lived and taught in Nepal after the deity cut
out the gorge from the lake, thus creating the Kathmandu Valley. Similarly,
Emperor Ashoka erected a pillar at Lumbini to signify the birthplace of the
Buddha in the second century BCE. It is also believed that his daughter,
princess Charumati established the village of Chabahil and also built the
Charumati Stupa in Kathmandu. The country later became one of the major
locations for Buddhist education and Buddhist Sankrit Literature. The following
years also saw the rise of Buddhist arts like Buddha Statues,
miniature stupas, Buddhist manuscripts, images, Thangkas, etc. in Nepal, for
which the country is still widely known for all over the world.
In traditional Nepali
Buddhism, there are believed to have nine special texts which
are called Nine Dharma Jewels or Navagrantha. These texts are:
- Aṣṭasāhasrikā
Prajñāpāramitā Sūtra
- Gaṇḍavyūha
Sūtra
- Ten Stages
Sutra
- Samādhirāja
Sūtra
- Laṅkāvatāra
Sūtra
- Lotus
Sutra
- Tathāgataguhya
Sūtra
- Lalitavistara
Sūtra
- Golden
Light Sutra
Buddhism in Nepal consists
of basically three streams of Buddhism; Theravada, Mahayana and Vajrayana streams.
The Tibetan Mahayana stream has most of its followers in the northern part of
Nepal. The Newari Buddhism, on the other hand is a form of Vajrayana Buddhism. Vajrayana Buddhism is
also known as Tantric Buddhism or
the Thunderbolt way and is believed to have been derived from Mahayana Buddhism. This stream is popular
religious system in the Kathmandu valley. These days some Nepali followers have
turned to Theravada practice based on the Pali canon.
Nepal
is also home to many Buddhist pilgrimage sites. Thousands of pilgrims visit
the country every year to visit these sites in order to pay their respects to
the enlightened one. Many famous Buddhist temples have been erected throughout
the Nepal since the ancient times. One of the biggest Buddhist pilgrimage site
in Nepal is Lumbini, the birthplace of the Buddha as mentioned earlier.
Likewise, the ancient stupas of Swayambhu and Bouddhanath are
regarded as most sacred sites for the followers of Buddhism. All of the above
three sites are also listed as the World Heritage sites by UNESCO. The stupa of
Swayambhunath, however has been the most sacred site and is considered as an
important power place for the local Buddhists. Believed to have been
"self-created" or "self-existent" form of Buddha, the
premises of the stupa is surrounded by various Buddhist monasteries and quite a
handful of ancient Buddha statues. The myth surrounding the stupa tells the
story of the primordial Buddha's enlightenment and the spread of Buddhism in
Nepal.
