5/1/09

Nepal is mainly Hindu but does have a large Buddhist population.   The area we are staying in is mostly Buddhist, at least partly because we are so close to the stupa. We are told that Buddhism is more a philosophy that a religion.  Buddhists seek purification or Nirvana. They must overcome six human frailties; jealousy, ill-will, hatred, addiction (or attachment), and ignorance to become like the Buddha.

 

We attended a Buddhist Puja or a religious ceremony last night, and as I understand, it could be compared with our Sunday church service. The monks were sitting cross legged in rows in a special room in the monastery, they read from books of meditative writings in unison to the beat of two large drums interspersed with chimes, gongs and horns, please play the short video clip that is attached.

 

This evening, in honor of May Day, there was a ceremony on top of the stupa.  We watched part of it from the roof top restaurant.   It was very similar to the Puja we attended but on a much larger scale. The stupa is decorated in colored lights (like Christmas lights) and hundreds of monks are chanting in unison following a leader with a loud speaker. Following the ceremony they all circumambulated the stupa clockwise. We have been told that any time we pass a religious structure we should go around it in a clockwise direction to show the proper respect