The vast majority of Nepalese are Hindus; there are many Buddhists here, because in the south of Nepal, in the village of Lumbini, according to legend, the Buddha was born. Hindus often pray in Buddhist temples, as well as Buddhists in Hindu ones. Here there is no clear division between Buddhism and Hinduism: they are very closely intertwined, and the believers themselves do not come into conflict with each other, as well as with representatives of other religions. Tolerance and religious tolerance are the defining features of the Nepalese mentality.
Hinduism
Nepal is the only country in the world where Hinduism is the official religion. At the same time, Siddhartha Gautama, the founder of Buddhism, the oldest religion on the planet, was born on the territory of this particular state. Statistics claim that 80.6% of Nepal's population is Hindu. However, according to unofficial data, there are much more Hindus in the country, however, not all of them profess this religion in its pure form, as they practice elements of Buddhism, animism and some local beliefs.
One of the characteristic features of Hinduism is the deification of people: for example, in special temples in Kathmandu and some other large cities of Nepal, Kumari live - living incarnations of the goddess Taleju, who were worshiped by the Nepalese king himself. By the way, before the establishment of a republic in Nepal, he was also a living deity - he personified the god Vishnu.
The worship in Nepal is carried out by brahmins - representatives of a special caste, who, however, are not priests. They do not take vows and live an ordinary life outside the temples - they start families, are engaged in cattle breeding, agriculture, crafts. But wandering yogi sadhus, on the contrary, are revered as sages who are alien to the worldly. They are ascetics, spending many hours in meditation, traveling from temple to temple, living on alms.
The pantheon of Hindu gods is vast, but temples are built only in honor of a few of them - Shiva, Vishnu, Rama, Sita, Parvati, Lakshmi. The most revered by Hindus around the world, the Pashupatinath Temple, dedicated to Shiva, stands in Kathmandu; believers dream of ending their earthly journey here in order to be reborn in a better incarnation. Pujas are performed in the temples - sacrifices, during which the Brahmins kill the animals (goats, sheep, roosters) brought by the Nepalese so that drops of their blood fall on the altar, and then give the carcasses to the owners - the meat can be cooked at home and eaten.
Religious enmity, religious wars are a common phenomenon in world history. In Europe of the 17th century, Christians exterminated entire areas inhabited by people of the same nationality as them, but belonging to another Christian denomination. Islam asserted itself in Arabia with fire and sword. But there are also happy exceptions - countries in which there has never been a strife on religious grounds. One of them is Nepal.
Nepal is the only Hindu kingdom in the world, and at the same time, the birthplace of the founder of Buddhism - Prince Siddhartha Gautama, who later received the name of Buddha, that is, awakened, enlightened. In the middle of the 1st millennium BC. The Kirati tribe, who professed Buddhism, came to Nepal from the east, and Buddhism became the dominant religion here for eight hundred years. His influence waned when the Newar people invaded the Kathmandu valley from India around 300 AD. Hinduism - the religion of these newcomers - has since become the official religion of Nepal. The change from one dominant religion to another was peaceful and painless, many of the shrines of Nepal are equally revered by both Hindus and Buddhists. This is explained by the fact that Hinduism has never had a complete theological system; it easily absorbs other cults, recognizing new deities as incarnations of its ancient gods.
The Hindu god can act not only in the form of another deity, but also a person. For example, the Nepalese king is considered the incarnation of Vishnu, one of the main Hindu gods. And the goddess Kumari exists only in the guise of a living girl. The temple is the home of the Kumari. The goddess is chosen from girls at the age of three or four, guided by very complex criteria. A girl remains a goddess until, for whatever reason, she loses at least a drop of blood. After that, she is given a good dowry, but marrying a retired goddess is not so easy - it is believed that marriage with her will be overshadowed by all sorts of misfortunes.
In Hinduism there is no priesthood in the usual sense for us. Brahmins who perform the duties of priests do not take any special vows, live an ordinary life in the world, run a household and have a family. People who have renounced the world and devoted themselves to one of the Hindu gods are called sadhus. They lead an ascetic life, and the people consider them sages. It is to the sadhus, and not to the brahmin priests, that the Nepalese usually go with their sorrows or when some decision needs to be made. Everyone brings something with him - sadhus have no other sources of existence.
The Hindu pantheon is huge. Temples are dedicated to the main gods, altars are dedicated to less significant ones. One of the temples is the sanctuary of the monkey king Hanuman. Immediately after birth, the legend says, Hanuman grabbed the Sun, mistaking it for an edible fruit, and the god Indra barely managed to take away the luminary from the gluttonous baby. The epic "Ramayana" tells how the selflessly noble and powerful Hanuman - he had such strength that he tore off hills and mountains from the earth - helped the god Rama to rescue his bride Sita from captivity. In India and Nepal, monkeys are considered, if not direct descendants of the divine Hanuman, then at least his relatives. The Nepalese believe that monkeys understand human speech and can talk - they just hide it so that they don't make them work. It must be said that the relatives of Hanuman, who live in abundance in Nepal, lost the strength and nobility of their great ancestor.
One of the two supreme Hindu deities - the god Shiva - is dedicated to the temple of Pashupatinath. This is not even a temple, but a vast temple complex, located near the Nepalese capital Kathmandu on the banks of the sacred river Bagmati. Every day, crowds of pilgrims flock here not only from all over Nepal, but also from neighboring India. To perform a puja, an offering to the formidable Shiva, is the duty of every believer. Most sacrifice roosters, which can be bought right there near the temples. Having stood in a long line, the believers hand over the birds to the attendant - he cuts their throats and irrigates the altar with sacrificial blood. Some give goats as a gift to Shiva. Immediately nearby, you can wash the carcass in order to take it home later - after the ceremony, the Nepalese use the meat of sacrificial animals for their intended purpose, that is, for food.
Every Hindu dreams of being escorted to Pashupatinath on his last journey, although there is a place for a funeral ritual at every temple standing on the river bank. After the farewell ritual in the temple, male relatives on a stretcher carry the deceased to the ghatami - a stone platform for cremation, on which a funeral pyre is laid in advance. Only the son of the deceased can set fire to the fire, so the absence of sons in the family is considered a terrible misfortune. Hindus believe that the soul of a person after death moves into a new shell - into a plant, animal or person. Whether a new incarnation will be favorable or unfavorable depends on karma - that is, the sum of good and bad deeds committed in a lifetime. So that nothing interferes with the resettlement of the soul, there should not be a trace of the former body shell on the earth - the muddy waters of the Bagmati carry the ashes to the Ganges, sacred to Hindus.
Buddhists also cremate their dead, but some - distinguished during their lifetime by special holiness - are mummified and placed in sanctuaries - stupas. This word is translated from Sanskrit - the language of sacred Buddhist texts - as "crown" or "heap of earth." The Boddhanath Stupa in Kathmandu was built in the 3rd century BC. and has since been updated several times. The eyes on the gilded wall of the temple are not an element of decor. It is believed that the Buddha himself looks at the believers with them. Also, these bright flags hung everywhere serve not for decoration. They contain mantras - prayer appeals to Buddhist saints.
Of all the holy places for Buddhists - and there are a great many of them in Nepal - the most revered temple complex in Lumbini, a small town near the Indian border. According to legend, it was here that in 700 BC. On the day of the full moon in May, on the shore of a lake under the shade of a sprawling tree, Queen Maya gave birth to a son, Siddhartha, whose name is translated as "fulfilled his destiny." The appearance of the boy was accompanied by many signs, and one hundred and eight sages gathered in Lumbini to interpret them. They announced that Siddhartha would become either a great ruler or a teacher like no other on earth. The prince achieved full enlightenment over the years and became the first Buddha, the founder of a new religion. The fact that the Buddha was born in Lumbini is evidenced by the inscriptions on the column, installed 300 years after his death by King Ashoka. It was through the efforts of Ashoka that Buddhism spread to most of South Asia. Despite the fact that Nepal is the birthplace of the Buddha, Buddhism came to the country from the northeast, from the territory of modern China. To this day, Chinese Buddhist temples and monasteries operate in Nepal. Above the entrance to one of the temples, instead of the Sanskrit script, Chinese characters are inscribed, and the pot-bellied Buddha statues that adorn its interior are clearly made in Chinese, and not Indo-Nepalese style. The art of making traditional Buddha figurines is especially developed in the city of Patan, the second largest after Kathmandu. The main materials are soft volcanic stone and bronze. This work is painstaking, and ordinary Nepalese cannot pay big money for figurines. Good luck is considered when an order is received from European Buddhists or from monasteries.
Monasteries in Nepal often have a greater impact on people's lives than government offices. The advice received from a monk is strictly followed. Anyone familiar with sacred texts and fulfilling religious precepts can become a Buddhist monk. If desired, the monk is free to leave the monastery at any time and return to the world. The life of a monk is spent in meditation, reading sacred books and prayers. Each uttered prayer brings a Buddhist closer to nirvana - the final deliverance from earthly suffering. Each revolution of the prayer wheels, which are installed in all Buddhist monasteries, is also counted for prayer. It remains to be hoped that the prayers that we whispered when our plane fell over the Himalayas into another air hole will also be counted to us at the moment of rebirth. After all, this aircraft belonged to an airline named after the founder of Buddhism.
It is difficult to find a more religious country than Nepal. The religion of this country impresses with its ancient traditions and exotic sights.
It is not difficult to determine which religion in Nepal is the main one - this is Hinduism. The number of temples where Hindu gods are worshiped is staggering. Hinduism covers about 90% of the country's population and is accepted as the state religion.
Shaivism subtly intertwined with Buddhism, creating bizarre new directions. Worship of gods such as Shiva, Vishnu, Brahma, and at the same time the Buddha is quite common. The pantheon of gods in Hinduism is simply huge, but many of them are the embodiment of the same god. Adherents of the Muslim faith and Christianity, various directions of pagan religions coexist peacefully. In the everyday life of the inhabitants of the country of Nepal, religion occupies one of the main places. Residents do not just visit temples, but spend most of their lives there.
To worship the gods, it is absolutely not necessary to know the prayers by heart. Flags fluttering in the wind with texts and images of the gods, under which you just need to stand, drums with mysterious images attract with their unusualness and bright colors. The Nepalese believe that they can be used to send prayers to the sky.
The great Buddha, according to ancient legends, was born in Nepal, in the town of Lumbini, so Buddhism in the country of Nepal, a religion that has been present here for almost a millennium, is very closely interconnected with Hinduism.
The majestic mountains of the Himalayan range, amazing views of nature saturate with their exoticism and give a special atmosphere to the country of Nepal. Religion penetrated even into the farthest corners of the country, manifesting itself in amazingly beautiful mountain monasteries and temples.
Pashupatinath Temple is notable for its special location on the banks of the Bagmati River. It worships the god Pashupati, one of the incarnations of Vishnu, and perform daily animal sacrifices. Goats and roosters are often used for these purposes.
A special place in the life of the Nepalese is occupied by stupas, which are burial mounds for the burial of relics or the mummified remains of those who have reached the highest level of enlightenment. Some stupas have a history of more than two thousand years. Stupas are a symbolic image of the "eyes of the Buddha". Each architectural element of the building has a special meaning, implying a deep meaning.
Boudhanath, Swayambhuthnath - the oldest and largest stupas in the country of Nepal. The religion of Hinduism is complex and multifaceted and consists in living life according to certain rules specified in the Drahma - a whole collection of laws, and achieving the ultimate goal of enlightenment. Due to the fulfillment of all the rules, in accordance with the caste, Hindus believe in subsequent rebirths in the cycle of Samsara.
What religion in Nepal is more ancient, basic or correct, the inhabitants, so as not to anger the gods, do not find out. The veneration of all ancient shrines and respect for them is a generally accepted rule, common throughout the country. Everyone can become a monk and come to the temple, as well as leave it at any time. The only restriction is special sacred temples, in which non-Hindu followers are strictly prohibited.
On the main Dubar square, sacred Hindu holidays and festivals are annually held. The present cult of the "living goddess" Kumari impresses with its unusualness. From a certain caste, a girl is selected by a complex selection method, who is considered the incarnation of the goddess on earth.
The philosophical content of Hinduism, its manifestation in the life of Nepal, will introduce you to the unique religion, traditions and customs of the country that enchants with its mysteries.
But due to recent events in the country, Nepal has ceased to be a kingdom, and Hinduism has ceased to be the official religion. May 2006 Nepal became a secular country. Islam, Christianity, and Bon are also practiced in Nepal. Tharu practice animism, part of the Kirats worship ancestors.
It is impossible to briefly write about in Nepal without oversimplification. According to dry statistics, Nepal is 80% Hindu and 10% Buddhist. And in life, Hinduism and, two world religions, are so intertwined in Nepal with each other that it is impossible to separate them. The Nepalese religious mosaic can be understood if we look into the religious history of the country. The ideas of early Hinduism and Buddhism have little in common with the religions of today. Religious concepts were created through the fusion of various religious schools, theories and trends. Animism, Tantrism, Shaktism, Lamaism had a strong influence on the main creeds.
In the middle of the 1st millennium BC. The Kirati tribe, who professed Buddhism, came to Nepal from the east, and Buddhism became the dominant religion here for eight hundred years. Its influence waned when other peoples invaded the valley around 300 AD. Hinduism, the religion of these newcomers, has since become the official religion of Nepal. The change from one dominant religion to another was peaceful and painless, many of the shrines of Nepal are equally revered by both Hindus and Buddhists. This is explained by the fact that Hinduism has never had a complete theological system; it easily absorbs other cults, recognizing new deities as incarnations of its ancient gods. In practice, religion in the country is a strange mixture of Hindu and Buddhist beliefs, complemented by a pantheon of tantric deities and animism, an ancient spiritual religion that originated in Tibet. This is the memory of ancient times, when people made up a harmonious whole; the gods of the universe manifested themselves in everything, and people easily communicated with the gods on a daily basis. The Nepalese still consider their ancient temples and sanctuaries not as a cultural heritage, but as sacred places where gods and people come into contact with each other.
Nepal is called the "land of festivals" for a reason. The most important of these are the Tihar Light Festival; Dasain is a celebration of the victory of good over evil; colorful, truly Rabelaisian festival. Religious in Nepal is not folklore, not absurd entertainment for tourists. These are solemn and sacred ceremonies under the auspices of gods and people. Nepalese with equal zeal participate in the festivals of both religions and honor the shrines of both faiths.
Hinduism.
Modern Hinduism includes a lot of different metaphysical systems and points of view, often mutually contradictory. Each believer chooses one or another belief that is most suitable for him. Nepal has an endless pantheon of gods and goddesses, their incarnations, manifestations and aspects. The European mind with great difficulty can cover these concepts and subtle differences, especially since Hinduism has up to 33 million gods ...
Temples are dedicated to the main gods, altars are dedicated to less significant ones. One of the temples is the sanctuary of the monkey king Hanuman. Immediately after birth, they say, Hanuman grabbed it, mistaking it for an edible fruit, and the god Indra barely managed to take away the luminary from the gluttonous baby. The epic “Ramayana” tells how the selflessly noble and powerful Hanuman - he possessed such strength that he tore off the hills from the earth and - helped the god Rama to rescue his bride Sita from captivity. In India and Nepal, monkeys are considered, if not direct descendants of the divine Hanuman, then at least his relatives. The Nepalese believe that they understand human speech and know how to talk - they just hide it so that they are not forced to work.
In Hinduism there is no priesthood in the usual sense for us. Brahmins who perform the duties of priests do not take any special vows, live an ordinary life in the world, run a household and have a family. People who have renounced the world and devoted themselves to one of the Hindu gods are called. They lead an ascetic life, and the people consider them sages. It is to the sadhus, and not to the brahmin priests, that the Nepalese usually go with their sorrows or when some decision needs to be made. Everyone brings something with him - sadhus have no other sources of existence.
It is very difficult for foreigners to understand Hinduism because of the huge pantheon of gods, until they present them as pictures representing the many attributes of a god. One omnipresent god usually has 3 physical forms: Brahma the creator, Vishnu the preserver and Shiva the destroyer and creator. Vishnu, often depicted flying on Garuda, the bird-man, boasts 10 incarnations, including Rama, Krishna, Buddha ... Shiva can be called a thousand names, but these are his manifestations (manifestations). Shiva is probably the most revered in Nepal as the destroyer and creator. He travels the world on a bull and holds a trisul (trident) in his hand. Often Shiva appears as a phallic lingam, his creative role. Shiva is also known as Nataraj, the god of dance who shook the cosmos and created the world. Sometimes Shiva is depicted as a wandering sadhu-hermit, overgrown and in rags, smoking hashish - in a word, the shame of the pantheon!
The son of Shiva with the head of an elephant, is very loved and popular in Nepal. This is the god of luck, wisdom and prosperity, the patron of male potency. The gods are everywhere - inside the temples and nearby, the gods are not formidable, but supportive, winking, in a word, like painted toys!
But are there living gods? Nepal has everything. This is a living virgin - Kumari. And again the paradox: the king, himself the incarnation of the god Vishnu, received a blessing from Kumari, a girl of 5-6 years old, the chosen goddess from a Buddhist family. The goddess is chosen from girls aged 5-6 years, guided by very complex criteria. A girl remains a goddess until, for whatever reason, she loses at least a drop of blood. After that, she is given a good dowry, but marrying a retired goddess is not so easy - it is believed that she will be overshadowed by all sorts of misfortunes. The Kumari cult is a vivid example of the interweaving of two religions, as well as extreme religious liberalism and the breadth of views of the Nepalese.
A real crucible of religions. The mixing of religions is most evident in the Kathmandu Valley. Don't be surprised if you find images of Hindu gods in Buddhist temples or Buddhist images in Hindu temples. The Shivaistic symbol of fertility - the lingam, located in the yoni - is revered by Buddhists as "flaming in a sacred source." Hindus regard the lingam and yoni as the main elements of male and female energy. In the most sacred Hindu temple of Pashupatinath, the Shiva lingam is covered with a Buddha mask once a year! In Swayambhunath (a Buddhist complex), Hindus worship the deity Swayambhu as Shiva, although Swayambhu is for Buddhists. The male deity Lokeshvara/Machendranath is a mixture of Shiva, the holy Machendranath and the bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara. Female deity / revered by Buddhists as Tara.
Buddhism.
Strictly speaking, Buddhism is not a religion (there is no idea of God in it), but a philosophical system and a moral code. The Buddha developed the "rule of the middle way", i.e. moderation in everything. In Nepal, Buddhist teachings were strongly influenced by Tibetan Buddhism, which absorbed elements of Bon shamanism and especially Tantrism, a legacy of medieval India. In Nepal, the Vajrayana, or "Roll of Thunder Path", is prevalent, emphasizing meditation using mantras and mandalas, direct experience, and esotericism.
Of all the holy places for Buddhists, and there are a great many of them in Nepal, the most revered temple complex in, a small town near the Indian border. According to legend, it was here that in 700 BC. On the day of the full moon in May, on the shore of a lake under the shade of a sprawling tree, Queen Maya gave birth to a son, Siddhartha, whose name is translated as “fulfilled his destiny.” The appearance of the boy was accompanied by many signs, and in order to interpret them, one hundred and eight sages gathered in Lumbini. They announced that Siddhartha would become either a great ruler or a teacher like no other on earth. The prince achieved full enlightenment over the years and became the first Buddha, the founder of a new religion.
The fact that the Buddha was born in Lumbini is evidenced by the inscriptions on the column, installed 300 years after his death by King Ashoka. It was through the efforts of Ashoka that Buddhism spread to most of South Asia.
Despite the fact that Nepal was the birthplace of the Buddha, Buddhism came to the country from the northeast, from the territory of modern China. To this day, Chinese Buddhist temples and operate in Nepal. Above the entrance to one of the temples, instead of the Sanskrit script, Chinese characters are inscribed, and the pot-bellied Buddha statues that adorn its interior are clearly made in Chinese, and not Indo-Nepalese style. The manufacture of traditional Buddha figurines is especially developed in the city of Patan, the second largest after Kathmandu. The main materials are soft volcanic and bronze. This work is painstaking, and ordinary Nepalese cannot pay big money for figurines. Good luck is considered when an order comes from European Buddhists or from monasteries.
In the Himalayas, and especially in Nepal, there are a lot of geomantic points-centers that give strength and energy to those who visit them. Three outstanding religious complexes - the Hindu Pashupatinath and the Buddhist Swayambhunath - are just a part of the numerous energy centers of the Kathmandu Valley.
Religion of Nepal In Nepal, objects of art, classical and modern, are used in daily religious practice. Unique creations are easy to find intemples and other religious sites. Understanding the intricacies of various religions allows you to fully appreciate the art of Nepal. Nepal is the only country in which Hinduism is recognized as the state religion, but Buddhism, Islam and many other religions are also common here. What they all have in common is daily religious expression. In the morning, people gather in temples to offer offerings and puja to the gods.
Religion of Nepal - Hinduism
The word Hinduism appeared in the 19th century to define the basic beliefs of the Aryans - immigrants who left Central Asia in 1500 BC. and local people in India.
The main ideas of the religion of Nepal: the heavenly law governs the state of the world, a person is aware of and respects the heavenly law. Lead your life in the proper Hindu way, observe the rules and all the rites, adopt the birth caste. The caste system determines the code of conduct and performance of rituals, affects all aspects of life: occupation, eating, weddings, etc.
Nepal religion principles of Hinduism. Drachma - religious law and moral code, acting on which you can get enlightenment. Karma is the balance of the present life and the reaction of the past. A life properly lived will bring rebirth into a better life. Samsara is a cycle of reincarnations determined by karma. Moksha - liberation from samsara, in which the individual unites with the universal time space of the past and future, the final clarity, i.e. Nirvana.
Each deity has different names, different symbols, attributes, manifestations. The main Hindu gods are Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva.
Nepal religion
Nepal religion Brahma is the creator of the universe. Attributes - a rosary, a source of holy water, a ladle and books. Brahma is usually represented as having four heads, which allows him to observe the world. The number of existing statues of Brahma is small.
Saraswati, the wife of Brahma, is the goddess of knowledge and music. She is often depicted playing a veena (a seven-stringed musical instrument) with a rosary and a book, seated in a lotus on a peacock or swan, often with a crescent moon on her forehead. Buddhists worship her as a form of Manjushri, the wisdom of the Bodhisattva.
Vishnu is the guardian of life and peace. Attributes - shell, disk, lotus and wand. The incarnation is Garuda, the mythical bird-man. It often appears in some of the following forms:
Narayan, which means "one who investigates all branches", or universal knowledge.
Buddha, the ninth reincarnation of Vishnu.
Rama, the warrior who saved his wife Sita from Ravan, the demon king of Ceylon.
Krishna, the embodiment of masculinity, was bewitched by milkmaids and cowherd boys, with whom he frolicked. The forms Rama and Krishna are most popular in India.
Shiva - destruction and restoration. Attributes - trident, tambourine, tiger skin, lingam (phalos). The incarnation is Nandi, the buffalo.
Pashupati, owner and protector of animals, especially cattle.
Bairav, a form of Shiva who seeks to destroy everything, including evil. Usually his statue is black, with a necklace of human skulls.
Nepal religion- Hanuman, the monkey god. Symbolizes loyalty and willingness to help. Associated with successful military operations, Rama helped in the fight against King Ravana, who imprisoned his wife Sita for 12 years.
Ganesh (Ganapati), one of the most popular gods in Nepal. Unerring, charitable, and of great power, he can decide the outcome of any human enterprise. Son of Shiva and Parvati. Once Shiva found Parvati with her lover, and deciding that Ganesh was not his son, he tore off his head. At the request of Parvati, Shiva promised to restore life to Ganesh, for this he would behead the first living creature that he met in the forest. He saw an elephant, cut off his head, rushed back and put it in place of the head of Ganesh. Ganesh is usually dressed in red, four-armed, the body is covered with layers of sandalwood. The incarnation is a shrew, sometimes a rat or a mouse, therefore, all these animals are sacred.
