Nepal is the only country where Hinduism is recognized as the state religion, but Buddhism, Islam and many other religions are also practiced 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.
Hinduism.
The word Hinduism emerged in the 19th century to define the core beliefs of the Aryan immigrants who left Central Asia in 1500 BC. and local Indians.
Main ideas: heavenly law governs the state of the world, man is aware of and respects heavenly law. Lead your life in a proper Hindu manner, follow the rules and all rituals, accept your birth caste. The caste system determines the code of conduct and performance of rituals, affecting all aspects of life: occupation, meals, weddings, etc.
Principles of Hinduism. Drachma is a religious law and moral code, by acting on which one can obtain enlightenment. Karma is the balance of present life and past reactions. A life lived properly will bring about rebirth into a better life. Samsara is a cycle of reincarnations determined by karma. Moksha is liberation from samsara, in which the individual unites with the universal time space of past and future, final clarity, i.e. Nirvana.
Each deity has different names, different symbols, attributes, manifestations. The main Hindu gods are Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva.
Brahma is the creator of the Universe. Attributes are 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 Brahma statues is small.
Saraswati, wife of Brahma, is the goddess of knowledge and music. She is often depicted playing the vina (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 one of the forms of Manjushri, the wisdom of the Bodhisattva.
Vishnu is the guardian of life and peace. Attributes - conch shell, disc, lotus and rod. Incarnation: Garuda, the mythical bird-man. It often appears in some of the following forms:
Narayan, which means "one who explores all branches", or universal knowledge.
Buddha, ninth reincarnation of Vishnu.
Rama, the warrior who saved his wife Sita from Ravan, the demon king of the island of Ceylon.
Krishna, the embodiment of masculinity, was bewitched by the milkmaids and shepherdesses with whom he frolicked. The Rama and Krishna forms are the most popular in India.
Shiva - destruction and restoration. Attributes - trident, tambourine, tiger skin, lingam (phalos). Incarnation - Nandi, a buffalo.
Pashupati, owner and protector of animals, especially cattle.
Bairav, a form of Shiva who seeks to destroy everything, including evil. His statue is usually black, wearing a necklace of human skulls.
Hanuman, the monkey god. Symbolizes loyalty and willingness to help. Associated with successful military actions, Rama helped in the fight against King Ravana, who imprisoned his wife Sita for 12 years.
Ganesh (Ganapathi), one of the most popular gods in Nepal. Infallible, benevolent and of great power, it can decide the outcome of any human undertaking. Son of Shiva and Parvati. One day, Shiva found Parvati with her lover, and deciding that Ganesh was not his son, he tore off his head. At Parvati's request, Shiva promised to restore Ganesh's life by beheading the first living creature he encountered in the forest. He saw an elephant, cut off its head, rushed back and put it in the place of Ganesh's head. Ganesh is usually dressed in red, has four arms, and his body is covered with layers of sandalwood. The embodiment is a shrew, sometimes a rat or a mouse, therefore all these animals are sacred.
Parvati, wife of Shiva. Benevolent manifestations: Devi, Yuma, Shakti or Annapurna (bringer of abundance). Evil manifestations: Kali, Durga and Bhagavati
Buddhism.
Based on the thoughts of Gautama Siddharta (GAUTAMA SIDDHARTA), also called Sakvamuni (on behalf of the sage from the Sakwa clan), who later became Buddha (enlightened).
The philosophical doctrine and code of conduct is based on three jewels: the Buddha himself, the Dharma (the teachings of the Buddha), and the Sangha - the society of Buddhists.
Buddha was born in Lumbini, Nepal, in 544 BC, the son of a rajah (as wealthy landowners are called) who were searching for the cause of human misfortune. As a result of experiments and travels, he achieved enlightenment through meditation in Bodh Gaya.
Dharma is the doctrine of four truths discovered through meditation:
1. Existence is misery.
2. Everything in life brings suffering: birth, satisfaction of life's needs and death. The beginning of suffering lies in the needs and desires of people and the desire to possess material values (the illusion of feelings).
3. Unhappiness is born of selfish desires and passions.
Sangha is a society of Buddhists. Initially used to refer to a society of monks, but later this concept expanded. Shows the path to enlightenment.
About 100 years after the death of the Buddha, society became conflicted about the path to enlightenment. The traditional Theravada school of Buddhism follows the original teachings of the Buddha. The Mahayana school made some changes regarding the path to enlightenment (Zen appeared).
A bodhisattva is a person who has achieved enlightenment, but instead of going to nirvana, chose to teach others to achieve enlightenment.
Tantrism.
The spread of the Ahayan school began in the first century AD. on the outskirts of India. Hindus and Buddhists were in contact with animist religions and adopted some of their beliefs and exercises: yoga (physical exercises necessary to control body functions), mantras (multiple repetition of magical syllables). Ultimately transformed into Lamaism, also widespread in Nepal. Such methods serve the purpose of shortening the road to enlightenment.
Prayer Flags and Prayer Drums carry prayers into the sky. Prayer wheels are rotated clockwise to send mantras into the sky. Usually it is a copper cylinder with prayers written in Sanskrit. Inside the drum lies a parchment on which the Tibetan spell OM MANI PADME HUM is printed repeatedly. Some translations of this mantra:
Oh, the jewel hidden in the lotus.
- One specific interpretation of this spell is the same prayer of Bodhisattva Padmapani: O Padmapani, give me the lotus jewel, which is a blessing in achieving nirvana through the teachings of the Buddha.
More general interpretation: O jewel resting in the lotus, the Buddha's teaching remains pure in our minds and souls.
Religion of Nepal In Nepal, art objects, classical and modern, are used in daily religious practice. Unique creations are easy to find intemples and other religious sites. Understanding the intricacies of different religions allows you to fully appreciate the art of Nepal. Nepal is the only country where Hinduism is recognized as the state religion, but Buddhism, Islam and many other religions are also practiced 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 emerged in the 19th century to define the core beliefs of the Aryan immigrants who left Central Asia in 1500 BC. and local Indians.
The main ideas of the religion of Nepal: heavenly law governs the state of the world, man is aware of and respects heavenly law. Lead your life in a proper Hindu manner, follow the rules and all rituals, accept your birth caste. The caste system determines the code of conduct and performance of rituals, affecting all aspects of life: occupation, meals, weddings, etc.
Nepal religion principles of Hinduism. Drachma is a religious law and moral code, by acting on which one can obtain enlightenment. Karma is the balance of present life and past reactions. A life lived properly will bring about rebirth into a better life. Samsara is a cycle of reincarnations determined by karma. Moksha is liberation from samsara, in which the individual unites with the universal time space of past and future, 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 are 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 Brahma statues is small.
Saraswati, wife of Brahma, is the goddess of knowledge and music. She is often depicted playing the vina (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 one of the forms of Manjushri, the wisdom of the Bodhisattva.
Vishnu is the guardian of life and peace. Attributes - conch shell, disc, lotus and rod. Incarnation: Garuda, the mythical bird-man. It often appears in some of the following forms:
Narayan, which means "one who explores all branches", or universal knowledge.
Buddha, ninth reincarnation of Vishnu.
Rama, the warrior who saved his wife Sita from Ravan, the demon king of the island of Ceylon.
Krishna, the embodiment of masculinity, was bewitched by the milkmaids and shepherdesses with whom he frolicked. The Rama and Krishna forms are the most popular in India.
Shiva - destruction and restoration. Attributes - trident, tambourine, tiger skin, lingam (phalos). Incarnation - Nandi, a buffalo.
Pashupati, owner and protector of animals, especially cattle.
Bairav, a form of Shiva who seeks to destroy everything, including evil. His statue is usually black, wearing a necklace of human skulls.
Nepal religion- Hanuman, the monkey god. Symbolizes loyalty and willingness to help. Associated with successful military actions, Rama helped in the fight against King Ravana, who imprisoned his wife Sita for 12 years.
Ganesh (Ganapathi), one of the most popular gods in Nepal. Infallible, benevolent and of great power, it can decide the outcome of any human undertaking. Son of Shiva and Parvati. One day, Shiva found Parvati with her lover, and deciding that Ganesh was not his son, he tore off his head. At Parvati's request, Shiva promised to restore Ganesh's life by beheading the first living creature he encountered in the forest. He saw an elephant, cut off its head, rushed back and put it in the place of Ganesh's head. Ganesh is usually dressed in red, has four arms, and his body is covered with layers of sandalwood. The embodiment is a shrew, sometimes a rat or a mouse, therefore all these animals are sacred.
Religious hostility and religious wars are a common phenomenon in world history. In Europe in the 17th century, Christians exterminated entire regions inhabited by people of the same nationality as them, but belonging to a different Christian denomination. Islam asserted itself in Arabia with fire and sword. But there are also happy exceptions - countries in which there have never been 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 Buddha, that is, the awakened one, the enlightened one. In the middle of the 1st millennium BC. The Kirati tribe, who professed Buddhism, came to Nepal from the east, and for eight hundred years Buddhism became the dominant religion here. Its 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 took place peacefully and painlessly; many 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.
A Hindu god can act not only in the form of another deity, but also as a person. For example, the Nepalese king is considered the incarnation of Vishnu, one of the main Hindu gods. And the goddess Kumari exists exclusively in the guise of a living girl. The temple is the home of the Kumari. The goddess is chosen from girls aged three or four years, guided by very complex criteria. The girl remains a goddess until she loses at least a drop of blood for any reason. After this, she is given a good dowry, but it is not so easy for a retired goddess to marry - 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. 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 dedicated themselves to one of the Hindu gods are called sadhus. They lead an ascetic lifestyle, and the people consider them sages. It is to sadhus, and not to brahmin priests, that Nepalese usually go with their sorrows or when they need to make a decision. Everyone brings something with them - sadhus have no other sources of livelihood.
The Hindu pantheon is huge. Temples are dedicated to the main gods, and altars to less significant gods. One of the temples is the sanctuary of the monkey king Hanuman. Immediately after birth, legend says, Hanuman grabbed the Sun, mistaking it for an edible fruit, and the god Indra barely managed to take the sun away from the voracious baby. The epic "Ramayana" tells how the selflessly noble and powerful Hanuman - he had such strength that he tore hills and mountains from the ground - 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 as not to be forced to work. It must be said that Hanuman’s relatives, who live in abundance in Nepal, have greatly lost the strength and nobility of their great ancestor.
The Pashupatinath Temple is dedicated to one of the two supreme Hindu deities - god Shiva. This is not even a temple, but a vast temple complex located near the Nepalese capital of Kathmandu on the banks of the sacred Bagmati River. Every day crowds of pilgrims flock here not only from all over Nepal, but also from neighboring India. Performing puja, an offering to the formidable Shiva, is the duty of every believer. Most sacrifice roosters, which can be bought right next to the temples. After standing in a long line, believers hand the birds over to the minister - he cuts their throats and sprinkles the altar with sacrificial blood. Some people present goats as gifts to Shiva. You can wash the carcass nearby and then take it home - after the ritual, the Nepalese use the meat of sacrificial animals for their intended purpose, that is, for food.
Every Hindu dreams of being taken on his last journey in Pashupatinath, although there is a place for the funeral ritual at every temple standing on the river bank. After the farewell ritual in the temple, male relatives carry the deceased on a stretcher to the ghatami - a stone platform for cremation, on which the funeral pyre is laid in advance. Only the son of the deceased can light a fire, so the absence of sons in the family is considered a terrible misfortune. Hindus believe that after death a person’s soul moves into a new shell - into a plant, animal or human. Whether the new incarnation will be favorable or unfavorable depends on karma - that is, the sum of good and bad deeds committed during life. So that nothing interferes with the relocation of the soul, not a trace of the former bodily shell should remain on the earth - the muddy waters of Bagmati carry the ashes to the Ganges River, sacred to Hindus.
Buddhists also cremate their dead, but some - who were distinguished by special holiness during their lifetime - are mummified and placed in sanctuaries - stupas. This word is translated from Sanskrit - the language of sacred Buddhist texts - as "top of the head" or "heap of earth." Bouddhanath Stupa in Kathmandu was built in the 3rd century BC. and has been updated several times since then. The eyes on the gilded wall of the temple are not a decorative element. It is believed that Buddha himself looks at believers with them. Also, these bright flags hanging everywhere are not for decoration. Mantras are written on them - 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 is in Lumbini, a small town near the Indian border. According to legend, it was here 700 BC. On the day of the May full moon, on the shore of a lake under the shade of a spreading tree, Queen Maya gave birth to a son, Siddhartha, whose name translates as “who fulfilled his destiny.” The boy's birth 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 such as had never been seen on Earth. Over the years, the prince achieved complete enlightenment and became the first Buddha, the founder of a new religion. The fact that Buddha was born in Lumbini is evidenced by writings on a 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 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 Sanskrit script, Chinese characters are inscribed, and the pot-bellied Buddha statues decorating its interior are clearly made in the Chinese, rather than Indo-Nepalese, manner. 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 a lot of money for figurines. Good luck is considered when an order comes from European Buddhists or monasteries.
Monasteries in Nepal often have a greater impact on people's lives than government agencies. The advice received from the monk is followed strictly. Anyone who is familiar with the sacred texts and follows religious instructions 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 prayer said brings the 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 as a prayer. We can only hope that the prayers that we whispered when our plane fell into another air pocket over the Himalayas will also be counted towards us at the moment of rebirth. After all, this aircraft belonged to an airline named after the founder of Buddhism.
The vast majority of Nepalese practice Hinduism; There are also many Buddhists here, because in the south of Nepal, in the village of Lumbini, according to legend, Buddha was born. Hindus often pray in Buddhist temples, as do Buddhists in Hindu ones. 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 very state. Statistics say that 80.6% of Nepal's population is Hindu. However, according to unofficial data, there are much more Hindus in the country, although 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 live Kumaris - living incarnations of the goddess Taleju, whom the Nepalese king himself worshiped. By the way, before the establishment of the 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, engage in cattle breeding, agriculture, and crafts. But wandering yogi sadhus, on the contrary, are revered as sages to whom the world is alien. They are ascetics who spend many hours in meditation, traveling from temple to temple, living on alms.
The pantheon of Hindu gods is vast, but temples are built in honor of only a few of them - Shiva, Vishnu, Rama, Sita, Parvati, Lakshmi. The most revered temple by Hindus around the world, 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. In temples, pujas are performed - sacrifices, during which the Brahmins kill animals brought by the Nepalese (goats, sheep, roosters) 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.
