Why do Monastery Retreat in Nepal ?
7 Jun 2022 HYN Himalayan Yoga Academy
Monastery Retreat is very popular in Nepal as Nepal is country having majority of Hinduism and Buddhism resulting in numerous temples and monasteries found all around Nepal.. As Nepal is home to thousands of monasteries and many more spiritual hubs. As Monasteries offer complete peaceful and spiritual environment for people explore themselves. During such retreat one will experience complete yoga and meditation experience in beautiful places where they will find themselves and explore more within. We at Himalayan Yoga Academy has gathered some beautiful reasons why Nepal is perfect place for Monastery Retreats in Nepal.
1. Nepal is birth place of buddha.
Lord Gautama Buddha was born in the royal family of Shakya clan of Kapilvastu district in Nepal. In present day, the ancient kingdom of Kapilvastu is still present in Rupandehi district. Even though Nepal is generally considered as Hindu Kingdom, Buddhism had always been considered second. Buddhism is widely practiced in the Northern part of Nepal especially in the ethnic group, Tamang, Magar, and Gurung. The history of Buddhism in Nepal dated back in the life time of Gautama Buddha.
2. Here Padmasambhava got enlightenment.
Guru Padmasambhava is generally referred to as Guru Rinpoche, which means “precious master.” Guru Rinpoche is a totally enlightened being, a fully awakened one, a buddha. Guru Padmasambhava or Guru Rinpoche did not become enlightened gradually, or start practicing the teachings of Buddha Shakyamuni and eventually achieve enlightenment. Guru Rinpoche incarnated as a fully enlightened being. Through his form, primordial wisdom manifests in the world to benefit all sentient beings.
In Nepal in the place Called Pharping, where Guru Padmasambhava attained the level of a Mahamudra vidyadhara. Yangleshö is thus, according to Katok Rigdzin Tsewang Norbu, considered to be for Vajrayana practitioners as important as Bodhgaya because it is where the second buddha Guru Padmasambhava attained the state of enlightenment.
3. Here we can see Buddhist monastery, Stupa, Bihar and Chaitya.
Nepal is a pristine country popular not just for trekking, mountaineering, or other tour activities but also for meditation retreats, cultural trips, and spiritual findings. Nepal is land to countless religious temples, stupas, and monasteries spread across the country. What makes Nepal a prominent land is the birthplace of Lord Buddha.
4. Nepal is highly practice of three major division of Buddhist religion.
There are three types of Buddhism in Nepal: Theravada, Mahayana, Tibetan Vajrayana Buddhism and Newar Vajrayana Buddhism. Many lamas all around the world have established monasteries in the Himalayan region, which has become a very important center for Tibetan Buddhism.
Mahayana : Mahayana, translating to the greater vehicle, is currently the most popular and widespread form of Buddhism in the world and also in Nepal. n Mahayana, the texts and literature are written in the Sanskrit language. The Mahayana religion started spreading from the northern countries like China, Korea, Mongolia, Japan, Sri Lanka, and Tibet etc. to all around the world.
Theravada : The Theravada Buddhism is followed by people in Sri Lanka (Ceylon), Myanmar (Burma), Thailand, Cambodia, and Laos.
Vajrayana : Newa Buddhism is the form of Vajrayana Buddhism practiced majorly by the Newa community of the Kathmandu Valley. This sect, also called Newa Vajrayana Buddhism, has an elaborated tradition of rituals in Nepal and is a very ancient form of practice. It is popular in and believed to have spread out from the East Asian countries like Tibet, Bhutan, and also Bengal and Eastern India.
Nepal is rich in Buddhist culture, lifestyle and Harmony.
In Nepal, about 11 percent of Nepalese practice Buddhism and are mainly from Tibeto-Burman ethnic groups like Sherpas, Tamang’s and Bhotia people and other people from the mountain areas along the border with Tibet. In many areas, Hinduism has absorbed Buddhism to a large extent, but the two religions have many shared deities and temples. In Famous Temple, Muktinath, the temple there is sacred for both Hindus and Buddhists.
Though most people in Nepal are Hindu, Buddhist influences are pervasive in most aspects of Nepali culture. Also all religions in Nepal live in harmony. As in Nepal, Tibetan Buddhism is the most widely followed and the Newar Buddhists practice a particular Newar variant of Vajrayana Buddhism and Theravada Buddhism.