Circular rainbows above Boudha I guess they
are called Ice rainbows

FIELD TRIP TO NAMO BUDDHA

We traveled by bus about 2 1/2 hours into the Nepalese country side to visit  Namo Buddha the place where Shakyamuni Buddha in his former life lived.
As the story goes he was one of three sons of a king, and one day when he and his brothers went for a walk they came upon a tigress laying with her four cubs. She was unable to move because she hadn't eaten and the cubs where starving and suffering.  
       The Buddha in his former life asked his brothers how can they feed her, what do tigers eat? the  brothers replied that tigers only eat freshly killed meat. 
     They walked away but then the Buddha of his former life told his brothers that he would catch up to them and that he had something he had to do.  He thought about things he had lived so many lives and lived for material things, riches and reputation, this life he could offer himself to the tigress and be of benefit. 
       So first he cut his arm so that the tiger could taste the blood and then the tigress began to gain her strength and rose up to eat him and feed the starving cubs.  When the Brother's returned all that remained was some bones and blood of their brother, they knew what he had done.

 

 

 

The beautiful countryside on the 1mile walk up to Namo Buddha

 

 The Monastery at Namo Buddha the shrine room was one of the most beautiful that I have ever seen- sorry there were no pictures allowed : (

 This is an especially holy place due to the fact that Sakyamuni Buddha - the Buddha of this time actually came back to this place and showed his attendants where his bones were - I think in a vase anyway,  so it was blessed by Buddha in past and present lifetimes!

                                It was so quiet and peaceful up there I could have stayed all day

There are three different locations in this area they think is where the Buddha in his former life allowed himself to be eaten by the Tigress and her cubs here is the cave that most believe is where it happened

                                   
                                   Classmates and language partners from Colin's school

More Pictures from around the Stupa

Breakfast on the  Paradise Restaurant rooftop with amazing views of the Stupa

HODGE PODGE

Trying to keep the Traffic MOOOOving along 
in the central area around the stupa

I was surprised to see that the Kagyu Monastery here in Boudha keeps a jail for their young monks,
So glad to be a part of the Sakya Tradition of Tibetan Buddhism  Where our little monks roam free : )

 This is our friend spider, he totally freaked us out for several nights and then we realized we were totally freaking him out so we all just let each other be.  
    Every night around 6:30 he would come out - half way from the space between the cupboard and the wall and just sit there. By the time we went to bed he would come out a few more inches but by morning he would be hiding again. This went on for a about 2 weeks we actually started to look forward to seeing him up there but since I don't think the feeling was mutual mister spider moved on and now we are freaked out because we don't know where ;)then 

FRISKY BIRDS 

Pictures around the first inside ring of the Mandala of of the Boudha Stupa

  

Everyday I go to the stupa to do Kora  -  (Walking around the Stupa reciting prayers and Mantras) Around the stupa there are entrances to go in, and a pathway leading around so you can do Kora within the first walls of the Mandala. It's very nice, and very peaceful inside the walls.

Screen shot taken from google images

    These are some of the things you can see close up inside the walls of the stupa. Unfortunately I    don't know the stories behind all of them,  but I hope to know by the time we leave. 
     What I do know is that everything is ancient. The Stupa itself is over 2000 years old.


Everything was just given a fresh whitewashing in honor of  Saka Dawa - Buddhist holy days.

Above you can see the prostration boards that are left there all the time. Many people come everyday to do their Ngondro practices here.  I actually did some of mine here when we came in 2010.This visit  I  sit and do my practices or meditation  in this area.  - the plastic over the boards are ones that have been claimed : ) and to protect the wood during monsoon season.