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