What is this man? More questions than answers.

 

 

A Hindu Jogi moves from house to house asking for rice

 

Visitors to Nepal cannot avoid witnessing the two principle religions, Hinduism and Buddhism. Whether it be by visiting a temple, seeing the countless shrines within each community, by hearing the ringing of bells at any time of day, often accompanied by worshipers blowing horns fashioned from conch shells, as the perform  daily rituals.

 

Crowds gather at a festival in Baktapur where those who have died in the year are remembered.

A young Hindu girl prepares for the Gaai jatra festival
in Baktapur

 

 

Or it may be the facial tika adorments worn by all family members. These are not be confused with a red dot lower down on the forehead that signifies a women’s marital status. Dots of differing colours in the same place may have other meanings such as religious status, or can be a fashion statement.

We’ve discovered in our cultural classes, by talking to local Nepalis and  from our background reading  that the  two religions closely linked. Buddha was born in Nepal before travelling to India, where he discovered that Hinduism did not answer all of the situations that confronted him .So he formed a new but linked belief structure known as Buddhism which did supply those answers.  Out of one religion was born the other. 80% of Nepalis are Hindu and 16% Buddhist, but to the untrained observer, it can be difficult to see the differences since both are so inclusive and tolerant.

A Hindu jogi moving between temples

What is this man we asked ourselves? He and others like him are seen moving from house to house asking for rice or some rupees. He is a Hindu Jogi and can be seen at shrines and temples. His journey is one of seeking enlightenment through devotion and knowledge with the aim of breaking repeated lives or birth cycles to unite his soul with the world soul. This unity is a moment of freedom and salvation. This life style is one of personal choice and must be accompanied by giving his property to his family living a life far away from friends, family and other worldly disturbances.

A young Hindu priest prepares to carry out his duties.

 

Hindu priests on the other hand are largely members of the Brahman cast and are family men who’s role is to preside over the many rituals and festivals in the faith.

 

A Buddhist flag is flown over a Bungamati house

Buddhist monks are selected at an early age. Traditionaliy the second son within a family. They live and train within an order of monks and are easily distinguished by their crimson robes. We visited Pharping Gumba where Tibetan priests are trained from 7 years old in the ways of the Buddha.

 

 

Young Buddhist monks make their way to Swayambhu temple

Tibetan monks go through rituals at Pharping monastery

It is not possible to live and work in Nepal without grasping an understanding of these beliefs since it is this that forms the framework of everyday life. We are still at the very beginning of that quest to find out more. With each new encounter in this huge mosaic of religion there are more questions than answers.

Nepal's flag is flown over the gathering at Baktapur.Newari Gaai jatra Festival