The Monkey Temple, Swayambhunath, sight seeing part two

Above, the reason they call it the Monkey Temple.

Monkeys are all over this area.

Look at my story, The One-Eyed Monkey of Swayambhu,

for the history of the Monkey Temple.

Prayer Wheels inscribed with 'Om ma ni pad me hum,' which means

'a jewel in a lotus.'

It is the prayer for the enlightenment of all sentient beings.

Buddhists are praying for our enlightenment constantly.

These wheels are filled with scrolls of prayers

which repeat the mantra thousands of times.

Guruda (looks like a bird)

Nag Kanya (snake women with snakes on her head)

Buddhas of compassion, medicine and meditation.

These are a few of the aspects of Buddha.

Tourists and worshipers circumambulate the stupa

praying and rotating prayer wheels.

The wheels rotate clockwise,

the pedestrians circle clockwise,

a conch shell spirals in on itself clockwise;

it is the divine direction

and symbolizes the blessedness of turning to the right.

Do the right thing!

The stupa at the top of Swayambhunath is having a face lift.

These are the compassionate eyes of Buddha. In a moment of triumph you might take your prayer flags to a high and holy place and share prayers for peace and enlightenment with the world.