Showing posts with label Swayambhu. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Swayambhu. Show all posts

Saturday, April 17, 2010

The Monkey Temple, Swayambhunath, sight seeing part three

There is a meditation in every moment.

Here are some focal points for today's meditation.

Buddhist Monks at Swayambhu.

The deer above the door are symbols of Buddha's first teaching

Stupa or Chorten at Swayambhu

Dipankar Buddha 7th Century, carved from a single stone

Protection and Charity

Ringing the Bell at Swayambhu.

Dragons are Symbols of Sacred Wisdom.


Stupa or Chorten, a holy reliquary.


Grooming

Offerings for Prayers

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

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.