Blog #3 from Jeff - Swayambhunath Stupa & Asura Cave
Tim Feldmann & Jeff Kavy at the base of the stupa - on the way up the 365 stairs!
What an amazing first day on our Nepal pilgrimage!
After 6:00 AM meditation and yoga (the shala at Hotel Vajra is a beautiful place to practice) we set off on foot to Swayambu, one of the oldest religious sites in Nepal, an ancient complex on a hill just west of the city.
Revered also by Hindus, it is among the most sacred of Buddhist pilgrimage sites, and holds particular importance to all inhabitants of the Katmandu Valley.
The complex consists of the original stupa, shrines and temples and in recent decades a Tibetan monastery, museum and library which are accessed by a long staircase.
Group photo at Swayambhunath Stupa - 2023 Nepal Yoga & Buddhism Pilgrimage with Tim Feldmann - from Mexico, Venezuala, Miami, Tampa, Nashville, Chicago, Manchester UK, Athens, Oregon, Honolulu, and DC!
According to the Swayambhu Purana (Buddhist scripture) the Katmandu valley was once an enormous lake with a large lotus in the middle. Manjushri, a bodhisattva of wisdom and learning, thought the valley would make a good settlement.
Jeff in front of Swayambhunath Stupa
So he took his sword and cut a gorge that drained the water out of the lake leaving the valley in which Katmandu lies. And as the water receded the stupa arose!
The stupa is incredible and the panoramic views of Katmandu from the top are gorgeous but to get there you have to hike up 365 steps!
After that we went to see the actual gorge that Manjushri cut with his sword. The best view is from the middle of a suspension bridge so it was lots of fun.
After lunch, we visited Pharping and the Asura cave, the sacred Buddhists pilgrimage site where Guru Pinoche, who brought Buddhism to Nepal, attained enlightenment, and the Vajrayogini Temple and Monestary.
Jeff on the suspension bridge to see the gorge Manjushri forged!
It was such a wonderful day and tomorrow promises even more awe inspiring sites.
Inside the Asura Cave - where Padmasambhava practiced!
We’re going to Patan Durbar Square and the Golden Buddha now part of Katmandu it was a separate kingdom in the 17th Century Golden Buddha and the next day its Boudhanath home to more than 40,000 Tibetan refugees, dozens of Tibetan Buddhists monasteries, thousands of Tibetan Buddhists monks and at its center, the Boudhanath stupa, but not until after early morning meditation and practice, of course!