Buddhism%20in%20the%20Kathmandu%20Valley

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Buddhism in the Kathmandu Valley

• Todd Lewis
• College of the Holy Cross
• Worcester, Massachusetts, USA

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Kathmandu Valley Newar Urban Civilization rich
in Agriculture and trade
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Fieldwork in Nepal Asan Tol of Kathmandu
Study of Uray Buddhist Merchants
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Rhythms of Urban Newar Life Asan
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Rhythms of Urban Newar Life Asan
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Rhythms of Urban Newar Life Asan
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Rhythms of Urban Newar Life Asan
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Rhythms of Urban Newar Life Asan
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Patan
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Kathmandu
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Bhaktapur
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Surplus Production Art Traditions in every medium
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Wood Sculpture
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Aqueduct and Hiti Water Tap system
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Newar Artisan Connections to Tibet, Bhutan, China
Arniko
Gyantse, Tibet
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Miao Ying Si Center of Yuan Beijing as mandala
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Zhen Gue Temple
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Wu-Tai Shan
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Wu-Tai Shan
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Sanskrit ManuscriptsVast Archive of Indic texts
from every tradition
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Break
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Buddhism-s in the Kathmandu Valley Today
Tibetan Traditions Pre-modern Refugee
Newar Traditions
Theravadin Modernist (1920-present)
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Problematics of the Vajrayana/Mahayana Distinction
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Buddha Cosmic BuddhaSource Svayambhu Purana
(extant 1522)
Visits by previous Buddhas Flame-centric lotus
rooted, manifestation of Adi-Buddha
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Kathmandu Valley created by Manjushris draining
itManjushri comes from Maha-Cina
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Newar Mahayana

• Universal/Cosmic Buddha reality symbolized by
  Dharmadhatu Mandala
• Amitabha Buddha in West, but no Pure Land Cult
• Vajrayana tradition overarches for elite, access
  restructured to highest castes

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Mahayana Pantheonsymbolized in Svayambhu Stupa
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and all stupas
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Newar Sangha
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Ordination/Initiation
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Vajrayana Teachers/Priestsvajr?caryas
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Textual Interpreters and transmitters of the
power of the Dharma in texts
Cult of the Text still extant
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Newar Sangha Householder Vajracarya ritual
specialists
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Monasteries Baha
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Monastic Organization of Kathmandu City Buddhist
Monasteries
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Frontier of Buddhist holy landKathmandu Valley
Maha Bodhi temple model Patan
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Beijing, China
Pagan, Burma
Ayutthaya, Thailand
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Newar Buddhist DharmaMulti-vocalic and
hierarchical, based upon individual aptitude

• Exoteric Shakyamuni, basic karma/merit
  orientation (jatakas)
• Mahayana focused on Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara
  Karunamaya
• Tantric Vajrayana Esoteric traditions

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Basic Buddhism Merit Making, Buddhas life and
previous lives as model, stupas as central shrines
Vishvantara Manicuda Mahasattva Raj Kumar
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Svayambhu
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Avalokiteshvara Jana Baha temple to this
celestial bodhisattva is the central city shrine
and largest annual Buddhist festival
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Extraordinary Newar Mahayana RitualsPanca Dana
by wealthy families and Samyak every 12 years
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I. Buddhist Samskaras Life Cycle Rite, seeking
the fullness of life

• Macca Bu Byenke
• ?
• Macca Janko
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• ? Gender Rites ?
• Keitha Puja First Ihi
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  ?
• Baran Cwanegu
• Ihi Marriage
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• Nikhan
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• Dekka
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• Buda Janko
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• Cremation
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APPLIED MAHAYANA BUDDHISM Mirrors the
Brahmanical Life Cycles Rites, but reconfigures
for Buddhist meaning
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Macca Bu Byenke
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Macca Janko
First rice feeding and name giving
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? First Ihi
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? Baran Cwanegu
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? Keitha Puja
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Ihi Marriage
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Nikhan
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Dekkha
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Buda Janko
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Cremation
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Shraddha
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VRATA-s
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Temporary communities of Newar Buddhists Vrata
Practices among families, castes, etc.
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Mahakala Vrata Image
Tara Vrata Image
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• Religious field and local Pluralism today
• Newars had access to Tibetan teachers,
  initiations
• As well as Theravadins in the 20th Century

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The Domestication of tantric traditions ...
through imposition of caste-defined control of
initiation
siddhas and sadhana traditions
siddhas and sadhana traditions
PALACE
PALACE
800 CE Tantric traditions on margins of society
1500 CE-present Tantra the monopoly of highest
caste elites
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Limited access to the power of mantras The
case study of ciba dyah dayekegu
Uray practice, with mantras
Jyapu practice, without mantras
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The Power of mantras and the social power to
control access to mantras

• Mantras and Dharani-s were/are believed capable
  of unleashing great cosmic powers.
• It is natural that those with political power
  eventually sought to control who could obtain and
  use this classified knowledge.
• Is the Newar caste-defined tradition of limiting
  access to tantric practices an extension of its
  elite seeking to perpetuate its status?

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Initiation and Newar Buddhist laity Naresh Man
Bajracarya Opens the Tradition
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