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Buddhism in Nepal

January 19, 2023

Buddhism in Nepal started spreading since the reign of Ashoka through Indian and Tibetan missionaries. The Kiratas were the first people in Nepal who embraced Gautama Buddha’s teachings, followed by the Licchavis and Newar people.[1] Buddha was born in Lumbini in the Shakya Kingdom. Lumbini is considered to lie in present-day Rupandehi District, Lumbini zone of Nepal.[2][3] Buddhism is the second-largest religion in Nepal. According to 2001 census, 10.74% of Nepal's population practiced Buddhism, consisting mainly of Tibeto-Burman-speaking ethnicities, the Newar.[4] However, in the 2011 census, Buddhists made up just 9% of the country's population.[5]

It has not been possible to assign with certainty the year in which Prince Siddhartha, the birth name of the Buddha, was born; it is usually placed at around 563 BCE.[6] In Nepal's hill and mountain regions Hinduism has absorbed Buddhist tenets to such an extent that in many cases they have shared deities as well as temples. For instance, the Muktinath Temple is sacred and a common house of worship for both Hindus and Buddhists.[7]

Overview

 
Birthplace of Siddhartha Gautama as Buddha, at Lumbini in Nepal
 
Swayambhu stupa and prayer flags
 
Amitabha Monastery in Nepal

In Nepal, the majority of people identify as Hindu. However, Buddhist influences are pervasive in most aspects of the culture of Nepal to an extent that Buddhist and Hindu temples are shared places of worship for peoples of both faiths so that, unlike in other countries, the distinction between Hinduism and Buddhism in Nepal is not always clear. During the reign of King Amshuverma, the Nepalese princess Bhrikuti played a significant role in spreading and developing Buddhism in Tibet. Tibetan Buddhist architecture has long been influenced by Nepalese artists and sculptors like Araniko. The sacred Buddhist texts in Mahayana Buddhism are mainly written in the Ranjana alphabet, the script of the Newars, or scripts like Lantsa, which are derived from Ranjana.

In traditional Nepalese Buddhism, there are nine special texts which are called the "Nine Dharma Jewels" (Navagrantha), and these are considered the nine books of Buddhism par excellence:

Among the Tibeto-Burman-speaking peoples, Tibetan Buddhism is the most widely practised form. Newar Buddhism is a form of Vajrayana influenced by Theravada Buddhism and is the oldest known form of the Vajrayana tradition and is significantly older than the Tibetan Buddhism. Many Buddhist groups are also influenced by Hinduism. Buddhism is the dominant religion of the thinly populated northern areas, which are inhabited by Tibetan-related peoples, namely the Sherpa, Lopa, Manangi, Thakali, Lhomi, Dolpa and Nyimba. They constitute a small minority of the country's population.

Ethnic groups that live in central Nepal such as the Gurungs, Lepcha, Tamang, Magar, Newars, Yakkha, Jirel, Thami, Chhantyal and Chepang are also Buddhist. These ethnic groups have larger populations compared to their northern neighbours. They came under the influence of Hinduism due to their close contacts with the Hindu castes. In turn, many of them eventually adopted Hinduism and have been largely integrated into the caste system.

The Kirati people, especially the Limbu and the Rai peoples, have also adopted Tibetan Buddhist practises from their Buddhist neighbours.

History

 
Buddhist prayer flags in Nepal

Buddha was born as Prince Siddhartha in Nepal. He attained enlightenment under the Bodhi Tree in Bodh Gaya, in present-day Bihar, India. He there preached his teachings and thus Buddhism came into existence.

Pre-Lichchavi Buddhism

Emperor Ashoka of the Maurya Empire put up a pillar at Lumbini, the birthplace of the Buddha, in the second century BCE.[8] After the Third Buddhist council, Ashoka missionaries to Nepal.[8]

Buddhism during the Licchavi period (400-750 CE)

The Licchavi period saw the flourishing of both Hinduism and Buddhism in Nepal. Excellent examples of Buddhist art of the period are the half-sunken Buddha in Pashupatinath, the sleeping Vishnu in Budhanilkantha, and the statue of Buddha and the various representations of Vishnu in Changu Narayan.

Another Buddhist text, the Mañjuśrī-mūla-kalpa, mentioned Manadeva as the King of Nepal Mandala. Researchers believe the Mulasarvastivadavinaya was written in the 2nd century CE, and that the Manjushriulakalpa was written during Manadeva's reign. The Swayambhu Purana, the ancient Buddhist Purana text, and a Licchavi inscription all mentioned Nepal Mandala.

Buddhist inscriptions and chronicles and Tibetan sources also record a few tantric Buddhist deities, namely Akshobhya, Amitabha, Vajrayogini, Vajrabhairava, Usnisavijaya and Samantabhadra. Strong influence from pre-Buddhist beliefs resulted in belief in Buddhist deities such as the Pancaraksas.

Religious tolerance and syncretism were stressed during the Licchavi period. King Manadeva paid homage at both Hindu and Buddhist sites. His family subsequently found expression for their beliefs in various religions.

The worship of the Caitya and the Rath Jatra cart festival of Avalokitesvara were introduced around this period. Many ancient sites in the Kathmandu Valley were identified with major Buddhist Caityas, such as Swayambhunath, Boudhanath, Kathmandu and the four "Ashoka" stupas of Patan, and another two hundred stone Caityas dating from the Licchavi Period, were testified to the widespread antiquity of Caitya worship.

It is possible that this practice, in its earliest incarnation, was related to the worship of stones, which may have originated in the early, rival Kirata inhabitants of the Valley, prior to the Licchavis. According to one of the earliest Licchavi inscriptions, Caitya worship ordinarily consisted of ritual circumambulation of the caitya and offering standard items such as incense, colored powder, oil lamps and ablutions. At times, the inscriptions indicate, it could even involve resurfacing an existing Caitya and covering the new surface with many elaborate paintings.

Caitya worship was an important factor in bringing more of the proto-Newar tribal inhabitants into the Buddhist fold, as it was a devotional practice designed for the general public. Thus, the masses probably began practicing the cart festival of Avalokitesvara/Matsyendranath (Jana Baha Dyah Jatra and Bunga Dyah Jatra) during the latter half of the seventh century AD.

This festival was celebrated by hundreds or even thousands of people, who helped to construct and transport a huge, wheeled cart that bore the image of Avalokitesvara for several days or weeks along a specific route. The introduction of this festival must have been an instant success among the majority of the Kathmandu Valley population. This strengthened Buddhism's standing in relation to the other Hindu and Animist faiths of the Valley at the time.

Forty stone inscriptions made some mention of Buddhism throughout the Licchavi period. Most of the references are concerned with monasticism. However, almost nothing is known about the day-to-day life in the Vihara monasteries or how they functioned administratively.

The names of the fifteen Buddhist monasteries are known, and it is clear from the context in which some of these are named that they are among the most important religious sites of that time. It is not known for certain what schools of Buddhism were most prominent at the time. But the strongest early influences (aside from an even earlier probable substratum of Pali Buddhism) probably came from the Mahasanghika, Sammitiya and the Sarvastivada schools. The Makhyamaka and Yogacara schools were thought to be more influential in the later period with the emergence and growth of the Vajrayana school.

Inscriptional evidence also proves that there was a string of traditional methods of making religious gifts. These offerings were used for earning blessing and making merit, and women in the Buddhist community seem to have taken the lead in offering these gifts. Strikingly, parallel points within the Buddhist cave contain inscriptions of Maharashtra, which predated the Licchvi Nepal. The references in the Licchavi inscriptions to the Mahayana and Vajrayana will be mentioned below in connection with Buddhist art and notable Buddhist figures of the Licchavi period.

Buddhism during the Licchavi period (600-1200)

 
Amitabh Monastery in Nepal
 
The Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara, gilded bronze. Nepal, 16th century CE

Buddhism during the Malla dynasty (1200–1769)

The Malla dynasty saw to the golden period of the syncretism of Hindu and Buddhist art forms by the Newar. The Paubha, the Newar counterpart of the Tibetan Buddhist Thangka, flourished in this period.

During the reign of Jayasthiti Malla, after implementation of Manawa dharmasastra, celibate monks were banned from practicing in Nepal.[citation needed] This gave way to the decelibate Newar Buddhism. Because of this, Theravada Buddhism was lost in Nepal only to be revitalized in the beginning of the 20th century.[9]

Buddhism during the Rana dynasty (1846–1951)

There is an incorrect assumption that, due to perceived similarity to tantric Hinduism, that Modern Newar Buddhism in Nepal has largely been absorbed into mainstream Hinduism. However, Newar Buddhism has retained a distinct identity, and nearly all practices, art forms and castes remain. In the north, people of Tibetan origin continued to be the much-unchanged practises of Tibetan Buddhism, especially in the case of the Nyimba of Northwest Nepal. On the other hand, the Thakali, who had traditionally played an important role in the Nepali society but yet retained Tibetan Buddhism, have begun to embrace Hinduism as well in the recent years.

It is significant to note that during the autocratic Rana regime, several Theravada Buddhists were banished from Nepal for preaching Buddhism.[10][11] The Banishment of Buddhist monks from Nepal in 1926 and 1944 was prompted by an attempt to suppress the revival of Theravada Buddhism which began in the 1920s. In 1946, a Sri Lankan goodwill mission visited Kathmandu and interceded on behalf of the monks. The delegation emphasized that Nepal was the birthplace of Lord Buddha, and that his followers should be free to practice their faith in the country where he was born. Subsequently, the ban was lifted and the monks returned and devoted themselves to spreading the faith with greater energy.[12][13] Also, the rediscovery of Lumbini, the birthplace of Buddha, occurred in this era with contributions from among others, General Khadga Sumsher Rana.

Shah Dynasty (1951–2006)

After the overthrow of the Rana dynasty in 1951, Buddhism gradually developed in the country. Theravada Buddhists played a greatly significant role for the Buddhist revival campaign in modern Nepal since the 1920s. This revival movement has changed Buddhism from a religion of some ethnic groups and castes to going beyond the caste and ethnic religion in Nepal. Presently, there are three main Buddhist schools; Tibetan Buddhism, Newar Buddhism and Theravada Buddhism.

Tourism is an important factor for promoting Nepali Buddhism to the world. Every year, Kathmandu can receive more than 10,000 travellers from all over the world just to visit the Boudha Stupa Boudhanath and the Swyambhu Maha Chaitya Swayambhunath stupas. These are the remarkable and significant architectural sites, which are only found in Nepal. Apart from these two main Buddhist monuments there are hundreds of Buddhist monuments in Kathmandu and in other main cities of Nepal.

Republic of Nepal (2006-present)

Nepal officially became a secular state in 2006. All religions in Nepal now have equal opportunities to propagate according to their belief.[citation needed]

Demographics

According to the 2011 Census of Nepal, the adherents of Buddhism are as follows:[5] NEG denotes newly listed ethnic group, for which 2001 census figures are not available.

Ethnic Group Buddhist Percentage

2001(%)

Total Population

2011

Buddhist Percentage

2011 (%)

Total Buddhist

2011

Tamang 90.26% 1,539,830 87.29% 1,344,139
Magar 24.47% 1,887,733 18.04% 340,608
Gurung 69.03% 522,641 62.72% 327,813
Newar 15.35% 1,321,933 10.74% 141,982
Sherpa 92.83% 112,946 98.34% 111,068
Bhote 59.40% 13,397 98.33% 13,173
Ghale NEG 22,881 50.05% 11,451
Hyolmo 98.45% 10,752 91.32% 9,819
Thakali 65.01% 13,215 68.07% 8995
Chhantyal 64.2% 11,810 0.00% 0
Jirel 87% 5,774 0.00% 0
Lepcha 88.8% 3,445 0.00% 0
Other ethnic groups 0.81% 21,028,147 0.41% 87051
Total 10.74% 26,494,504 9.04% 2,396,099

Between 2001 and 2011 census, the percentage of Buddhists have declined by 1.7%, from 10.74% to 9.04%. All major ethnic groups (except Sherpa, Bhote and Thakali) showed decline in percentage of Buddhists. It is interesting to note that in the 2011 census not a single Chhantyal, Jirel and Lepcha reported themselves as Buddhist. In the 2011 census, a total of 11,233 Chhantyal (95.1%) reported themselves as Hindu. Likewise, 4,604 Jirel (79.7%) and 2,907 Lepcha (84.4%) reported themselves as Bon religion followers. Of the Ghale group, which was added in the 2011 Census, more than 50% of them reported themselves as Buddhist followers.

See also

References

  1. ^ Dutt, N. (1966). "Buddhism in Nepal" (PDF). Bulletin of Tibetology. 3 (2): 27–45. (PDF) from the original on 2018-12-09. Retrieved 2018-12-08.
  2. ^ Smith, V. A. (1914). The Early History of India from 600 B.C. to the Muhammadan Conquest Including the Invasion of Alexander the Great (Third ed.). London: Oxford University Press. pp. 168–169. from the original on 2023-01-15. Retrieved 2015-11-15.
  3. ^ UNESCO (2012). "Lumbini, the Birthplace of the Lord Buddha". UNESCO: World Heritage Centre. from the original on 2010-07-31. Retrieved 2019-12-26.
  4. ^ Dahal, Dilli Ram (2003). (PDF). Population Monograph of Nepal 2003. Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS), Government of Nepal. 1: 104–106. Archived from the original (PDF) on January 7, 2014.
  5. ^ a b "Population Monograph of Nepal 2014 Volume II (Social Demography)" (PDF). (PDF) from the original on 2021-11-26. Retrieved 2019-04-06.
  6. ^ Thomas, E. J. (1927). "The Birth of Buddha". The Life of Buddha as Legend and History. New Delhi: Asian Educational Services. pp. 27–37. ISBN 81-206-0979-4.
  7. ^ Shastri, G. C (July 1968). (PDF). Ancient Nepal: Journal of the Department of Archaeology. 4: 48–51. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 6, 2012.
  8. ^ a b [1] October 8, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
  9. ^ . Lumbini Nepalese Buddha Dharma Society (UK). Archived from the original on 4 August 2014. Retrieved 22 May 2013.
  10. ^ . Archived from the original on 6 May 2003. Retrieved 1 March 2015.
  11. ^ "Dhammaduta: The Theravada Bhikkhu Sangha in Nepal". from the original on 3 April 2015. Retrieved 1 March 2015.
  12. ^ Dietrich, Angela (1996). . Buddhist Himalaya: A Journal of Nagarjuna Institute of Exact Methods. Archived from the original on 1 October 2013. Retrieved 17 March 2011.
  13. ^ "Boudddha Bhichhuharu" (PDF). Gorkhapatra. 3 September 1946. Retrieved 12 May 2013.[permanent dead link] Page 7.

Further reading

External links

  • Holy Sites of Buddhism: Lumbini - Buddha's Birthplace
  • - by Ācārya Mahayogi Dharma Vajra (Sridhar SJB Rana)
  • -Bhikkhu Kondanya
  • - S.N. Goenka
  • Nagarjuna Institute of Exact Studies
  • Buddhactivity Dharma Centres database

January 19, 2023
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Buddhism in Nepal started spreading since the reign of Ashoka through Indian and Tibetan missionaries The Kiratas were the first people in Nepal who embraced Gautama Buddha s teachings followed by the Licchavis and Newar people 1 Buddha was born in Lumbini in the Shakya Kingdom Lumbini is considered to lie in present day Rupandehi District Lumbini zone of Nepal 2 3 Buddhism is the second largest religion in Nepal According to 2001 census 10 74 of Nepal s population practiced Buddhism consisting mainly of Tibeto Burman speaking ethnicities the Newar 4 However in the 2011 census Buddhists made up just 9 of the country s population 5 It has not been possible to assign with certainty the year in which Prince Siddhartha the birth name of the Buddha was born it is usually placed at around 563 BCE 6 In Nepal s hill and mountain regions Hinduism has absorbed Buddhist tenets to such an extent that in many cases they have shared deities as well as temples For instance the Muktinath Temple is sacred and a common house of worship for both Hindus and Buddhists 7 Contents 1 Overview 2 History 2 1 Pre Lichchavi Buddhism 2 2 Buddhism during the Licchavi period 400 750 CE 2 3 Buddhism during the Licchavi period 600 1200 2 4 Buddhism during the Malla dynasty 1200 1769 2 5 Buddhism during the Rana dynasty 1846 1951 2 6 Shah Dynasty 1951 2006 2 7 Republic of Nepal 2006 present 3 Demographics 4 See also 5 References 6 Further reading 7 External linksOverview Edit Birthplace of Siddhartha Gautama as Buddha at Lumbini in Nepal Swayambhu stupa and prayer flags Amitabha Monastery in Nepal This section does not cite any sources Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed March 2021 Learn how and when to remove this template message In Nepal the majority of people identify as Hindu However Buddhist influences are pervasive in most aspects of the culture of Nepal to an extent that Buddhist and Hindu temples are shared places of worship for peoples of both faiths so that unlike in other countries the distinction between Hinduism and Buddhism in Nepal is not always clear During the reign of King Amshuverma the Nepalese princess Bhrikuti played a significant role in spreading and developing Buddhism in Tibet Tibetan Buddhist architecture has long been influenced by Nepalese artists and sculptors like Araniko The sacred Buddhist texts in Mahayana Buddhism are mainly written in the Ranjana alphabet the script of the Newars or scripts like Lantsa which are derived from Ranjana In traditional Nepalese Buddhism there are nine special texts which are called the Nine Dharma Jewels Navagrantha and these are considered the nine books of Buddhism par excellence Aṣṭasahasrika Prajnaparamita Sutra Gaṇḍavyuha Sutra Ten Stages Sutra Samadhiraja Sutra Laṅkavatara Sutra Lotus Sutra Tathagataguhya Sutra Lalitavistara Sutra Golden Light SutraAmong the Tibeto Burman speaking peoples Tibetan Buddhism is the most widely practised form Newar Buddhism is a form of Vajrayana influenced by Theravada Buddhism and is the oldest known form of the Vajrayana tradition and is significantly older than the Tibetan Buddhism Many Buddhist groups are also influenced by Hinduism Buddhism is the dominant religion of the thinly populated northern areas which are inhabited by Tibetan related peoples namely the Sherpa Lopa Manangi Thakali Lhomi Dolpa and Nyimba They constitute a small minority of the country s population Ethnic groups that live in central Nepal such as the Gurungs Lepcha Tamang Magar Newars Yakkha Jirel Thami Chhantyal and Chepang are also Buddhist These ethnic groups have larger populations compared to their northern neighbours They came under the influence of Hinduism due to their close contacts with the Hindu castes In turn many of them eventually adopted Hinduism and have been largely integrated into the caste system The Kirati people especially the Limbu and the Rai peoples have also adopted Tibetan Buddhist practises from their Buddhist neighbours History Edit Buddhist prayer flags in Nepal This section does not cite any sources Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed March 2021 Learn how and when to remove this template message Buddha was born as Prince Siddhartha in Nepal He attained enlightenment under the Bodhi Tree in Bodh Gaya in present day Bihar India He there preached his teachings and thus Buddhism came into existence Pre Lichchavi Buddhism Edit Emperor Ashoka of the Maurya Empire put up a pillar at Lumbini the birthplace of the Buddha in the second century BCE 8 After the Third Buddhist council Ashoka missionaries to Nepal 8 Buddhism during the Licchavi period 400 750 CE Edit The Licchavi period saw the flourishing of both Hinduism and Buddhism in Nepal Excellent examples of Buddhist art of the period are the half sunken Buddha in Pashupatinath the sleeping Vishnu in Budhanilkantha and the statue of Buddha and the various representations of Vishnu in Changu Narayan Another Buddhist text the Manjusri mula kalpa mentioned Manadeva as the King of Nepal Mandala Researchers believe the Mulasarvastivadavinaya was written in the 2nd century CE and that the Manjushriulakalpa was written during Manadeva s reign The Swayambhu Purana the ancient Buddhist Purana text and a Licchavi inscription all mentioned Nepal Mandala Buddhist inscriptions and chronicles and Tibetan sources also record a few tantric Buddhist deities namely Akshobhya Amitabha Vajrayogini Vajrabhairava Usnisavijaya and Samantabhadra Strong influence from pre Buddhist beliefs resulted in belief in Buddhist deities such as the Pancaraksas Religious tolerance and syncretism were stressed during the Licchavi period King Manadeva paid homage at both Hindu and Buddhist sites His family subsequently found expression for their beliefs in various religions The worship of the Caitya and the Rath Jatra cart festival of Avalokitesvara were introduced around this period Many ancient sites in the Kathmandu Valley were identified with major Buddhist Caityas such as Swayambhunath Boudhanath Kathmandu and the four Ashoka stupas of Patan and another two hundred stone Caityas dating from the Licchavi Period were testified to the widespread antiquity of Caitya worship It is possible that this practice in its earliest incarnation was related to the worship of stones which may have originated in the early rival Kirata inhabitants of the Valley prior to the Licchavis According to one of the earliest Licchavi inscriptions Caitya worship ordinarily consisted of ritual circumambulation of the caitya and offering standard items such as incense colored powder oil lamps and ablutions At times the inscriptions indicate it could even involve resurfacing an existing Caitya and covering the new surface with many elaborate paintings Caitya worship was an important factor in bringing more of the proto Newar tribal inhabitants into the Buddhist fold as it was a devotional practice designed for the general public Thus the masses probably began practicing the cart festival of Avalokitesvara Matsyendranath Jana Baha Dyah Jatra and Bunga Dyah Jatra during the latter half of the seventh century AD This festival was celebrated by hundreds or even thousands of people who helped to construct and transport a huge wheeled cart that bore the image of Avalokitesvara for several days or weeks along a specific route The introduction of this festival must have been an instant success among the majority of the Kathmandu Valley population This strengthened Buddhism s standing in relation to the other Hindu and Animist faiths of the Valley at the time Forty stone inscriptions made some mention of Buddhism throughout the Licchavi period Most of the references are concerned with monasticism However almost nothing is known about the day to day life in the Vihara monasteries or how they functioned administratively The names of the fifteen Buddhist monasteries are known and it is clear from the context in which some of these are named that they are among the most important religious sites of that time It is not known for certain what schools of Buddhism were most prominent at the time But the strongest early influences aside from an even earlier probable substratum of Pali Buddhism probably came from the Mahasanghika Sammitiya and the Sarvastivada schools The Makhyamaka and Yogacara schools were thought to be more influential in the later period with the emergence and growth of the Vajrayana school Inscriptional evidence also proves that there was a string of traditional methods of making religious gifts These offerings were used for earning blessing and making merit and women in the Buddhist community seem to have taken the lead in offering these gifts Strikingly parallel points within the Buddhist cave contain inscriptions of Maharashtra which predated the Licchvi Nepal The references in the Licchavi inscriptions to the Mahayana and Vajrayana will be mentioned below in connection with Buddhist art and notable Buddhist figures of the Licchavi period Buddhism during the Licchavi period 600 1200 Edit Amitabh Monastery in Nepal The Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara gilded bronze Nepal 16th century CE Buddhism during the Malla dynasty 1200 1769 Edit The Malla dynasty saw to the golden period of the syncretism of Hindu and Buddhist art forms by the Newar The Paubha the Newar counterpart of the Tibetan Buddhist Thangka flourished in this period During the reign of Jayasthiti Malla after implementation of Manawa dharmasastra celibate monks were banned from practicing in Nepal citation needed This gave way to the decelibate Newar Buddhism Because of this Theravada Buddhism was lost in Nepal only to be revitalized in the beginning of the 20th century 9 Buddhism during the Rana dynasty 1846 1951 Edit This section does not cite any sources Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed March 2021 Learn how and when to remove this template message There is an incorrect assumption that due to perceived similarity to tantric Hinduism that Modern Newar Buddhism in Nepal has largely been absorbed into mainstream Hinduism However Newar Buddhism has retained a distinct identity and nearly all practices art forms and castes remain In the north people of Tibetan origin continued to be the much unchanged practises of Tibetan Buddhism especially in the case of the Nyimba of Northwest Nepal On the other hand the Thakali who had traditionally played an important role in the Nepali society but yet retained Tibetan Buddhism have begun to embrace Hinduism as well in the recent years It is significant to note that during the autocratic Rana regime several Theravada Buddhists were banished from Nepal for preaching Buddhism 10 11 The Banishment of Buddhist monks from Nepal in 1926 and 1944 was prompted by an attempt to suppress the revival of Theravada Buddhism which began in the 1920s In 1946 a Sri Lankan goodwill mission visited Kathmandu and interceded on behalf of the monks The delegation emphasized that Nepal was the birthplace of Lord Buddha and that his followers should be free to practice their faith in the country where he was born Subsequently the ban was lifted and the monks returned and devoted themselves to spreading the faith with greater energy 12 13 Also the rediscovery of Lumbini the birthplace of Buddha occurred in this era with contributions from among others General Khadga Sumsher Rana Shah Dynasty 1951 2006 Edit This section needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed March 2021 Learn how and when to remove this template message After the overthrow of the Rana dynasty in 1951 Buddhism gradually developed in the country Theravada Buddhists played a greatly significant role for the Buddhist revival campaign in modern Nepal since the 1920s This revival movement has changed Buddhism from a religion of some ethnic groups and castes to going beyond the caste and ethnic religion in Nepal Presently there are three main Buddhist schools Tibetan Buddhism Newar Buddhism and Theravada Buddhism Tourism is an important factor for promoting Nepali Buddhism to the world Every year Kathmandu can receive more than 10 000 travellers from all over the world just to visit the Boudha Stupa Boudhanath and the Swyambhu Maha Chaitya Swayambhunath stupas These are the remarkable and significant architectural sites which are only found in Nepal Apart from these two main Buddhist monuments there are hundreds of Buddhist monuments in Kathmandu and in other main cities of Nepal Republic of Nepal 2006 present Edit Nepal officially became a secular state in 2006 All religions in Nepal now have equal opportunities to propagate according to their belief citation needed Demographics EditAccording to the 2011 Census of Nepal the adherents of Buddhism are as follows 5 NEG denotes newly listed ethnic group for which 2001 census figures are not available Ethnic Group Buddhist Percentage 2001 Total Population 2011 Buddhist Percentage 2011 Total Buddhist 2011Tamang 90 26 1 539 830 87 29 1 344 139Magar 24 47 1 887 733 18 04 340 608Gurung 69 03 522 641 62 72 327 813Newar 15 35 1 321 933 10 74 141 982Sherpa 92 83 112 946 98 34 111 068Bhote 59 40 13 397 98 33 13 173Ghale NEG 22 881 50 05 11 451Hyolmo 98 45 10 752 91 32 9 819Thakali 65 01 13 215 68 07 8995Chhantyal 64 2 11 810 0 00 0Jirel 87 5 774 0 00 0Lepcha 88 8 3 445 0 00 0Other ethnic groups 0 81 21 028 147 0 41 87051Total 10 74 26 494 504 9 04 2 396 099Between 2001 and 2011 census the percentage of Buddhists have declined by 1 7 from 10 74 to 9 04 All major ethnic groups except Sherpa Bhote and Thakali showed decline in percentage of Buddhists It is interesting to note that in the 2011 census not a single Chhantyal Jirel and Lepcha reported themselves as Buddhist In the 2011 census a total of 11 233 Chhantyal 95 1 reported themselves as Hindu Likewise 4 604 Jirel 79 7 and 2 907 Lepcha 84 4 reported themselves as Bon religion followers Of the Ghale group which was added in the 2011 Census more than 50 of them reported themselves as Buddhist followers See also EditDhammalok Mahasthavir Pragyananda Mahasthavir Kumar Kashyap Mahasthavir Aniruddha Mahathera Banishment of Buddhist monks from Nepal Dharmodaya Buddha Dharma wa Nepal Bhasa magazine Dharmaditya Dharmacharya Kindo Baha Pranidhipurna Mahavihar Newar Buddhism Buddhist pilgrimage sites in Nepal List of monasteries in Nepal List of Mahaviharas of Newar Buddhism List of stupas in NepalReferences Edit Dutt N 1966 Buddhism in Nepal PDF Bulletin of Tibetology 3 2 27 45 Archived PDF from the original on 2018 12 09 Retrieved 2018 12 08 Smith V A 1914 The Early History of India from 600 B C to the Muhammadan Conquest Including the Invasion of Alexander the Great Third ed London Oxford University Press pp 168 169 Archived from the original on 2023 01 15 Retrieved 2015 11 15 UNESCO 2012 Lumbini the Birthplace of the Lord Buddha UNESCO World Heritage Centre Archived from the original on 2010 07 31 Retrieved 2019 12 26 Dahal Dilli Ram 2003 Social Composition of the Population Caste Ethnicity and Religion in Nepal PDF Population Monograph of Nepal 2003 Central Bureau of Statistics CBS Government of Nepal 1 104 106 Archived from the original PDF on January 7 2014 a b Population Monograph of Nepal 2014 Volume II Social Demography PDF Archived PDF from the original on 2021 11 26 Retrieved 2019 04 06 Thomas E J 1927 The Birth of Buddha The Life of Buddha as Legend and History New Delhi Asian Educational Services pp 27 37 ISBN 81 206 0979 4 Shastri G C July 1968 Hinduism and Buddhism in Nepal PDF Ancient Nepal Journal of the Department of Archaeology 4 48 51 Archived from the original PDF on July 6 2012 a b 1 Archived October 8 2007 at the Wayback Machine Theravada Buddhism in Modern Nepal Lumbini Nepalese Buddha Dharma Society UK Archived from the original on 4 August 2014 Retrieved 22 May 2013 buddhistview com Archived from the original on 6 May 2003 Retrieved 1 March 2015 Dhammaduta The Theravada Bhikkhu Sangha in Nepal Archived from the original on 3 April 2015 Retrieved 1 March 2015 Dietrich Angela 1996 Buddhist Monks and Rana Rulers A History of Persecution Buddhist Himalaya A Journal of Nagarjuna Institute of Exact Methods Archived from the original on 1 October 2013 Retrieved 17 March 2011 Boudddha Bhichhuharu PDF Gorkhapatra 3 September 1946 Retrieved 12 May 2013 permanent dead link Page 7 Further reading EditMin Bahadur Shakya The Iconography of Nepalese Buddhism Buswell Robert E ed 2004 Encyclopedia of Buddhism Nepal Macmillan Reference USA pp 588 592 ISBN 0 02 865718 7 Mitra Rajendralala 1882 The Sanskrit Buddhist Literature of Nepal Calcutta Asiatic Society of Bengal via Internet Archive Gellner DN 1989 Hodgson s Blind Alley On the So called Schools of Nepalese Buddhism Journal of the International Association of Buddhist Studies 12 1 7 20 Archived from the original on 2016 07 22 LeVine Sarah Gellner David N 2005 Rebuilding Buddhism The Theravada Movement in Twentieth Century Nepal Harvard University Press Bechert Heinz Hartmann Jens Uwe 1988 Observations on the Reform of Buddhism in Nepal PDF Journal of the Nepal Research Centre 8 1 30 External links EditHoly Sites of Buddhism Lumbini Buddha s Birthplace Buddhism in Nepal Vajrayana Vipassyana by Acarya Mahayogi Dharma Vajra Sridhar SJB Rana Theravada Buddhism in Nepal Bhikkhu Kondanya Nepal Vipassana Centers S N Goenka Nagarjuna Institute of Exact Studies Buddhactivity Dharma Centres database Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Buddhism in Nepal amp oldid 1133744998, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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