Boudhanath

Boudhanath

Boudhanath Stupa built in the 14th century and is the largest stupa in Nepal and the holiest Tibetan Buddhist temple outside Tibet.This Bouddha stupa was built just after the demise of Lord Buddha.The ancient Stupa is one of the largest in the world. It is the center of Tibetan culture in Kathmandu and rich in Buddhist symbolism. The stupa is located about 11 km (6.8 mi) from the center and northeastern outskirts of Kathmandu in the town of Boudha.

Story of Boudhanath Stupa

An angel in a previous life, 'Jyajima' had to take birth in earth in a ordinary family due to the reduction of her religious merit from the heaven. She was married to  four man. The four of them were a dog trader, a pig trader, horse trader and a poultry trader respectively. She became mother of four sons(khijibu, Phagjibu,Tajibu,Jyajibu) from each of her husbands. khijibu from dog trader, Phagjibu  from a pig trader, Tajibu was born of a horse trader,  and Jyajibu  from poultry trader.

All of her sons were religious minded, everyday they practised religious rites. One day they heard about her mother's story of how she desended from heaven due to lack of religious merits. Thus they decided  to inhance their as well as their mother's religious merits and decided to construct the largest stupa.  'Jyajima' bought the land for construction , The sons arranged all the finance necessary. Some cowherds and shepherds, brahmins and others  too came forward to help them. Even animals and birds got intrested in the construction work. Soil, bricks, stones, gold and other necessary items were carried by horses, donkeys, elephants and etc. 

Four years later, after completion of four stories of the structure,  'Jyajima' died and returned back to heaven as angel. .Thousands of Buddhas and heavenly deities incarnated as Lamas entered the Boudha stupa, the rays of Bodhisattvas also entered in the form of song from heaven and the holy sound of was heard in the sky.  Three  years later her sons completed stupa.Many kilograms of gold were used in the decoration of the holy building. It took seven years in total to complete the construction of the stupa.

After the completion of the construction of Boudha stupa, all the four sons, including the shepherds, cowherds and brahmins prayed to the Stupa .Khyijibu prayed and wished to became a scholar and serve the religion. He was incarnated as the enlightened Guru Rinpoche Padmasambhava in the southwest area, at Dhanakosha lake. He suppressed the Demons who were barriers to the religion and conserved and protected the religion from the Demonic attacks.Phagjibu wished to be a scholar to disseminate the religion, and he became Bodhisattva Santaraksita, an enlightened teacher in Tibet in the next birth. Tajibu prayed the stupa to become the king of the northern region to disseminate the religion, so he was the Dharma King Trisong Detsen of Tibet in his next life. Jyajibu prayed to be a minister for the protection of religion in the north and as an answer to his prayer he was born at Tibet and became the minister Bhami Thri Zher.

The cowherds and shepherds, who prayed for the protection of religion and suppression of demons (who were attempting to eliminate the holy religion), were born as Cholon Gos Padma Gung Tsan  in Tibet to conserve the religion. In the same way, Chodpurchan and Sarse, two Brahmins who prayed to the stupa to be born in the holy country and to write the holy literature were reborn in the next life as Kawa Paltsek and Chogro Lhui Gyaltshan these two translated thousands of holy teachings of Lord Buddha into Bhoti (Tibetan) Language.

All of these person prayed for themselves but they did not pray for the animals, who transported bricks, soil, and stone. So these animals became angry and the elephant prayed to be the Demon in the next life to eliminate the religion. So he became the King Langdarma of Tibet in the next life, where Tajibu had disseminated the holiest religion. In the same way, the Donkey prayed to become a minister in the next life to destroy the religion and he too became a minister Dudlon Mazhang Drompakye in Tibet.

A crow listened the prayers of these animals who prayed for the destruction of the holiest religion, and the crow prayed to the Bouddha Stupa make him a minister to protect and preserve the holy religion by killing the demonic king Langdarma  in the next life. He was born as Lha Lung Pal Gyi Dorje  in the next life, and assassinated King Langdarma with a bow and arrow.

In addition to this, two crown princes of Nepal prayed to be helpers in dissesminating the religion, and they became Denma Tsemang ) in their next lives and wrote many holy books. Along with this, the religious king of Tibet, Dechen Devachan asked the greatest teacher Rinpoche: "what could be the factor and cultural background of our previous life that made us deeply devoted in religion and active in disseminating religious matters"? He was answered and was reverently referred by the Guru as 'Jyarung Khashor.

one of the story says that

Once in ancient Nepal,there lived a very grumpy,rude and irreligious man who was detested by everyone and never once did any thing pious in his life.He owned a shop in the complex but no one really came to his shop because he used to speak ill of everyone who came there.When he died he fell straight to hell and when he was about to get sentenced for his sins but The Buddha appeared and nullified his sentence.When the demons asked the holy one why he did this the Buddha said "Yes,this man has done many sins in his life but, once he circled around Boudhanath while chasing a dog and had gained a little merit thus The Buddhas shall grant him one chance to atone."After this incident it is believed that even if a person who has committed great sins circles around the stupa even once shall be granted one chance to atone for their sins.