The story of Namo Buddha
Namo Buddha, also known as Namura Buddha in Nepal Bhasa, is a significant site related to Lord Shakyamuni Buddha, located about 40 km southeast of Kathmandu Valley in Kavre Palanchowk district. Although I haven't visited it, I grew up hearing many stories about this sacred place. I would like to share a heartfelt incident that took place during one of Shakyamuni Buddha's previous lives.
Many eons ago, one of Lord Gautam Buddha's previous incarnations was Prince Mahasatwa of Panauti. One day, while roaming the forest with his brothers, the Prince encountered a starving tigress and her five cubs. Filled with immense compassion, he asked his brothers to return to the palace, promising to follow shortly. Seeing the tigress and cubs on the brink of death, the Bodhisattva offered himself as food to save them. Too weak to move, the tigress couldn't accept his offer, so the Bodhisattva used his own sword to cut parts of his body and fed them to the tigress and her cubs. This self-sacrifice revived the tigress and her cubs. When his brothers came searching for him, they found only his bones, nails, clothes, and hair. Sobbing in sadness, they gathered what was left of their beloved brother and returned home.
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| Shrine at Namo Buddha, depicting the above incident. |
In this way, he comes closer to perfecting one of the ten Paramitas (Buddhist perfections, those of generosity, renunciation, morality, renunciation, and equanimity), which are needed, for one to become the Buddha.
It is said that before sacrificing himself, the Bodhisattva made a wish: "In my final birth before becoming the Buddha, I will be born as Siddhartha in the world of mortals. I want this tigress to be my stepmother in that life and these five cubs to be my first disciples upon attaining enlightenment."
After fulfilling all the paramitas, the Bodhisattva is born as Siddhartha in Lumbini, Nepal. His mother, Mayadevi, dies seven days after his birth, and he is raised by his stepmother, Prajapati, who was the tigress he saved in a previous life. After attaining enlightenment, he gives his first sermon in Sarnath to the Pancavaggiya, the five disciples who were the tigress's cubs. Thus, the wishes he made before sacrificing himself are fulfilled after many eons.
Today, you can find a stupa built on the bones and hair of Prince Mahasatwa at the same site, known as Namo Buddha or Namura in Nepal Bhasa, located about 40 km from Kathmandu city. |
| Dharma Dhatu Chaitya, built on the bones and hair of Prince Mahasatwa |
As stated in Divya Vadana, after paying homage to Swayambhu Maha Chaitya, Lord Buddha visited Namura Buddha with thousands of his disciples. He recounted the incident that occurred there in one of his previous lifes and highlighted the importance of this sacred site. Lord Buddha and his disciples paid homage to the remains of Prince Mahasatwa. Consequently, he renamed the village Namo Buddha, which means "homage to the Buddha."
References
- Namo Buddha - http://www.tourismindiamanagement.com/namo.html
- Tuslthim Bhante, Swayambhu, Kathmandu, Nepal.
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