FUTURE OF NAMO BUDDHA

When the temple is complete and more living accommodations are built, many of the monks of Thrangu Tashi Choling Monastery in Boudhanath, Kathmandu will move to Namo Buddha thereby making the monastery much less crowded. There will be a large monastic sangha that will be engaged in every aspect of monastic life, study, retreat, the daily prayers and work.

Many years ago, when Bhagwan was practicing the Behaviour of Boddhisattvas, he saw a hungry tigress on the verge of eating her cubs. He gave his body away to her compassionately. It is said that his hair, bones and so forth were made into a Stupa, the Stupa now known as NAMO BUDDHA. Previously, this place was said to be terribly dangerous and infested with tigers. Buddhists and Hindus commonly called it NAMO BUDDHA because uttering the name of Buddha rendered protection from their fear of tigers.

THE MAIN TEMPLE

The exterior building is complete and now the process of finishing is underway. Designed by Thrangu Rinpoche as a representation of the three yanas or path, it is beautiful, elegant and filled with symbolic meaning as befits this holy Buddhist pilgrimage place.

IMPORTANCE AS A PILGRIMAGE SITE

The supreme sacred place known as Namo Buddha is located in the mountains about 2 ½ hours from Kathmandu. It is one of the most important Buddhist pilgrimage sites in Nepal and one of the holiest in the world. It is known as the place where the Buddha, in a previous life as a prince, gave his body to a starving tigress and her cubs. There is a very old temple in the village of Namo Buddha, located below Thrangu Rinpoche’s land, which sits on the top of the mountain. Several lamas have determined that the actual site where the Buddha gave his body is actually on Thrangu Rinpoche’s property near the retreat center. There is a cave with statues of the prince, the tigress and the cubs on this site. Namo Buddha is otherwise known by Tibetans and people of the Himalayan regions as “Takmo Lu Jin”, which is literally “Tigress Body Generosity”.

Namo Buddha

It is situated on a hill above Panauti. It requires an easy drive or good walk to get there. There is an amazing story concerned with the Buddha which is commemorated by an ancient stone slab and a Stupa with the all-seeing eyes of Lord Buddha. According to the legend, one of the earlier Buddha offered his own flesh to a hungry tiger unable to feed her hungry cubs. It is also a three hour trekking from Dhulikhel through a number of small villages.
Better know by Tibetans as Tag-mo Lu-jin. This means the place where the Buddha offered his body to the hungry mother tigress. It is renowned for Shakyamuni's act of compassion upon encountering a hungry mother tigress he offered her his body so that she could feed her cubs. There are a couple monasteries and one ancient stupa erected nearby in which one can make offerings, pray, and light butter lamps.