It seems that different religions have come into vogue in the world at different times. The rituals, culture and traditions of those religions are also different. Some are changing or have been changing such methods and beliefs, while some are trying to preserve their originality. It should not be considered otherwise that everyone is trying to show their antiquity.
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However, in recent times, some such thinkers and theorists have emerged and accepted them by the masses. Under their own leadership or during their own lifetime, they took it to the implementation side of daily life. They tried to make it universally acceptable by further modifying and refining it. Some such great people whose life from birth to death is found to be authentically mentioned with their activities, place and date. One of them is Gautam Buddha.
His thoughts, knowledge, principles or Buddhist teachings in Buddhist language have now been established as a religion in the world. We consider this to be Buddhism in a general sense. The study, contemplation and observance of his teachings or teachings are connected with the truth of life. It guides people towards the path of self-purification or truth and embodies the principle of 'Bahujan Hitaya Bahujan Sukhaya'. Its inherent meaning of peace and harmony has not diminished its importance in the world even in changing times.
The birth of Gautam Buddha, enlightenment and Mahaparinirvana, i.e. the trisanyog, falls on the day of Vaishakh Purnima. There has been a tradition of considering and celebrating this day as Buddha Purnima, Vaishakh Purnima or Buddha Jayanti. On this day, as the memorable birth anniversary of Buddha, the inspiring holy day of attaining Buddhahood and the emotional day of Mahaparinirvana, special meditation, worship and sermons are held in monasteries, monasteries and other places, and various programs are organized in public. Although there are some differences in the date of birth of Gautam Buddha, it is believed that he was born in 623 BC based on other dates thereafter. Which has been established as official for the world by the United Nations.
The place of his birth, enlightenment, first sermon and Mahaparinirvana is sacred for the followers of Buddha and archaeologically shows a glimpse of the era of about 2600 years ago. Among these, his birthplace Lumbini and the palace of the Sangha king Suddhodhana, where he spent his youth, Tilaurakot in ancient Kapilvastu, his maternal and in-laws Devdaha, Gotihawa, Niglihawa, Sagarahawa, Sisniakot, Arauwakot, Kudan, and Ramgram, which have direct and indirect significance to his life, and the only stupa left of his ashes, are hundreds of places in Nepal.
After 1312, no one visited Lumbini, the birthplace of Gautam Buddha, and no further mention is made about it until 1893. In 1312, a king of western Nepal, Ripu Malla, has mentioned in a stone pillar that he had visited there. For so many centuries, there was still confusion about where the birthplace of Buddha, Lumbini, was. After attaining enlightenment, there was no other way to guess about the birthplace by linking it to his journey. Which continued to spread confusion for a long time.
Major Jaskaran Singh, who reached the Lumbini area in 1993, saw a magnificent stone in the forest. In order to identify its antiquity and importance, he cleared the surrounding forest in 1894 and tried to uproot it with elephants. Since the writing on it was in Pali, he could not recognize it as Lumbini, but Dr. Fuhrer, who was searching for and identifying similar archaeological objects in India, reached there on December 1, 1896 after receiving information. Where he, with the help of General Khadga Shamsher, the Governor of the Terai of Nepal, identified the letters on the pillar, which was partially buried and about 10 feet above the ground.
During a general excavation, a five-line Mauryan inscription was found on the nine-foot-eight-inch pillar. After studying and identifying it, he published an article in the Allahabad Pioneer newspaper on December 23, 1896, stating that this was the pillar erected by Ashoka at the birthplace of Buddha and that the place was Lumbini. He published the text he had copied in 1897, but the Nepalese side has been saying that the pillar was found and tried to be removed while clearing a four-square forest in 1950. Various texts written during and after the Buddha's time and the descriptions mentioned by special people who visited there after that became additional evidence to confirm Lumbini.
Such descriptions reveal many things about Gautam Buddha and Lumbini. After Gautam Buddha's enlightenment and his Mahaparinirvana, travel to Lumbini increased. There is still evidence that various Chaityas and meditation centers were built there. Then, the Maurya Emperor Ashoka of India, along with his guru and allies, reached Lumbini in 249 BC and wrote about bringing the stone pillar and worshipping it in Lumbini, the birthplace of Buddha. Similarly, when it comes to dates, there are some Chinese travelers who have mentioned Lumbini in great detail. Among those who reached there between 399 and 636, Fa Hian and Hien Tsang are such travelers in world history; whose accounts have helped us identify many historical facts of Nepal. They reached Lumbini and described the situation there and the surrounding objects in detail. Which we can still find and observe today.
During the time of Buddha, his teachings and the writing and writing about him were not given importance by Buddha. At that time, Sanskrit language was mostly given importance in other religions prevalent in India and religious matters were recorded in it. Writing and adding were done in that language. There are many instances where he did not like it. He used to share his teachings in the prevalent Pali language. His teachings and things related to him were prepared or collected only after his Mahaparinirvana.
The main text of Buddhism, Tripitaka, was also collected later. Which is in Pali language. Other texts after the development of Mahayana were composed in Sanskrit. With the propagation of Buddhist teachings, its translation into other languages started. Most of the texts and Bhasyas also mention the biography of Buddha and the places of Buddha. In some important references, Lumbini is mentioned as the birthplace of Buddha in the Suttapitaka under the Khuddaka Nikaya under the Sutta Nipat of the Tripitaka. In the Avidure Nidan of the Jataka Atthakatha, the part between Kapilavastu and Devdaha is also referred to as Lumbini forest, which is also a metaphor for heaven.
In the Devdahasuttama of the Majjhim Nikaya, it is said that Buddha took alms in Devdaha and settled in Lumbini. Similarly, in the Lalit Vastra, there is a description of the trees and flowers of Lumbini forest. In Ashoka's Dharma Yatra, the context of Buddha's mother Mayadevi and Lumbini is also mentioned. Similarly, in the Mahaparinirman Sutra, it is said that Buddha was born in Lumbini forest. Similarly, in the texts of other religions and the Puranas of Sanatan Dharma, there is also mention of Buddha.
The life of Buddha and various subsequent events are connected with Gautam Buddha and the Buddha's place. Many such places are in the present-day land of Nepal. Which have even now taught us a lot about Buddha and the time around Buddha. The excavation and conservation of which is not yet relevant. Only Lumbini is in the news. The encroachment of places like Lumbini and Tilaurakot has not been able to be stopped. It seems that foreign interest and cooperation have gained some momentum only in the excavation of the Tilaurakot palace area.
Such places outside Nepal have been developed a lot and have been promoted globally. In the changing situation, they have become established as tourist destinations and can also contribute to the national economy. If the places related to the life of Buddha in Nepal and the areas related to the other two Buddhas Kanak Muni and Krakuchhand Buddha in Kapilvastu were excavated, protected and the infrastructure around them developed, the religious, cultural and archaeological identity of the country would be preserved, and the antiquity and importance of Nepal would be unbroken. It seems that it can become a special center of the growing tourist activity in the world environment and become a strong source of the country's economic future.
Dr.Uddab Puri
(The author is involved in the study and research of Buddhism.)
