Lumbini, Nepal

Happy birthday Mom!

Today I visited Lumbini, which is the birthplace of Buddha. The sacred garden where he was born was very peaceful and nice. There are trees with spots to sit where one can meditate or relax, lots of prayer flags everywhere, and most importantly a lot of plants and animals (a nice break from urban Kathmandu). The sacred garden has a stupa containing the original stone marking the exact location of Buddha's birth, along with a sculpture of the nativity scene - apparently Buddha's mother gave birth while standing up, bracing herself on a tree.

Next to the sacred garden is a row of monasteries from a bunch of different countries. It seemed to me like an arms race of temple-building, each country trying to outdo the next. I doubt Buddha would be very pleased with the large, flashy temples with gold and gems next to a village of what seemed to be very destitute people. Pictured is Japan's contribution - a large marble stupa. You can also see our rickshaw driver.

The whole experience was rather nice, although I much preferred the Sacred Garden to the monasteries. Also I forgot to put on sunscreen which was a very painful mistake.