Lumbini

the Lumbini Buddha Garden, our hotel here, is a 4 acre compound with cottages, very low key, natural vegetation with a watering hole and small tree grove to attract birds and other wildlife.  The manager, Dinesh is into wildlife conservation and meditation (or as he puts it, birds and Buddha) and taking care of his guests.  He says that Chitwan is very poorly managed, catering to large cowds but not taking a lot of interest in the wildlife preservation and guaranteed us tigers if we want to come to another national park further west in Nepal.  Somehow I believe him.

Back in wheat growing area.  Dinesh says they also grow rice here during monsoon season when there is more rain.  We saw our first large harvester.  There seem to be areas here that aren't divided up into small plots and therefore are harvested by machine rather than hand scythe the way we've seen almost all other places. On the other hand, most other areas all the thrashing (separating the wheat buds from the stems and chaff) is done by machines the look like large cement mixers that are towed around from plot to plot as the bundled wheat is ready.

In this area they still use oxen walking in circles on the sheaves to separate the wheat (couldn't get a good picture).  That method has probably been used since the Egyptians in 3000 B.C.

There are as many myths (miracles) associated with the birth of Buddha as there are with Jesus.  We are still trying to figure out the significance of Buddha being born from his mother's arm pit even though she showed all the signs of normal womb pregnancy before the birth. Any help from the blog followers would be appreciated.  His father and mother were a local king and queen and he grew up, until the age of 29 in comfort and seclusion  It's too long to tell the whole story here but worth learning about.  Any of our younger readers are probably ready for Hermann Hesse's "Siddartha".

His exact birthplace is known as proven by archeological research and the monuments and writings left by  king Ashoka in 249 B.C.  The area is now covered by a building to protect it.

Next to it is a pond and an enormous tree with monks sitting under it, the way Buddha sat under a tree, contemplated and taught others.

The German monastery was the biggest, grandest and best kept up.  It really was beautiful.

 A Japanese-style garden surrounds the temple.  Statuary versions of some of the significant points in his life, such as his death after he had achieved Nirvana, are located in the gardens.

Many monasteries funded by the buddhist communities in different countries.  Some like Thailand or Myanmar are in the asian style.  All have amazing paintings of teachings such as the wheel of life.  The part showing hell looks a lot like similar depictions from the middle ages in Europe do. Note the guy being cut in two and another being boiled in a pot.

The Vietnamese was still under construction and was both beautiful and bizarre.  Real cranes (rescued by a bird organization) occupy a pond along with sculptures of cranes.  Huge cement versions of Mt. Everest and other peaks are in front of the temple.

At the Chinese monastery they were cerebrating Chinese generosity towards the poor by giving out rice and some other things we couldn't see.

The young novice monks who live in the monastery were very cute.

 However, the English translation on their banner left us in a quandrey "Pass (peace), Love Buddha Hometown, True Love the Wonderful Whorle".  Makes me think of the joke tee shirt  "Pray for Whirled Peas".

The whole thing was very beautiful, but a little like pavilions at a World's Fair. There were lots of ponds with lotus.   When Buddha was born he kind of popped up and walked across seven lotus blossoms.

Signs posted along the long concourse that connects the monasteries help you with some practical lessons.  We sweltered.

Dinesh would like us to stay in touch, as virtually all the guides have who have spent any time with us.  A job in our restaurant?  He talked openly about the difficulties during the Maoist insurrection.  There were no tourists and thus no money for clothes, food or other necessities for over 12 years.  He said the Maoists talked about helping the poor people but that they really just blocked roads, killed people and made a mess of the country.  He still feels that whatever resources they have are not fairly distributed, the build of them going to the Kathmandu area and not to the poorer rural areas. Like others who were candid with us he implored us not to say to anyone that he had said something critical of the government.