swayambhunath Stupa ( A Monkey home ) - Eye Of Wisdom

18th Jan, 2024

- annapurnaencounter

Swayambhunath Stupa: Relaxing on a hill in the western part of the Kathmandu Valley, Swyambhunath is the oldest and mysterious religious place, surrounded by various temples, images of gods, shrines and many other religious objects. At its core stands a shining white stupa with a golden spire, adorned with the Buddha's eyes – a symbol seen throughout the Kathmandu Valley. This place is often called the Monkey Temple because of the monkeys that live here. According to legend, the history of the valley begins with Swoyambhu, or "the self-existing." A long time ago, Boddhisatwa Manjusri discovered a beautiful lake during his travels. In the lake's center, he found a lotus emitting a brilliant light. To honor the lotus, he created a channel in a southern hill to drain the water. People eventually settled in the dry lakebed and named it the Kathmandu Valley. Since then, the hilltop of the self-existing Lord has been a sacred place where important deities from both Buddhist and Hindu traditions are worshipped.

Monkey Home: Swayambhunath Stupa areas are inhabited by a large number of monkeys so, it's called Monkey Temple. The monkeys are considered sacred and are an integral part of the environment around the stupa. Another importance thing is don't feed and touch the monkey this may lead to dependency on human and aggressive beahaviour, do not cary open food 

Eye of Wisdom: the "Eye of Wisdom" are symbolic features commonly found on stupas, including Swayambhunath. These eyes are painted on the stupa's four sides, representing the all-seeing eyes of the Buddha, symbolizing wisdom and compassion.

Putting it all together, your string of words seems to capture some key elements of Swayambhunath Stupa: its identity as a sacred place, the presence of monkeys, and the symbolic "Eye of Wisdom" adorning the stupa.