Cultural Influence of Language: A Reflection

of Peace and Harmony among the Tourists in

Religious Sites in Nepal
Sushil Adhikari
(Pokhara University Nepal)

Abstract:

A small Himalayan kingdom of Nepal in the lap of Mount Kailash under Mt Everst as roof
spreads the message of Buddha from thousands of Buddhas from the city of Pasupatinath with
Namaste. The purpose of the term is to establish an intimate, psychic friendly relationship
between the visitors and locals in all the cultural and Heritage sites like Pashupati, Swoyambhu,
Mahabouddha and Lumbini and Muktinath. It is a confluence as a part of tantric way of paying
devotion through its practice of offering, receiving, praising and entertaining. This paper
explores how such cultural and religious dichotomies bring Harmony through the greetings of
Namaste to global visitors every year.

Key Words: Nepal, Mt. Everest, Buddha, Pashupatinath, Tantric, Namaste, Dichotomy,
Harmony

Introduction

Nepal is one of the most peaceful multi-religious countries in the world. Here, we find more than
70 ethnic groups with their own religious cultures, languages and lifestyle and yet there has been
no ethnic violence or war caused for religious. The word ‘Harmony’ was originated in from
Latin word Harmonia having the meaning concord, unity, peace, amity and friendship. In other
words, it is an agreement in action, feeling and opinion. The visitors to this country from any of
the nationalities find a unique feature of the smiling and contented people naturally. Namaste has
become a culture to utter anyone. The very word starts the communication among the passerby.
Whatever the physical, psychological and monumental aspect may separate from one another,
Namaste commonly brings them together and intermingles them. The existence of Hinduism and
Buddhism in a harmony is the most suitable situation to develop an idea in the present crisis of
culture and religion. In the past Ruling King in Nepal, among the Hindus, is traditionally
regarded as the incarnation of god Vishnu (the Hindu god of preservation and a living symbol of
‘religious harmony’ (Currently Hon. President). Likewise, among the Buddhists in Nepal the
king was honored as the Buddhists god of compassion and public welfare.
Religious and Cultural Aspects

Religion in Nepal is not only a system of social coherence based on certain rituals and beliefs. It
is the binding force that ties this mountain kingdom together. Though Nepal was famous as the
world’s only Hindu Kingdom which is no more now after the promulgation of new constitution
of Federal Republic of Nepal changing from the Constitutional Monarchy, equal respect is given
to other religions as well. Buddhism is the second largest religion followed in Nepal, others
being Tantrism, Islam, Christianity and Jainism. Siddhartha Gautama of the Sakya clan was born
in Lumbini in southern Nepal about 543BC. Leaving his wealth and family he set out to find
ultimate understanding. Years of rigorous asceticism brought him no closer to his goal and he
settled on a 'middle way' between extremes and after meditating beneath a bodhi tree he attained
enlightenment or awakening. The Buddha is the prototype of the enlightened realization who, by
attaining his own awakening as the historical Buddha Sakyamuni, proved that enlightenment
bodhi was possible for all perceptive beings. In brief, Buddhism teaches that all life is essentially
suffering, an endless cycle of birth, death and rebirth that can only be broken by attaining
Nirvana.
This can only be achieved by losing desire for all things of the world. Nirvana means cessation
or to extinguish - liberation from the cycle of rebirth and should not be equated with a western
'heaven' concept. The Buddhism of the Kathmandu Valley is the last living remainder of
medieval Indian Buddhism and scholars speculate that it was the original religion until Indian
kings introduced Hinduism in the 4th century. It began as Mahayana with an emphasis on
monkhood, scholarship and meditation - large complexes served as places of worship and study.
With the 14th century destruction of the great Indian monasteries Buddhists in the Kathmandu
Valley were cut off from their main source of inspiration and guidance.
Today Newari Buddhism is in the process of disappearing as increasing numbers convert to
Hinduism. The Bhotia peoples of northern Nepal are essentially Tibetan Buddhist. This branch
of the Mahayana tradition incorporates strong tantric influences and traces of the indigenous
Himalayan Bon tradition. This is a vast and complex belief system in which esoteric teachings
include difficult visualization practices and a highly developed understanding of the human
mind. There are also many Tibetan refugees in Nepal, including the Kathmandu Valley, keeping
this tradition strong.
Hinduism's routes go back over 2000 years to the time when the Aryan invaders met India's
Indus Valley civilization. Belief in natural forces, fertility and mother goddesses joined the caste
system and the sacred book of the Vedas to form the foundation of Hindu beliefs, as much a
social system as a religion. It is based around a trinity of three Gods, Brahma (the Creator),
Vishnu (the Preserver) and Shiva (the Destroyer). Although Hindus in Nepal may pay equal
respect to all three gods as part of their religion, some may confess to follow either Vishnu or
Shiva.

There are four main castes in Nepal which are practiced as part of the Hindu religion, the
Brahmans (priest caste), the Kshatriya (warriors), the Vaisyas (merchants) and finally the Sudras.
The ultimate goal for Hindus is to break the cycle of endless rebirths. Though working towards
that worship can improve one’s condition in this life and in subsequent rebirth. The ultimate
source of creation is the supreme and formless Brahman who manifests in infinite forms. The
three main aspects, depicting three main forces of the universe, are Brahma the creator, Vishnu
the preserver and Shiva the transformer and destroyer. Each of these has innumerable
manifestations; there are as many gods as there are facets of human nature.

The other minorities in number such as Muslims comprise a small section of the population,
mainly found along the Indian border and in a few isolated villages. There are a few Christians.
Some ethnic groups including the Tharus and Rais follow their own shamanist and animist
traditions, although their practices incorporate many Buddhist and Hindu influences despite that
Namaste brings them together in only and most powerfully unique way of greeting to all
impartially. Perhaps this should be a only country having such varieties of cultural and religious
coexistence since a long time. That has enabled to influence other quite secretly.

It might be the reason Nepalese people of this generation has regular practice on Namaste culture
a lessons learnt by that currently being taught and encouraged to all the visitors to Nepal from
non religious to religious tourists is the previously established education system and its basic
components included in a compulsory subject of national language that was extensively taught in
all schools over Nepal. The multicultural societies composed by small ethnical communities. The
coexistence and mutual cooperation has been received as a origin of power to all people.

School textbooks, particularly the Nepali primers titled Mahendra Mala,(Hamro Nepali) and
social Studies from their beginning, introduce Nepal to children with quotes from King Prithvi
Narayan Shah. A famous quote which goes "Nepal is a garden of four varna and thirty six jat" is
found across the books of various grades. The quote is understood and interpreted in dominant
modern Nepali discourse as recognition of cultural diversity and an endorsement of the policy of
harmony and co-existence. Along this line, Prayag Raj Sharma ( 1997), for example, suggests
that the idea of cultural diversity has been a part of and implicit in Nepal 's historical legacy. He
further suggests that the state has done a great deal to create a collective consciousness of
cultural diversity as a positive value. Some of the descriptions in textbooks glorifying pluralism,
appear to support the idea that the government is committed to fostering the notion of harmony
and co-existence in multicultural and multi -lingual Nepal. One example of such text, found in a
social studies book for grade 7, tells the children the following:
Nepal is a country like a beautiful garden ... She is so beautiful because of the existence of
peoples with many different castes, ethnicities, religions, customs and qualities. The teaching
through curriculum came as a manner and behavioral transformation among Nepalese people.
That should have played a vital role on offering courtesy and welcoming cordially. It could be a
greater contribution from the people of Nepal to every visitor in delivery from Nepal to their
mother country as a gift of seed to harmonious coexisted people and communities. It is a proof
that a single world “Namaste” could put someone stranger inside cordially.
The understanding of diversity, however, cannot be seen separate from the project of national
integration. The five year plan for education in Nepal prepared in 1956, for example, stated its
rationale as to "develop a system of education that is national in character and suited to the
genius of the people and to develop citizenship in all Nepal."
Similarly, the new education plan of 1971 states that "... Nepalese society will not lead to
national solidarity and independent sovereign nationhood without central guidance in planned
socialization at coordinating the various economic and social interests, harmonizing diverse
multi -lingual traditions into a single nationhood." Despite that they welcome all the visitors
cordially like their own siblings or relatives. A visit to any religious site in Nepal by any stranger
is simply considered as a tribute paid by another Nepali visitor. This reflects the global human
prospective in public places like temples and monasteries. It is simply mentioned about
Buddhists and Hindu sites as there are only two major cultural heritages open and popular to all
visitors based on these two religions.

How does centrally guided planned socialization harmonize diverse traditions? How are
mutually contradictory concepts of diversity and national integration articulated in dominant
conceptions? To bring down these contradictory concepts of diversity and uniformity to the level
of comprehension of children, the children have been told as follows: Development of feelings
that 'we are Nepali, Nepal is our country' will foster our nationalism. The world today is
considered as a global village; in this key concept this theme as mentioned in this paper can draw
an attention of the population around the world as an impetus for global unity, friendship,
fellowship, harmony powerfully.

Through these lessons children learn about themselves as members of a single and unified
nation. National integration, therefore, is an extended version of P.N. Saha's physical unification,
bringing diverse cultural, social and economic spheres under control of the state. The discourse
on diversity produced by means of education, therefore, subtly but vehemently undermines the
possibility of co-existence within a plural society. As children of imagined communities, school
students in Nepal are misinformed and taught to see themselves as members of the Hindu
national community in order to promote national integration (Anderson 1983, Gellner 1983,
Chaterjee 1993).

Conclusion
In this very ground of globalization, Nepal can represent a country with multicultural heritage of
peaceful life hosting for cultural and religious harmony even a secular state transformed from
Hindu Kingdom where Buddhism was equally developed and the solidarity is experienced by the
Muslims so do other wings of pluralism. The very word “Namaste” , hence is found as the key
word chanted not only by the Nepali people from all components of diverse communities but
also all types of visitors to Nepal as a traveler in all heritage sites as the greeting of equality,
which is unique in itself as a part of language from this beautiful country.
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