PANCHA BUDDHA

 Pancha Buddha means five Buddha’s. The structure of five Buddha’s in one is explained in different ways. According to Mahayana Buddhism, all these Buddha’s embody different qualities of Buddhahood where as the ethical system of Buddhism takes them merely as the different aspects of the Buddha. The five Buddhas are the following: 

Buddha Vairochana whose position is at the center. His gesture is Dharmachakra Mudra and the element he represents is ether.

Buddha Akshobhya of the east sits with Bhumisparsa mudra and his cosmic representation is that of water.      

Buddha Amitabha of the west portrays Dhyana mudra. The cosmic element he represents is fire.      

Buddha Ratnasambhav has his position in the south seated with Barad mudra. The cosmic element he represents is earth.      

Buddha Amoghsiddhi of the north sits with Abhaya mudra. The cosmic element represented by him is air. 

All the Buddhas represent different aspects and colours and that their symbols, vehicles etc. are also different form each other. 

PALPA

 A district of western Nepal, Palpa is a flourishing area, Tansen being its headquarters. It is famous for cottage industries, specially in manufacturing pots and utensils and different sorts of art works and handicrafts. This is also a historic place where charismatic kings and chieftains had ruled at various times and commanded wide areas of western Nepal. 

Palpa is an important district of Lumbini Zone. This district used to be a commanding zone of western Nepal during Rana regime and earlier than that it used to be the kindoms of power kings of the days of yore. Tansen is the capital town of this district and the total population of the district is 252316.

PADMASANA

 Padmasana is literally the lotus position with legs crossed with each other , particularly, for meditation. See Asana.  Padmasana  also means a throne or a pedestal. If the pedestal of lotus is arranged in a single petal row, it is called Padmasana. If the lotus petals are arranged in a double row it is called Biswa-padmasana.

PADMA SAMBHAV

 Padma Sambhav was renowned and highly learned tantric saint of Northern India. In the middle of the eight century the Tibetan king Thi-Sron Desan sent to India inviting the learned guru to come to Tibet. Padma Sambhav was renowned for his knowledge of tantras and of their efficacious application . He remained 50 years in Tibet founding monasteries and teaching the tantra doctrine. He is said to have subdued all the malignant gods in Tibet and spared only those who were sanctified and converted to Budhism. They promised to be defenders (dharmapala) of the doctrine. Padmasambhav, in his turn promised to enroll them in the Mahayana Pantheon. He claimed to have received from the dakini the books from which he acquired his miraculous power. At the end of fifty years Padma sambhav disappeared miraculously. 

Padmansambhav is projected as seated on a lotus asana with the legs locked, the right hand holding the vajra and the left one lying in his lap, the patra. He holds his special symbol, the Khatvanga pressed against his breast with the left arm. 

PADMAPANI

 Lotus in fought hand, Padmapani symbolises compassion and is the savior of all creatures. Padmapani is an aspect of Avalokiteswar. 

PADMA

 Padma, is term literally used for lotus which may be of any colour except blue. But the term has many religious and cultural connotations. The blue lotus is designated by the term  Utpala or Nilotpala. In Tantric works the Padma is the day lotus, while Utpala stands for the night lotus. Padma is specially regarded as sacred when the lotus is shown with  petals in both the upper and lower directions. It is called the Viswa-padma. The double lotus. Padma indicates purity or descency. In Buddhist tradition it symbolizes self creation and thus, it is the sign of Swayambhu. In Vajrayana Buddhism it represents the female principle. White open padma appears above the left shoulder of Avalokiteswara Padmapani whose spiritual parents are Dhyani Buddha Amitabha and White tara. 

OM MANI PADME HUM

 Om Mani Padme Hum (Hail the jewel in the lotus) is a six syllable invocation (Mantra) of Avlokiteswara one who is invoked as the savior and the Protector from danger. One who recites this mantra, he will be saved from all dangers and will be protected. So this mantra is widely found in every field of Mahayana Buddhism. One can find this mantra inscribed on rocks, prayer wheels, chaitya walls, loose stones heaped as Mani (jewel) on roads, paths, mountains passes, the approaches and exits of villages. One can find this mantra inscribed outwardly in the prayer wheels and millions of this mantra insides the prayer wheels. One who turns one round of this prayer wheel; it means he recites millions of this mantra. As this mantra saves from all dangers people used it as pendant, rings etc for the protection. 

NYATAPOLA

Famous five storeyed temple of Bhaktapur is one of the tallest temples of Nepal. The five storeys depict the  layers of cultural traditions of Nepal. Five storeys of the temple and five levels of foundation over ground also represent various auspicious symbols.

OUHM

 Ouhm is considered as the mysterious and most powerful compound alphabet which, if pronounced with great concentration and deep philosophical knowledge, can transform one’s atma into the universal body, Bramhah. It symbolises the sentence “Aham Bramhasmi” meaning “I am Bramhah”. In Hindu Philosophy, Atma is the temporary existence which would eventually   get reunited with the Bramhah, the original universal entity. Buddhists venerate Om, the mystic syllable of A-u-m with equal fervor.  The devotees regard it to be too sacred to be uttered aloud, but only to be formed by the lips. 

Adi Buddha at his will proceeded from Ouhm. Ouhm is also pronounced as AUM putting triple letters into one compound letter. In that Aum, omnipresent Adi Buddha resides at and possesses the Tri-ratna or the triple jewels of Buddhism. Another way it is interpreted is as follows:

Adi Buddha became manifest in the greatest Sunyata or void or nothingness as represented by  the letter A. When all was Sunyata, Prajnan or the transcendental knowledge or Adi Dharma was revealed out of Akash which is represented by the letter U.  Then the Vija or the original seed of mantra of Sangha revealed having represented by the letter  M.  Thus the letters A-u-m  or Ohm represent the vija mantra of Buddha. Dharma and Sangha collectively known as Tri-Ratna.

OKHALDHUNGA

 Okhaldhunga, a district of Sagarmatha zone is noted for its trade and indigenous industries. A historic district of Sagarmatha zone, this district used to be the commanding area of the eastern Nepal in the days of yore. Adjacent to the district of Solokhumbu, this district is still a remote part of the country where the road connections are rare and recent. A homeland of Sherpa, Rais and Limbus as well as mountain tribes including Bramhins, Chhetris, Newars, Gurungs and so on, this district is also the homeland of Hindus and Buddhists.