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It
was the most exciting journey after leaving Kapilavastu,
because we would enter Nepal soon in the afternoon to Buddha's
birthplace Lumbinī. Lumbinī lies in the north
of the border of Nepal and India near Gorakpur at
present. Originally it was ancient garden that King
Suprabuddha built for his Queen Lumbinī. Buddha's
father King Śuddhodana of Kapilavastu married
Mahāmāyā who was the daughter of Master of Devadaha.
Buddha's mother Queen Mahāmāyā was pregnant when she
was 45 years old. Before the date of childbirth they went back
home to Devadaha by way of Lumbinī. When they
reached Lumbinī and took a rest, Queen Mahāmāyā
leant her right arm on a Sala tree, no sooner than
Siddhartha was born from her right side. But there were
full of legends about the story of Buddha's birth in many
Sūtras.
Aśoka
once visited Lumbinī
200 years later and erected a stone pillar with horse's head
here, this stone pillar had been excavated out. There is a big
stone carving work which was made in Gupta era looks
like Queen Mahāmāyā and the subject of Buddha's birth.
When Xuan-zang came here in 8th century A.D. the
Aśoka pillar had already been broken by the lightning.
After Gupta Dynasty this garden had already fallen into
disuse. Because of the discovery of Aśoka pillar until
the end of the 19th century and understanding from inscription
on the pillar, we could verify Lumbinī that here was
the Buddha's birthplace. Lumbinī at present put Nepal
government in order and protect properly, and is managed well by
the Tantric Buddhism monk group came from Tibet, so
there were full of ornament style and atmosphere of Tibet
Buddhism.
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