FROM SHUMEI MAGAZINE, Vol. 240. JULY/AUGUST 2002

Where I Come From
Man Bahadur Thapa (Nagoya, Japan)

  Let me tell you a little about the country I come from. Nepal has Mount Everest. Lord Buddha was born there. And it is the oldest Hindu country in the world.

   There are three different climates in my country, one for each main region. In the south is the fertile Tarai plain with its farmlands, marshes, and woods. Terai's climate is subtropical and between July and mid-October, during the monsoon season, flooding is a serious problem. Farther north is the country's hilly and mid-mountain region, which makes up almost 80% of Nepal. The forested mountains of this area enclose two large river basins, the Pokhara Valley fed by the Seti River and the Katmandu Valley fed by the Baghmati. The heavily populated Katmandu Valley is the cultural and political center of Nepal and houses our capital city of the same name as the Valley. Its climate is moderate, with temperatures averaging from about 55 degrees Fahrenheit in winter to 70 degrees Fahrenheit in summer. The remaining 15 or so percent of Nepal's land is given over to the Great Himalayan Mountains at the country's northernmost edge. This mountain range has some of the tallest and most rugged peaks on earth, Kanchnjunga I, Mkalu I, and Cho Oyo among them. This is where Everest stands at over 29,000 feet. Its crown is the highest point on earth. It is so high and so craggy that no plane or helicopter can rescue hapless mountain climbers. The Himalayas have a cold and windy Alpine climate.

   There are great rivers in my country, the Kosi, the Narayani, and the Karnali, and many springs that feed vast forests and fields. These rivers are among Nepal's greatest resources, potentially a large reserve of hydroelectric power. After Brazil, Nepal is the richest country in fresh, flowing water. Another of our great natural resources is our forests of oak, maple, magnolia, and pine. Our wooded areas cover almost a fifth of the country and give us valuable timber, firewood, and herbs. Nepal is home to antelope, deer, hare, leopards, monkeys, tigers, wild sheep, and even a few rhinoceroses.

   Mine is a landlocked nation sandwiched between two much larger and more powerful neighbors, China to the north and India to the south. Nepal's total land mass is less than 54,000 square miles and over 23,000,000 people live there.

   The country is primarily agricultural, 90 percent of the people depend on farming and herding for their livelihood. The people are mostly Indo-Aryan but there are also people of mongoloid stock. Our official language is Nepali, which derives from Sanskrit and is related to most Indian and European languages. But Newari, a language in the same family as Tibetan and Burmese, is also spoken and there are many smaller language groups as well. Besides this, the many castes of the Hindu majority, each with its own traditions and customs, make the population even more complex. Our great King Prithivi Narayan Shah, who began to unite Nepal in the 18th Century and fought to keep it independent, once said of his rule that he tended a garden of four different peoples and 36 castes.

  As I have said, Nepal is a Hindu country. We celebrate Dashin and Tehar, the greatest festival of Hinduism. Yet, though Hindu is predominent, almost every other religion can be found there in one place or another.

  Because of the many different factions and political parties, each wanting to control the country, Nepal's welfare has suffered and our land remains undeveloped and poor.

  We had a good king. His name was Birendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev. Although coming to the throne as an absolute monarch, during his rule he turned the country into a parliamentary monarchy and a constitutional democracy. King Birendra was an honorable and wise leader, who had a deep understanding of his people and was very much loved by them. Many thought him a god. He kept the forces outside the country from devouring us and all the political groups within it from tearing Nepal apart. When he and most of his family were murdered this last year, his people's grief was boundless. Many shaved their heads and would not put salt in their food. He left us all orphans and we will never forget him.

   My country is now in turmoil. The present situation in Nepal is critical. Anything could happen at any time.
   Why do I believe in God and why do I praise him?
   My uncle told me about the existence of God in the world when I was 12 years old. At the dawn of each new day, he would silently face east. One morning, I asked him what he was doing. After a pause, he opened his eyes and told me that he was praying to God. I asked who God was and where He lived. My uncle said, "The world is made by God, and all people and all the living things in God's world are his family. We cannot see God. But we can feel him with our souls when we pray. To praise God only with our lips is empty prayer. We have to pray to Him with our hearts."

  During World War II, my uncle served in the British army. During that time, his life was harsh. He had no one to help him and he could not help anyone else. All he could do was pray. After leaving the army, he went back to his motherland, Nepal, where he lived a good life and continued to pray to God until he died at the age of 87.

  Time is so important. Time does not wait. We are given only so much time to do anything in life. So, using time wisely is essential. We all eat, sleep, and wake in time -everything we do takes place in time. And taking time for prayer is very important. Before we prayed each day, my uncle and I bathed and changed into clean clothes.

   After leaving Nepal, I stayed in India, where I would go to different holy sites. At one of the temples that I visited, I met a man who told me of all the terrible things that happen in the world, just as my uncle once did. The world at times seems as if it might collapse. There were many people praying to God in the temple.

  Later, I went to a small religious museum. A custodian there showed me many photographs and exhibits. He explained how the world began, what its present era was, and just when people started worshiping holy images. He told me that the world would end soon and that the good would go to heaven and the bad to hell.

  A few people have told me that there is no God at all. In Nepal, I had heard that people in developed countries, such as Japan and America, no longer believed in God. But when I came to Japan and went to Shumei's Nagoya Center, I saw many people praying. I was surprised. What I had heard in Nepal about the Godless people in rich countries did not seem to be true. It was at Nagoya that I learned about Jyorei, received my Ohikari, and became a member of Shinji Shumeikai.

  On my way to visit Shumei's spiritual center in Misono, the mountains and trees we passed reminded me so much of Nepal. It was at Misono in Meishusama Hall that I saw many different people from other lands, all of them believing in God and all of them praying to Him. There were even some Americans!

  My experiences have taught me many things and one thing I know for sure is this: There is but one God in this world. He goes by many names from language to language and shows many different faces from country to country. And although people around the world pray to Him in different ways, He is still the same God everywhere.

  I know this too: Helping others in need is also a kind of prayer. So, people should not be selfish or greedy but should have clean souls and open hearts. Even when death comes, we should die thinking of others. This is what I believe.

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