John Saboe's Far East Travels

Swayambunath or The Monkey Temple is one of the most significant temples to Tibetan Bhuddists of Nepal, perhaps only coming second in importance to Boudhanath, the largest stupa in the country.It is also called the Monkey Temple because holy monkeys live here. Why are they considered holy? It is said that Manjushri the bodhisattva of wisdom and learned raised the hill that Swayambunath sits on. When he let his hair grow long, lice grew eventually transforming into monkeys.This is a virtual walk in real time up the 365 stairs that lead to the platform of Swayambunath. Much of the inspiration of the temple comes from Newar Buddhism. The Newars are the indigenous people of the Kathmandu Valley. The Monkey Temple is an important site for many followers of other Buddhist schools and is also a place of worship for Hindus. It is one of the oldest religious sites in Nepal with evidence suggesting work began on a temple here in the 5th century.My favorite time to come is at sunrise. It’s also a popular fitness site fo