Manjushri Going to Wu Tai Shan
Manjushri
Manjushri is regarded to be the propounder of Mahayana school of Buddhist philosophy, the origin of Saddharmapundarika and Prajnaparamita. It is said that they are the outcome of his meditation. Therefore he is worshipped as a revered Deity, of knowledge and wisdom by Buddhists and Hindus alike in Nepal. Because of profound knowledge attributed to him he is revered as a Bodhisattva who could bestow blessings to any devotee to fulfill his wishes. He came from China to see and offer his prayers to the Self -existent one,Swayambhu. Swayambhu Purana mentions this story of the visit of Manjushri to Nepal. At that time Nepal Valley was full of water like a lake. When Manjushri came to Nepal and cut a Gorge at Chovar with his sword of wisdom and allowed the water flow-out though the Bagmati to ultimately find its way into the sea. Because Manjushri made the water flow-out and turned the land habitable, people of Nepal has great reverence and devotion expressed to him since this time and it continues.The people of the Valley have constructed a Chaitya near the Swayamabhu, enshrined a stone-plate with his footprints engraved and worship it when they visit there especially on the day of Shri Panchami every year.
Wu Tai Shan, The Holy Abode of Manjushri
Manjushri was born at Wu Tai Mountain located at the North -eastern part of Shanxi Province of China. The earliest scriptural basis of the birth of Manjushri at Wu Tai Mountain appears in the chapter on the 'abodes of Bodhisattvas' in the Tsin (Chin) translation of Avatamsaka Sutra. It runs thus "In the North-east there is an abode of Boshisattvas called the Cool Mountain where many Bodhisattvas of the past had dwelt. At the present Manjushri Bodhisattva is living there with 10,000 Bodhisattvas as his relatives to whom he often preaches Dharma." So Manjushri Bodhisttva has become the Deity of common devotion and worshipped in Nepal and China alike since the ages and believed that he bestows blessings to the peoples of the two countries equally.Therefore the peoples of Nepal and China have decided to celebrate the commonality of devotion to Manjushri. Arniko Society of Nepal will construct an Image of Manjushri to be enshrined in the newly built temple in the middle terrace of the Wu Tai Mountain. The construction work of the temple at the Wu Tai Mountain is moving very fast under the supervision of the Yuan Chao Monastery of Wu Tai Shan and is expected to be complete within this year. The Divine Image of Manjushri will be carried from Nepal to China when construction of temple will be complete. The ceremony of enshrinement of the statue is expected to be performed early next year.
