兰毗尼是著名的佛教圣地,为佛教创始人释迦牟尼的诞生地。位于尼泊尔西部兰毗尼专区的鲁潘德希县。兰毗尼是梵文“可爱”之意。这里原为古代天臂国善觉王夫人兰毗尼的花园,因而得名。相传公元前623年,附近的迦毗罗卫国净饭王之妻摩耶夫人,在尼历正月月圆之夜,归宁途中,在兰毗尼花园里的娑罗双树下,手扶娑罗双树,生下悉达多(释迦牟尼是尊称,为“释迦族圣人”之意)。在释迦牟尼诞生处,今建有白色方型两层的摩诃摩耶夫人庙,庄严肃穆。庙旁有一泓池水明澈如镜,相传是摩耶夫人沐浴处。池边长着一颗娑罗双树,树身粗约十三、四米,倒影水中,姿态华敷。
中国高僧晋代法显和唐代玄奘分别在公元405年和633年到此瞻礼,在《佛国记》和《大唐西域记》中均有记述。法显是最早来此访问并留有真实记录的第一个外国人。由于岁月悠久,胜迹沦堙,正是凭借他们的记述,近代才得以勘明兰毗尼的原址,并加复建。原池边的娑罗双树,在玄奘来访时已“枯悴”,现存此树是后人补种的。附近有公元前249年印度孔雀王朝阿育王来此朝圣时所立石柱。庙南有新建的佛塔和佛寺,寺内有释迦牟尼的巨大塑像。佛堂墙上绘有反映释迦牟尼生平的壁画。此外,兰毗尼现在还建有文物馆、中学、宾馆、马亨德拉国王纪念碑等。
每年尼历正月望日释迦牟尼诞生日,这里要举行盛大庙会,佛教徒云集朝觐。尼泊尔王国政府为了保护历史古迹和发展宗教旅游,从1968年开始了兰毗尼的复兴建设,拟建面积约为七、八平方公里的兰毗尼花园,周围有65平方公里的陪衬地带。
1996年2月4日,尼泊尔政府宣布,经过尼泊尔、日本、印度、巴基斯坦、孟加拉国和斯里兰卡考古学家们一致认定释迦牟尼确切的诞生处在摩耶夫人(释迦牟尼母亲)庙的摩耶夫人像下。这是根椐竖立在兰毗尼花园内的古印度孔雀王朝阿育王石柱和最新考古发现的材料认定的。
(english version)
on february 4, 1996 , nepali prime minister sher bahadur deuba announced that the exact location of buddha's birthplace was found in the inner room of an ancient temple during an excavation in 1995 in lumbini of western nepal .
the discovery was made nine months ago by nepali and japanese archeologists during the excavation in the rectangular bricked structure just in front of the idol of mayadevi, or mother goddess. the sacred site was located five meters under ground.
the researchers reached the conclusion that during his visit to lumbini in around 250 b.c., emperor ashoka placed a stone pillar there to show the exact birthplace of sakyamuni, where the mayadevi temple was built later.
archaeologists from nepal , japan, india , pakistan , bangladesh and sri lanka agreed that lord buddha was born at the very spot where the ashoka stone was placed.
archaeologists involved in the excavation said they were compelled to cut down the famous pipal tree in the mayadevi temple as the excavation work was impossible without the removal of the tree.