Lumbini's True Potential Unexplored, Says Expert Hem Bahadur Bist

Butwal. In the light of the youth rebellion that took place in August, the general elections held in February, and the popular aspiration for radical change expressed through them, a question is once again arising - what is Lumbini, and what is it not?

With the objective of excavating this very subject, Hem Bahadur Bist has been interviewed as an expert here. Bist, who contributed to radio, television, development journalism, and media training while based in Kathmandu, also played the role of a civil leader in the people's movements of 2046 and 2062/063 BS. For the past decade, he has been actively engaged in the study, research, and promotion of Lumbini while residing there.

According to Bist, Lumbini is not just a site for religious tourism; it is a center for human civilization, peace, compassion, and ideological transformation. However, in practice, Lumbini has not yet been developed accordingly, he states.

Bist believes that the Lumbini Development Trust, formed in 2042 BS for planned development, has not been able to perform as expected. While the Trust has done some work in physical infrastructure development, he feels that more attention should be given to creating the necessary environment for Buddhist followers, researchers, and spiritual seekers. Tejendra KC of Ratopati has interviewed Bist focusing on Lumbini.

Presented here is the edited excerpt of the conversation

What exactly is Lumbini?

I think many of us Nepalis have an incomplete and inadequate understanding of Lumbini. Many Nepalis are proud that Buddha was born in Nepal, but we don't often think about why we should be proud. Even the state of Nepal, I don't think, is clear about Lumbini.

Lumbini is the birthplace of Lord Buddha. Therefore, it is one of the most important pilgrimage sites for Buddhists worldwide. In other words, a highly revered Buddhist pilgrimage.

The teachings of Buddha explain why Shakyamuni Buddha was born in Lumbini. The explanation of why and how important Lumbini is was given by Buddha himself at the time of his Mahaparinirvana. He explained why even those who do not follow me will want to visit Lumbini.

There is talk that at one time the Nepal government declared Lumbini as the source of peace. What is the relationship between Buddha's teachings and peace? Where is the current global context, our so-called geopolitical situation in Nepal, and why the United Nations was once so concerned with the development of Lumbini reflected in the institutional memory of our current state apparatus? I believe the answer to the question of what Lumbini is and is not should be sought around these issues. My experience and feelings from living in Lumbini for the past ten years say that Lumbini is not what the government and those in decision-making positions have always considered it to be.

Is it possible to build the future of Lumbini through the Lumbini Development Trust?

I don't see any such possibility. Lumbini is a very big thing for Nepal, for the world, and for humanity. The soft power that Nepal can develop through Lumbini can be, and can be made, more powerful than an atomic bomb.

However, the relevance of the Lumbini Development Trust Act, prepared within the narrow confines of a Panchayat mentality in 2042 BS, has long since passed. Furthermore, the structure based on it, the Lumbini Development Trust, can neither understand nor express the current desires and aspirations of Nepal.

The deep misunderstanding that arose between the local community and the Lumbini Development Trust when the government acquired 1,155 bighas of land from local residents for the Lumbini Master Plan is still evident today.

In the last 9-10 years, 9 different people have served as ministers in the Ministry of Culture, Tourism, and Civil Aviation. During this period, for 5 months, the then Prime Minister KP Oli himself wished to run the Ministry of Tourism.

I spoke with 6 out of the 9 ministers in search of the will, commitment, and clear vision to develop Lumbini in a systematic and future-oriented manner, but the narrow scope of the ministers' understanding and the nexus of vested interests made immediate gains their priority over the future potential of Lumbini.

The current government has announced that the process of filling various positions for the same Lumbini Development Trust has begun. Once again, the same race has started. The hustle and bustle of those who declare themselves centers of power seems to have begun.

I do not believe that Lumbini can be developed for the future by appointing new officials to the Lumbini Development Trust, which is based on a Panchayat-era act, has lost its relevance over time, and is built on a foundation of corruption, lack of transparency, and mismanagement that has become institutionalized over the past 30-40 years.

Why has a Buddhist spiritual environment not been created in Lumbini?

Although Lumbini is the birthplace of Lord Buddha, there is no arrangement made in the premises of the Mayadevi Temple to express devotion to Buddha or to perform worship and rituals according to one's own Buddhist tradition (Theravada, Mahayana, Vajrayana, Navayana have their own worship traditions, as do Buddhists from countries like Sri Lanka, Thailand, Myanmar, China, Japan, etc.). Even when 2-4 thousand devotees gather in the Mayadevi Temple complex, the biggest problem is the lack of toilets.

In the last 40-45 years, investment from the state treasury appears to have been directed towards physical infrastructure development. Based on the existing act, the creation of Buddhist spirituality is not even within the mandate of the Lumbini Development Trust.

The Kenzo Tange Master Plan, which was supposed to be completed in the first phase of construction in 6 years, has not been completed even after 40 years. In response to all the requests made so far for the creation of a Buddhist spiritual environment, the Lumbini Development Trust has been saying that they will address it after the master plan is completed.

It is not difficult to understand why, among the governments, departmental ministers, and Lumbini Development Trust officials so far, none have recognized that the most important aspect for Lumbini is the creation of its Buddhist spiritual environment. Why was physical construction considered more important?

Why has the Lumbini Master Plan remained incomplete?

Although the Lumbini Master Plan has been in implementation for a long time, it is still not complete. I think the main reason for the incompleteness of the Lumbini Master Plan is a crisis of trust. According to the employees and officials of the Lumbini Development Trust, the main obstacle to the plan is the lack of budget from external sources.

The weakening trust of donor agencies appears to be a major reason for this master plan, which has been continuously under implementation for over 40 years, not being completed. It seems that assistance has decreased as suspicions about the proper and transparent use of the funds they provided have increased.

It is said that donors express concerns about potential misuse of funds within the Trust. Employees say that this is why expected assistance has not been received and the plan has not moved forward.

We need to establish a reliable system for the proper utilization of the budget and focus on seeking additional resources. Stakeholders must pay attention to completing these master plans.

Recently, 41 years after the establishment of the Lumbini Development Trust, the Rastriya Swatantra Party government has started the process of selecting qualified individuals for various positions for the operation and management of the Lumbini Development Trust. It appears to be an attempt to start by creating a roster of interested and qualified individuals.

Meanwhile, the Lumbini Development Trust, facing a severe financial crisis and unable to even pay its employees' salaries, has increased the entrance fee for the Mayadevi Temple by up to 75%, effective from April 1, 2083 BS.

Many will remember that after the Supreme Court's order not to charge an entrance fee for the Mayadevi Temple, the Lumbini Development Trust changed the name of the entrance fee to a conservation fee. All Nepalis are proud that the birthplace of Lord Buddha is in Nepal's Lumbini. It is said that people from many countries who have not heard of Nepal have heard of Lumbini.

What could be the way forward?

The formulation of a clear state perspective on Lumbini is the most important thing. To build such a perspective, we need high-level brainstorming, consultation with Buddhist scholars at national and international levels, and based on the knowledge synthesized in various universities and research centers so far, we need to create a vision plan for Lumbini that looks at the world at least 50 years from now, and build an institutional structure capable of realizing it.

To build such a vision plan and institutional structure, a review is necessary of what we should have done in the past 50 years and why we couldn't do it. All this work will take some time. The need of the hour is to dissolve the Lumbini Development Trust and advance these tasks through an interim mechanism for the daily operation of Lumbini development, review of the past, and formulation of a future-oriented vision and appropriate structure.