Page:Picturesque Nepal.djvu/79

 possessed of supreme power, and is endowed with supreme intelligence. He remains, has remained, and ever will remain, in a state of perfect repose. On the other hand, the basis of Hinduism is the same idea of one impersonal and spiritual Being, but this Being has come to be represented by several personal manifestations. Some of these incarnations have been accepted by the Buddhist Newars and incorporated into their own creed. Much of the complicated mythology, and many of the fantastic deities, of the Hindus have been absorbed into the Newars' "New Theology," and thus their Buddhism has lost much of the chaste and simple character for which it was originally noted. In this way it has come about that in Nepal Hindu shrines have been erected within the precincts of Buddhist monasteries and Buddhist temples are decorated with figures of Hindu gods, Hindu saints, and Hindu symbols. A religious building in Nepal will therefore often display a figure of the Buddha, calm, dignified, and reposeful, with all the attributes of his simple teaching around, while in close proximity is placed a