| Nepalese Shamanism: The Way of the Shaman | | | | kinds of situations to medical doctors. The |
| Nepal is called home to just about sixty distinguished | | | | shaman’s path is recognized by the community of |
| ethnic and tribal groups, and at least half of those | | | | Newari, not vice-versa and claimed by the individual. |
| groups practice some type of shamanism. | | | | This means that the shaman is only a shaman |
| Unsurprisingly so, the shaman songs and shaman | | | | because the people are healed by him, not because |
| themselves reflect upon a highly diverse spectrum of | | | | he claims he can heal the people. |
| influences. The influences that can easily be seen and | | | | Kirati shamans have the duty of invoking spirits, |
| heard in the shaman songs include Tibetan | | | | revivifying his roots within nature, and taking action in |
| “Bon” shamanism, Tibetan Buddhism, and early | | | | the service of overall good, not necessarily just for the |
| forms of Hinduism. In is very likely that some, if not all, | | | | good of the community. The shaman is a symbol for |
| of the healing practices in Buddhism and Hinduism in | | | | harmony on all levels and scales, he must provide |
| this region share a common origin with Himalayan | | | | himself for any necessary task that is for the greater |
| shamanism. Nepalese shamans are a part of different | | | | good of the entire universe. This is called |
| religious groups and therefore do not see themselves | | | | “mundum,” the way of the shaman. |
| nor their shamanic tasks as “religious.” | | | | Both ethnic groups believe that “the Way of the |
| Two of the mainly significant ethnic groups of Nepal | | | | Shaman” was brought about by the god Shiva, and |
| are the Newari and Kirati. The Newari shamans are | | | | that those who are shaman are called to action |
| known to their people as “jhankri,” and they | | | | become shaman, this is the only way. The person who |
| conclude that “the way of the shaman is the way | | | | is chosen for the path will fromt time to time attempt |
| of love.” Newari shaman seeks to invoke love, | | | | to ignore the call because they know that the shaman |
| harmony, and peace to heal those who suffer from | | | | does not have an easy life. Most shaman have their |
| illnesses of spiritual and natural essence. Unlike most | | | | everyday occupations like all the people, but must also |
| shamans who believe in few reasons for disease, the | | | | make themselves available for their work of healing at |
| Newari understand that disease can be caused by | | | | “transition times” in the day. These times are at |
| other physical circumstances, and they leave these | | | | daybreak or just as the sun sets. |