religions were arranged in
parallel divisions, a group of Buddhists classified according to
occupation corresponding to each Hindu caste, and appropriate rules
and ceremonies were prescribed for the different sections. The code
then established is still in force in essentials and Nepal, being
intellectually the pupil of India, has continued to receive such new
ideas as appeared in the plains of Bengal. When these ascended to the
mountain valleys they were adopted, with free modification of old and
new material alike, by both Buddhists and Hindus, but as both sects
were geographically isolated, each tended to resemble the other more
than either resembled normal Buddhism or Hinduism. Naturally the new
ideas were mainly Brahmanic and Buddhism had no chance of being
fortified by an importation of even moderately orthodox doctrine. In
the fourteenth century arose the community of wandering ascetics
called Nathas who were reverenced by Hindus and Buddhists alike. They
rejected the observances of both creeds but often combined their
doctrines and, though disavowed by the Brahmans, exercised a
considerable influence among the lower castes. Some of the peculiar
deities of Nepal, such as Matsyendranath, have attributes traceable to
these wanderers. In 1769 Nepal was conquered by the Gurkhas. This
tribe seems related to the Tibetan stock, as are the Nevars, but it
had long been Hinduized and claimed a Rajput ancestry. Thus Gurkha
rule has favoured and accelerated the hinduizing of Nepalese Buddhism.

Since the time of Hodgson the worship of the Adi-Buddha, or an
original divine Buddha practically equivalent to God, has been often
described as characteristic of Nepalese religion and such a worship
undoubtedly exists. But recent accounts indicate that it is not
prominent and also that it can hardly be considered a distinct type of
monotheistic Buddhism. The idea that the five Dhyani-Buddhas are
emanations or manifestations of a single primordial Buddha-spirit is a
natural development of Mahayanist ideas, but no definite statement of
it earlier than the Kalacakra literature is forthcoming, though many
earlier works point towards it.[292] In modern Nepal the chief temple
of the Adi-Buddha is on the hill of Svayambhu (the self-existent) near
Katmandu. According to a legend preserved in the Svayambhu Purana, a
special divine manifestation occurred in ancient times on an adjoining
lake; a miraculous lotus arose on its surface, bearing an