Horn of a Rhinoceros

The Buddhist scripture Suttanipata says:

To seek for the independence and freedom which others don't want,

go like the horn of a rhinoceros.

When you get a companion who is sensible, cooperative, polite and wise,

you would get over any kind of difficulty.

So get along with one delightfully.

However if you couldn't have such a companion,

like a king who abandons one's conquests, go alone like the horn of a rhinoceros.

Like a lion which is not startled at sound,

wind which is not caught by a net,

and a lotus flower which doesn't get dirty in the mud,

Go alone like the horn of a rhinoceros.

These words mirror the state of a traditional Newari village called Khokana where I took these photos. The village lives on cultivation of mustard oil and despite its proximity to Kathmandu it lives on a different pulse. The 2015 earthquake crippled the village and many families live out of makeshift tin homes. The promised funds to rehabilitate the village are yet to see the light of the day.