After the month-long pilgrimage in Nepal with Rinpoche, a small group of us left the relative warmth and comfort of Nepal to make a pilgrimage to Tibet–to the historic monastery of Samye and the ancient cave-hermitages and sites in the surrounding region that are associated with Guru Rinpoche and nest high on cliff faces and up long, hidden valleys.
In Lhasa, we visited the Jokhang, a huge, beautiful monastery built by Songtsen Gampo (a sixth-century Tibetan king) as a tribute to one of his queens. The large square in front of the Jokhang is filled with hundreds of pilgrims who have come from all over Tibet to prostrate, make offerings, trade and sell whatever they have to support their pilgrimage. Near the Jokhang's entrance the stones become smoother and smoother, worn by centuries of prostrating pilgrims. In the outer courtyard, monks are conducting ceremonies and attending to hundreds of butterlamps. The main building is surrounded by prayer wheels. Nearby stands a Red Tara shrine room. Slowly, everyone files inside the main building, past the huge dharma protector shrines on either wall, to 80 or so small shrinerooms on two floors, each one more elaborate than the next. The sound of many mantras unites with the raucous rhythm of those wearing blue high-top sneakers, leather aprons and blocks of wood strapped to their palms who perform full prostrations on the stone floor.
Through no small effort we made our way to the main shrineroom, with its three thirty-foot-high statues. We climbed a tiny set of stairs by the side of the exquisitely jeweled statue of Jowo Shakyamuni, a highly revered representation of the Sambhogakaya aspect of the historical Shakyamuni. One by one, we added to the mountain of katags in Jowo's lap, touched our heads to the statue for blessings and were quickly ushered out to make room for the crowd pressing to enter. On the top floor, level with the khatvanga of the Guru Rinpoche statue, we gazed down into the main shrine room; It seemed to waver and shimmer from the heat and light of so many butterlamps–an inspiring mandala of living joy and devotion.
From Lhasa we traveled 150 kilometers to the Samye ferry crossing. On the north bank of the mile-wide Tsangpo river the image of five white stupas beckons pilgrims. Called Surkar Do, they mark the spot where King Trisong Detsen came to meet his future Guru, Padmasambhava. Trisong Detsen's royal pride kept him from prostrating to the great teacher, and later in confession, he built the stupas as an act of purification.
Just to the east sits Samye, a giant jeweled mandala in the palm of a wide valley. A high wall, once covered with small stupas, encircles a compound of golden-crested, fresco-covered buildings. Originally there were 108 temples within the circular walls. The central temple, the Mount Meru, is four stories high. Legend has it that each level was built according to the architecture of each of four great Buddhist lands: Tibet, China, India and Nepal. This central temple was at one time surrounded by temples representing the four continents, the minor continents, the sun and the moon. Some of these temples are in the process of being restored.
At the gonpa's reliquary adjacent to the Dalai Lama's residence, we were shown relics and ritual objects of Guru Rinpoche and other great siddhas and tertons: the Guru's bell and walking staff, Vairocana's robe, Longchenpa's skull cup, a self-manifest Hung, a talking Tara statue and more. Another highlight of our week at Samye was a half-day spent helping a group of practitioners from Kham who had come to renovate the great stupas. We also journeyed to Hepo Ki, where Yeshe Tsogyal competed with Bonpo priests; Chimpu to visit Sandok Peri, Guru Rinpoche's Copper-Colored Mountain, one of the most famous of all the cave-hermitage sites; and Yamalung, another one of the eight principal places associated with Guru Rinpoche.
From Samye we continued to the Drak Valley, known principally as the birthplace of Yeshe Tsogyal and home of two great cave systems, Drak Yongzong and Dzong Kombu. Crossing several miles of rolling sand dunes on foot, we arrived at Tsogyal Latso, Yeshe Tsogyal's birthplace, just before nightfall. In front of a small temple sits a spring said to have arisen spontaneously upon her birth. Here, as in many places, the dakinis and protectors seemed to manifest in human form to care for and assist us. When it appeared we might have no place to sleep, a wonderful young woman took us to her home. Her family not only fed us, but gave up their beds for us and slept on the kitchen floor. We could not speak to each other, but sang prayers together: Barchad Lamsal, the Dalai Lama's long-life prayer and May the Tradition of Guru Padmasambhava Flourish. Next we made our way to Ngadrak Gonpa where we were introduced to a lone Khampa pilgrim who would be our guide to Drak Yangdzong and Dzong Kombu. The six-hour hike from Ngadak to Drak Yangdzong probably brought us 8 to 10 miles and 3,500 feet up to over 16,000 ft. Inside the lower cave stood a small gonpa, whose attendant was a disciple of Tulku Sang-ngag. The main image in the gonpa, a Guru Rinpoche with teeth bared, was constructed years ago by Tulku Sang-ngag himself. Outside this cave was a 30-foot vertical ladder leading up the cliff face to an upper cave entrance anda tunnel that bored into the mountainside for at least 100 feet at an angle of 45 degrees. We navigated our way through by laying back against the cave walland shimmying up a yak-skin rope while pushing with our feet against theceiling, to arrive at an endless labyrinth of chambers, ladders, bridges, self-manifesting phenomena–the retreat caves of Padmasambhava and Yeshe Tsogyal. In the latter cave, we collected relics widely desired for their medicinal qualities.
Getting to Dzong Kombu was quite a hike. In the mouth of a giant cave stood a gonpa behind which lay extensive caves forking east and west. At one point, the east fork terminated in a large cavern with a self-manifest stupa (stalactite) called the "male channel" at the base of which was an image of Guru Rinpoche. The left cave follows an underground river to a small spring worshiped as the "female channel." The pure energy of these sacred sites was powerful, primordial, unquestionable.
We practiced and offered prayers at these and many other holy places. The experience of physical space–vast and empty, the lack of distractions, the bare essential display of the natural phenomenal world–was conducive to an understanding of ultimate nature and the arising of events within basic space. We encountered such kindness, and a seemingly endless array of supports to practice: statues, relics, paintings, footprints. We awoke to mantra, fell asleep to drums and cymbals. We felt so fortunate to have come, to have met Chagdud Rinpoche and others who have encouraged us, taught and helped us to deepen our understanding.
The pilgrimage was a rare opportunity to make practice a lifestyle–each difficult step up a mountain trail a reaffirmation of the refuge vow, each moment of joy an offering. We dedicate the merit generated by this journey to the long life of Rinpoche, Tulku Sang-ngag and all lamas, to the people of Tibet and all beings throughout space. May obstacles and suffering quickly vanish to reveal the pure lands in the arising of our everyday phenomenon.
Bill Quinn, Pati Airey and Steven Glazer
After the month-long pilgrimage in Nepal with Rinpoche, a small group of us left the relative warmth and comfort of Nepal to make a pilgrimage to Tibet–to the historic monastery of Samye and the ancient cave-hermitages and sites in the surrounding region that are associated with Guru Rinpoche and nest high on cliff faces and up long, hidden valleys.
In Lhasa, we visited the Jokhang, a huge, beautiful monastery built by Songtsen Gampo (a sixth-century Tibetan king) as a tribute to one of his queens. The large square in front of the Jokhang is filled with hundreds of pilgrims who have come from all over Tibet to prostrate, make offerings, trade and sell whatever they have to support their pilgrimage. Near the Jokhang's entrance the stones become smoother and smoother, worn by centuries of prostrating pilgrims. In the outer courtyard, monks are conducting ceremonies and attending to hundreds of butterlamps. The main building is surrounded by prayer wheels. Nearby stands a Red Tara shrine room. Slowly, everyone files inside the main building, past the huge dharma protector shrines on either wall, to 80 or so small shrinerooms on two floors, each one more elaborate than the next. The sound of many mantras unites with the raucous rhythm of those wearing blue high-top sneakers, leather aprons and blocks of wood strapped to their palms who perform full prostrations on the stone floor.
Through no small effort we made our way to the main shrineroom, with its three thirty-foot-high statues. We climbed a tiny set of stairs by the side of the exquisitely jeweled statue of Jowo Shakyamuni, a highly revered representation of the Sambhogakaya aspect of the historical Shakyamuni. One by one, we added to the mountain of katags in Jowo's lap, touched our heads to the statue for blessings and were quickly ushered out to make room for the crowd pressing to enter. On the top floor, level with the khatvanga of the Guru Rinpoche statue, we gazed down into the main shrine room; It seemed to waver and shimmer from the heat and light of so many butterlamps–an inspiring mandala of living joy and devotion.
From Lhasa we traveled 150 kilometers to the Samye ferry crossing. On the north bank of the mile-wide Tsangpo river the image of five white stupas beckons pilgrims. Called Surkar Do, they mark the spot where King Trisong Detsen came to meet his future Guru, Padmasambhava. Trisong Detsen's royal pride kept him from prostrating to the great teacher, and later in confession, he built the stupas as an act of purification.
Just to the east sits Samye, a giant jeweled mandala in the palm of a wide valley. A high wall, once covered with small stupas, encircles a compound of golden-crested, fresco-covered buildings. Originally there were 108 temples within the circular walls. The central temple, the Mount Meru, is four stories high. Legend has it that each level was built according to the architecture of each of four great Buddhist lands: Tibet, China, India and Nepal. This central temple was at one time surrounded by temples representing the four continents, the minor continents, the sun and the moon. Some of these temples are in the process of being restored.
At the gonpa's reliquary adjacent to the Dalai Lama's residence, we were shown relics and ritual objects of Guru Rinpoche and other great siddhas and tertons: the Guru's bell and walking staff, Vairocana's robe, Longchenpa's skull cup, a self-manifest Hung, a talking Tara statue and more. Another highlight of our week at Samye was a half-day spent helping a group of practitioners from Kham who had come to renovate the great stupas. We also journeyed to Hepo Ki, where Yeshe Tsogyal competed with Bonpo priests; Chimpu to visit Sandok Peri, Guru Rinpoche's Copper-Colored Mountain, one of the most famous of all the cave-hermitage sites; and Yamalung, another one of the eight principal places associated with Guru Rinpoche.
From Samye we continued to the Drak Valley, known principally as the birthplace of Yeshe Tsogyal and home of two great cave systems, Drak Yongzong and Dzong Kombu. Crossing several miles of rolling sand dunes on foot, we arrived at Tsogyal Latso, Yeshe Tsogyal's birthplace, just before nightfall. In front of a small temple sits a spring said to have arisen spontaneously upon her birth. Here, as in many places, the dakinis and protectors seemed to manifest in human form to care for and assist us. When it appeared we might have no place to sleep, a wonderful young woman took us to her home. Her family not only fed us, but gave up their beds for us and slept on the kitchen floor. We could not speak to each other, but sang prayers together: Barchad Lamsal, the Dalai Lama's long-life prayer and May the Tradition of Guru Padmasambhava Flourish. Next we made our way to Ngadrak Gonpa where we were introduced to a lone Khampa pilgrim who would be our guide to Drak Yangdzong and Dzong Kombu. The six-hour hike from Ngadak to Drak Yangdzong probably brought us 8 to 10 miles and 3,500 feet up to over 16,000 ft. Inside the lower cave stood a small gonpa, whose attendant was a disciple of Tulku Sang-ngag. The main image in the gonpa, a Guru Rinpoche with teeth bared, was constructed years ago by Tulku Sang-ngag himself. Outside this cave was a 30-foot vertical ladder leading up the cliff face to an upper cave entrance anda tunnel that bored into the mountainside for at least 100 feet at an angle of 45 degrees. We navigated our way through by laying back against the cave walland shimmying up a yak-skin rope while pushing with our feet against theceiling, to arrive at an endless labyrinth of chambers, ladders, bridges, self-manifesting phenomena–the retreat caves of Padmasambhava and Yeshe Tsogyal. In the latter cave, we collected relics widely desired for their medicinal qualities.
Getting to Dzong Kombu was quite a hike. In the mouth of a giant cave stood a gonpa behind which lay extensive caves forking east and west. At one point, the east fork terminated in a large cavern with a self-manifest stupa (stalactite) called the "male channel" at the base of which was an image of Guru Rinpoche. The left cave follows an underground river to a small spring worshiped as the "female channel." The pure energy of these sacred sites was powerful, primordial, unquestionable.
We practiced and offered prayers at these and many other holy places. The experience of physical space–vast and empty, the lack of distractions, the bare essential display of the natural phenomenal world–was conducive to an understanding of ultimate nature and the arising of events within basic space. We encountered such kindness, and a seemingly endless array of supports to practice: statues, relics, paintings, footprints. We awoke to mantra, fell asleep to drums and cymbals. We felt so fortunate to have come, to have met Chagdud Rinpoche and others who have encouraged us, taught and helped us to deepen our understanding.
The pilgrimage was a rare opportunity to make practice a lifestyle–each difficult step up a mountain trail a reaffirmation of the refuge vow, each moment of joy an offering. We dedicate the merit generated by this journey to the long life of Rinpoche, Tulku Sang-ngag and all lamas, to the people of Tibet and all beings throughout space. May obstacles and suffering quickly vanish to reveal the pure lands in the arising of our everyday phenomenon.
Bill Quinn, Pati Airey and Steven Glazer
After the month-long pilgrimage in Nepal with Rinpoche, a small group of us left the relative warmth and comfort of Nepal to make a pilgrimage to Tibet–to the historic monastery of Samye and the ancient cave-hermitages and sites in the surrounding region that are associated with Guru Rinpoche and nest high on cliff faces and up long, hidden valleys.
In Lhasa, we visited the Jokhang, a huge, beautiful monastery built by Songtsen Gampo (a sixth-century Tibetan king) as a tribute to one of his queens. The large square in front of the Jokhang is filled with hundreds of pilgrims who have come from all over Tibet to prostrate, make offerings, trade and sell whatever they have to support their pilgrimage. Near the Jokhang's entrance the stones become smoother and smoother, worn by centuries of prostrating pilgrims. In the outer courtyard, monks are conducting ceremonies and attending to hundreds of butterlamps. The main building is surrounded by prayer wheels. Nearby stands a Red Tara shrine room. Slowly, everyone files inside the main building, past the huge dharma protector shrines on either wall, to 80 or so small shrinerooms on two floors, each one more elaborate than the next. The sound of many mantras unites with the raucous rhythm of those wearing blue high-top sneakers, leather aprons and blocks of wood strapped to their palms who perform full prostrations on the stone floor.
Through no small effort we made our way to the main shrineroom, with its three thirty-foot-high statues. We climbed a tiny set of stairs by the side of the exquisitely jeweled statue of Jowo Shakyamuni, a highly revered representation of the Sambhogakaya aspect of the historical Shakyamuni. One by one, we added to the mountain of katags in Jowo's lap, touched our heads to the statue for blessings and were quickly ushered out to make room for the crowd pressing to enter. On the top floor, level with the khatvanga of the Guru Rinpoche statue, we gazed down into the main shrine room; It seemed to waver and shimmer from the heat and light of so many butterlamps–an inspiring mandala of living joy and devotion.
From Lhasa we traveled 150 kilometers to the Samye ferry crossing. On the north bank of the mile-wide Tsangpo river the image of five white stupas beckons pilgrims. Called Surkar Do, they mark the spot where King Trisong Detsen came to meet his future Guru, Padmasambhava. Trisong Detsen's royal pride kept him from prostrating to the great teacher, and later in confession, he built the stupas as an act of purification.
Just to the east sits Samye, a giant jeweled mandala in the palm of a wide valley. A high wall, once covered with small stupas, encircles a compound of golden-crested, fresco-covered buildings. Originally there were 108 temples within the circular walls. The central temple, the Mount Meru, is four stories high. Legend has it that each level was built according to the architecture of each of four great Buddhist lands: Tibet, China, India and Nepal. This central temple was at one time surrounded by temples representing the four continents, the minor continents, the sun and the moon. Some of these temples are in the process of being restored.
At the gonpa's reliquary adjacent to the Dalai Lama's residence, we were shown relics and ritual objects of Guru Rinpoche and other great siddhas and tertons: the Guru's bell and walking staff, Vairocana's robe, Longchenpa's skull cup, a self-manifest Hung, a talking Tara statue and more. Another highlight of our week at Samye was a half-day spent helping a group of practitioners from Kham who had come to renovate the great stupas. We also journeyed to Hepo Ki, where Yeshe Tsogyal competed with Bonpo priests; Chimpu to visit Sandok Peri, Guru Rinpoche's Copper-Colored Mountain, one of the most famous of all the cave-hermitage sites; and Yamalung, another one of the eight principal places associated with Guru Rinpoche.
From Samye we continued to the Drak Valley, known principally as the birthplace of Yeshe Tsogyal and home of two great cave systems, Drak Yongzong and Dzong Kombu. Crossing several miles of rolling sand dunes on foot, we arrived at Tsogyal Latso, Yeshe Tsogyal's birthplace, just before nightfall. In front of a small temple sits a spring said to have arisen spontaneously upon her birth. Here, as in many places, the dakinis and protectors seemed to manifest in human form to care for and assist us. When it appeared we might have no place to sleep, a wonderful young woman took us to her home. Her family not only fed us, but gave up their beds for us and slept on the kitchen floor. We could not speak to each other, but sang prayers together: Barchad Lamsal, the Dalai Lama's long-life prayer and May the Tradition of Guru Padmasambhava Flourish. Next we made our way to Ngadrak Gonpa where we were introduced to a lone Khampa pilgrim who would be our guide to Drak Yangdzong and Dzong Kombu. The six-hour hike from Ngadak to Drak Yangdzong probably brought us 8 to 10 miles and 3,500 feet up to over 16,000 ft. Inside the lower cave stood a small gonpa, whose attendant was a disciple of Tulku Sang-ngag. The main image in the gonpa, a Guru Rinpoche with teeth bared, was constructed years ago by Tulku Sang-ngag himself. Outside this cave was a 30-foot vertical ladder leading up the cliff face to an upper cave entrance anda tunnel that bored into the mountainside for at least 100 feet at an angle of 45 degrees. We navigated our way through by laying back against the cave walland shimmying up a yak-skin rope while pushing with our feet against theceiling, to arrive at an endless labyrinth of chambers, ladders, bridges, self-manifesting phenomena–the retreat caves of Padmasambhava and Yeshe Tsogyal. In the latter cave, we collected relics widely desired for their medicinal qualities.
Getting to Dzong Kombu was quite a hike. In the mouth of a giant cave stood a gonpa behind which lay extensive caves forking east and west. At one point, the east fork terminated in a large cavern with a self-manifest stupa (stalactite) called the "male channel" at the base of which was an image of Guru Rinpoche. The left cave follows an underground river to a small spring worshiped as the "female channel." The pure energy of these sacred sites was powerful, primordial, unquestionable.
We practiced and offered prayers at these and many other holy places. The experience of physical space–vast and empty, the lack of distractions, the bare essential display of the natural phenomenal world–was conducive to an understanding of ultimate nature and the arising of events within basic space. We encountered such kindness, and a seemingly endless array of supports to practice: statues, relics, paintings, footprints. We awoke to mantra, fell asleep to drums and cymbals. We felt so fortunate to have come, to have met Chagdud Rinpoche and others who have encouraged us, taught and helped us to deepen our understanding.
The pilgrimage was a rare opportunity to make practice a lifestyle–each difficult step up a mountain trail a reaffirmation of the refuge vow, each moment of joy an offering. We dedicate the merit generated by this journey to the long life of Rinpoche, Tulku Sang-ngag and all lamas, to the people of Tibet and all beings throughout space. May obstacles and suffering quickly vanish to reveal the pure lands in the arising of our everyday phenomenon.
Bill Quinn, Pati Airey and Steven Glazer
After the month-long pilgrimage in Nepal with Rinpoche, a small group of us left the relative warmth and comfort of Nepal to make a pilgrimage to Tibet–to the historic monastery of Samye and the ancient cave-hermitages and sites in the surrounding region that are associated with Guru Rinpoche and nest high on cliff faces and up long, hidden valleys.
In Lhasa, we visited the Jokhang, a huge, beautiful monastery built by Songtsen Gampo (a sixth-century Tibetan king) as a tribute to one of his queens. The large square in front of the Jokhang is filled with hundreds of pilgrims who have come from all over Tibet to prostrate, make offerings, trade and sell whatever they have to support their pilgrimage. Near the Jokhang's entrance the stones become smoother and smoother, worn by centuries of prostrating pilgrims. In the outer courtyard, monks are conducting ceremonies and attending to hundreds of butterlamps. The main building is surrounded by prayer wheels. Nearby stands a Red Tara shrine room. Slowly, everyone files inside the main building, past the huge dharma protector shrines on either wall, to 80 or so small shrinerooms on two floors, each one more elaborate than the next. The sound of many mantras unites with the raucous rhythm of those wearing blue high-top sneakers, leather aprons and blocks of wood strapped to their palms who perform full prostrations on the stone floor.
Through no small effort we made our way to the main shrineroom, with its three thirty-foot-high statues. We climbed a tiny set of stairs by the side of the exquisitely jeweled statue of Jowo Shakyamuni, a highly revered representation of the Sambhogakaya aspect of the historical Shakyamuni. One by one, we added to the mountain of katags in Jowo's lap, touched our heads to the statue for blessings and were quickly ushered out to make room for the crowd pressing to enter. On the top floor, level with the khatvanga of the Guru Rinpoche statue, we gazed down into the main shrine room; It seemed to waver and shimmer from the heat and light of so many butterlamps–an inspiring mandala of living joy and devotion.
From Lhasa we traveled 150 kilometers to the Samye ferry crossing. On the north bank of the mile-wide Tsangpo river the image of five white stupas beckons pilgrims. Called Surkar Do, they mark the spot where King Trisong Detsen came to meet his future Guru, Padmasambhava. Trisong Detsen's royal pride kept him from prostrating to the great teacher, and later in confession, he built the stupas as an act of purification.
Just to the east sits Samye, a giant jeweled mandala in the palm of a wide valley. A high wall, once covered with small stupas, encircles a compound of golden-crested, fresco-covered buildings. Originally there were 108 temples within the circular walls. The central temple, the Mount Meru, is four stories high. Legend has it that each level was built according to the architecture of each of four great Buddhist lands: Tibet, China, India and Nepal. This central temple was at one time surrounded by temples representing the four continents, the minor continents, the sun and the moon. Some of these temples are in the process of being restored.
At the gonpa's reliquary adjacent to the Dalai Lama's residence, we were shown relics and ritual objects of Guru Rinpoche and other great siddhas and tertons: the Guru's bell and walking staff, Vairocana's robe, Longchenpa's skull cup, a self-manifest Hung, a talking Tara statue and more. Another highlight of our week at Samye was a half-day spent helping a group of practitioners from Kham who had come to renovate the great stupas. We also journeyed to Hepo Ki, where Yeshe Tsogyal competed with Bonpo priests; Chimpu to visit Sandok Peri, Guru Rinpoche's Copper-Colored Mountain, one of the most famous of all the cave-hermitage sites; and Yamalung, another one of the eight principal places associated with Guru Rinpoche.
From Samye we continued to the Drak Valley, known principally as the birthplace of Yeshe Tsogyal and home of two great cave systems, Drak Yongzong and Dzong Kombu. Crossing several miles of rolling sand dunes on foot, we arrived at Tsogyal Latso, Yeshe Tsogyal's birthplace, just before nightfall. In front of a small temple sits a spring said to have arisen spontaneously upon her birth. Here, as in many places, the dakinis and protectors seemed to manifest in human form to care for and assist us. When it appeared we might have no place to sleep, a wonderful young woman took us to her home. Her family not only fed us, but gave up their beds for us and slept on the kitchen floor. We could not speak to each other, but sang prayers together: Barchad Lamsal, the Dalai Lama's long-life prayer and May the Tradition of Guru Padmasambhava Flourish. Next we made our way to Ngadrak Gonpa where we were introduced to a lone Khampa pilgrim who would be our guide to Drak Yangdzong and Dzong Kombu. The six-hour hike from Ngadak to Drak Yangdzong probably brought us 8 to 10 miles and 3,500 feet up to over 16,000 ft. Inside the lower cave stood a small gonpa, whose attendant was a disciple of Tulku Sang-ngag. The main image in the gonpa, a Guru Rinpoche with teeth bared, was constructed years ago by Tulku Sang-ngag himself. Outside this cave was a 30-foot vertical ladder leading up the cliff face to an upper cave entrance anda tunnel that bored into the mountainside for at least 100 feet at an angle of 45 degrees. We navigated our way through by laying back against the cave walland shimmying up a yak-skin rope while pushing with our feet against theceiling, to arrive at an endless labyrinth of chambers, ladders, bridges, self-manifesting phenomena–the retreat caves of Padmasambhava and Yeshe Tsogyal. In the latter cave, we collected relics widely desired for their medicinal qualities.
Getting to Dzong Kombu was quite a hike. In the mouth of a giant cave stood a gonpa behind which lay extensive caves forking east and west. At one point, the east fork terminated in a large cavern with a self-manifest stupa (stalactite) called the "male channel" at the base of which was an image of Guru Rinpoche. The left cave follows an underground river to a small spring worshiped as the "female channel." The pure energy of these sacred sites was powerful, primordial, unquestionable.
We practiced and offered prayers at these and many other holy places. The experience of physical space–vast and empty, the lack of distractions, the bare essential display of the natural phenomenal world–was conducive to an understanding of ultimate nature and the arising of events within basic space. We encountered such kindness, and a seemingly endless array of supports to practice: statues, relics, paintings, footprints. We awoke to mantra, fell asleep to drums and cymbals. We felt so fortunate to have come, to have met Chagdud Rinpoche and others who have encouraged us, taught and helped us to deepen our understanding.
The pilgrimage was a rare opportunity to make practice a lifestyle–each difficult step up a mountain trail a reaffirmation of the refuge vow, each moment of joy an offering. We dedicate the merit generated by this journey to the long life of Rinpoche, Tulku Sang-ngag and all lamas, to the people of Tibet and all beings throughout space. May obstacles and suffering quickly vanish to reveal the pure lands in the arising of our everyday phenomenon.
Bill Quinn, Pati Airey and Steven Glazer
After the month-long pilgrimage in Nepal with Rinpoche, a small group of us left the relative warmth and comfort of Nepal to make a pilgrimage to Tibet–to the historic monastery of Samye and the ancient cave-hermitages and sites in the surrounding region that are associated with Guru Rinpoche and nest high on cliff faces and up long, hidden valleys.
In Lhasa, we visited the Jokhang, a huge, beautiful monastery built by Songtsen Gampo (a sixth-century Tibetan king) as a tribute to one of his queens. The large square in front of the Jokhang is filled with hundreds of pilgrims who have come from all over Tibet to prostrate, make offerings, trade and sell whatever they have to support their pilgrimage. Near the Jokhang's entrance the stones become smoother and smoother, worn by centuries of prostrating pilgrims. In the outer courtyard, monks are conducting ceremonies and attending to hundreds of butterlamps. The main building is surrounded by prayer wheels. Nearby stands a Red Tara shrine room. Slowly, everyone files inside the main building, past the huge dharma protector shrines on either wall, to 80 or so small shrinerooms on two floors, each one more elaborate than the next. The sound of many mantras unites with the raucous rhythm of those wearing blue high-top sneakers, leather aprons and blocks of wood strapped to their palms who perform full prostrations on the stone floor.
Through no small effort we made our way to the main shrineroom, with its three thirty-foot-high statues. We climbed a tiny set of stairs by the side of the exquisitely jeweled statue of Jowo Shakyamuni, a highly revered representation of the Sambhogakaya aspect of the historical Shakyamuni. One by one, we added to the mountain of katags in Jowo's lap, touched our heads to the statue for blessings and were quickly ushered out to make room for the crowd pressing to enter. On the top floor, level with the khatvanga of the Guru Rinpoche statue, we gazed down into the main shrine room; It seemed to waver and shimmer from the heat and light of so many butterlamps–an inspiring mandala of living joy and devotion.
From Lhasa we traveled 150 kilometers to the Samye ferry crossing. On the north bank of the mile-wide Tsangpo river the image of five white stupas beckons pilgrims. Called Surkar Do, they mark the spot where King Trisong Detsen came to meet his future Guru, Padmasambhava. Trisong Detsen's royal pride kept him from prostrating to the great teacher, and later in confession, he built the stupas as an act of purification.
Just to the east sits Samye, a giant jeweled mandala in the palm of a wide valley. A high wall, once covered with small stupas, encircles a compound of golden-crested, fresco-covered buildings. Originally there were 108 temples within the circular walls. The central temple, the Mount Meru, is four stories high. Legend has it that each level was built according to the architecture of each of four great Buddhist lands: Tibet, China, India and Nepal. This central temple was at one time surrounded by temples representing the four continents, the minor continents, the sun and the moon. Some of these temples are in the process of being restored.
At the gonpa's reliquary adjacent to the Dalai Lama's residence, we were shown relics and ritual objects of Guru Rinpoche and other great siddhas and tertons: the Guru's bell and walking staff, Vairocana's robe, Longchenpa's skull cup, a self-manifest Hung, a talking Tara statue and more. Another highlight of our week at Samye was a half-day spent helping a group of practitioners from Kham who had come to renovate the great stupas. We also journeyed to Hepo Ki, where Yeshe Tsogyal competed with Bonpo priests; Chimpu to visit Sandok Peri, Guru Rinpoche's Copper-Colored Mountain, one of the most famous of all the cave-hermitage sites; and Yamalung, another one of the eight principal places associated with Guru Rinpoche.
From Samye we continued to the Drak Valley, known principally as the birthplace of Yeshe Tsogyal and home of two great cave systems, Drak Yongzong and Dzong Kombu. Crossing several miles of rolling sand dunes on foot, we arrived at Tsogyal Latso, Yeshe Tsogyal's birthplace, just before nightfall. In front of a small temple sits a spring said to have arisen spontaneously upon her birth. Here, as in many places, the dakinis and protectors seemed to manifest in human form to care for and assist us. When it appeared we might have no place to sleep, a wonderful young woman took us to her home. Her family not only fed us, but gave up their beds for us and slept on the kitchen floor. We could not speak to each other, but sang prayers together: Barchad Lamsal, the Dalai Lama's long-life prayer and May the Tradition of Guru Padmasambhava Flourish. Next we made our way to Ngadrak Gonpa where we were introduced to a lone Khampa pilgrim who would be our guide to Drak Yangdzong and Dzong Kombu. The six-hour hike from Ngadak to Drak Yangdzong probably brought us 8 to 10 miles and 3,500 feet up to over 16,000 ft. Inside the lower cave stood a small gonpa, whose attendant was a disciple of Tulku Sang-ngag. The main image in the gonpa, a Guru Rinpoche with teeth bared, was constructed years ago by Tulku Sang-ngag himself. Outside this cave was a 30-foot vertical ladder leading up the cliff face to an upper cave entrance anda tunnel that bored into the mountainside for at least 100 feet at an angle of 45 degrees. We navigated our way through by laying back against the cave walland shimmying up a yak-skin rope while pushing with our feet against theceiling, to arrive at an endless labyrinth of chambers, ladders, bridges, self-manifesting phenomena–the retreat caves of Padmasambhava and Yeshe Tsogyal. In the latter cave, we collected relics widely desired for their medicinal qualities.
Getting to Dzong Kombu was quite a hike. In the mouth of a giant cave stood a gonpa behind which lay extensive caves forking east and west. At one point, the east fork terminated in a large cavern with a self-manifest stupa (stalactite) called the "male channel" at the base of which was an image of Guru Rinpoche. The left cave follows an underground river to a small spring worshiped as the "female channel." The pure energy of these sacred sites was powerful, primordial, unquestionable.
We practiced and offered prayers at these and many other holy places. The experience of physical space–vast and empty, the lack of distractions, the bare essential display of the natural phenomenal world–was conducive to an understanding of ultimate nature and the arising of events within basic space. We encountered such kindness, and a seemingly endless array of supports to practice: statues, relics, paintings, footprints. We awoke to mantra, fell asleep to drums and cymbals. We felt so fortunate to have come, to have met Chagdud Rinpoche and others who have encouraged us, taught and helped us to deepen our understanding.
The pilgrimage was a rare opportunity to make practice a lifestyle–each difficult step up a mountain trail a reaffirmation of the refuge vow, each moment of joy an offering. We dedicate the merit generated by this journey to the long life of Rinpoche, Tulku Sang-ngag and all lamas, to the people of Tibet and all beings throughout space. May obstacles and suffering quickly vanish to reveal the pure lands in the arising of our everyday phenomenon.
Bill Quinn, Pati Airey and Steven Glazer
