Buddhas Secret Gardens PDF

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H A R V A R D UNIVERSITY
G r a d u a t e Sc h o o l of A r t s a n d Sci ences
THESI S A C C E P T A N C E C E R T I F I C A T E
The undersigned, appointed by the

D ivision
Departm ent S a n s k r i t
and
Indian
S tudies
C om m ittee
have examined a thesis entitled

The B u d d h a ' s S e c r e t G a r d e n s :
E n d - t i m e s and H i d d e n - l a n d s in
T ibetan Im a g in a tio n
presented by
Abdol-Ham id
Sardar-Afkham i
candidate fo r the degree o f D octor o f Philosophy and hereby

certify that it is w o rth y o f acceptance.
S ig na tu re
Typed m im e
k ..... v a n .. ae r...iy.u.ij.R.
S ig n a tu re ....
Typed name
S . Jamison
S ig na tu re ...
Typed name
M. Wi t z e I
The Buddha's Secret Gardens:

End Times and Hidden-lands in Tibetan Im agination.
A thesis presented
by
A b d ol-H am id Sardar-Afkham i
To
The Departm ent o f Sanskrit and Indian Studies
In partial fu lfillm e n t of the requirements
For the degree of
D octor o f Philosophy
In the subject of
Tibetan Studies
H arvard U niversity
Cam bridge, Massachusetts
Janurary - 2001
UM I Number: 3011 4 7 4
Copyright 2001 by
Sardar-Afkhami, Abdol-Hamid
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Ill
Abstract:
In recent years, there have been a grow ing interest in the subject of Tibetan
sacred geography, yet the re la tio n sh ip between sacred places and p o litica l
crisis in Tibet im agination remains little understood. In p opular im agination,
Tibet still conjures up fantasies of a peaceful land sitting outside of time, whose
subjects were p rim a rily engaged in spiritual pursuits and w ent on pilgrim age
to distant shrines and mountains. In reality, Tibet was a more complex feudal
society characterized by c iv il wars, re lig io u s persecutions and foreign
invasions. In such times, a secret society of Tibetan yogins began to fantasize
about hidden utopias situated in the m ountains su rrounding th e ir country.
This study focuses on a collection of m edieval guidebooks to these sacred
places and examines their im pact on Tibetan im agination up to m odem times.
W hile this study is p rim a rily historical, it emphasizes the psychological aspect
of the p rim a ry literature, and attem pts to shed lig h t onto a small group of
Tibetan yogins, for w hom the Him alayan wilderness became a source of hope
and utopian fantasy.
iii
Table of Contents
In tro d u c tio n ..........................................................................................................1
C hapter One: Pure Lands and Forest Utopias in Indo-Tibetan Imagination

1.1
Indian Origins..................................................................................................... 9
1.2 Tibetan Tantric Explorers.................................................................................15
C hapter Two: The Tibetan Cult of the Mountains

2.1 The Transfer of Indian Sacred Sites to Tibet................................................... 23
2.1 The Tibetan Wilderness A esthetic................................................................... 26
C hapter Three: The Mountain Paradises of Guru Padmasambhava

3.1 A pocalyptic M editations.................................................................................. 32
3.2 The Guidebook: 'O uter Passkey to the Hidden Lands'.................................39
3.2.1
The Demon's Poison A rrow s.............................................................42
3.2.2
Protection from the Demon's A rrow s.............................................. 48
3.2.3
The Path-finders.................................................................................. 51
3.2.4
The Way to Peach the Hidden Lands.............................................. 53
3.2.5
Deliverance from the Demon's Legions.......................................... 61
iv
Chapter Four: The Visionary journey of Rig 'dzin Rgod Idem can
4.1
The Historical Setting........................................................................................ 67
4.2
The Search for the Hidden Land........................................................................ 77
4.2.1 The Dream Songs of Rgod Idem can............................................................. 80
Chapter Five: The Path Finders

5 1 The U ntim ely Expedition of O rgyan Bstangnyis gling pa...........................91
5.2
Opening the Snowy Mountain Range of Yol mo.............................................. 97
5.2
The Incredibly Long Life ofLegs ldan Rdo rje gro lo d ....................................102
5.3
The Mongol Repellers......................................................................................... 104
5.4 The Remaining Treasures....................................................................................112

5 5 Nyi zla klong gsal: The Yogi w h o Lived W ithout Solid Food...................... 116
5 6 How Surva Seng ge Defies the Lord Death.......................................................127
5 7 The Enthronment in the Forest........................................................................... 136
Chapter Six: Padma bkod: Tibet's Heart of Darkness

5.3 The Early Explorers...........................................................................................145
5.4
The
Dzungar invasion.............................................................................. 148
6.2
The
Adventures of the Fifth Sgamp o p a 0 rgyan 'G ro 'd u l gling pa....... 153
6.3
The
M odem Exodus....................................................................................158
6.4
Rdo
bis Dge she's Quarrelw ith the Hidden-lands..................................... 164
Concluding Thoughts................................................................................................168
A ppendix 1....................................................................................................................182
A ppendix 2....................................................................................................................197
A ppendix 3
................................................................................................................199
Tibetan Sources........................................................................................................... 202

Secondary Sources........................................................................................................211
A bbreviations................................................................................................................217
vi
In tr o d u c tio n :
in 1933, James H ilto n w rote a popular novel called Lost Horizon, in which
a hijacked plane carrying a group of Western
travelers
crashes in the
mountains of Central A sia The survivors stum ble in to a hidden valley w here
they take refuge in a m onastery called Shangri-la. As the High Lama explains
to Conway, the protagonist of the novel, Shangri-la exists fo r a tim e when,
"men, exultant in the technique of homicide, w ou ld rage so h o tly over the
w orld that every precious th in g w o u ld be in danger... and that, m y son, is w h y
am here, and w h y you are here, and w h y w e may pray to o u tliv e the doom
that gathers around on every s id e "'
Of course, H ilton did not invent the idea of Shangri-la. An extensive
2
description of these lands are found in the prophecies of Guru Rinpoche,' one
of the founding saints of Tibetan Buddhism, w h o describes the w ay to reach
these m ountain sanctuaries or 'hidden-lands' (sbas y u l). These guidebooks
sustained
Tibetan im agination over the centuries and paved the w ay for a
massive exodus in m odem times.

Reports of Tibetans escaping in to the forests first reached the West
through the accounts of the French explorer Jacques Bacot, w h o was traveling
across the Tibetan province of Kham from M ay 1909 to March 1910. Bacot
encountered thousands of Tibetans fleeing from a Chinese w a rlo rd tow ards a
' J. Hilton, 1933:159

' Guru Rinpoche, otherwise kn ow n as Guru Padmasambhava is one of the
legendary Tantric Vidhyadhara-s (rig 'dzin) w h o visited Tibet som etim e
during the 8th century at the in v ita tio n of the Tibetan Emperor Khri Srong lde
brtsan (A D . 759-797) to help lay the foundations of the first Buddhist
monastary at Bsam yas.
hidden-land called 'Pemako' ( Padma bkod).3 Bacot was unable to keep up w ith
the fleeing pilgrim s, but he managed to obtain a guidebook which caused quite
a stir among French Tibetologists.
Three years later, a British expedition m apping the inner gorges of the
Brahmaputra River encountered another band of Tibetan refugees w ho w ere
badly wounded after an encounter w ith Mishmi headhunters. The expedition
leader, Captain F.M. Bailey writes: "W e had come upon these seekers for the
promised-land, but they had not found it. The exact geographical position of
Pemako was im precise All that was know n was that somewhere in the
[ Brahmaputra] watershed there was a holy m ountain of glass and around this
holy m ountain lay fertile valleys."3 All the w ay up the valley Bailey reports
"m ore traces of the fatal retreat of the Tibetan im m igrants. There were cooking
pots, a heavy m illstone and fleshless skeletons in ro ttin g clothes, it was a scene
of the v ic to ry of nature over m an."3
These initial setbacks did not seem to detract from the papular appeal of
Padma tkod. The English botanist Francis Kingdon-W ard, w ho was collecting
seed samples in the Brahmaputra canyon in 1924, observes that the Tibetans
were still coming in search of their promised land only to find "perpetual rain,
1 Jacques Bacot, Le Tibet re volte

Tibetains. (Paris:1912).
Vers Nepemako. la terre promise des
The guidebook obtained by Bacot later became a source fo r some

pioneering w orks on Tibetan religious geography. See A -M . Blondeau, "Les
pelerinages tibetaines," in Sources Orientales 3, Editions de Seuil, Paris: 1960,
pp. 199-246. A lso see R. Stein, "Grottes Matrices et Lieux Saints d e la Deesse en
Asie Orientale," Publications de I'Ecole Francaise d'E xtre m e -O rie n t
151,(Paris: 1988),37-50.
' Captain H. Bailey, N o Passport to Tibet. (London: 1957), 35-7.
3 Ibid, 55.
snakes and w ild animals, giant stinging nettles and m yriads of b itin g and
blood-sucking ticks, hornets, flies and leeches."' In Tibet, lamas from rival
schools, tried to dissuade people from embarking on this dangerous search by
refuting the guidebooks to Padma bkod, but to no avail.
D uring the Tibetan uprising against Chinese occupation in 1959, m any
Tibetans fled tow ards the hidden-land. Once again, they were confronted w ith
perpetual rain, predators and headhunters w ho shot them w ith poison tipped
arrows. Khams sprul rin po che, w h o presently lives in Dharamsala as an
advisor to the Dalai Lama, prayed fo r months before cliffs that failed to part.
Some starving im m igrants even resorted to boiling their leather shoes to make
broth. The disillusioned pilgrim s continued their trek to Indian refugee camps
relating a gripping account of their search for a paradise that had failed to
materialize - a green oasis, in the m id d le of which, they were supposed to find
a giant crystal mountain.
Padma bkod was not the only place Tibetans went to hide in the wake of
the Com m unist invasion. The Guru's guidebooks gave directions to dozens of
other secret valleys in the Himalayas, in the early 1960's, a Tibetan lama called
Brtul bzhugs gling pa led a group of refugees in search of a hidden-land called
'The Valley of Rice' {'Bras mo gshongs), where he perished in an avalanche on
a m ountain pass between Nepal and Sikkim. In 1978, a USC expedition led by
the late M. A ris to the Buri Gandaki Valley in Nepal stumbled across a group of
isolated Tibetan refugees livin g in a dead-end canyon know n as 'The Happy
Vale' (Skyid mo lung),* where the w ild mountain goats are reported so tame
F. Kingdon-Ward,(London:1926),110.
that they licked salt from the hands erf the local lama. Also coming to attention
was a hidden-land first described in 1978 by the explorer J. Reinhard in the
upper reaches of the Arun Valley called the 'H idden-Land of Incense Plants'
(Sbas i/ul M khan pa lung).
W hile there has been a considerable discussion regarding the Tibetan

hidden-lands in the past decade, 0 the social and political im plication of this
m yth remains little understood. A m ong western writers, there has been a
tendency to treat the guidebooks as exotic literature that are disembodied fro m
historical forces. Scholars have been inclined to interpret the hidden-lands
either too lite ra lly - as in the case of Reinhard (1978), w h o sets out to discover a
geographic paradise - or too scientifically, as in Diemberger (1997) w h o
dem ystifies the m yth by focusing on the complex livin g realities in these
geographic areas.
Thoughtful w riters like Brauen-Doima (1985) have put due emphasis on
the m illenarian aspect of the Tibetan m yth, dra w in g parallels w ith crisis cults in
the Western tradition, w hile others, like O rofino (1991), compare the hiddenlands to Western utopias like Eden and Shangri-la - dreamlands which prom ise
to heal a society in turm oil. These interesting com parative approaches are
lim ited, however, because they are principally m otivated by the desire to feed
h M. Aris, " Report on the University of C alifornia Expedition to Kutang and

Nubri in A u tu m n 1973", in C ontributions to Nepalese Studies, vol. 2, no.
2,(1975), 45-87.
J. Reinhard, "Khem balung: The Hidden Valley , in Kailash, Vol.VI, N o .l,
(1978),5-37. A lso see H. Diemberger, "Beyul Khenbalung, the Hidden Valley
of Artemisia: On Himalayan Com m unities and th e ir Sacred Landscape;" in
M anâla and Landscape (ed.) A W . Macdonald, (N ew Delhi:1997),287-335.
A lso see G. Orofino, "The Tibetan M yth of the H idden Valley in the Visionary
Geography of Nepal", in East and West 41/1-4, (Dec 1991), 239-271.
M. Brauen-Dolma, " M illenarianism in Tibetan Religion", in Soundings in
Tibetan C ivilization.(eds.) B. Aziz & M. Kapstein, (Delhi: 1985).
their own etic theoretical models; rarely do they try to understand the political,
historical, and religious forces that shaped this Tibetan myth.
Western theories about utopias and earthly paradises, furtherm ore, often
only explain how the search fo r the sacred place fails - they are less useful in
telling us how it is achieved. Eden and Shangri-la are only symbols of human
happiness, and are not meant to represent a physical reality. The earthly
paradise is unattainable, argues Mircea Eliade, but the failure to find it does not
deter people from try in g again, fo r as long as the 'need' arises, the quest is
reproduced. The utopia, "is an ideal model for human society that is never
expected to be achieved in itself, but only to outline basic form sof human life
and to assist in th in k in g through their functioning in the social and personal
order."
12
For Peter Bishop, Shangri-la is also not discovered, but produced as a

result of specific social im aginative relationships. For a society degenerating
in to materialism or threatened by destruction, the possibility of the passage
from the profane to the sacred becomes necessary and the sacred place
provides this im aginary destination. The hidden monastery in H ilton's novel
provided such an im aginary refuge fo r a Western audience between the tw o
w o rld wars.
For both Eliade and Bishop, fantasies about earthly paradises and utopias
are the results of complex social processes; they enter popular im agination as
unattainable symbols, w hich help to organise and b rin g coherence to a
fragmented society in crisis. On the surface, the Tibetan hidden-lands operate in
1 M. Eliade The M yth of the Eternal Return. 1975:103 ff.

12
" Thomas Berry, The Dream o f the Earth, Sierra C lu b Nature and N atural
Philosophy Library, (1988),114.
the same way. Where the ordinary eye sees only gleaming glaciers and
rhododendron forests, the guidebooks describe a landscape where one finds
healing waters, self-sowing crops and hidden treasures - perfect w orlds that
inspired hope and even led to a certain degree of papular delusion among the
m any Tibetan refugees w h o escaped through the Himalayas from Chinese
armies.
The Tibetan myth, some may argue, was a skillful w ay to lead people
away from Tibet in times of war. But, underlying the popular myth, we also
find a deeper spiritual significance Even if these forests did not conform to
people's ord in a ry sense of paradise, there is a sense that it was im portant to
visualize them as such for the benefit of one's ow n state of mind. For m any
Tibetan yogis the borderlands were not only places to hide from armies, but
also ideal places to meditate, and the physical journey to these hidden valleys
became an allegory for the path to enlightement itself.
To understand the spiritual significance of the Tibetan m yth, we need a
theory that explains how the earthly paradise can become real and tangible w e need to see how the idea of paradise can become a geographic support fo r
the m ind's journey to enlightenment. This study attempts to see how this
happens through the view p o in t of Tibetans w h o experience this journey.
These journeys are best elucidated by the Tibetan texts themselves - a
literature inextricably linked to memories of sacred places in Indian Tantric
literature, to the tirtha (holy river banks and confluences), pttha (divine
residences)
and
smaSana (sacred
charnel
grounds),
which
provided
passageway from man's ordinary realm (gzhugs kham s) to a pure realm

(zhing khams). Through an understanding of the Indian legends coupled w ith
a reading
of
the
Tibetan
literature
the
guidebooks,
histories
and
autobiographies of masters - one can begin to comprehend the psychology
behind these geographic fantasies and the role they came to play w ith in the
complex environm ent of Tibetan social imaginings, where popular yearnings
for an earthly paradise and Buddhist messianic ideas merged together w ith an
ancient tradition of Tantric p ilgrim age From the perspective of this tradition
the reality of these sacred spaces is neither entirely psychological nor
geographical, but a dim ension that can only manifest between the two, when
m ind and landscape become transparent to each other in a non-dual space
Chapter One:
Pure Lands and Forest Utopias in Indo-Tibetan Imagination
Indian O rigins:
The idea of paradise first appears in Buddhist literature when Indian

monks start to contemplate the shape and duration of the universe The
Afchidharmakosa. a corpus of metaphysical speculation compiled around the
fo urth century A D ., provides some fantastic imagery of heavens like TuSita
and Akanista - cosmic Pure Lands where Buddhas and Bodhisattvas reside p rio r
to taking earthly incarnations. These speculative representations of celestial
paradises form the basis fo r a rich im agination of heavens in the later mystical
and artistic schools of the Mahayana w here the aesthetics of perfect landscapes
become linked to salvation.
Inspired
by
the
Pure
Lands
of
the
Saddharmapunârika
and
the
Sukhavativyuha. the visualization of heavens became a powerful m editative tool

in the Pure Land sects across Central Asia and China. Persistent devotional
visualization was thought to secure rebirth in the Sukhavati paradise of Buddha
Amitayus, adorned w ith seven terraces, w ith seven rows of palm trees, and
w ith strings of bells, and lotus lakes adorned w ith the seven gems, gold, silver,
beryl, crystal, red pearls, diam ond and coral.
These Pure Lands were also said to cast their reflection on certain places
on the earth. The Ahhidharmakoa describes distant lands like H im avat located
behind nine m ountain ranges to the north of Jambu Island where there grow s
a fabulous fru it tree next to a lake w ith water endowed w ith the 'eight
qualities'. Unlike the transcendental Pure Lands of Sukhavati and Akanista,
earthly paradises like Himavat w ere situated in an ambiguous ground between
the transcendental and the terrestrial,
where only people possessed of
miraculous powers could travel.
10
in the Buddhist Vajrayana school - especially in the textual tradition later

classified by the Tibetans as the 'M other Tantras'- initiates began a secret
pilgrim age to these legendary lands or pitha on the Indian subcontinent.
Follow ing the fundamental Tantric principle that the body was a microcosm of
the universe, these external landscapes where believed to find resonance w ith
points in the yo g is inner 'vajra-body' (vajrakaya). In theory, the outer journey
along this idealized landscape ran parallel to the m ovement of energy ( r lu n g )
through the psychic veins (rtsa) of the inner human anatomy catapulting the
adept tow ards enlightenment.
The Hevajratantra which perhaps came in to being in the late 7 h century
lists four pithas: Himavat, Jalandhara (perhaps near the present Jullundar, East
Punjab); Oddiyana (Swat Valley), and Kamarupa (in Assam which is still fu lly
functioning to this day), explaining how the initiates travelling to these lands
communicated in secret hand gestures as a means of recognizing other initiates
and engage in ritual feasts.
The num ber
of
13
pttha-s was
never
fixed.
The
Guhuvasamflja
and
Cakrasamvaratantra list tw enty-four and thirty-seven respectively, w h ile sim ilar

lists also appear in Shaivite texts of the same period.1 W hile there is some
Buddhist Tantras such as thp Tattvasamgraha p ro vid e a legendary account of

how these places were once occupied by the Indian god Rudra and his host of
cannibal ogresses w h o began erecting stone lingam s and offering blood
sacrifices. To liberate these places from the grip of Rudra, the Buddha
emanated in the fierce form of Heruka, ritu a lly subjugating Rudra in to non
dual awareness. This legend allowed Tantric Buddhist texts to lay claim to
Shakta pilgrim age sites in India and its adjoining territories. For an early
Tibetan account of Heruka see Grags pa rgyal mtshan (1146-1216), Dpal he
ru ka'i byung tshul, in Sa skua pa'i Bka' bum. T h e T o yo Bunko, vol.3,
(Tokyo: 1968),298.4.2-300.2.6.
For a discussion of the pitha-s in the Saivite tra d ition see A Sanderson,
"s a iv is m and the T a n tric Traditions", in The World's Religions: The
Religions o f Asia, (eds.) H ard y & Friedhelm, (London: 1990), 128-172.
debate as to whether these pitha-s were of Shaivite or Buddhist origin, this

seems to be a moot question, it is evident that these forest shrines w ere
associated w ith the more ancient cult of the M other Goddess, only to become
the focus of Shaivite and Buddhist ta n tric yogis at a later period, especially w ith
the rise of the Mother Tantras in the 5<h and 6tri centries A. D.
D uring this period the interface between the gnostic musings of Aryan
scholars and
Indian tribal
culture produced
the final and most
radical
form ulation of saivite and Buddhist tantras, which envisioned these jungle
shrines as the geographic representations of a sacred female anatomy, saivite
yogis m arried the Indian tribal goddesses to Lord siva, erecting a lingam at
these sites, w hich sym bolically bound the w ild energies of the M other Goddess
to the grounding clarity of the atman. The Buddhists reinterpreted the cult of
the M other Goddess in the context of their own metaphysics, id e n tify in g her
w ith Vajrayogint and her jungle shrines as a creative m atrix of emptiness that
destroyed the illusion of a permanent self.
Situated on the peripheries of traditional brahmanical civilization, the
sacred lands associated w ith Vajrayana Buddhism were not always delightful
places of worship. Unlike the blissful groves of Lumbini and the serene gardens
of Bodh Gaya, the pitha-s inspired both awe and repugnance in the uninitiated.
Travel to these places, inhabited by w ild animals and savage tribes, prom ised
d ifficu lt but sw ift enlightenment. Oddiyana was supposed to be a land of
ferocious dakini; Singala - a demon-infested place that also promised the ideal
tantric consorts - and Kamarupa the site of powerful aboriginal fe rtility cults
where the Siddha Krsnacarya met his death at the hands of a w itch called
Bahuri.
These o u tw ard ly threatening lands fulfilled the need fo r a charged
environm ent that allowed the ripe n ing of visions. Like the icon of V ajrayogini
herself - fierce and beautiful, w ith fiery red color and disheveled hair, sw aying
her hips to the flu tte r of her bone-om am ents and pouring a skull-cup of blood
do w n her throat - these exotic lands are a m arriage of the beautiful and the
h o rrific
They are places of paradox that confront and w o rk
w ith
the
fundam ental human dichotom y of hope and fear. The journey through the
forest shrines, combined w ith the inner visualization of psychic veins and
channels, became a radical tantric m ethod fo r resolving the d u ality between the
self and the w orld.
To understand Mahayana Buddhism as it was practiced in India, it is not
enough
to study the philosophical texts taught at the great
Buddhist
universities of India. The real question is w hat was excluded from
the
curriculum , a question which compelled good brahm in students lik e Saraha,

Naropa and M aitripa to head fo r the jungles and seek naked masters.
Universities like Nalanda did not teach all things, so a scholar had to seek out
old wives, gypsies, sorcerers, w andering tribes, old robbers, and such outlaws,
and take lessons from them.
W hile there is still no convincing textual evidence to demonstrate that
Indian siddha-s and yogins made an effort to systematically visit all the pttha-s
listed in the Tantras of their tradition,'
there
is enough
evidence in
hagiographies to insisting that m any left their universities to study w ith

aboriginal masters liv in g on the peripheries of brahmanical civilization. From
" The earliest extant hagiography of the 84 Mahasiddha-s in Tibet seems to be

a text by the Indian adept M i 'jigs pa sbyin pa dpal or Abhayadatta (1100's?),
entitled: 'Phags y u l grub chen brgyad cu rtsa bzhi'i byin rlabs skor las lo
rg\/us mam par thar pa mams. For a description of this text see Dan M artin,
Tibetan Histories. (London: 1997), 26-27. For the English translations of this
w o rk see J. B. Robinson, Buddhas Lions, (Berkeley:1979), and K. Dowman,
Masters o f Mahamudra: Songs and Histories o f the Eighty-Four Buddhist
Siddhas, (Albany: 1985). Of special interest is the life-story of the outcaste
Jogipa, w h o seems to be the oniy one of the siddha-s instructed to
13
the
Madhyamaka pandits,
Saraha learns to
dem onstrate
emptiness
by
exhausting all phenomena in to dependent relationships. But the fletcher

woman just laughs at him, and then teaches him through sym bolic m ovem ent
and songs.
From
the philosopher
Ratnakarasantipa
M aitripa leams the
philosophy of the M ind-only school. But when he traveled to the jungle

highlands of Kumaon and lives w ith the Mountain H erm it (r i khrod pa) Sabari
and his tw o huntress-wives, he realizes how deeply he is attached to mental
concepts. When one of the herm it's wives shoots a w ild boar ru nning through
the forest, he recoils at that, and she declares:
in the forest of samsara that has no arising,

Runs the boar of ignorance.
Shooting the arrow of clear wisdom ,
i slay the boar of ignorance
Eat you of the flesh - nonduality?
Enjoy the corpse - the great bliss.
in a subsequent h u nting episode, Tabari's consort k ills a deer and sings:
in the forest of samsara, the trip le realm,

Runs the deer of subject-abject;
Shooting the arrow of Mahamudra,
i slay the deer of subject-object.

Eat you of the meat of n o n d u a lity .16
systematicaly travel to all the 24 pitha-s of the Cakrasamvaratantra. and this,

only because his guru deemed him to be a restless fool.
6 Excerpt from M. Tatz, "The Life of the Siddha-Philosopher M aitrigupta", in
Journal of the American Oriental Society, 107.4, (1987),703-704.
14
Out in the field, in the frontier places and charnel grounds, places of
dissolution and dis-illusion, the young brahmin scholars like M aitripa observed
a rich and w ild tribal cu ltu re Only the best of the students survived this
'fie ld w o rk', and saw those te rrifyin g phenomena as the display of enlightened
mind, immersed in these borderlands, the young scholars revalorized the
totem ic practices of the tribes, their animal-headed deities, and their chamel
ground ornaments, and recast them as Buddhist symbols of transformation.
Young scholars like M aitripa left NJalanda to become men. They all left
w ith only ideas about Buddhism and an inflated sense of purity, only to be
brought back in to the field of arousal by masters w h o could communicate
through sound, light, and movement. They left w ith grammar, logic and
epistemology, and returned singing ecstatic songs (doha).
Situated in tribal areas beyond the boundaries of w hat was considered
respectable brahmanical civilization, the pitha-s and the bizarre rites associated
w ith them became a foil to the great seats of Buddhist learning like Nalanda
and their rational curriculum. It was in these forest shrines and chamel grounds
that many of the legendary Vidhyadhara-s and Mahasiddha-s of Indian Tantric
lore traveled to exhaust their dualistic perception and understand the ultim ate
nature of their minds.
This brand of Buddhism and its complex lore of pilgrim age sites was
introduced to Tibet in the period of the first Buddhist diffusion (circa. 800 A D .)
by Indian masters like Padmasambhava, H tim kara and Vimalamitra, w h o had
achieved their m iraculous powers by m editation in the legendary smasana and
pitha
15
Tibetan Tantric Explorers:
The first period of Buddhist diffusion in Tibet, w hich began w ith the reign
of Srong btsan sgam po (618-641 AD.?), did not last very long. In the 9th
century Glang Dar ma (838-842 AD.?) ascended the Tibetan throne and came
under the influence of m inisters hostile to the gro w in g pow er of Buddhism.
Monasteries were closed, and the reactionary king him self was in turn
assassinated by a disgruntled m onk w h o escaped to Mongolia. The Tibetan
kingdom
organized
collapsed and was divided up in to small feudal

under the nobility.
Tibet plunged in to a period
principalities
of
political
fragmentation, w hich was to last approxim ately a hundred years. W hile

monasteries disappeared from Central Tibet, many of the Tantric teachings
were
passed
dow n
among
lay
practitioners,
tracing
back
to
Indian
Vidhyadhara-s lik e Padmasambhava and the legendary pitha and chamel

grounds of India, G ilgit and Oddiyana - lands which had already been overun
by M uslim armies.
In the end of the 10th century, when the scions of the old royal fa m ily
reorganized a part of their kingdom in Western Tibet, they w oke up to find the
more vigorous and m obile Turks starting to dom inate Central Asia. W ith the
decline of the Tang, the carefully maintained Buddhist oasis cities along the Silk
Road, once described so v iv id ly by Chinese pilgrim s like Xuanzhuang, w ere
now buried in the sands of the Taklamakan. From the center of a Tibetan
imperial map - surrounded b y China, India, M ongolia and Persia - Tibetans
were now hum bled onto the periphery of a vanishing Buddhist map, a w o rld
which texts like the Ahhidharmakosa call the 'Jambu island' CDzam bu g lin g )
w ith India at its center.
16
The period of the second diffusion of Buddhism in Tibet, w hich officially

began w ith the invitation of the Bengali master Atisa in 1042, rekindled the
lam p of the doctrine in Tibet. This period not only produced a great deal of
scriptural hermeneutics, but also an equally fascinating dialogue w ith different
orders
of sacred space,
as Tibetans struggled w ith
a new
geographic
orientation in a shrinking Buddhist world.

We find indications
systematic lists of Nine,
of this kind of geographical speculation in the

Sixteen or sometimes
Eighteen Great Countries
appearing in various Tibetan scriptural commentaries and histories starting

from
the 13lh c e n tu ry /'
These teds
m ention lands
such
as K a m b o ja
(Cambodia), B ru s a (Gilgit), Yavana (Bactria), and others of a m ore fantastic

and geographically indeterm inate kind like the Land of the Noseless Ratfaces
(.Yyrf med ngo leb), the Naked Hairless (Geer bit spit med) and Eyed Chests
i Brang mig can). There is speculation surrounded a m ysterious land called '01
mo lung ring , believed to be the source of the Bon po teachings, and a hidden
kingdom described in the Kalacakratantra called S a m b h a la 1 from w hich an

enlightened king w ould come forth during a final-w ar1 to defeat the invaders
and restore the Buddhist doctrine
Dan M artin, "'0 1 -m o-lung-ring, the Original H oly Place", in Tibet journal ,
vo l.20, no. 1, (1995), 52. As Dan M artin shows, these derived from a list of 48
countries found in Buddhist sutras like the TathagatadntyagOhvanirdesasQtra
and its commentaries dating to the 13th century, l i e also refers to M chim s
'Jam pa'i dbyang's Tibetan commentary on the AbhidharmakoSa. The Nine
Great Countries in the Rgya bod yig tshang (1434) derived from an earlier
and now non-extant biography of the Buddha composed by Bcom Idan Rig
joa'i ra! 'g ri (ca. 1230-1315) in the second half of the thirteenth century.
W hile the original Kalacakratantra was no longer extant, a short version
(lag h u ta n tra / bsdus rgyud) reached Tibet w ith a com m entary called the
Vim alaprabha CGrel chen dri med 'od) by Pundarika w h ic h refers to a
17
Tibetan yogins also started to conjecture about the location of the

legendary pitha-s described in M other Tantras like the rakrasamvara and the
Hevajra. The physical rupture from these esoteric pilgrim age sites threatened to
cut off the stream of blessings and ripening visions associated w ith these
mystical lineages. Some of these lands such as Jalandhara and Oddiyana w ere
still geographically identifiable to 13th century Tibetans w ho boasted of having
travelled there
Sa skya Pandita a prom inent adept of the Samvara literature
states:
First, meditate in yo u r
own
house
A fte r obtaining stability
[meditate] in the cemetary, and so on. A fter obtaining a great firmness,

practice w ell the gestures of body and speech [i.e m udra and mantra] and
comprehend the very same in order to travel through the lands and
gain mastery
over the countries,
w ander
the thirty-seven
great
countries, beginning w ith the pitha and the upapitha, fo r the sake of
perform ing the penance of kno w le dg e This method is propounded in
the Tantras and the teachings of the Great Yogin [i.e Buddha]. H aving
understood practice such as this, one w ill become fu lly awakened in this
very life
19
Perhaps, the foremost of the early Tibetan explorer-priests, was a man by

the name of Rgod tshang pa Mgon po rd o tê (1189-1258), whose travels did
much to expand yogic geographic consciousness in 13th century Tibet. His
biography, o rig in ally composed by his disciple Rgyal thang ba Bde chen rd o rje
(late 1200's), provides a com pelling explanation of how his journey to these
mythical kingdom in Central Asia called Sambhala. The Tibetan translators,

however, chose to render the name as Sambhala.
Translation by T. Huber, "W here Exactly are Caritra, Devikotta and
Himavat? A Sacred Geography Controversy and the Development of Tantric
Buddhist Pilgrimage Sites in Tibet", in Kailash. A Journal o f Himalayan
Studies, 16:3-4, (1990),126.
18
outer lands corresponded to the nerve points in his ow n subtle 'vajrabody'

(vajrakaya):
Furthermore, that country called Jalandhara is the greatest of the

24 countries. The outer 24 countries exist as the cakras of body speech
and m ind mandala. The inner 24 countries exist in one's body. When
conceived as the body [Jalandhara] is the head. Because all the psychic
channels come together in the head, the seminal drop of enlightenment
resides there at the congegation place of the channels. This [seminal
drop] gives rise to inexhaustable bliss, it is where the bliss-heros and
bliss- fairies gather like clouds.
Now regarding the [physicall arrangement of the place it is like the
flat of the palm of the hand - an even field of bliss. Trees like the bodhi,
palmyra, fir and the like grow herein variety. M edicinal [plants] grow in
a va riety of the three sweet, astringent, sour and so on. An assortment
of fru its such as apricots, pears, w alnuts and a variety of flowers such as
w ater lilies and the lotus grow. A variety of birds such as the peacock,
parrot,
crane and so on make beautiful sounds.
Many beautiful
m ountain-dw elling animals such as the (kh ri s n y a n ?) and deer - the

tiger and panther - and so on, live here in abundance O utw ardly it is
the heavenly palace, [w h ile its] inner essence is the d w elling of gods and
goddesses.
Furthermore, at the confluence of tw o great rivers which flo w in
from the right and left, there is a large hill, w hich looks like a sleeping
elephant on whose kidney depression is a city of 5000 households called
'Na ga kro dha'. On the trunk of the m ountain there is a great tem ple
called "Blazing M outh"
(Dzva la mu
khe, Jvalamukhi)
Hindus and Buddhists make offerings.
2D
where both
It is said that about th irty
households serve as officiating priests.

On the day of his arrival, Rin po che set out to Jvalamukhi. That
evening, [he saw] about sixty or seventy beautiful attractive girls
dressed as female household practitioners. They were like the daughters
19
of gods, w earing garments styled in five colors, donning jewelled head

dresses and bedecked by many jewels of various kinds, they all held in
their hands a medley of offering substances - some [carried] flowers,
others the seven types of incense The girls wrapped their heads w ith
cotton cloth and entered the tem ple singing. Rin po che also w ent in
there, and a low-caste person w avin g a gate-keeper's staff barred his
passage, but Rin po che bowed his head and w ent in w ith o u t hesitation.
The alarmed gatekeeper could not strike him and he got inside A
woman there said, "i-d h i bha'i-sha, i-dha-ta-ki-a'i." He figured that these
[woman] w ere d a kin i.21
20 H indu sakta tra d itio n recognizes her as a manifestation of the M other
Goddess Durga.
"Rgod tshang pa mngon po rdo rje'i m am par thar pa mthong ba d o n
hian nor bu'i phreng ba, by Sangs rgyas dar po (mid. 16th cent.) and
Rgyal thang ba Bde chen rd o rje (late 1200s),Mtsho sngon m i rigs dpe
skrun khang, (Zi lin g :l992), 76... de yang dza' lan dha ra zhes bya ba de
vul nyi shu rtsa b z h i'i ya gyal yin z h in g / phyi rol gyi yul nyi shu rtsa behi
n i/ d kyil 'k h o r gyi sku gsung thugs kyi 'k h o r lo la y o d / nang gi yul nyi
shu rtsa behi n i/ rang gi lus la yod d e / lus la sbyar na spyi gtsug y in / spyi
gtsug na rtsa thams cad 'dus nas yod pas/ rtsa gang na yod sa na byang
chub kyi thig le gnas pas/ des zag med kyi bde ba bskyed / bde ba'i dpa'
bo mkha' 'g ro sprin bzhin du 'du bas/ de yang gnas de'i bkod pa n i/
thang la g m th il lta r m nyam zhing bde ba la / byang chub kyi shing dang
ta la dang thang shing la sogs pa'i shing sna tshogs skyes p a / ar bur s kyu r
gsum la sogs pa'i sman sna tshogs skyes pa/ co li dang nyo li kham bu
dang star kha la sogs pa'i shing thog sna tshogs p a / pad m o dang ku m u
ta pun ta ri ka la sogs pa'i me tog sna tshogs skyes pa/ rma bya dang ne
tso khrung khrung la sogs pa'i 'dabs chags mang pos sgra snyan sgrog
p a / khri snyan dang ru r u / stag dang gung la sogs pa'i mdzes pa'i ri
dvags mang po 'khrigs ba'i gnas d e / phyi rang bzhin gyi gzhal yas khang
du yod p a / nang bcud lha dang lha m o gnas p a / de yang gyas gyon
gnyis nas chu bo chen po gnyis rgyug ring 'dus pa'i sum m d o r/ ri de'u
chen po glang po nyal ba 'd ra ba g rig gi m khal khung n a / na' ga kro dha
zhes bya ba'i grong khyer stong tsho Inga yod r in g / ri bo de'i sna la dzva
la mu khe zhes bya ba'i gtsug lag khang chen po g rig yod d e / de la phyi
nang gnyis ka'i m chod pa 'bul z h in g / de na grong khyer sum cu tsam
dkon gnyer du 'dug gsung/ rin po che phebs pa'i nyin m o dzva la m u
kher byon pas/ de'i nub m o grong p a 'i chos kyis ma gos pa'i bu m o drug
cu bdun cu tsam mdzes shing yid au 'ong ba/ lha'i bu m o 'dra ba dang
tshon m am pa Inga las byas pa'i na bea' gsol b a / rin po chei dbu rgyan la
sogs pa rgyan du mas brgyan 'dug rin g / de thams cad kyi phyag na / la
la me to g / la la bdun spos la sogs pa'i mchod rdzas m am pa sna tshogs
thogs pas/ bu m o m am s skad kyis sgyur lha khang gi nang du ras kyis
mgo bo btums nas 'g ro bzhin 'd u g / der rin po che yang byon pas/ rigs
ngan gyis sgo srung gi dbyugs pa thogs nas 'byon du ma bcug pas/ der
tsham tshom med par sgo phul nas nang du phin pas/ kho rang bred nas
20
Rgod tshang pa's zeal for spiritual exploration was perhaps matched only
by the w anderings of his disciple Urgyan
pa w ho retraced
his guru's
pilgrim age back to Jalandhara in the next generation. Like his guru, U rgyan pa
observes that, " as fo r the heavenly heart 'cakra' of the 24 countries - [which] is
the head of the vajrakaya - I arrived at the great sacred place called Jalandhara
[ where! there is a great city called 'Shri na ka ra kro tre'. That country is full of
22
natural amenities and all the woman [there] are from the lineage of d a k in i."-
For both Rgod tshang pa and U rgyan pa, as w ell as fo r all pilgrim s of the
vajrakaya, enlightened women play an essential role on the pilgrim age to
realization. They often appear in the form of dakini - literally 'sky-waikers' that teach m ankind how to use desire as a path to realize emptiness. A fte r
travelling through Western Tibet, Kashmir, Gilgit, Tazig, U rgyan pa finally
reaches O ddiyana in the year 1260, where he describes the fabulous city of ' Rdo
ma tha la', and participates in Tantric feasts (tshogs/ganacakra) in cave shrines
w ith famous dakini w ith names such as Grags pa so ni, Ga su ri, Ma tarn gi and Sa
ta si - wom an w ith special powers and w isdom that support his inner jou rn e y
tow ards realization.
if some of the vajrakaya sites and their lineages of enlightened female
muses were still vaguely identifiable by Tibetan p ilg rim s in the 13lh century,
rdeg ma nus par nang du byon pa da ng / jo m o zhig 'dug pa na re / i dhi

bha'i sha/ i dha ta ki ai zer/ di tshom ka' 'g ro y in bya bar 'd u g /.
~ Dpal Idan bla ma grub chen u rgyan pa m am par thar pa byin rlabs
kyi chos rg y u n ; by Bsod nams 'od zer (13th century), Gangs can rig
mdzod 32, (Lhasa: 1997),63... yul ni nyi shu rtsa bzhi'i mkha' spyod thugs
kyi 'k h o r lo n a / rd o rje lus la spyi gtsug yin te dza lan dra ra zhes pa'i
gnas chen der b /o n te / de na shri na ka ra kro tre zhes bya'i grong kh ye r
chen p o y o d / yul d e ran g bzhin gyi longs spyod m od la / bud med thams
cad kyang m kha' 'g ro m a'i rigs can du 'd u g la / chu rlung lta bu zhig na sa
chos 'byung lta bu y o d /.
21
they d id not remain so for much longer."1The M uslim invasions threatened to

rupture the dialogue w ith this facinating order of sacred space and the secret
rites associated w ith them. D uring the onset of these evil times, the Buddhas
prophecies describe scriptures fly in g back to the heavens, and sacred sites
fleeing the Indian subcontinent, going in to hiding, and in some cases seeking
reincarnation in foreign lands recently converted to Buddhism where they
become imbued w ith a strange new messianic significance
" For an account of Tibetan p ilg rim s tra ve llin g to the Indian vajrakaya
sites as late as the 15th century see G.Tucci (Calcutta: 1940).
Chapter Two:
The Tibetan C ult o f the M ountains
23
The Transfer o f Indian Sacred Sites to Tibet:
As Buddhism became firm ly established in Tibet after the 13th century, w e

witness a further shift in Tibetan geographic imagination. Tibetan geographies
no longer project themselves onto the fringes of the Indian subcontinent, but
once again back in to the center of the w orld.
D uring this period Tibetans also
start to see their m ountains as the new terrestrial manifestations of legendary

Buddhist sites in India.
The em powerm ent of local sites by identifying them w ith Indian sacred
geography occured in other places where Buddhism had spread. In China,
already by the 5th century, Buddhabhadra's translation of the Avatamsakasutra
identifies M ount Wu-Tai w ith the legendary "Snow M ountain of the N orth "
(Him avat), wresting the m ountain away from Taoist cults.^
in Tibet, the
guidebooks to the sacred m ountains describe how this process also occurred.
in a dream, the patriarch of the 'B ri gung sect 'Jig rten gsum mgon (11431217) saw the local deities of the three m ountain sites of Ti se, La phyi and Rtsa
ri, invited him to visit their places. He subsequently sent out his most
prom ising yogis to m editate on these mountains where they developed

miraculous powers and started to defy ordinary physical laws. In the D p al
For further discussion of Tibetan geographical awareness in the 13th

century see D. M artin, "Tibet at the Center: A Historical Study of Some
Geographical Conceptions Based on T w o Types of Country-Lists Found in
Bon Histories", in Tibetan Studies, 1, (ed.) Per Kvaeme, The Institute fo r
Com parative Research in Human C ulturq (O s1q 1994 ),517-532.
J R. Bimbaum, " Secret H alls of the M ountain Lords: The Caves of W u-t'ai
Shan", Cahiers dExtreme Asie, 5 (Paris-KyotQl989), 115-140.
24
khor lo sdom pa'i sku y i gnas gangs ri ti se dang gsungs gnas la phyi gangs
kyi ra gnyis kyi gnas yig, w e read:
T h e 'B ri gung Spyan snga Shes ra b 'b yu n g gnas (1187-1241) and the
Siddha Seng ge ye shes perceived this snow m ountain in the state of the
clear lig h t as the palace of the sixty tw o deities of the Samvara mandala
complete w ith gates. Also the glorious incomparable Lamp of the
Doctrine of the Ri bo Dga' ldan pa, the omniscient Pan chen Bio bzang
chos kyi rgyal mtshan perceived this snow m ountain as the palace of
Cakrasamvara.^
W hile m editating at M ount Ti se, th e 'B ri gung Spyan nga Shes rab 'byung
gnas reportedly even managed to hang his cloak on the legendary tree of
Himavat, but for those in his entourage w ith o u t the requisite karma it was
seen to float in m id-air.
27
Not everyone was happy w ith this reckless
identification of Indian sacred sites w ith the Tibetan mountains. Sa skya

Pandita, him self an adept of M other Tantras, argued that M ount Ti se in
western Tibet did not correspond to the physical dimensions of Him avat as
described in classic Indian texts like the Abhidharmakosa. Even if the Tibetan
m ountain qualified as a Tantric pitha, the pilgrim age was prescribed only fo r
Translated by T. Huber, "W here Exactly are Caritra, D evikotta and

Himavat? A Sacred Geography Controversy and the Development of Tantric
Buddhist Pilgrim age Sites in Tibet", in Kailash. A Journal o f Himalayan
Studies, 16/3-4, (1990),130. Being a section of the text Gangs ri chen po ti se
dang mtsho chen ma dros pa bcas kyi sngon byung g i lo rgyus mdor bsdus
su brjod pa'i rab byed shel dkar me long, by Che tsang VI Bstan d zin chos
kyi b io gros (1868-1906) in Dpal 'khor lo sdom pa'i sku y i gnas gangs r i ti se
dang gsungs gnas la phyi gangs kyi ra gnyis kyi gnas yig.(Delhi:1983), 25246.
Ibid.
25
Tantric initiates w h o employed special visualizations and yogas.
To Sa skya
Pandita's dismay, what was o rig in ally a secret Tantric ritual in India was now
tu rn ing in to a popular cult in Tibet:
The Buddha did not teach of going to the thirty-seven great

countries when one is not cu ltiva tin g the tw o stages [of utpattikrama amd
sampannakrama] and ascetics w ho do not cultivate the paramitas [and thus
remain at the Mahayana level]. There is no m ention in the stitras of the
practice of going to these great countries. Those w h o boast of having
understanding, and yet have not cultivated Secret Mantra, obstacles w ill
arise for them when a rrivin g in those countries. Also when visited by
'm editators on nothingness [i.e Mahayanists] there is no p ro fit or loss
whatever [fo r them]. Even though Oddiyana, Jalandhara and Himavat,
Devikota and so on, are full of barbarians, fools, heretics and nomads,
do they attain realizations?3
Despite such criticisms the identification of Indian pitha-s w ith Tibetan

mountains
continued.
Tseng
kha
pa
(1357-1419)
an
adept
of
the
Cakrasamvaratantra - also made pilgrim ages to both T i se and Rtsa ri, and his
devotees and disciples follow ed suit. The most im portant of these m ountains
sites, like Ti se, La phyi, Lho brag, M tsho Ma pharn and Rtsa ri, soon became
recognized respectively as the second terrestrial incarnations of the legendary
pitha-s of Himavat, Godavari, Devikotta, Pretapuri and Caritra - sacred places
that no longer could be identified accurately on the Indian map.
3 Ibid,132.
26
The Tibetan Wilderness A e s th e tic :
Even before the transfer of Indian sacred sites to Tibet, people had a
tremendous sense of being linked to nature in indigenous Tibetan m yths the
landscape is sometimes seen as an extension of human or d ivin e anatomy. The
'vita lity ' or 'soul'
(bla) of ancient Tibetan clans is connected to num inous
centers on the landscape such as 'soul lakes' (bla rntsho), 'soul trees' (bla s h in g )
and 'soul mountains' (bla ri). There is a sense that h u rtin g the landscape can
hurt man, and that the health of a com m unity is strengthened by preserving
the sanctity of the landscape
Nevertheless, it is safe to say that for the o rdinary Tibetan w h o suffered
from a kind of cosmic hypochondria, the mountains were not a rom antic place
of worship, but a stark arena of survival, where old demons required
continuous p ropitiation and had to be reminded of their vow to protect
civilization. Such a natural environm ent
could only prove
useful when
exorcised, ploughed and sown w ith seed.

The pre- Buddhist Tibetan legends sometimes describe the landscape as the
body of a dismembered cosmic ya k /" or a supine demoness whose lim bs are
pinned down by 'tam ing' temples.'" This agricultural ethos is also reflected in
the early Tibetan cosmogonic legends of the Bhutanese, fo r example, where the
' J.L. Paglung," On the N arrative of the K illin g of the Evil Yak and the
Discovery of Salt in the Chos 'byung of Nyang ral", in Tibetan Studies, (eds.)
S. Ihara and Z Yamaguchi, Naritasan Shinshqi,2 (Narita:1992), 661-667.
30
Regarding the demoness see J. Gyatso, " Down w ith the Demoness:
Reflections on a Feminin Ground in Tibet", in Tibet Journal, 12,4 (1987),38-53.
27
Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara drains the lake over Tibet and grants people six
kinds of seed.3'
.As Buddhism started to prom ote the idea of m ountains as mandala-s,
Tibetan environm ental consciousness entered a certain a m b ig u ity." Old myths,
suggesting that nature was a dangerous place, to be kept at bay
and
transform ed in to an agricultural order, were now replaced by another order of

m yth suggesting that nature is already perfect, a place not to be feared, but to
be entered at w ill and spiritually transform ed in. Like the Indian pitha-s, the
m ountains
became
bridge-w orld
reflecting
the
inner
anatomy
of
enlightenm ent - a testing ground fo r a new and counter-intuitive faith, which

claimed that solid form s were n othing but configurations of congealed mental
lum inosity.
In his guidebook to M ount Kailash, Dkon mchog Btsan 'dzin chcs kyi tio grcs
' Phrin las mam rgyal (1868-1906), the 34,h hierarch of the 'B ri gung Bka' brgyud
lineage, describes fo u r types of impressions of this "k in g of snow m ountains ,
produced in accordance w ith the measure of a persons disposition. To the nonBuddhist it appears as a glistening and lo fty snow m ountain rising in to the sky
M. Aris, Sources for the History of Bhutan,( Vienna:1986),46-7.

' On the persistence of Tibetan m ountain deities and their cults in relation to
Buddhism see ICBuffetrille, "The Great Pilgrimage of A -m ye rma-chen:
W ritten Tradition, L iv in g Realities", in Mandala and Landscape, (edit.) A W .
Macdonald, (Delhi:1997),75-132. H. Diemberger, "The Horseman in Red, On
Sacred M ountains of La stod Lho (Southern Tibet)", in Tibetan Mountain
Deities, their Cults and Representations: Papers presented at a panel o f the
7:h seminar of the International Association of Tibetan Studies, Graz, 1995.
(Edit.) A -M . Blondeau, (Wien: 1998), 43-56. Also see G Ramble, "The
assification of Territorial D ivinities in Pagan and Buddhist Rituals of South
M ustang", (Ibid), 123-144. A n d a ls o C Schiklgruber, "Race^ W in and Please the
Gods: Horse-Race and y u l lha w orship in Dolpo", (Ib id ),99-108. For the
phenomena in Bhutan see F.Pommaret," On Local and M ountain Deities in
Bhutan", in Reflections o f the M o untains , Essays on the H isto ry and Social
28
like a king seated an a throne To the H indu pilgrim , externally this snow
m ountain resembles a crystal reliquary shrine (stupa), and internally it has the
layout of a palace in w hich the mother-father union of the great god Mahadeva
and the goddess Uma reside
To the practitioner of the 'lesser' or Hinayana
Buddhist lineage, it appears externally as a snow mountain, and its internal

reality appears as the Buddhist saint Angaja in m editative absorption. To the
superior adept of the Vajrayana fo llo w in g the path of secret mantra, it is said to
appear externally as the form of the deity Samvara embraced by Varahl, w ith
all its m ino r peaks having the form of sixteen knowledge goddesses m aking
offerings to it. Whereas its internal reality can be comprehended in the form of
a sixty-tw o deity Cakrasamvara mandala. Ultimately, however,
even this
'inner' reality of the m ountain as the Tantric deity leads to a 'secret'

understanding in which the m ateriality of appearances ceases altogether and
the existential craving to grasp something is put to rest. The m ountain now
represents the perfect spiritualization of all the laws of nature and their
transform ation in to the laws of intu itio n and intellect - an understanding like
Mi la ras pa's to w hom the m ountain appears as "perfect cognition th o ro u g h ly
established in lum inosity, unobscured and directly present."33
The ordinary Tibetan p ilg rim w h o could not experience the deep reality of
the m ountain had to rely on faith - a faith which at times reached heroic
proportions, enabling a person to prostrate across the w indsw ept Tibetan
plateau to circum am bulate around a m ountain peak, enter caves and valleys,
w hich were but an outer shell concealing an invisible core of perfect truth. This
Meaning o f the M ountain Cult in Tibet and the Himalaya, (eds.) A.-M .
Blondeau & E. Steinkellner, (Wien:1996), 39-56.

SToni Huber & Tsepak Rigzin, " A Tibetan Guide for Pilgrimage to Ti-se
(M ount Kailash) and mTsho Ma-pham (Lake Manasarowar)," in Tibet
journal, 20.1.(Spring 1995), 14-15.
29
paradoxical and often dangerous side of Tibetan pilgrim age was perhaps best
exem plified by the pilgrim age around the 'Pure Crystal Peak' (Dag pa Shel ri)
of Rtsa ri.
Situated in the dense cannibal-infested forests of southeastern Tibet, this
m ountain used to attract tens of thousands of Tibetan pilgrim s every year p rio r
to the Chinese com m unist occupation in 1959. Perceived as the holy mandala of
the Buddhist deity Cakrasamvara, the outer circum am bulation around this
m ountain (tended in to the te rrito ry of the 'black' Lopa (Klo nag), a term used
to identify the unconverted Dafla tribes still liv in g beyond the confines of
civilized Buddhist culture Risking their lives, every year pilgrim s from various
parts of Tibet attempted to circum am bulate this m ountain under the threat of
Dafla arrows.
W ithin a very short period between the 13-14th centuries, the cotton-clad
ascetics of the Bka' brgyud order established a netw ork of pilgrim age sites
around Tibet's m ajor m ountain
pilgrim age netw orks
peaks.
of Western
Like the creation
Chrisitianity,
of the grand
lin kin g the cathedrals of
Lourdes, St. Jacques de Compostella, and Chartres, the institution of Tibetan

pilgrim age started to pull Tibetan clans out of their narrow sense of localized
nature w arship and centralized their devotional power.
For the first tim e
Tibetans w o u ld travel to remote m ountains on the other side of the country to

share a religious experience under a new order of sacred geography.
This period
marked
a great
tu rn ing
point
in
Tibetan
geographic
sensibility, where wilderness was no longer a seen as a threat to society, but as

a vital support fo r spiritual purification and enlightenment. Tibetan m ountains
provided a space fro m which to look back onto society. The cave hermitages
30
became foils to the great Tibetan monastaries, places from where yogins like
Mi la ras pa could protest the g ro w in g pretension of conservative monastic
culture.
These voices from the m ountains became an im portant source for o u r
understanding medieval Tibetan society. They were tolerated by the political
authorities and admired by o rd in a ry Tibetans, for w h o m they articulated a
deep longing that could not be easily acted out in a conservative feudal society.
It is on these mountains, unrestrained by the closing vision of a theocratic
empire, that Tibetan yogins incarnate the most im portant ideals of their
tradition.
The grow ing popularity of m ountain pilgrim age coincided w ith a period
of Mongol occupation in the mid-13,h century that introduced profound
changes and upheaval in Tibetan society. During this period w e begin to see a
fu rther shift in Tibetan geographic sensibility, w here the m ountains are
envisioned as places of hope and messianic significance, places to hide and
rebuild the ideal Buddhist society.
31
C hapter Three:
The M o u n ta in Paradises o f G uru Padmasambhava
32
.4 pocal up tic M ed i ta tions:
Tibetans liv in g d u rin g the 11th and 12th centuries first witnessed the
demise of Indian Buddhism under the M uslim sw ord and then their own
borderlands raided and their king Ye shes 'od, taken
hostage by the
34
Qarakhanid Turks.
The Turkic raids were soon overshadowed by the m o re
form idable Mongol invasions. In 1240, Tibet was sacked by the armies of
Goden Khan, w ho then appointed a learned monk from the influential Tibetan
Khon fam ily called Sa skya Pandita to act as his chaplain. A century of m ilita ry
occupation followed, w hich introduced profound changes in to Tibetan feudal

society as an entirely new adm inistrative structure based on Mongol customs
was implanted into Tibet.
A 'pnest-patron' relationship developed between Tibetan lamas and
Mongol chieftans based on the close contacts forged between the Sfl skya lamas
and the Mongol princes d u rin g this period. It was here that the concept of lugs
gnyis (secular and religious law ),1' represented by the harm onious alliance
between a Tibetan priest and a Mongol prince, became articulated as tw o

indivisible but distinct entities on which human affairs depended. But, the
persistent riv a lry among Tibet sects resulted in a situation w here each of the
Mongol princes from the house of Genghiz became allied w ith a Tibetan
34
For an account of Ye shes od's c a p tiv ity see R. VitaliJ7ze Kingdoms o f

Gu.ge Pu.hrang, (Dharamsaia:1996), 290-291.
On this concept see D. Seyforth Ruegg, "m chod yon, yon m ch o d /a n d

mchod gnas/yon g n a s /: on historiography and semantics of a Tibetan
religio-social and re lig io -p o litica l concept", in Tibetan history and language:
studies dedicated to Uray Geza on his seventieth birthday, (ed.) E.
Steinkellner, (Wien: 1991),441-453.
33
ecclesiatical faction and its lay supporters in a long protracted struggle for the
dom ination of Tibet.
Under Kubilai Khan, the Mongol yoke was further tightened as Tibet was
assimilated in to the Yuan Empire. '' Tibet once again came under a pow erful
central a u th o rity but not everyone prospered under this 'Pax Mongolica'. New
taxes, political institutions and habits of dress were introduced to Central Tibet,
w h ile the old feudal aristocracy found itself competing w ith an upstart class of
Tibetan officials w h o confirmed their appointments through the much coveted
im perial 'tiger' seals obtained from the Mongol court.
The w andering Tibetan yogin-poet 'Ba' ra ba Rgyal mtshan dpal bzang
(1310-1391) w rites that it was a tim e of "unm itigated hunger" (gzar med Itogs
pa)
when monasteries were forced to bear the costs of raising armies, and
"people put on m onks' robes only to get food," (Ito p h y ir btsun gzugs byed).
3K
W hile 'Ba' ra ba was travelling across the valley of Shangs, he relates how a
certain Mongol inspector called Gye phyag ta and Si tu dbang brtson, an official
from 5(7 skya, were authorized to undertake an inspection during which they
plundered Tibet and reduced the entire country to servitude
It is no surprise
that d u rin g this period of occupation, people's im agination turned towards the
borderlands, and for m any like 'Ba' ra ba, the sym bolism of the sacred place as
* L. Petech, Central Tibet and the Mongols: The Yuan-Sa skya Period of
Tibetan History, Serie Orientale Roma, 64 (Rom el990).
' 'Ba' ra ba Rgyal mtshan dpal hzang, Rje 'Ba' ra ba chen po rgyal mtshan
dpal bzang g i bka' bum, Ngawang Gyaltsen and Ngawang Lungtok,
(Dehradun:1970), vol.l3,fol.l07.2.
38 Ibid, fol.107.5.
34
a threshold between w orlds becomes a response to political crisis. The Tibetan

yogin ' Ba' ra ba laments that "is it that people from the border assemble in the
center - or is it that the noble scholars are departing fo r the borders?" ( m th a '
mi dints su lhags lugs sam/ /mkhas btsun mtha ru gshegs lugs sam).
40
m these lines 'Ba' ra ba seems to point to the paradox of barbarian

mercenaries a rriving in Tibet and scholars travelling out to M ongolia and
China in search of patronage and money. During this time, it seems, the
mountains became an ideal refuge from human-created hell; places to rebuild
Tibetan society and the values w hich the center could no longer accom m odate
Nowhere is the urge to escape to the m ountains better expressed than in the
scriptures of Padmasambhava - the 'Nostradam us' of Tibetan prophecy - w ho
predicted the Mongol invasions and composed the guidebooks to the hidden
valleys.
The historical character of the legendary Guru Padmasambhava and his
religious career in Tibet are somewhat of a mystery.
W hoever he was
historically need not concern us here fo r he is recreated in Tibetan im agination.

Starting w ith the w orks of a Tibetan aristocrat called Mnga' bdag Nyang ral nyi
ma 'od zer (1124-1192), Padmasambhava is recast as an invincible shapeshifting Buddhist super-hero w h o tamed the psycho-physical landscape of
Tibet, and bound her demons and spirits under an oath to protect Buddhism.*
ibid, 104.5... shangs su yongs pa'i dus su / si stu dang gyephyag tas phyegs
byas pas bod thams cad nang 'dzugs byed res dang/ dmag brdeg res dang
choms po byed ches byas pas/
40 ibid, fol.107.4.
The hagiography in question, Bka' thang Zangs gling ma, contained in R in
chen gter mdzod chen mo. (Paro:1976-1978),vol.l, became a kin d of m odel
for many sim ilar w orks of its k in d in Tibet. For another edition of this w o rk
see the Slob dpon padma'i m am thar zangs g lin g ma, (Chengdu:1989). For
35
Known as th e 'G u ru w ith Eight Manifestations' (gu ru mtshan brgyadh m onk,

ascetic, tantric yogi, wizard, demon, w rathful guru, scholar and king, the
composite icon of the Guru became the rallying p o in t fo r the adherents of the
Old Tantras (R nying ma) in Tibet. His legendary activities overlapped to a
great extent w ith the activity of the ancient Tibetan kings, w h o in the preBuddhist w o rld were responsible for keeping natures chaotic forces at bay.12 in
this regard, it m ay not be to ta lly irrelevent to p o in t out the regal and ascetic
sym bolism w ith w hich Padmasambhava himself is adorned, a figure w ith
w hich many of the old Tibetan aristocrats like Nyang ral him self could readily
identify.
in his name there began an entire tra d ition of scriptural revelations, which
competed w ith and eventually outnum ber
the official new
translations.
Beginning in the 12th century Tibetan mystics started discovering fragments of

religious texts called Treasures (gter ma) in various caches in Tibet, claiming
that these w here hidden by the legendary Guru Padmasambhava. By the late
13,h century this had developed into a fu ll-b lo w n revelatory practice, producing
not only religious texts, but also historical, medical and prophetic treatises
styled as 'prophecies of w hat has not come to pass' (ma ong lung bstan).
Connected w ith these prophecies were numerous 'guidebooks' (gnas u ig /la m
an English translation of this text see Erik Pema Kunsang, The Lotus-Born:
The Life Story o f Padmasambhava, (Boston:1993).
Alex McKay, " Kailas-Manasarovar in Classical (H indu) and Colonial
Sources , in Pilgrimage in Tibet, (ed.) A McKay, (Surrey: 1998), 171-172.
McKay draws attention to the w orks of Nancy Falk (1973:1) w h o examines
the relationship between ascetics and the wilderness". In Indian m ythology,
there is a complex relationship between kings and the wilderness. Specific
attention is brought to the legends of Arjuna and Rama, traditional epic
heroes w h o are as complex icons of kin g ly and ascetic powers, a com bination
needed to master the wilderness and make it accessible to humans, w hom
they can protect by th e ir pow er as intermediaries w ith the gods.
36
yig/lam byang) instructing people on when and how to flee to the mountains.
These oracular texts take us in to a turbulent period in Tibetan history when the
country is occupied and ruled by Mongol overlords. Religious and political
corruption are on the rise, the flo w of devotional offerings to the central
shrines of the fo khang and Bsam yas have almost ceased, and people are
afflicted by many sorts of unwholesom e passions. D uring such times the Guru
commands his follow ers to flee tow ards the hidden m ountains sites in the
southern borderlands - in to w ild v irg in forests where the supports fo r
enlightenment are naturally assembled.
The famous 14th century Tibetan scholar, Klong chen rab 'byams pa (13081364), w h o meditated in the Bum thang valley (present day Bhutan), calls it a
"hidden-land" (sbas y u l) where "th e ideal geographic and human qualities
together conspire to create the perfect conditions for religious life. 45 in the
w orks of another contem porary master called O rgyan gling pa (h 1323), w e
find a list of hidden-lands where Tibetans can escape from the armies of the d u
44
ru shka (M uslim Turks).
The revelations of the Treasure fin d er Sangs rgyas
gling pa (1340-1396) discuss a num ber of hidden-lands which spread across the
Tibetan landscape like the petals of a giant lotus flower.^
The Guru's most extensive descriptions of these hidden m ountain
sanctuaries appear in the Treasures revealed by Rig 'dzin Rgod kyi Idem 'phru
43 M. Aris, Bhutan, (Warminster: 1979), 63.

44 O rgyan gling pa, Padma bka' thang, (Lhasa: 1993), pp. 590-91.
2 See Ma 'ongs lung bstan gsang ba'i dkar chag, in Bla ma dgongs 'dus.
(Gangtok: 1972).
37
can (1337-1409),* (henceforth Rgod Idem), an adept of the Old Tantras, w h o

was active in the late 14th century. This study w ill focus around a text called The
Outer Passkey to the H idde n-land s (Sbas yul spyi'i them byang),
47
a Treasure
allegedly composed by Padmasambhava, and revealed by Rgod Idem from a

m ountain cache in the western Tibetan area of La Stod in 1366. This text as its
name suggests, is an 'outer' guidebook - one that p rim a rily deals w ith the
historical setting and geographical locations of the hidden lands, it gives
directions to buried stores of gold and gems meant to sustain the expeditions
to the hidden lands; it provides descriptions of omens and signs indicating the
tim e to go, and gives prophecies appointing fu ture Tibetan reincarnations w h o
w ill open these sanctuaries. The translation of The Outer Passkey w ill thus set
the stage for the investigation of Rgod Idems ow n dream journals, which
dealw ith the 'inner' visionary dimensions of his search for the hidden lands.
As far as ; know there are only tw o w orks in Western literature devotedto

this master: M artin ]. Board, The Cult of the Deity Vajrakila,Buddhica
Britannica Series Continua IV, The institute of Buddhist Studies,(Tring : 1993),
and an unpublished M A Thesis by Jurgen W ilhelm Herweg entitled The
Hagiography o f Rig dzin Rgod kyi Idem phru can A n d Three Historic
Questions Emerging from It, (U nive rsity of W ashington: 1994).
4 The translation of the term them byang is somewhat problem atic The first
part of the com pound com m only denotes a sense of 'threshold' or 'lim it'. The
Tibetan-English D ictionary of Sarat Chandra Das gives the examples of t h e m
skas ('ladder') or them deb meaning 'a registration or record of the
thresholds of houses w ith a view to levy house-tax." The second part of the
compound, byang, presents more am biguity, and is the subject of a lengthy
discussion by Janet Gyatso (1991). From its obvious meanings as 1 )'N orth ,
and 2) 'pure', Gyatso traces the semantic d rift of this term in to secondary
meanings like 'colophon'. She gives special attention to its appropriation b y
the Tibetan 'treasure' tradition where it appears in compounds lik e k h a
byang, which describe the contents of buried treasures'. The kha byang also
function as prophecies that ide n tify the designated Treasure fin d er and direct
38
him to the main cache of Treasures. It is in view of this specialized meaning of

byang that I have chosen to render them byang as 'passkey'.
The Guidebook:
The O uter Passkey to the Hidden Lands'
40
'The Outer Passkey to the Hidden Lands '4"

(Sbas yu l spyi them byang)
(lb ) W hile Acarya Padmasambhava was m editating at Chims p h u cave,

Lord Khri Srongs lde brtsan invited him to Bsam yas. [The Lord] offered a
hundred sacramental feasts, requesting many prophecies concerning fu tu re
times in general, and specifically requested the road maps to the hidden-lands:
50
"O h Great Acarya, during the last 500 years [of the Buddha's doctrine],
when the sentient beings of this snowy realm want to go to the hidden lands
w hat w ill the external signs be?"
" In preparing a critical edition, i have compared tw o manuscripts of the text:

The first is a hand w ritten dbu med manuscript in 11 folios from the collection
of Lama Gyurmed from Sama Gaon (N ubri), film ed by the Nepal-German
M anuscript Preservation Project in Kathmandu, bearing the reel no. L388/5.
The second manuscript - measuring 17 folios and also transcribed in the dbu
med script - comes dow n to us in a greater com pilation of w orks entitled the
Collected Biographies and Prophecies o f the Byang gter Tradition copied
from the lib ra ry of Lama Senge of Yolmo. The colophon of one text in this
collection called Bod la dgos pa'i them byang, m entions that it was copied
from the notes of Mnga1ri Pan chen (1487-1542). This in addition to the fact
that the string of biographies of the lineage-holders of this tradition ends w ith
Rjg'dzin Chos rgyal Bsod mams (1442-1509), suggests that this compilation in
its actual form dates no later than the 16th century, in preparing the critical
edition I have used the second manuscript as a base Casual spelling mistakes
have sim ply been corrected. Where the first manuscript suggests alternative
spellings or additional phrases that significantly change the meaning of the
text, I have inserted these in to the critical edition in parenthesis.
4G
For Transliteration of the Tibetan m anuscript see Appendix 1.
50
Faced w ith all the conflicting timetables of decline found in various

Buddhist scriptures, Tibetan scholars seem to have applied the same criteria
they used to distinguish between scriptures of 'provisional' and 'definitive'
intent - g ivin g credibility to scriptures they considered philosophically m ore
profound. The 500 year tim etable of the Lotus Sutra, and the 2000 year lease
of the CandragarbhasQtra. fo r example, were rejected by the clerics of the
Tibetan Sa skya order, w h o settled fo r the conveniently enlarged tim eline of
5000 years, found in a com m entary in the late commentaries to the
41
[ Padmasambhava] re p lie d :" Lord-K ing listen, as i have taught before, the
signs of the end-times surpass the imagination. The particular signs indicating
that you should go to the (2a) hidden-lands w ill be the d ry in g up of the stream
of offerings to the viharas erected fcy you and [the tw o previous generations of]
bodhisattva kings. H alf of the'border-tam ing' temples and the 'further-tam ing'
temples w ill also be de stro yed /' T w o generations from now, an avatar king
w ill build temples receiving a perpetual stream of offerings near On chang
rdo.
These w ill fall apart three hundred and sixty years after they are built.
[When you see] these outer signs of the country, [know them to bei the signs
that you should go to the hidden-lands.
The 'inner sign w ill be when the Sovereign Lords em pire in Tibet is
destroyed, and the law disintegrates. (2b) Tibet w ill be lawless for 123 years,
then the Mongol Mu d u r'T h e Black' w ill in v a d e * 125 years of Mongol law w ill
Astasahasrikaprajnaparamita. These 5000 years, were divided in to progressively

less spiritual epochs culm inating in a wicked age called the 'final aOO years'
when only a reflection of the true teachings were said to remain. Despite the
presence of m any Nepali and Kashmiri scholars in Tibet, w h o placed the
Buddha's nirvana around the sober date of 498 B.C, m any Tibetans fo llo w ing
Sa skya Pandita (1182-1251) insisted that this was a mistake, and fixed the date
to the ancient tim e of 2134 B.C, w hich meant that fo r Tibetans liv in g in the
13th century, approxim ately 3500 years had elapsed since the Buddha's death,
and his true teachings w o u ld remain fo r another 1000 years, before the onset
of the 'final 500 years'. For a discussion of this problem see D. Ruegg, "Notes
on some indian and Tibetan Reckonings of the Buddhas N irvana and the
D uration of his Teaching" in The Dating o f the Historical Buddha, (ed.)Heinz
Bechert, Symposien zur Buddhismusfarschung, IV,2, (Gottingen: 1992).
The 'border tam ing' (mtha' dul) and 'fu rth e r tam ing' (yang did ) temples
were allegedly b u ilt d u rin g the reign of the Tibetan k in g Srong btsan sgam pq
and later blessed by Padmasambhava. According to Tibetan legends these
temples were constructed to im m obilize lim bs of a hostile land demoness
ly in g over the Tibetan landscape D uring the 14th century, these temples and
their im m ediate territories served as the epicenters of a new ritual and
political orientation w ith in the Tibetan Treasure finders.
*M u dur "The Black" (Rdo rta nag, Dor ta, Docrda darqan) is identified in the
Blue A n n a ls as the M ongol captain sent by Goden Khan to in v ite Sa skya
42
follow , after w hich the Mongol law w ill collapse A t that tim e Tibet[ansl must
go to the hidden lands."
53
[The Demon's Poison Arrow s:!
Again [the King] asked: " Oh Great Acarya, when w e - the Lord and
subjects of Tibet - must go to the hidden lands, is it guaranteed that w e w ill find
the hidden-lands or not? W ill Tibet [manage to] keep the hidden lands or not?
What w ill happen when the heart-strength of Tibet is exhausted in the end[timesl?"
[The Master] replied: "O h King! Listen! No m atter how I teach, [youl
foolish Tibetan subjects never see No m atter how i explain, [you] never
understand. No m atter how I counsel, [you] never follow ,
in later [times],
those subjugated by the spell of the Demon Srin po ska lin g w ill be m ostly
killed. As the final 500 years [of the Buddha's doctrine] draw to a close, first a
slave w ill rule fo r 125 years, [then] a butcher's reign w ill last 60 years. A t that
tim e it w ill be possible to escape
To go to the hidden lands you w ill need a 'dharm a-protector' king. (3a)
Because an evil butcher-king w ill cause an ocean of envy, attachment and
hatred to gush forth, the pious w ill exhort people to go to the hidden land,
[but] they w ill be persecuted by the wicked. Dharma practitioners leading the
w ay w ill be slandered. Because dharm a practitioners obtain good provisions
Pandita to the Mongol court in Kansu, in 1240 he sacked the Rgyal lha khan g,
but apparently, he later repented and donated gold and silver fo r its repairs.
B A 91, 577-78, Ferrari: 77, W y lie 162.
x The allusion here is to the collapse of the Yuan Dynasty in 1368, which left a
power vacuum in Tibet leading to a period of anarchy and civil war.
43
needed for the journey, they w ill be robbed. You w ill need to inquire carefully
in order not to be deceived by the tricks of the landscape, [but there] w ill be
senseless talk all around.
First the Demon's son called G orta 'The Black w ill appear in Tibet. A t that
tim e the prophecies left behind by us, priest and patron, w ill be gradually
uncovered from m any [hidden] treasure troves.
Due to these, the prospect of
going to Tibet's hidden lands w ill arise, [and] everyone w ill despair. A fte r the
Mongol law disintegrates, Tibetans w ill wage a a v il war. A u th o rity w ill break
down, [and] because the three form er [M ongol dynasties] plundered the
resources of the land, the pious w ill lack [the means to] open the way. Those
contemplating the hidden lands w ill be terrified, [they w ill] tremble w ith o u t the
courage to go.
At this time, the steadfast penance of just a few pious individuals w h o
persist in the search fo r the hidden lands w ill bring several years of good
fortune to Tibet. (3b) A lth o u g h the pious w ill fin d the [way] to the hidden lands,
they w ill be slandered due to Tibetan people's attachment to their good fortune
and their hatred and envy. A t this time, lacking in resolve, the pious will
despair, and be unable to carry their m erit to the end.
The practice of b u ryin g and revealing religious texts was already active on
the level of Indian legendary material, but the Tibetan friars developed this
tradition in to a fu ll-d o w n revelatory practice To demonstrate continuity
w ith the past, Tibetan m ystics began a visionary treasure hunt across the
Tibetan landscape fo r scriptures and talismans allegedly concealed by the
legendaryGuru radmasamohava. These treasures acted as m em ory triggers,
causing the appointed discoverer to recall entire teachings and prophecies
received from Padmasambhava in a past life A fter m editating on these
unearthed objects and scrolls the Treasure finders (gter ston) usually
composed volum es of texts relating to many aspects of life and spiritual
practice These indigenous Tibetan revelations were to outnum ber the Indian
Buddhist canon. For a general overview of the Tibetan Treasure tradition see
J. Gyatso (1989).
44
A t that time, the Demon Kamadeva, observing the general victory of the
dark side in the four directions from the sum m it of the m ountain Sumeru, will
be overjoyed. Looking in the southern direction at the decline of the teachings
of sakyamuni of Jambudvipa, the demon's heart w ill rejoice A t that period, in
mdia, the M uslim Turks having seized Vajrasana, the Demon w ill scatter the
flowers of sharp weapons. The tim e being unripe for the spread of the Buddha's
rem aining doctrine, that King of Demons w ill shoot seven poison arrows
tow ards Tibet from the peak of Sumeru.
The years and months w ill be exhausted, [and the poison arrows! will
strike a
vear and a m onth after the radiance of the sun and moon have
disappeared from the w orld. The 'external' omen w ill be firelights shooting
across the sky. As for the 'inner' omens, the poison which makes people kill
<b<od
byed
kui
dug), w ill have spread among
the governors,
generals,
chieftains, and those w h o hold high w o rld ly office intense hatred and envy
w ill suddenly erupt. Then, they w ill kill one another, and [set out to| conquer,
destroying one another.
The poison arrow w hich causes delusion (smyo byed dug mda') w ill strike
the great masters versed in the dharma, [so their] hearts w ill suddenly turn
frig id and n u m b A t this tim e [the poison] w ill penetrate the minds of dharma
practitioners, [so] they w ill slander one another. Leaving the dharma they w ill
enter w o rld ly occupations. Forsaking m editation they w ill rely on words.
Wearing yellow robes, they w ill fill half the country. Just a few places w ill abide
according to the Buddha's word.
The poison [arrow ] w hich causes w arfare Ckhrug byed kyi dug) w ill strike
m inisters and counselors; [so that] disloyalties w ill suddenly arise Then those
deluded by great misguided avarice w ill report false rum ors on one side; and
give undesirable counsel on the other.
45
D uring Tibet's civil war, the poison [a rro w l of craving (Ito ba'i dug) w ill
strike the young [so that] im pulsive urges and insatiable craving w ill suddenly
arise among dharm a practitioners and ordinary devotees. A t this tim e appetite
for all types of food and beverage w ill increase (4b), [people] w ill kill young
animals, catch the fish in streams, butcher the [calves] under their own cattle;
eat red meat, d rin k blood, and wear red hides, in the Dark Age some w ill eat
the flesh of [th e ir ow n] father.
The poison [arrow ] w hich causes deception (gyo byed kyi dug) w ill strike
women; infidelities w ill suddenly arise [so then] much slander w ill be spoken,
father and son w ill enter in to dispute People of the [same] region w ill fight,
lord and slave w ill quarrel and siblings w ill feud.
The arrow of 'evil actions [and] deluded m ind' (las log bio rgyugs k y i
n td a '> w ill strike the wicked [so that] fierce tempers w ill suddenly erupt. At
that tim e people w ill be suddenly murdered and robbed of wealth.
Sharp
blades w ill be carried under ecclesiastic robes, [and] women w ill rise in arms.
People w ill be strangled and their hair and scalp w ill be tom out. This w ill be a
[tim e when] the liv in g are buried under the ground.
The Demon w h o robs the life force and decreases longevity w ill strike
pious kalyanamitra dharma practitioners and honest ministers, so the devout
w ill suddenly become faint of heart. A t this tim e whatever the roots of v irtu e
may be, they w ill not be carried to their end.
In this manner the dem on's
seven poisonous arrows w ill strike Tibet. (5a)

Like little birds carried off by hawks, Tibetan m inds w ill not come
together and w ill fig h t one another. Opposing one another they w ill wage w a r
lasting 30 years. A t this time, a pious bodhisattva - w h o is gifted w ith an
immensely pow erful body and m ind, endowed w ith retinue and means - w ill
46
search fo r the path and take possession of a place by know ledge of skillful
means and interdependent conditions, [from where he w ill] discover all the
hidden lands [in w hichl the border armies and M uslim Turks perpetrating
destruction w ill no longer be able to massacre the Tibetan people
[Yet]
because the Demon's poison arrows w ill strike Tibet, kindness w ill be met by
evil and the pious w ill sin. Because of this the pious w ill be unable to move due
to suffering.
in the country of Mdo K h am s there are three hidden lands; three hidden
lands on the frontiers of the country of Dbus, eight hidden lands towards the
country of Gtsang , [and! tw o hidden lands in the country of M nga' ri.
For the
most part these [hidden lands] w ill not be grasped by just mental yearning.
[ For] the Tibetans w h o lack the fortune to go the hidden lands during the endtimes, these w ill be like [im aginary] 'Buddhafidds' (5a) [they] w ill not become
visible through sim ple hearsay.
[Yet] because of the King and m e whose
prayers have joined together in one pointed aspiration, the pious w ill flee in to
four valleys (Ijong) and the three gorges (rong) - the hidden lands of Tibet.
An incarnation of Acarya Vairocana w ill open a hidden land in the region
of Dbus. Dharma practitioners w ill m ostly escape to the m outh of that gorge A
man from K h a m w h o is an incarnation of three [mastersl w ill open a hidden
land in Gtsang. An incarnation of Acarya Jnana (Atsa ra dza nya) w ill open a
hidden land in Stod. Priests w ill flee in to seven gorges. [A lthough] the hidden
land in M n g a ' r i [canlnot be opened [at this time], a few can escape in to that
gorge.
T h irty to sixty years after Mongol rule has collapsed, nine great armies
[and] tw enty-one envoys of the Demon w ill come from below. Five cruel and
sw ift m o vin g battalions and the three great armies w ill come from above.
47
Those w ho do not escape w ill suffer under the Tibetan Demon Srin po sha
Hugs, [and] the borderlands w ill be consumed by flames.
(6a) The [tem ple]
m ounds of Bscim yas and the fo k h a n g w ill [survive] as a seed due to the
blessings of the lords of the three bodhisattva lineages. [But] generally all of
Tibet from the frontiers of Bio bo Pu rangs up to China w ill be devastated.
Sentient beings w ill be m urdered because of the consequence of th e ir ow n
actions.
: feel compassion fo r Tibet - compassion for the sentient beings of Tibet.
[Such w ill be the] effect of com ing under the Demon's power, the effect of
jealous passions sw irlin g lik e a tempest, the effect of reaching the end of time,
[but] if you listen to m y oral instructions there are methods to prevent the
exhaustion of the years and months. There are ways to reverse three-year
cycles.
Even though these [methods] exist, they do so only to the extent to which
they are [activated] by the sincere aspiration prayers of dharma practitioners.
Those holding w ron g view w ill go to damnation. [I] p ity the sentient beings
livin g in this evil time, [but] it is the [result of] their ow n actions.
Those w h o
pervert m y view', tu rn their backs (on me] day and night, those beings w h o
sever the'life-force' of the lineage w ill b e lik e trees blazing in a fire - [only] the
pious w ill be spared.
in the fearsome battle to come, those followers of m y oral instructions
[w h o are] endowed w ith good intu itio n [must] search for the hidden-lands!
[Those of a] benevolent [nature must] meditate on protection cycles, [those]
endowed w ith strong m erit [m ust p er f orm rituals tol repulse the Demon's
soldiers. (6b). If you lack such capacities, practice one-pointed enlightenm ent in
the hollow of trees w hich have been w orn out by goats and rodents in rem ote
48
places, ravines and forest slopes w ith o u t being attached to this w orld, and the
Demon w ill not kill you in this life
Afterwards, you w ill be liberated into the
realm of the Victorious [ Buddhas], If you refrain from the act of taking life; the
Demon's soldiers w ill not kill you. If you do not eat food [derived from l flesh
and blood, others w ill not stab you w ith sharp weapons. Therefore, heed m y
instructions."
1Protection from the Demon's Arrow s:!
Again [the King) requested, " Oh Mahacarya!
I beg [you! to explain the
methods of protecting the snowy realm of Tibet against the Demon's poison
arrows, and the w ay to certainly find the hidden lands during the final 500
years [of the Buddha's teachings]."
" King! Listen carefully. For protection against the Demon's poison arrow s
you w ill need the three outer lands, the three inner provisions, the three secret
samadhi-s, the three fierce spells, and the three cycles of (bca' pa?) First,
regarding the three outer lands: (7a) Go to the three temples built by the
bodhisattva [kings] and the m editation places blessed in ancient times. If at the
appropriate tim e you remain w ith the spell of the Buddha's usnisa drawn on
your parasol or in the hollow of yo u r hat, the Demon's poison arrows w ill not
strike you.
If you remain absorbed in the profound m editations of [yo u r]
guardian deity', 'lo v in g compassion', o r'u nco n trive d m in d - whichever of the

three is appropriate - the Demon's poison arrows w ill not strike you. As for the
inner provisions, if you possess the 'e lixir of siddhi-s', the relics from the
funeral pyre of the Tathagata, and the [substances used in] the mandala
[offerings] of previous saints, the poison arrows w ill not strike you.
49
As fo r the three fierce spells, if you recite the mantras of Rdor rje Scier
m o, Gtsug gto r'kh o r
lo bsgyur ba, and Rdor rje Go khrab from dusk until
dawn, the poison arrows w ill not h it you. As for the three (bca' pa?): when you
physically assume the 'vajra-posture'1, the 'w rath fu l stance', and [w h ile y o u r
body] circumambulates and prostrates [to holy shrines], the poison arrows w ill
not strike you. Oh pious ones w h o fo llo w m y instructions, (7b) to protect
[yourselvesl there is a [text] called the 'M eteoric-Lightning Tent' in the first
scroll of [m y] prophecies - read it! Likewise I w ill teach the w ay to the great
holy places and the keys to the hidden lands for those w h o w ill not come to
harm by the Demon's poison arrows.
in this regard, there are three great holy places in Tibet, [and] each w ill
require seven 'e n try-w a rra n ts'.* There are thirteen interm ediate holy places,
each requiring three entry-warrants.
requiring a single entry-w arrant.
There are seven small holy places, each
A t the tim e when people's teeth fall out
between the age of 60 and 70 years," seven great troves of 'treasure' w ill be
discovered by seven incarnations.
Go to the hidden lands corresponding to
these ['treasures'].
(T ih Rdo rje skyil srung ; Skt. VajraparySrika) w ith the legs crossed in the
opposite manner to the H indu 'fu ll-lo tu s' posture of padmasana.
in addition to his principle Treasures the Guru concealed num erous
subsidiary Treasures called byang bu, kha byang, them byang, etc which
contain prophecies and commands leading to the principal Treasures (see J.
Gyatso. 1991).
A ccording to Buddhist cosmologies like the Afchidharmakofia the Buddha
appeared in the w o rld when the average human life expectancy was a 100
years, and his teachings were to remain for 5000 years after his death. This
period was d ivid e d up in to progressively less spiritual epochs, where human
life span decreased an average of 5 years fo r every 500 years, culm inating in
the 'last 500 years' of the teachings; a Dark Age when only a reflection of the
true doctrine was said to remain, and the average life expectancy of people
was said to be on ly 50 years.
50
From Khugs lung brag dkar of Gu ge until the southern range o f M d o

K ham s Klong thang sgron ma, there are tw e n ty -tw o hidden lands. In the
northern range there are three hidden lands.
A m ong these the three great
hidden lands are Rtsa r i to the east, ' Bras mo shongs to the south, and 'Bras
mo khugs (khud) to the north. As fo r the thirteen lands of interm ediate size
they are situated in the southern range (8a) from Rgya rno Tsha bai rong up
to Gtsang Sra rum . As for the small ones they are situated in between these.
As for Tsha byi in the North and Gyu sa brag mo to the south, o rdinary people
w ill not be able to go there, [sol there is no point in discussing [them here]
5fi
From among these the [hidden land] which w ill be easy to find is M k h a n
pa lung of U w brag. It w ill also be easy to keep.
Khum
bu Kha gro g lin g is
easy to find, [and| if one is skillful, it w ill be kept. The Kun bskyed Cave w ill be
difficult to find but easy to keep.
Lha['i] pho drang w ill be easy to find, but
d iffic u lt to escape to. As far as keeping it, each priest [w h o opens the way! w ill
be able to keep it for only a generation.
People of low intu itio n w ill be unable
to go to Bras mo bshongs to the south, [but! it w ill be easy to keep.
It is easy
to go to Rtsa r i to the east, [and] if one is able to stay, it w ill prosper like a
king's palace The hidden land of Has [called] Ding ding nag mo is far [and]
d ifficu lt to reach, [but] easy to keep. The [hidden land] of Rtsa r i [standing]
m id w a y is easy to reach, and easy to keep if one knows the method. As for the
SB
In th e M fl 'ongs lung bstan gsal ba'i sgron me, Tondup Tashi, Leh: 1973,
pp. 455-456, w e fin d a slightly different distribution of the hidden-lands: On
the borderlands of M on from T i se u n til Rkong po there are said to be 11
hidden-lands; 2 in M nga' ri; 7 in Gtsang; and 4 in Dbus.
51
other hidden lands, some w ill be difficult to find, [and] because some are small
(8b) ['] w ill not discuss them [here],
IThe Path-finders:l
A lthough ] have m entioned numerous hidden lands, three w ill certainly

be discovered. As for the others, each place [w ill require] a prophesied person.
!f they do not come together, they w ill not be found. As fo r the three [hidden
lands] w hich w ill certainly be discovered; a yogi of the Rdzogs chen [teachings]
w ho is an incarnation of the translator Vairocana w ill open the M ountain
Range of Rtsa ri. [But] because of the bad karma of [having banished
Vairocana from the ancient Tibetan court], the hidden land w ill not be kept by
adherents of the Rdzogs
lineage
chen teachings, but by adherents of an in fe rio r
An incarnation of the 'Three Learned Ones of Tibet', w h o is an adept
of the [deitv] Rdo rje Phitr ba, w ill open th e 'm id d le ' 'Bras mo bshongs.
Due
to the blessings amassed by the three vajrasiddha-s of Tibet at Bsatn yas C h im

pu, first one person w ill open [the hidden land]. Afterwards, the prophecies of
the three siddha-s each having spread separately, three places [dedicated] to the
mantra-teachings w ill be established in Bras mo bshongs. An emanation of
Acarya Jnana w ill open the M ountain Range of La phyi.
Because of Acarya
Vairocana was the first ordained Tibetan monk, and one of early disciples
of the legendary Guru Padmasambhava. According to hagiographical
accounts he was w ro n g fu lly slandered and sent in to exile after shunning the
advances of the lustful Tibetan Queen. The text is referring to the karm ic
consequences of w ro n g fu lly banishing him.
Jnana's great faith, one of his fervent disciples w ill [succeed in] keeping [the
land], (9a) These sacred places w ill be certainly discovered.
As for those places that w ill only be found if they meet w ith the
karm ically destined persons. One w ho has m editated and realized the deity Rta
mgr in w ill open the happy cave of Ku thang. He w ill arrive from Gtsang Bkra
thum. One w h o has meditated and realized the 'Great Guru Vidhyadhara' w ill
discover the M ountain Ranges of Yol mo. He w ill also arrive from the West of
Gtsang Bkra thum. One w ho has meditated and realized the Tslie mchog M a
mo-s w ill find the great valley of Sman sha Khum bu. He w ill arrive from the
land of 'N o rth ' Tho yor nag po. One w h o has meditated and realized [the
deity I Rdor rje R n a m ' jo in s w ill find M khan
pa lu n g of Bud. He w ill arrive
from the Western region of Ru lag rgyang. One w h o has meditated and
realized [the deity] Jam dpal Gshin rje w ill find the hidden-land of Ding mo.
He w ill a rrive from the direction of N yin g ro. One w h o has meditated and
realized [the deity] Heruka w ill fin d the Royal Mkhan pa lung of Lho brag. He
w ill arrive from the region of Bsam yas.
Because the hidden lands are precious fo r Tibet at the tim e when people's
teeth fall out between the ages of 50 and 60 years, seven people w ill come to
open the door to Bras mo bshongs, the kin g of all the hidden lands (9b).
Three w ill come to Rtsa ri. Tw o w ill come to the M ountain Range of La p h yi.
Three w ill come to the Mountain Range of Yol mo.
happy land of Sku thang.
Tw o w ill come to the
One [person] w ill come fo r each of the others. If
they meet, they w ill find the hidden-lands; if they do not meet, the doors w ill
close
53
Since the m erit of sentient beings liv in g during the end-times w ill be
weak, it w ill be difficult fo r the [textual] transmissions and oral instructions to
come together. For the most part, the great sacred places w ill not be found.
[ But] because of the sincere aspiration prayers made by the King and me, the
three sacred places w ill d efinitely be revealed for the purpose of [relocating]
the pious people liv in g in the upper, m id d le and lower [regions of Tibet]."
[The Way to Reach the H idden Lands:]
Again [the King] requested: " Oh great Vlahacarya, please teach the
means of finding the three precious places of great, intermediate, and lesser
size."
[Padmasambhava]
replied:
"
Oh King, listen!
There are num erous
prophecies regarding the tim e when people's teeth fall out between the ages of
50 and 60. W ithout the original descriptions of these places, the instructions [I
have] given, and from pure memory, (10a) [you] w ill not be able to go and find
these places. When people's teeth fall out at the age of 50, a person blessed b y
me w h o is unattached to this w o rld , one w h o teaches about impermanence and
has an unpredictable [temper], w ill open all of the hidden-lands. When the tim e
has come to tame sentient beings, [he w ill] open the three great and seven
small hidden-lands in between Gtsang Tshong 'dus 'gnr mo up to Spra d u m
along the borders of Tibet and M o n .
H aving reached the end-times, [he w ill]
open a hidden land wherever [his] prem onition leads.

A t that time, because Tibet's m erit w ill be exhausted, dharm a practitioners
w ill be deprived of means. Because of the deception and wickedness of the
dem on's breath, [people] w ill be d ifficult to tam e
Dharma practitioners
54
carrying m y blessings, [those w h o are) m otivated w ith o u t deception, w ill enjoy

clear perception - untouched by lies and falsehood, they w ill possess right
intuition. A t that time, those w h o cause the doctrine to be inverted w ill give
prophecies to dharm a practitioners based on erroneous oral precepts.
The
pure transmission of oral precepts w ill be obstructed by defiling lust, [and]

dharm a practitioners w ill be deprived of assets, (10b)
[so it w ill become]
impossible to go [furth er in to the] hidden-lands.

A t that time, those of you w ho discover m y prophecies, first teach the
im portance of tam ing obstacles by perform ing the p ro p itia tio n and completion
stage practices of the fam ilies of the deities 'Jam dpal Gshin rje, Rdo rje P h u r
ba, and the B lood-D rinking Heruka. And then, fo r the purpose of [obtaining]
the service of w o rld ly dakinl-s, and amassing m undane power; propitiate [the
deity] Rta m g r in and the Tshe mchog M a mo-s. Since both m y w o rld ly and
supreme treasure teachings are complete, practice these when one or the other
is required.
Then, if dharm a practitioners lack provisions, at the tim e of setting out to
Lho 'Bras mo bshongs, to the southwest of Gtsang Tshong
dus g u r mo,
there is a land [called] Co ro srad. On its heights, there is a sacred cave of

Padmasambhava of U rgyan called Khar chen Brag dkar. Here there is a gold
treasure m easuring one khal.
oO
Take it!
in Tsha lo rong build a temple w ith
sides [m easuring ] fo u r ' donis' [and] put the invocations to [open the door ]
(bskul byang) to 'Bras mo bshongs in to w ritin g . In the southern borders of
60 Tibetan w eig h t measure one khal is said to equal approxim ately 30

pounds.
61 Tibetan length measure one 'doms equals approxim ately 6 feet.
55
Tibet, build eight temples [in] the unbroken m ountain range of Gangs rn d z o d
Inga stag rise (11a). Establish a settlement for the dharma com m unity, [and]
b u ild the path to 'Bras mo bshongs. Establish secluded retreats in the center of
the holy place
From the East border armies w ill march three times in to the center of
Dbus and Gtsang.
A lthough they w ill not reach the southern borderlands,
recall the fate of Tibet at that time, [and] urge people to have faith and p e rfo rm
m eritorious actions by rem em bering m e Then, when M ongolian soldiers and
the like, invade all at once, fillin g the entirety of Dbus and Gtsang , leave Tibet
and escape to Bras mo bshongs.
Those w h o w ish to go to Bud and Khum bu, there is a rock tem ple which
looks like a (cang mas?) Proceeding [a distance of] seven doms pa in the valley
to the southwest, there is a fu ll Bsam yas bre- measure of gold and seven pieces
of turquoise. Take these and build a temple on the cliffs of Bu le gangs, and
establish a settlement for dharm a practitioners in the gorge of Bud.
For those going to the hidden lands of the Snowy Ranges of La p h y i and
Yol mo, take fiv e um s of gold and gzi stones and a nugget of gold the size of a
goat's live r from the east of Zang zang lha brag, in the valley of Rgyal th a n g
build a shelter,
in the v ic in ity of Stiya nam ( lib ) establish a settlement fo r
dharm a practitioners [and] search fo r the w ay to the hidden land. Those going
to Sky id mo lung, there is a full load of lapis and an u m of gold next to the
central gate of the temple of Sra thum. Take these, and at the same tim e build
a house and a shelter in the valley of Ku thang. Doing this w ill bring a fu ll year
56
of happiness to Gtsang, [and] during the end-times dharm a practitioners and

those g u ilty of crimes w ill be released in to a life of pure contemplation.
Furthermore, in the southeast of M ount Ti se there is a p ro tru d in g w hite
boulder the size of a Yak. To the west [of the boulder], there are thirteen
handfuls of gold nuggets. If dharma practitioners are poor, take these and
build a shelter at Ti se. Looking westward from the edge of the mountain,
there is a snow m ountain like an assembly of gods.
D uring the end-times,
there is a fortress [w hich can hold] 300 escaping dharm a practitioners. Because
of the existence of
[thisl plentiful land, show the w ay to the dharma
practitioners of Stod.
As for the method of keeping the hidden lands of Dbus : make the pious
circum am bulate the M ountain Range of Rtsa ri in the East. Because the forests,
valleys and caves are peaceful, it w ill be easy to go. Establish a settlement fo r
dharm a practitioners in (12a) Bka' ma lu n g of Dags po [and] the cause of
sentient beings w ill be greatly furthered,
if dharma practitioners are deprived
of means, take out a vase [fu ll] of five kinds of gems, a M ongolian girdle, a
half-measure of gold dust, ten high-quality turquoises, and a box full of
small!er] turquoises from the side of the m other cave at Yer pa. As fo r 'entrycertificate' ( lam byang) decipher it lik e that of Bras mo bshongs.
in front of the Red Rock at Bsarn yas there is a cliff like a rolled up scroll.
Underneath, there is a red leather amulet. It [emits] poisonous gas, [so] smear
it w ith goat lard ointm ent and leave it in a remote place
w h ite boulder w eighing one bre.
g2
On that cliff there is a
When this is removed, underneath, inside a
^ Tibetan volum e measure one bre equals approxim ately 2 pints.
57
medicine vase, [you w ill find] gold w eighing one Bsam yas 'khal -mesasure.
Build a road-shelter for dharm a practitioners at 'Chims pu, and find the sacred
place in the gorge of Lho brag Khar chu. The border armies [canlnot reach the
center of that place
in later times, take out these treasures and repair the damages to Bsam
yas. W ith three measures of gold, p ro vid e sustenance for dharm a practitioners
and escape in to the gorge When the tim e comes for all Tibet[ansl to escape to
the southern gorges, (12b) place the amulet of poisonous gas at the gate of
Bsam yas.
Bsam yas w ill be ruined and there w ill be a d v ii w ar in Tibet, if [all] three
stories of Bsam yas are damaged, armies from the border w ill fill Tibet. [But] if
the three stories of Bsam yas and the Ra mo che are not ruined and damaged
by the enemy, Tibet w ill not be destroyed from the center. Therefore, in order
to prevent this, a person bom in a m onkey-year [must] stuff a pouch of
sandalwood pow der up the hole of [his] nose and smear goat-fat ointm ent all
over [his] head and body, place the amulet of [poison gas] under the threshold
of Bsam yas, open the lid and run away!63
Build a road-shelter at Gtsang Jo mo kha rag, and find the sacred place at
Uio brag Mkhar chu and escape to those [places]. Later, all of Tibet w ill escape
to the four gorges and the three valleys.
Flee [fro m l both Dbus and Gtsang to
the hidden lands and the borderlands to the south!

Those [of you] in the borderlands of Byang (13a), m igrate to the southern
gorges w ith great diligence! Those [w h o canlnot go there, take grains of wheat
58
from Byang Dang ra to M ount Star bgo, [cultivate] a land situated a day's w alk
to the north. A fte r one m onth of ordinary travel from M ount Star bgo, you w ill
be encircled by snow peaks resembling iron mountains. By shouting 'so' in the
m iddle of these mountains, you w ill be liberated.
When the pious seek the
path, inside these m ountains there is the Byang 'Bras mo
khud.
If it is
discovered, there is no happier place in the snowy realm of Tibet. Even [if it is
not] opened [by m y appointed avatarl, people can generally escape in to its
m ountain ravines!
First, the Demon's armies w ill slaughter all the men and livestock fro m
Dang ra up to Byang smad Rgifal mo'i smug dong. Then, the arm y of Stod
w ill kill from Ti se until the northern m ountain ranges of Dang ra. From the
head of Ba thag sha d u n g until the lands bordering on China, the m ountain
ranges of the center w ill be subject to misery and destruction. From Pu rang
un til the southern border districts of Ga M i nyag [the land] w ill be conquered
through plunder.
Oh King!
in Stod M ang yul Gung thang , the sword w ill m urder a
descendent of y o u r own royal lineage (13b) and the suffering of Tibet w ill
commence. T w o w ill be slain by sharp weapons, and the destruction of Tibet
w ill begin. W ith the m urder of three, because Tibet's happiness w ill be
exhausted, escape to the hidden lands and the southern regions.
A t this tim e
those w h o escape to the hidden-lands w ill be happy and content. Those w h o

flee to the southern districts w ill not experience an evil death.
Those w h o d o not escape, those w ho remain deliberating in their homes,
those w ith w ro n g view s surrounded by senseless talk and com m otion w ill
This sounds lik e some sort of biological weapon!
59
suffer like the w eight of a mountain; th e / w ill all die expiring in pits of fire,
crying in agony like exploding rocks. Like pine cones burning in flames, all
crops w ill be destroyed. Reaping the consequences of their actions, all those
killed by this w'ar w ill be reborn in the 'black-house heir.
In 'dukha'-
suppressed times like those, it w ill be too late to contemplate the hidden-lands
and the Guru. Those of you w ho have one-pointed devotion, escape w ith o u t
looking back at the war, flee towards the Western country of L i *
The law
of
the
dharm a-protecting
King
having
been
previously
destroyed, Tibet w ill then be divided in to m yriarchies - this w ill be the proper
tim e to escape, [but] due to peoples attachment to their homelands they w ill
not go. Afterwards, when Mu d u r'T h e Black' suppresses Tibet w ith [his] evil
sins, there w ill be no [chance to] escape
Then the Mongol law w ill collapse The realm w ill fall apart, and it w ill be
d iffic u lt to travel on the roads; at that tim e it w ill [again] be possible to flee At
that tim e m y disciples, escape! As before, Ibuild] settlements w ith the help of
people of the various districts.
A t that time, when m y compassion and the
Demon's poisonous arrows are com peting in strength, when the Demon
f>4
Tibetans became fa m ilia r w ith Buddhist apocalyptic prophecies through the

Candragarbhasiitra and its Khotanese adaptations, it became a com m on
feature of most Tibetan religious histories to calculate the remaining duration
of the Buddha's d o ctrine The most creative m anipulation of the theme of
decline however, occurred in the 'treasure' literature of the Rnying ma pa
school, specifically in the so-called Bka'thang or 'Testaments' attributed to the
legendary saint Padmasambhava. Several of the Guru's Testaments revealed
by Treasure finders lik e Sangs rgyas gling pa (1340-1396), Padma gling pa
( h i 450), and O rgyan gling pa ( h i 323) reproduce the tale of the Buddhist
exodus as it appears in the prophecies of the Candragarbhasutra. The Tibetan
texts, however, predict that there w ill be an exodus tow ards Li yul (Khotan),
instead of the Indian city of KauSamb. This m utation is understandable given
that Kausam b, overrun b y the Muslims, was no longer a viable Buddhist
refuge in the 14th century. But neither was Khotan, if the land know n as L i
was understood to be Khotan. Rather, it seems that m any Tibetans, due to
60
causes obstacles like slander and accusations to arise for m y blessed prophecy
holders, escape w ith o u t fear.
[ Regarding] when to escape, there are seven prophetic sutra-s in the South
Jambu continent by the Victorious Sakyamuni. In each of these [sutra-s],
further, the proper tim e to escape is a tim e w hich the agama-s refer to as the
period surrounded by border armies. Because of the evil demon's black wind,
[one w hich can] trem ble [a w eight of] 9 bre, the 'Rcyal Sutra cf Prophecy* ( L u n g
bstan rgyal po'i mdo)' says:
Listen sariputra! A fte r i have passed in to nirvana, there w ill come

seven generations of kings w h o w ill be like lamps.
A fte r this the
disturbances of the ten 500-year epochs w ill begin. A t this tim e m y

sravakas go to the fo u r directions, to the island at M ount Dan tig, the
headwaters of the riv e r Dan tig, Do g lin g of the outer ocean and the
Valley of Bsc tha nags. G o to India, Oddiyana, Kasmir, Singhala, (Tsha
la?), the country of Li, and to Do g lin g of the southwest ocean, [go] to
all the places where the Buddha's teachings exist. Since the dharma w ill
spread to the Northern country of Tibet d uring the end-time, teach the
prophecies concerning the final 500 years of degeneration [in which] the
three bodhisattvas instruct people to escape to the gorges of the b o rder
forests.
Due to blessings of Avalokitesvara, now it is i [Padmasambhava] w h o

prophesizes that the fo u r comers of the Jambu continent [and] the snow y
realm of Tibet w ill be surrounded by war. If you do not go at the tim e of m y
some historical m isunderstanding now came- to identify L i y u l w ith the

kingdom of Nepal.
This text is unknow n to m e
61
prophecy, Tibet!ans w ill] lose the chance to escape, [and] w ar w ill certainly
arrive from the fo u r borders like pressing mountains."
[Deliverance fro m the Demon's Legions:!
(The King) asked: "O h Mahacarya! Omniscient Padmasambhava, kn o w e r

of the three times,
(15a) A t that tim e d u rin g that period w ill there be
deliverance from the Demon's legions?

[ Padmasambhava] replied: " Great King listen! Due to m y love fo r Tibet
and [yourself] the person of the King, I have taught numerous methods and
prophecies. Even though it is a prosperous tim e now, the Tibetan people of this
hinterland p lo t to k ill the teachers and myself w h o have come to benefit Tibet.
King [even though] you are the leader of Tibet, in yo u r draw n-out lifetim e
[your] m ind w ill grow impatient, falling from the horse trail [when review ing]
the great splendor of Bsam yas temple, [dharm a] activities w ill be ordered to
slow down.
E vil-m inded Tibetan people are like dogs id ly gossiping like the fax.
Distracted by evil spirits they are mad.
Compared to now, the Dark Ages w ill be ten times worst.
W ithout a king - like a headless body every land w ill have its petty king.
Each petty butcher-king - the heart of an ax.
Slaves w ill in itia te gossip and rum or every tem ple in a place w ill have an abbot and teacher.
62
The abbot and teachers w ill wear yellow robes.

(15b) (gras mgo nye gnas sgyed mgos byed?)
Brigands from your own kin w ill steal the wealth of your dwelling.
Friendly dharma practitioners w ill fall to slander.
Kind beings w ill be deluded - and the dharma abandoned.
Tibet w ill be filled w ith evil intentions being m ostly plundered and destroyed.
King! Do not torm ent yourself. The 'dukha' of the three low er realms [of
existencel is unbearable, [but] unless your karma is purified it is useless
w orry.
to
Furtherm ore because the Demon's soldiers of that tim e w ill take
[rebirthl in bodies w ith evil karma, [and] they w ill be killed [in turn].
Here in Tibet, because of the aspirations of the King and me which have
come together, seven bodhisattvas of lineal descent [w ill come to] lead the w ay
- 300 w ill escape to South 'Bras mo bshongs-, 200 w ill escape to the borders of
Nepal and Tibet; 160 w ill escape to the district of Brin Khum
bu; 50 w ill escape
to the district of Bud; 400 w ill escape to the environs of Spa gro Bum thang;
100 w ill escape to the d istrict of Lho brag Khar chu. These people w ill certainly
discover the hidden-lands. 500 w ill escape above Rtsa ri tsa gong.
Furthermore, travelling near to the southern districts, some w ill escape
w ith their lives, [others] w ill be killed by evil [causes found] in the southern
districts. Some w ill die in forests, glaciers and rivers. Some w ill die w ith the
sword in Tibet's civil war, [or] having escaped the demon's soldiers, they w ill
perish from [other] evil causes. Some w ill die from the poison of the southern
(tribesmen). Oh King, d u rin g this tim e whatever beings do, happiness w ill not
63
follow , it w ill be like hell. That period w ill be a tim e of suffering fo r all sentient
beings,
if there is an island of respite in this forest fire, i do not see any
happiness and d iss aside from death [itself]. Oh King! Now that you have the
op portunity to engage in the profound dharmata, seize it firm ly."
The King having choked on his p rid e shed many tears. A t that tim e
Acarya Padmasambhava placed sentient beings liv in g in the degenerate age of
the Buddha's doctrine under [his] prophetic command [saying]:
" When the period of the last 500 years of the teachings of the C onqueror
sakyamuni draw to a close, since all sentient beings of the w o rld w ill lack peace
and happiness, escape to the safe [havens].
W ithout heeding the speech of
sinners, the pious must bring their intentions in to a single focus. Although the
hidden lands [i havel described are (16b) secure forests and valleys, abandon
the desire fo r broad plains of bliss,
in the narrow borderlands of M o n , the
unbalanced elements are the cause of the four diseases, w hich w ill require
medical expertise based on how things interdependently originate W ithout
fear, head in to the ravines where the valleys and forests come together.
W ithout frig h t of rain, fog, ('chibs?) and 'ground-poison', perfo rm the (pho
nya?) Engage in three years of virtuous practice; afterwards both the land and
body w ill prosper. Although the forested valleys are preciptous, they are
secure places.
the Lotus King of Oddiyana concealed blessed Treasures in the safe
valleys and territories of small regions in order to tame the landscape [I] have
appointed path finders, gate keepers, and attendants. For that reason every
hidden-land, each m editation cave and all the great sacred places are symbols
of m y teachings; leave them undisturbed. W ithout hesitation, go seek m y
blessed m editation caves like a son inheriting the father's place A fte r this life
64
have no doubt of meeting m e Heed these w ords because at the tim e of these
teachings the evil doers of Tibet w ill be d yin g on the evil natured sword." (17a)
A t that tim e King Khri srong lde btsan held on to each of the [Guru's]
prophecies separately, [and after] offering the master a mandala of five kinds
of gems, [the prophecies] were hidden as Treasures. This prophecy was
concealed at Byang Zang zang lha brag. A t the tim e when the Guru departed
for Oddiyana [he] spoke to his three Tibetan devotees [saying]:
"Tibetan devotees listen! When the tim e comes to take out the transcripts
of m y oral advice, one of fierce disposition, appearing in the w ra th fu l body of a
person bom in a dragon or ax year w ill reveal this Treasure in a small valley
resembling a lotus stem. A fte r that excellent [person] reveals this ['treasure'],
[he] w ill open the seven southern gorges - the seven hidden lands.'' The
welfare of Tibet w ill depend on him. The Twelve Mother Guardians w ill
relinquish [m y] prophetic commandments to that excellent being."
May this 'key' to all the prophesized hidden-lands meet w ith a w o rth y
person. Samaya rgya rgya rgya (trip le seal of concealment).*
According to the Northern Treasures tra d ition the three principal recipients
of the prophecies were the emperor Khri Srong lde'u btsan, the princess Ye
shes mtshorgyal and the yogi Snanam R dorjebdud 'jams, the latter w h a n
reincarnated as Rig 'd zin Rgod Idem can in the 14th century.
The Ma 'ongs lung bstan gsal bai sgron me, Tondup Tashi, Leh: 1973,
pp.531-533, Rig 'dzin Rgod Idem obtained the'keys' to seven hidden-lands:
Sky id mo lung; Padma tshal; Rol ba mkha g ro 'i gling; Rgyal g y i Mkhan
pa lung; Lha'i pho brang; Bras mo bshongs; Sgro mo khud.
* What developed in Treasure texts was an entire narrative structure based
on secrecy. W hile reading them one becomes aware of entering a distinct

semi otic field, manipulated according to specific rules. A t the begining an end
65
[Colophon:! From the Treasures revealed by Rig 'dzin rgod kyi Idem
phru can from Byang Zang zang lha brag.
of 'treasure' texts one w ill notice the use of various 'seals' (rgya), such as the
'seal of treasure') (gter rgya), the 'seal of p ro fu n d ity ' (zab rgya), and the 'seal
of the appointed [revealer]' (gtad rgya), seals w hich conceal the teachings
outside of ordinary tim e and space u n til their appointed discovery. These
narrative tools serve to im bue the text w ith a secret aura that enhance its
revelatory significance
66
Chapter Four:
Visionary Journey o f Rig 'dzin Rgod Idem can
67
The Historical Setting:
Of the extant biographies of Rgod Idem, the earliest and most extensive is
(fi
called the Sprul sku chen po'i m am thar gsal byed nyi ma'i 'od zer , w ritten
by N'yima bzang po (*SQryabhadra; b l386), w h o was a late disdple of the
master. W hile the author arrived on the scene tow ards the end of Rgod Idem's
career, and did not personally witness all the events he w rites about, he
presumably composed the biography as it was dictated to him by the master
and others w h o had accompanied Rgod Idem on his journey through the
hidden-lands. W hile N yim a Bzang po's narrative is p rim a rily concerned w ith
the visions and m iraculous occurrences surrounding the master's career, it also
provides an interesting perspective on
historical
events
as they
were
experienced by a group of lay Tantric yogins operating outside the great

centers of political power.
Rgod Idem was bom in the year of the fire-ox (1337) in the Sna mo lu n g
district of Ctsang, in to a fa m ily of Tantric village yogins w ho adhered to the
ancient teachings of Guru Padmasambhava. His father, Slob dpon Slid bdud
'dul dpal, was an expert in the rites of Ma m o, Phur pa and Sgyu 'p h r u l Tantric teachings that had once been outlawed by the 10th century ruler of
western Tibet, Lha Bla ma Ye shes 'od, fo r openly teaching the ritual m urder of
enemies (sgrol) and sexuai yoga (sbyor
&
Found in Byang gter.
68
The prophetic text called Snyan brgyud drug g i tho byang describes how
Rgod Idem was conceived out of such a ritual sexual union:
The father is the type w h o undertakes good ascetic practices, the

m other is a pow erful Isvaradakini. A fter u n iting in the m editational
trance of Rdo rje gzhon
nu yab yu m , [their] aspirational prayer met
[w ith ] karma and compassion, [w ill produce] one of [illustrious] lineage

w h o has practiced the p rofound dharma of the secret mantra fo r three
lifetimes. He [w ill be bom as] the heart son of Rdo
rje Phag m o
(Vajravarahi), [endowedl w ith the w isdom of natural awareness of

fierce wrath. [He] w ill be the speech son of Padmasambhava - have no
doubt as to m y ( Padmasambhava's) w ords - he w ill [incarnate] as the
heart son of R d o rje b d u d 'joms, [donning] the very beautiful garb of a
71
w ra th fu l [deity].
A t birth, the child displayed strange moles on the top of his head, which
m u ltip lie d by the age of fiv e Later, these cranial deform ities caused his hair to
stand up like v u ltu re feathers - a sign that was to identify him fo r his special
destiny.
Rgod Idem's childhood witnessed the demise of the Yuan Empire and
their Tibetan viceroys from the noble house of Sn skya lost their param ouncy
in Tibetan politics. A fter the death of Sa skya Pandita (1182-1251), his nephew
'Phags pa (1235-1280) was invested w ith the office of spiritual and tem poral
70 See S. Karmay, "A n Open letter by Pho-dbang Zhi-ba-'od to the Buddhists

of Tibet", in Tibet Journal, v o l.5, (1980).
Byang gter, pg.60.4... pha ni b rtu l bzhugs bzang spyod rigs% ma ni m kha
'gro dbang phyug ma70 Rdo rje gzhon nu yab yum gyi% tin g 'd z in du sbyor
ba las7c las dang thags rje smon lam 'jol% rigs Idan gsang sngags za b m o 'i
chos7c skye ba gsum du bsgrub pa'i mthar% rd o rje phag m o'i thugs kyi
sras% kh ro gtum rig pa'i ye shes rgyas% padma 'byung gnas gsung gi sras%
nga'i gsung la the tshom med (61) rd o rje b d u d jom s thugs kyi sras/ khro
bo'i cha byad ba zi b rjid che...
69
master of Tibet in the year of the water-ox of the fo u rth cycle (1253). Until his
death Tibet experienced a period of relative stability and peace.
The office of
temporal ruler was subsequently conferred upon the Dpon chen Kun dga'
bzang po, from w hich tim e the temporal power of the Sa skya began to decline
d unng a period of internecine w arfare This period also marked the begining of
strife between monastaries and political appointess of the same sect, as they
sought to free themselves fro m ecclesiastic authority. Tibet was about to be
engulfed in a bloody civil war.
The first of such incidents focused on the Dpon chen himself, w h o after
being implicated in the death of 'Phags pa, refused to relinquish pow er and
retreated in to his m ountain fortress called the 'Raven's Nest' (Bya rog rdzong),
where he was surrounded by Mongol troops and flayed to death.
The decline of central au th o rity led to a pow er struggle in Dbus and
Gtsang, where territories such as Dol po, Lo y u l and Gang thang began to
consolidate their au th o rity at one another's expense

:t was in the latter K ingdom of Gang thang, however, that the hopes of a
small com m unity of yogins came to focus. Here the last descendents of the
early Tibetan royal fa m ily ruled a small kingdom in southern Tibet where the
legendary Guru Padmasambhava had concealed spedal teachings that w ere
believed to be able to bring peace to Tibet if they were excavated in tim e by a
prophecized incarnation. The prophecy in the guidebook to the hidden-land of
Yol mo says:
Oh King! The Lord Buddha's religion w ill remain fo r 5000 years.

D uring the last 500 years all the dharmas of spoken instructions, the
[p u rity ] of the lineage and the oral permissions - all three - w ill
gradually degenerate To redevelop Buddhist teachings, [future] regents
70
blessed by me w ill arrive one after another. When the tim e comes they
w ill each discover [m y] Treasures continually in this fashion until
Buddhism is gona Especially in Tibet, when the law of the dharmaprotector King and the [subsequent] reign of [the Mongol captain] Mu
du r 'The Black' come to an end - when Tibetans w ill escape tow ards
Byang as if cutting off all their ties - at that tim e this is how to discover
m y [hidden] lands and [concealed] dharmas: One league to the east of

Byang Zang Zang Lha brag, there is a m ountain shaped like a king
seated on a th ro n e in front of that m ountain outer, inner and secret

72
Treasures exist. *
The Guru also composed a num ber of prophecies and maps, which w ere
meant to lead to the principle Treasures. These texts, Nyi ma bzang po reports,
were discovered by an old herm it liv in g on M ount Bkra bzang (Ri khrod pa
Bzang po). This herm it had a dream in w hich a local protector deity called B u
Ic
urges him to start digging fo r Treasures buried under the threshold of the
temple of Grompa rgyang in G ts a n g 11' He ignores these signs, th in kin g them
~ Byang gter, pg.538.4... kye slob dpon chen po sangs rgyas sha kya th u b
pa'i bstan pa Inga brgya pa phrag bcu ru gnas pa'i % Inga brgya tha ma la
bka' rgyud lung dang gsum gyi chos thams cad rim s kyis rim s % de'i du su
sangs rgyas kyi bstan pa bse oa'i p h y ir du % rgyal ba'i tshabnga'i byin gyis
brlabs pa re re 'byung % dus la babs pa'i chos gter rer re than % de Itar sha
kya th u b pa'i bstan pa ma rdzogs kyi bar du % nga'i gter chos dang rgyal
tsh abrgyun mi 'chad do % khyad par du bod chos skyong rgyal po'i khrim s
dang % mu d u r nag po'i hor khrim s gnyis ka zhig % bod (khrab?) byang
'grol thag chad pa bzhin song ba'i dus su % nga'i chos dang rgyal tshab
'byung lugs ni % byang zang zang lha brag gi shar dpag tshad g rig jal ba na
% ri rgyal po gdan la behugs pa 'd ra ba'i bdun du % phyi nang thams cad
sbas pa'i tshul du gnas pa %
73
Bu le nor bu bzang: A genie of the yaksa class appointed as a Treasure
guardian by Padmasambhava.
One of the temples allegedly b u ilt by the Tibetan king Srong brtsan sgam
po (d.649?) to im m obilize the body of a supine demoness covering the
71
to be mere demonic hallucinations until Padmasambhava himself, in the guise

of a mendicant, appears to him in a vision and instructs him to rem ove these
hidden texts since they are to be v ita l for restoring peace Tibet.
Am ong the Treasures found by the herm it are scrolls specifically destined
to reach the hands of the kings of Gung thang. These include a pow erful
reverential petition called the Gsol \iebs le'u bdun ma, allegedly composed by
Guru Padmasambhava and concealed w ith the aid of Prince Mu khri btsan poin
the late 8,n century and destined to reinvigorate and protect the royal line of
Tibet during times of degeneration.
These are accompanied by other m inor prophecies and certificates,
including a text called the Lam
byang gsal ba'i sgroti
me containing the
fo llo w in g prophecy:
A (snow| cap w ill cover the peak of the M ountain Bkra bzang.
From the north the foreign armies w ill strike like lightening in to M a n g
yul. In india, the Bodhi Tree w ill bend to the south, the stupa of Kasm ir
w ill crack in the northeast, the Svayambhu stupa in Nepal w ill arch over,
and meteorites w ill bolt dow n on the Red Rock at Bsam yas. A t a tim e of
unfortunate omens like these, a treasure w ill appear in a horse year on
the mountain, w hich resembles a heap of poisonous snakes.
Tibetan landscape This particular temple was b u ilt to pin dow n the left h ip of
the ogress.
For the list of Treasure scrolls discovered by Ri khrod pa Bzang po, see
Kun bzang, pp. 129-30.
&Byang gter, pg.84.1... ri bo bkra beang kyi rtse la zha skon% byang phyogs
nas mang yul du kha dm ag klog lta r *khyugs70 rgya dkar po i yul du byang
chub kyi shing lh o du yo% kha che'i mchod rten ka ni byang shar du ral% bal
p o 'i 'phags pa shing kun byang gi m chod rten phyogs su yo% bsam yas brag
72
Am ong the scrolls there is another text called the Snying tig gnad k y i
man ngag don bdun, which contains a prophecy concerning the incarnation
w h o was destined to discover the principal Treasures hidden in the m ountain

sites of Gung thang:
A t the eastern slope of the m ountain that is called Bkra bzang, one
w h o is bom in the w ater realm in the year of the ox year [w ill] bear the
mark of moles. As a sign of having been blessed by me, Padma, on the
crown of his head v u ltu re feathers w ill grow again and again.
The herm it Bzang po accordingly organizes a search to finds Rgod Idem

and entrust him w ith the scrolls destined fo r the kings of Gung thang along
w ith the 'certificates and 'keys' to the rem aining Treasures hidden in the
nearby m ountain site of Ri bo Bkra bzang. But, before this incident, the king of
Gung
thang,
Bkra' shis lde (ruled 1352-1365), w h o is identified by
the
prophecies as the protector of these Treasures, dies.

Rgod Idem, then travels to Sa skya Monastery, to meet the young prince
regent of Gung thang, Phun tshogs lde (1338-1370), and to request him to
assume his father's place as the protector of the Treasure (gter tshab). But, the
young prince is not so beneficent. The biography mentions that the prince is
dm ar la gnams lcags kyi thog 'babs% de lta b u 'i ltas mi dge ba byung bai dus
su brag ri dug sprul spyangs 'd ra la lo rta 'i lo la gter 'byung par 'g yu r ro.
ibid, pg.67.4... ri bo bkra beang zhes pa'i shar 'dabs su% chu khams glang
lo rme ba'i mtshan rtags can% padma nga'i byin gys rlabs pa'i rtags% spyi
bor rgod kyi Idem 'phru yang yang 'byung.
Tshe dbang nor bu, pg.114... khyad par m ang yul sku lh a 'i byang shar du7o
sa m khar dung gi so mang 'd ra ba 'byung7c de ru rgyal rigs bong thung
byang sems can% chos rgyal bkra shis ld e zhes bya ba dang% gter 'd i 'phrad
na bod yul bstan pa ni7c m i lo Inga bcu rtsa gsum bsrings nus so70
73
swayed by the rtog ge ba, a derogatory term used to describe 'Buddhist

intellectuals at the m onastery - Sa skya pa scholars w h o presum ably did not
look too favourably upon
Tantric practitioners of the ancient
Buddhist
traditions like Rgod Idem.

Sa skya m onastary was the epicenter of a new Buddhist intellectual
tradition, p rid in g itself on its curriculum of grammar, logic and Buddhist

epistemology. By the m id 14!h century in Tibet, one can presume that the
grow ing pow er of an institu tion like Sa skya and its rational curriculum of
study were starting to eclipse the reputation of village tantric practitioners like
Rgod Idem. The lineages of the Old Tantras passed dow n from father to son and usually centering around a clan patriarch - were now increasingly giving
w ay to the new prestige and wealth of monastic hegemonies like Sa skya.
Apart from the political tu rm o il of 14lh century Tibet, yogins like Rgod Idem
were also faced w ith a kind of religious and cultural crisis, as their old w ay of
life w ith its village-based lay spiritual traditions was threatened by a new brand
of monks and their Sanskritic learning.
The social, material, and political forces which were shaping Tibetan
ide n tity during this period were complex and I d o not profess to fu lly grasp
them. Threatened by new political institutions and theocratic reform,
the
followers of the Old Tantras responded in various ways to the challenges which
faced them. As early as the 11th and 12th centuries, certain clans like the ' K h o n
for example abandoned m any of their old lineages and began adapting
Tj
Far a discussion of how Tibetan lay religious traditions were being

discredited by Buddhist reform d u rin g this period see Dan M a rtin ," Lay
Religious Movements in l l !h and 12th Century Tibet: A Survey of Sources", in
Kailash: A Journal o f Himalayan Studies, v o l.17, (1996), 23-56.
74
teachings belonging to the new translations; others lik e the Z u r , N ya n g and

the Lee sought to preserve their old lineages through scriptural revelation.
These descisions were p a rtly based on individual propensities and also
perhaps to a degree on geographic determinism. Access to Nepali and Indian
Buddhist scholars and p ro xim ity to trade routes w here the new Tantra schools
sprang up all probably played their part. But w hat clearly emerges during this
early period are tw o distinct Buddhist spiritual orientations: one identifying
w ith new Indian/Bengali Tantras and another, m ore anachronistic tradition,
ide n tifyin g w ith the Old Tantras from Oddiyana and the personage of Guru
Padmasambhava.
Operating outside the confines and expectations of institutionalized
Buddhism, Rgod Idem may have shocked his m ore respectable peers by his
unconventional manner.
He w ore vu ltu re feathers on his top-knot
and
exhibited a nasty temper, but his odd behavior seems to have had an
enormous cultural im portance for the com m unity of Tibetan yogins livin g
around him.
Even if some 'intellectuals' at Sa skya monastery m ay have dismissed
Rgod Idem can as a visionary 'hick', from the perspective of the follow ers of
the Old Tantras (Rnying ma pa), he is portrayed as a hero w h o is about to
reveal a hidden Treasure that w ill revitalize Buddhism and protect Tibet's
ancient royal lineage - members of which were now apparently being killed
one after another.
The text called Snying byang gnad kyi thim bu, quoted in his biography,
tells us how Rgod Idem ultim ately resorts to w ra th fu l magical rites to secure
the patronage of the Gung thang prince
75
Then [after I] sent a petition letter to the Gung thang king, [in itia lly
the King] was overcome by devotion and displayed much respect, then
he was amused and was overcome w ith hesitation, and finally he was
given to w rong view s as he came under the influence of Mara. Then, b y
engaging in the yoga of secret m antra activity - through samadhi of
Vajrakila - [II excorcized the black raven in the king s heart by w rath fu l
rites, and having dispelled the obstacle by those means, faith was
fiO
spontaneously generated in the king.
The parsimonious prince, w e are told, fin a lly offers only one zho of gold,
(approxim ately the w eight of a sovereign) to finance Rgod Idem's Treasure
hunt. A detailed description of the contents of the Treasures discovered b y
Rgod Idem can has been given elsewhere, so I w ill not go into it here,*51 suffice
to say that after overcom ing several m ore obstacles, which included being
pursued by a hostile official called Nye gnas Chos dpal pa w ho tried to d riv e
them back by a group of drafted soldiers",
82
Rgod Idem manages to extract
these Treasures, w hich include a num ber of guidebooks to the hidden-lands.

For a year,
Rgod Idem and his unde m editate on the content of these
unearthed scrolls on top of Mount Bkra
bzang,
where their retreat
Byang gter, pg.307.3... denas gung thang rgyal p o 'i snyan du zhu ba'i tshig
sbyar bas% shin tu mos shing gus na rab% 'b rin g du dga' shing the tshom
snyoms% tha ma log lta skyes pa na% rgyal po bdud kyi dbang gyur bas%
gsang sngags spyod pa'i m al 'byor pas% rd o rje p h u r pa'i tin g dzin gyis%
rgyal p o 'i thugs kha na% bya rog nag po g rig bsams te% de la drag po'i
sbyar bas skrad% des bar chad sel khyur te% rgyal po dad pa rang bnyugs
(byung?) skye%
V For a detailed description of the Treasures unearthed by Rig 'd zin Rgod
Idem can see J. Boord (1993) and J. W. Herweg (1994).
82
Byang gter, pg. 93.3... nye gnas chen po chos dpal bas dmag b s k u l/ zhag po
dmag 'chad dang bcas pa rig gis belog tshad tshad pa (?) bar chad kyi mams
par byung,
is
76
occasionally disturbed by gnome-spirits (dam sriii) creating fire explosions

outside their cave83
As the master's fame continues to grow in the area below M ount Bkra
bzang, the political crisis in the kingdom continues to escalate The young king
Phun tshogs lde is killed by his father-in-law, the lo rd of the m yriarchy of

Byang, for having his first bom child w ith a m aidservant from Sa skya. The
Byang pa armies occupy the kingdom and usurp the throne "tra nsfo rm in g the
center of the tem ple in to a stable" (sgo mang mthil la rta ra byas
This brings the num ber of murdered royal Gung thang princes to three.
These violent
deaths,
the
biography
points
out,
were
prophecied
by
Padmasambhava in the Outer Passkey as signs to leave Tibet and open the
doors to the hidden-lands:
Oh King! in Stod M ang yu l Gung thang, the sw ord w ill m urder a

descendent of your own royal lineage; (13b) and the suffering of Tibet
w ill commence T w o w ill be slain by sharp weapons, and the destruction
of Tibet w ill begin. W ith the m urder of three, because Tibet's happiness
w ill be exhausted, escape to the hidden lands and the southern regions/'
ft
:h d , pg. 100.5... bkra bzang kyi tse m a r/ lha khang g rig d a n g / gu ru 'i sku
chen pogshengs/ rd o rje p hur pa'i sgrubpa m dzad rin g behugs p a / srod la
sgo du me chen po re byung pas/ bla ma legs pa la zhu y ig gtad pas/ h u r po
/ rung m dzad par z h u / de 'd ra bar chad kyi rtags la'ng yang lags/ gsugs pai
gsung shog phebs nas m em ed par song 'd u g r in g / de dam s ri'I bar bcod la
yongs bar byas 'd u g r in g / ma tshugs pa yin gsungs n g o /.
Tshe dbang nor bu, pg.118.
83 See A ppendix 1, fol.!3a.6-13h2.
77
A text called the Snying thig don bdun, quoted by the master biographer,
also says:
If the king of Gung thang, that obstacle of Mara, is not endowed

w ith faith and considers doubt like grammarians and logicians - the
happiness of Tibet being exhausted. The descendants of the kings of
Gung thang w ill be killed by demons -Tibet's anguish w ill originate
from Gung thang. Because a sea of suffering w ill have come forth in
Tibet, you man! m y treasure discoverer, take refuge in Mon Bum th a n g
w ith o u t fear of this w orld! *
For Rgod Idem the tim e had come to cut off attachments to his homeland
and embark on an epic search fo r the Guru's promised lands - a journey that
was going to have a profound im pact on Tibetan geographic im agination fo r
centuries to come
The Search for the H id d e n -L a n d :
A t the dawn of the first day of the tenth Tibetan m onth ( N ovem ber December) in 1370, the biography reports that Rgod Idem has a dream in
w hich he sees a long valley fu ll of dark fog. A person appears in the southwest
hoisting a banner of w h ite silk and w earing a w h ite dress, in the south another
person appears hoisting a flag and w earing a blue dress. Then he hears a great
86
Byang gter, pg.283.5... gal te gung thang rgyal po bdud kyis bar du bead do
Tc rtog ge sgra tshad lta b u 'I the tshom rtog rin g % dad pa dang mi Idan na
bod kyi skyid pa zad pa yin te % gung thang rgyal p o 'i gdung brgyud bdud
kyis spyod % bod kyi phung m go gung thang nas 'jugs te % bod la sdug
bsngal gyi m tsho rtol yong pas % skyes bu khyod nga'i gter than la % 'jig
rten 'd z in chags la ma zhen par % mon bum thang du 'bras g rig %
78
voice saying, " if you desire to w ork for the benefit of beings, please go and
spread disciples in the border lands of Lho kha Mon."
h7
Rgod Idem, w e are told, initia lly develops doubt and feels sad at the
reception of this prophecy, and begins to pray to Guru Padmasambhava fo r
further guidance As Rgod Idem's dawn dream unfolds, a Tantric practitioner
w ith a great round hat and a loose maroon dress sitting nearby delivers the
fo llo w ing injunction:
Son, you
are a son of the lineage
Because of that decide
im m ediately the thought of going or staying. Your disciples in Tibet w ill

be great in number, their ripening w ill take place in the area of South
Tibet. A ll internal and external misfortunes are delusory. Because of this
know w hatever appears is fog and clouds. If strong thoughts of
suffering arise, give up the narrow passage between hope and fear.
Recognize it as your [natural] state, the natural p rim o rd ia l awareness! if
there are many causes fo r distractions concentrate inside of the m ind
and elim inate accepting and rejecting of subjects and objects. Let go
unexamined
w ith o u t grasping and adulterating the awareness
of
whatever arises. The stream of the m ind is agitated by doubt and

conditioned appearances. If you are confused in not kn o w in g w hat to
do, pray to the Guru from the awareness w hich is y o u r own natural
state. The m ind which arises accordingly, not adulterated by thought, is
fiR
the essential secret, w hich cuts away doubt."
^ ibid, pg.107.2... lho kha mon gyi sa 'tshams su / sngon gyi las 'p h rosa d nas
kyang / gdul bya rgyas pas gshegs par zhu.
* Byang gter, pg.107.3... gu ru padma 'byung gnas kyi bka' d rin rjes su drag
te / bla ma sku gsum gyi gsol debs byas pas/ sngags pa dbu zhva chen po
khyil lam gsol b a / na te a smug nag lhubs sebabsnam s pa d g 'gram na
'd u g pa na re / bu khyod rigs kyi bu yin pas/ gro sdod kyi rtog pa thug
phrad du gtan la p h o b / khyod kyi gdul bya bod na rgya che/ smin pa lho
bod kyi tshams su smin par g y u r/ phyi nang gi rkyen thams cad 'kh ru l
snang yin (108) pas/ ji lta r snang ba sprin dang na bun bzhin du shes par
g yis/ sdug sngal gyi rtog pa drag po byung n a / re dogs kyi 'phrang skyur
la / ma bcos pa'i shes pa rang lugs tsams z h ig / gyeng byed kyi rkyen mang
79
A fte r these w ords the Tantric practitioner im m ediately is transformed in to

a five-pronged golden vajra, w hich Rgod Idem takes in his hand and wakes up.
Sitting in a state free from doubt, the rising sun disperses the m orning fog, as
rainbows begin to tw irl above the peak of M ount Bkra bzang and a w h ite light
appears in the direction of the southwest. Rgod Idem takes this to be an
auspicious sign indicating that he should depart in search of thehidden-lands.
Am ong
the hidden-lands described by
Padmasambhava,
the most
im portant one is called 'The Valley of Rice' {'Bras mo gshongs). A text called
the Ma ong lung bstan gsal ba'i sgron me describes how in legendary times a
'serpent-jewel' (nagamani) was buried there:
The heart of all thehidden-lands is a place called the ' Valley of Rice'
( Bras mo gshongs); it is located six leagues beyond [fro m i the south of
Gtsang tshong dus g u r mo.
Opening the 'door' [to] that [hidden-land]
w ill bring six years of happiness to the w orld. If one were to ask w h y in form er times, there lived a serpent-maiden called 'Beautiful' (mdzes
Idan) beyond the dancing [waves] of the Ocean of Sindhura. The C row n
Ornament of Kings, Indrabhuti, took from her hands a w ish-granting

jewel, and th in kin g about the future end-times to come, he buried it in
the center of The Valley of Rice ('Bras mo gshongs). it is [therefore] due
to the m erit of that [jewel],
89
na bio nang du khrug la bya byed kyi 'd o r len spongs/ ci shar gyi rig pa ma
slad par 'd z in med byung rgyal du skyongs/ rkyen snang the tshom gyis
sems kyi rgyud dkrugs te / ci yang byed ma shes par (?) 'k h o r n a / rig pa
rang lugs kyi ngang nas bla ma la gsol ba th o b / rjes su shar ba'i b io gros
mams rtog gi ma slad pa d e / sgro 'dogs gcod pa'i snying gtam yin no gsung.
HQ
Clear Lamp, pg.456.1... sbas yul de mams kyi snying po dpal 'bras m o
bshongs (gshongs) zhes bya b a / rtsang (gtsang) tshong dus 'g u r m o 'i lho
phyogs/ dpag tshad drug 'das pa'i pha rol na yod d e / de'i sgo phye nas mi lo
bdun gyi bar du lh o phyogs 'jam bu gling du bde skyid 'byung n g o / de ci'i
p h y ir zhe n a / sngon sen au ra rgya mtsho rol ba'i pha rol na; k lu 'i bu mo
80
But, the route in to this valley was not going to be easy. The Outer Passkey
warns that people of this degenerate tim e w ill be tim id, lacking the courage to
go, and the borderlands w ill be full of dangers such as aboriginal poison cults,
w itchcraft and diseases.
But, in the narrow ravines of M o n , these physical
dangers were only the outer obstacles. Rgod Idem, as w e shall see, w ou ld need
to overcome even more d a unting inner obstacles - demons of his ow n psychic
landscape, w hich obstructed the flo w of his natural awareness and blocked the
gates to the hidden paradise
The Dream Songs o f Rgod Id e m :
in the year of the pig (1371), Rgod Idem and nine disciples quickly proceed
in the direction of one of the peaks loom ing in the southern horizon.
CO
On the
tenth day of the m onth they reach the h ill of Chu dbar in Lo where they build
a small altar and offer a ceremonial Tantric feast to the deities.
in the early w in te r they stay at a place called Khyung tshang in Bkra shis
glin g , and from there they go to 'B ring
tshams.
PI
From there the p a rty
journeys to 'Brang po, where they are forced to travel at nig h t because they
are pursued again by some armed soldiers. Later that w in te r they stay in
mdzes ldan bya ba yod d e / dei lag nas dbu rgyan gyi rgyal p o ind ra bho dha
v is / y id bzhin gyi nor bu rin po che blangs p a / ma 'ongs pai dus tha ma la
d gongs pa'i p h y ir / 'bras m o bshongs kyi dbus na gter du sbas yod d o / / de'i
yon tan yin no.
0(1
The m ountain refered to here is most probably Bkra shis Tshe ring ma
(Gauri Shankar in the Nepal Himalayas). Byang gter, pg.530-1, identifies this
mountain as the 'gathering place' before going to the hidden-lands.
81
Chang mo in 'B ring 'tshams, and in the year of the female-ox (1373) they
arrive in the general v ic in ity of 'Bras mo gshongs.

But here,
instead of finding an earthly paradise, they meet
tremendous physical suffering.
w ith
A t this point in the biography, Rgod Idem's
journey unravels in his dreams as it does on the physical ground. He travels in

the m outains by day and in the landscape of his nocturnal visions where he
encounters disembodied voices, protectors
and dakinl-s, w h o guide him
tow ards Bras mo gshongs.

On the 13th day of the seventh m onth (Monday, I s1 of August 1373), Rgod
Idem has another dream of standing in the same foggy valley w ith about ten
follow ers and m any cattle, searching fo r the hidden-land. In the m iddle of the
valley there is a house in which lived a woman. On the side walls of the house
there are paintings of five human hands. On the ring fingers of these hands are
conch pieces woven on the m ulti-colored threads of gold, silver, copper, iron
and satin bearing Sanskrit w ords reading, "these are five teachings fo r the
spreading, straightening and p u rify in g of the channels (rtsa) and the winds
(tilin g ). The wom an in the dream then says, "because this is more im portant
than chasing after great sacred places, look very carefully," (gnas chen bsnyog
pa la i i i gal che ba yin pas legs par bltos shig zer).
<32
Each comer of the house faces one of the cardinal directions. In the
southeast direction a wom an wearing a cloak of black silk and tin k lin g jewel
ornaments is rid in g a black horse.
Some people accompanying Rgod Idem
Situated in the upper reaches of Chumbi Valley.
r~ Byang gter, pg. 111.5-112.1
82
were carrying a lot of incense w ith them, th in kin g that in the south one cannot
fin d this quality. A t that, the wom an rid in g the horse replied," if one goes to the
forest of sandalwood, one does not need to w o rry about being w ith o u t
incense. You need a w ay of m aking the loads lig h te r w hile you go over the
snowy m ountains and forested h ills of the south."
Rgod Idem's journey to the hidden-land thus becomes an allegory for the
path to enlightenment itself. The physical obstacles he encounters become an
outer reflection of his inner passions. The dakini w h o appears in his dreams tells
him that the key to the hidden-land lies in the depths of his own psychic
'channels' and 'w inds'.
But the m onth fo llo w in g this dream does not bring Rgod Idem any closer
to his goal. By the end of the summer, the party is still hopelessly stranded in
the wilderness. Starting in September, the biography reports that, "snow and
rain fell for 10 days w ith o u t anybody recognizing day and night, the minds
were confused, and the party was suffering,"
QS
At this time, Rgod Idem again retreats in to the landscape of his dreams.
He enters the same large foggy valley surrounded by mountains, in the center
of which is a large castle w ith teachings w ritten on the southern ramparts,
inside the castle Rgod Idem meets a large happy man w ith a m aroon
complexion dressed in a gem-studded yellow gown.
in popular Tibetan lore, dreams of rid in g a black horse are considered to be

auspicious, w h ile a w h ite horse is considered a bad omen. Oral
Communication, Bha ka Sprul sku, Kathmandu, July 1997.
<34
Byang gter, pg.112.4... tsan Idan gyi nags tshal du 'g ro ba la / spos med pa'i
rtog pa mi 'ts h a l/ lh o 'i gangs rong nags rong la 'g ro ba la kh u r po yang ba'i
thabs bya lags gyi gsungs so.
Ibid, pg.113.2... zhag bcu kha char nyin mtshan med par babs pa'i rkyen la
brten nas/ b io 'tshub rin g m i thams cad sdug sngal du gyur te.. /
83
Behind him, to his left and righ t appear three b rillia n tly colored mandalas
on the walls. Mesmerized by the mandalas, Rgod Idem asks the large happy
man to introduce him self and explain the significance of the palace and the
mandalas. The man replies, "This land is the great continent of Jambu. As fo r
myself, I am the self-arisen king called 'Chi med rd o rje (Amaravajra). These
three mandalas are three very pure 'Buddha-fields.' I am their master, [and]
you yourself w ish to come to one of these realms, [so] look carefully."
The m andala directly behind the king is red, the mandala to his right is
blue, "lik e the color of the sky" and the one on his left is like the color of
refined gold. In the center of each mandala he see the mansions of the gods
and rays of lig h t in the five colors of the rainbow spectrum. Rgod Idem
develops great faith as he gazes in to these mandalas and eventually picks the
sky-colored one and begins to make prostrations tow ards the residence of the
main deity in the center of the mandala.
Surrounding the mandala palace there is a fence of flam ing vajras w ith
fierce-looking yaksa rid in g carnivorous animals and brandishing te rrifiy in g
weapons. Rgod Idem wonders w hat these w ild things represent, the king in the
dream tells h im that they are the Twelve Bstan ma (matara).
77
He prepares to
fight w ith them as he enters the mandala, but a w om an appears in his dream
encouraging h im to enter w ith o u t hesitation. Rgod Idem enters facing the
south and then sees a darkening doud, but the w om an quickly proceeds to
0*3
Ibid, pg. 114.2... yu l p h yo g s' di gling chen p o 'ja m bui g lin g y in / nga ni
rang byung gi rgyal po 'chi med rd o rje bya ba y in / d k h y il khor gsum po 'd i
sangs rgyas kyi zhing khams m am par dag pa gsum y in te / 'd i gsum gyi
bdag p o ng a y in / 'd i'i zhing khams rig tu / khyod rang 'ong 'd o d kyin dug
p a / legs par bltos rig gsung 'd u g pa dang/...
' N. W bjkow itz, 1965: 181 ff.
84
gather up this cloud as if collecting silk strands revealing a broad valley flanked
by staggered mountains.
Rgod Idem asks the woman, "there is no change in w hat appeared in m y
dream the last time, but when I awake from this sleep, w ill change or not?"
The woman replies, "a t a tim e when one still possesses defilem ents and
mental traces, a dream, although thought to be permanent, leads to suffering,
it is impossible for the land you are seeing now to change Do not develop a
m ind filled w ith illusions."
A fter these w ords Rgod Idem thinks, " I am so happy, Lho
'Bras m o
gshongs has been delivered in to m y hands. I am free from thoughts of its
existence or non-existence N ow even the anxiety of fin d in g or not fin d in g a

w ay [to the hidden-land] is not necessary."*
.As this dream unfolds, Rgod Idem moves up the valley w ith a group of
w'oman and pack animals. A fte r them armies hoisting banners and m any
soldiers wearing red coats go by. Reaching the base of a tall castle Rgod Idem
sees a maroon-complexioned w om an preparing food in a grassy o ve rg ro w n
area, inside the castle is a tree glistening red w ith lots of blood sticking to its
trunk. Dam srid demons appear as m any ferocious barking dogs loo kin g at
him w ith angry eyes and he slays them w ith the aid of his 'm agic dagger'
(phur p a / klla).
Then as the dream draw s to a close Rgod Idem thinks, "th is place belongs
to me. A fter control over it has come to m e I must create an auspicious
Byang gter . pg.117.2... nyon mongs bag chag dang bcas pa kyi dus n a / rm i
lam rtag 'd zin byas kyang sdug sngal du 'g y u r/ ding sang m thong pa'i yu l 'd i
'g y u r mi srid k y is / n yin g 'k h ru l gyi b io ma byed zer 'dug pa d a ng / bdag gi
bsam pa la nga re dga' / lh o 'bras m o gshongs rang la lag bcangs su b y u n g /
yin m in gyi rtog pa dang bral / da lam thar m i thar gyi sdug bsngal kyang m i
dgos par 'd u g teams pa dang/...
85
connection fo r it not to change" He enters the samadhi of Rdo rje phur pa

(Vajrakila) and wakes up scattering flowers and repeating the ten-syllable
mantra.
In the year fo llo w in g this dream, Rgod Idem and his party are exploring
the upper part of Mon Bde chen po, when suddenly the sky and intermediate
spaces fill up w ith b rillia n t rainbow light. That n ig h t he dreams of participating
in a feast in the company of four maroon-com plexioned woman. A t that time,
one of the w om an asks him, " Master, where are you going?" Rgod Idem starts
to cry, saying, " I am going to 'Bras mo gshongs. I have tried for three years
very hard, but i have not found it."
"W o rk lik e this is difficult." She replies, "This strong w ork of the Acarya
and m y own, a w om an's work, are similar. First i am happily plucking the
wool, next I am powerless to tu m m y attention from the entangled threads,
and finally, when i nearly reach the end of m y w ork, ! am unable to complete
it. Because yo u r mission is sim ilar to that, you have difficulties to reach its end.
Be diligent!" m
W ith these w ords the woman directs Rgod Idem tow ards the east, w here
he arrives in the m id d le of the land of M on before a big castle Inside he meets
a m onk w h o declares that he is the 'lo rd of the land' (gzhi bdag) and w h o
30
Ibid, pg.119.1... bd ag g i yul 'd i rang la dbang yong phan ch a d/ p h yism i

'g yu r ba'i rten 'brel rab gnas pa tig bya dgos bsams/ p h ur ba'i ting nge 'd zin
la shugs/ rten 'brel snying po dang/ ki la ya 'bru bcu'i sa'i sngags mang du
brangs/ me tog dor ba dang gnyid pa d o n g /
Îbid, pg.120.2... slob dpon nyid gang du gshegs zer r o / nga 'bras mo
bshongs (gshongs?) su 'g ro ba yin te / lo gsum dka ba spyad pas da ru r (rer?)
ma m yed / 'd i 'd ra 'i bya ba dka' ba byung byas/ gsungs pas/ m o n a re / slob
dpon gyi las stobs 'd i d a n g / bdag bu med kyi las 'd ra ste/ dang po bal gyeng
b a la d g a ' / b a rd u snal m a 'd z in g s nas rig p a 'g y u r dbang m e d / th a m a
86
paints him west beyond fo u r deep valleys towards a lo fty snow m ountain
where he w ill find 'Bras mo gshongs. When he reaches a snow gorge, a
maroon-complexioned girl of about sixteen years of age appears saying: " 1
have shown you many signs d u rin g the last year. Since then, because of
im pure remnants of yo u r previous karma, you have not recognized the
location of the hidden-land. Now, as far as the land you recognize, d o not
change your vision of it - go!" 01
in the summer of 1375, Rgod Idem has more dream encounters w ith the
ru d d y muse, w ho on one occasion offers him a pair of w hite felt boots telling
him he is about to reach 'Bras mo gshongs.
*02
Soon after this dream, Rgod
Idem 'opens the door' to the hidden-land at a place called Sgo yol.
For the next five years, especially during the summer thaws, Rgod Idem
continues to explore the region. On M ount Gangs chen
mdzod
Inga
he
excavates a statue of Guru Padmsambhava in his w rathful m anifestation (G u ru

Drag po), and in the low er valleys he discovers m any hidden tools such as axe
blades and sieves, which he barters w ith local tribesmen in exchange fo r food.
m thar 'don tsam na nyin re rang mi nus par brda/ de dang 'dra bas m thar
'don pa dka' ste rem m dzod cig zer te / kha shar du ltas song/
01 ibid, pg.121.3... bu mo smug m o lo bcu drug tsam Ion pa cig na re / n yid la
na ning nas brda mang po bstan lags te / sngon gyi las kyi lhag ro ma dag pas
dus da lta 'i bar du sbas pa'i yul ma mkhyen pa lags so / deng sang mkhyen
pai yul 'd ir migs pa'i rten ma 'g y u r ba m dzod la bzhud cig zer r o /
:nz
Ibid, pg.122.3... stag lo nub z la 'b rin g

'gag bros pa zin nas/ tshur log p a 'i dus
t i i med dm ar m o g rig lham dkar po rig
na ning du bdag gis zhus te / da bdag gi
'bras m o gshongs su slebpa b d a '/
p o 'i n ye rbd u n gyi nub m o bio log

thorangs kyi cha la bdag gi sngas su
khyer yongs nas/ slob dpon n y id la
lham di gon la m yu r por gzhud r ig /
m M ount Kanchenjunga on the modem map of the Nepal Himalayas.
87
In a place called Mchod rten nyi ma,"" (the Stupa of the Sun), he stumbles
across a natural rock-form ation resembling one hundred self-arisen statues and
many self-arisen letters. He makes these discoveries know n in Tibet by
attaching letters to the necks of vultures tw o tim es.'05 They stay in M o n fo r
another three years and they return to M ount Bkra bzang in Central Tibet in
the rat year (1384).
By this time, the political situation in Gung thang has im proved. The
Byang pa invaders have been repulsed, and their lord killed in a skirmish on
the border area of Sky id rong by enemy soldiers w h o shoot nine arrows into
his bo dy.'0" The young prince Mchog grub lde (d. 1389) is installed on the
throne of G ung thang, and the sacred hidden scrolls discovered by the d d
herm it Bzang po such as Gsol \iebs le'u bdun
ma,'"' now safely reach his
hands. The Prince then issues an edict on Tuesday, August 31, 1389, declaring:
[O w in g to] the compassion of U rgyan
Padma byung
gnas
( Padmasambhava) and Dharmarajah Khri srong lde btsan, Lama Ri bo

Bkra bzang pa rediscovered [texts] hidden as religious Treasures, which
CM
For a m odem account of a pilgrim age to this place see K. Buffetrille,

" Pelerinages et incestes: le cas the Mchod rten nyi m a", in Tibetan M ountain
Deities, their Cults and Representations, (ed.) A .-M . Blondeau, (Wien:1998),
19-42.
05 History o f Sikkim, pg.16.
,0b Tshe dbang nor bu, pg.118... gung thang la shin tu tshe ba che zhing
m thar kho rang yang skyid rong du phyin par rong pa m am s dang khrug
ste m da dgu lus la zug nas mthsams su tshe'i dus byas par grags/.
See G. W. H o u s to n ," G sol' debs Bsam Lhun ' G rub Ma - the supplication for
natural desires to be granted", in Zentralasiatsche Studien (Bonn:1975), 9-22.
Also see E. H elm ut & Pema Tsering," Bibliographische Bemerkungen zu G.
Houston Gsol debs bsam lhun 'grun ma", in Zentralasiatische Studien,
(1976), vol. 10, 677-682.
88
were needed by the royal lineage [These Treasuresl being suitable to

our royal line, from now on, the divin e heritage of the Dharmarajahs
and the line of Lama Rig 'dzin [Rgod Idem can] are bound as 'priest
[and] patron' (yon mchod) fo r as long as the Buddhist teachings w ill last.
Ri
bo
dpal
'bar,
the three hidden-lands w hich
are
under
my
sovereignty, are all awarded to our officiating priest (Rgod Idem can)
and his disciples in future times to come - as m ain [donations], including
th e ir quarters, hermitages [andl monasteries, and nom ad pastures.
IQS
But peace in Gung thang does not endure King Mchog grub lde dies
under mysterious circumstances in the same year he issues his generous edict,
when he "falls from a horse".
109
Then his younger brother Bsod nams lde
(1371-1404) ascends the throne to embark on a m ilita ry campaign to punish his

form er enemies the Stod lho, Byang and the Shar pa, and appointing his ow n
generals in Pu hreng, Glo bo and Dol po.
The fu ture looks even m ore om inous from the outside, as Tamerlane's
(1336-1405) 'h o ly w ar' (jih a d ) against Buddhist infidels reaches a climax in
Central Asia, and the M uslim kings of Kashmir, Sikandar (ruled 1394-1416) and
Zain ul A bidin (1420-1470) begin to raid the lands of Ladakh and threaten the
* Byang gter, pg.126.1... u rgyan padma 'byung gnas d a n g / chos rgyal khri
srong lde btsan gyi thugs rjes/ rgyal rgyud la dgos pa'i chos gter du behag
p a / bla ma ri bo bkra beang pa 'i bton p a / nged rgyal po'i gdung rgyud la
'p h ro d pas/ d in g sang chos skyong rgyal p o 'i lha rgyud d a n g / bla ma rig
'd z in pa'i rg y u d / sangs rgyas kyi bstan pa gnas ring la yon m chod byed pas/
ri bo dpal 'bar d a ng / sbas yul gsum gyi gtso byas p a 'i/ nged kyi mnga' 'og
d u / khong gi gnas gzhi dben d g o n / bod 'brog gi gzhis/ bu slob byung pa
thams ca d / bla ma mchod gtsang m ar ston pa yin. For a fu ll translation of
this edict see J. Herweg (1994), 128-133. A lso see Tshe dbang nor bu, pp.11920, w h o attributes this edict to Bsod nam ld e For a note on this apparent
discrepancy also see R. V ita li, The Kingdoms o f Gu.ge, Pu.hrang,
(Dharamsala: 1996), 483-488.
89
Tibetan provinces of Gtsang and Byang. By the m iddle of the 15th century the
search for Guru Padmasambhava's hidden-lands also begins to gain a new
impetus.
ICR
Tshe dbang nor bu, pg.118... kh ri mchog grub lde chibs bcag par th o le
thang khar byon pas chibs kyis skyur te sku gshegs.
90
Chapter Five:
The Path Finders
91
The U n tim e ly Expedition of O rgyan Bstan gnuis g lin g pa:
in the afterm ath of the Tibetan d v il w ar that results fro m the collapse of
the Mongol empire, real pow er in Tibetan politics fell in to the hands of Byang
chub rgyal m tshan (1302-1364) of the Rlang clan, w h o had been appointed to
head the m yria rch y of Sne'u gdong
by the Sa skya pa.
Com ing in to open
conflict w ith the Sa skya pa , w h o capture and torture h im on three different

occasions, Byang chub rgyal
mtshan fin a lly overcame his enemies and
consolidated his own dynasty know n as the Phag mo g ru (1354-1436). He

replaced m any of the old Sa skya officials w ith his own 'fort-holders' (rdzo ng
dpon) and started to clean out Mongol influence
The Phag mo g r u , were in tu m challenged by their ow n appointees, the

Riu spungs pa of Gtsang w h o ruled under three generations of princes (1436-
1565). This period also witnesses the rise of the Dge lugs pa sect whose legacy
of theocratic reform was to dom inate the religious life of Central Tibet fro m
th e m id -1 7 h century onward.
Meanwhile, next to this vision of em pire and m onastic reform, was the
shadow w o rld of the Treasure finders and their patrons among the ailing
ro ya lty of G utig thang, w h o still dreamed of restoring the Tibetan m onarchy
to its form er prestige in Tibet. Increasingly m arginalized fro m the mainstream
of political and religious reform, these kings and their officiating priests found
themselves loo kin g tow ards the borderlands fo r vision.
Before his death in 1407, Rgod Idem is said to have discovered the 'e n try
certificates' and 'keys' (kha byang, Ide mig) to seven hidden-lands.
92
The M a 'ongs lung btsan gsal ba'i sgron me, a compilation of prophecies
attributed to Padmasambhava, confirms the hidden-lands listed in the O u te r
Passkey. It says that between the southern borderlands of M o n up to the Ti se
range in north and Rkong po there are eleven hidden-lands, tw o in M n g a ' ris,
seven in Gtsang, and fo u r in Dbus.m A m ong these, the seven principal hiddenlands are: Bde Idan Skyid mo lung, Sbas pa Padma'i tshal, Rol pa M kha' 'gro
gling, Rgyal g y i M khan
pa lung, U ia 'i pho
brang sding, bar y u l Bras m o
Ijongs, Sgro mo khud.m
W hile Rgod Idem personally visited some of these places in his life tim e
the further opening of these hidden-lands awaited future reincarnations of
Tibetan masters w h o were designated by the prophetic Commandments of
Guru Padmasambhava. The guidebook to Yol mo says:
When
human
lifespan averages sixty,
the directions
to
my
Treasures can be revealed, and one person shall find the road-maps to
the hidden-lands. Then, when human lifespan further decreases to fifty,
Tibetan w ill establish themselves in the hidden-lands.
112
Furthermore, Rgod Idem had reconcealed some of his Treasures because

the tim e to reveal them had not yet arrived:
Clear Lamp, p p .455-6.
11 ibid, pp.531-2.
93
[He] established m any 'entry certificates' and 'keys' to the m a jo r
holy places and the seven great hidden-lands. [These] became know n as
the Treasures, w hich lik e a minister, externally benefit Tibet and Khams.
Yet because [the tim e was not right] to disseminate a few of these, he
concealed in the earth those [Treasures] which needed to be hidden as
'fu rth e r Treasures' (yang gter)
[according] to the Guru's prophetic
com m andm ents.1-J
in the early 16,h century, w e find the im patient k in g of Cung thang, Nyi
zla grags pa bzang po'i lde (h 1514), already pleading w ith a Treasure fin d er to
unearth these Treasures before their designated tim e The priest in question is
0 rgyan Bstan gnyis gling pa (alias Padma Tshe dbang rgyal po),
114
w h o is
known as one of the eleven Treasure finders w ith the ho no rific suffix g lin g pa.
His
biography
quotes
the
fo llo w in g
prophecy
from
the
Thang
hagiography of Padmasambhava:
M ilita ry camps w ill be constructed in the nine [districts of] Yar 'brog
mtsho gling. In a clash of weapons the th irty -tw o armies of Gtsang w ill
perish. Based on these omens the hidden Treasure tro ve of the Rtsis
Byang gter , pg.545.1... tshe lo drug bcu kha ral dus su nga'i gter kha nas
kha byang dang lun g byang m yed nas7o yul gyi phyogs dang lam bm yed
par 'g yu r ro% Inga bcu pa'i dus na yul 'debs%
Gcod y u l , pg.104.4 ..sbas yul chen po bdun gtso bor gyur pa'i gnas yul
mang po'i them byang Ide'u m ig sogs behugs pas bod khams spyi la phan pa
blon po Ita bu gter gcig bya ba yongs su grags/ yang 'ga' zh ig spel du m i
b tu b p a mams slar yang gter du sba dgos pa mams gu ru 'i lung bstan (105)
sa gnas so sor sba ba mdzad...
A short biography that appears in the Guru s Qrya senge'i rnam thar
rndor bsdud nges shes dren pa'i shing rta, composedby a Rig 'd z in 'P h rin
las Bdud 'jams (1726-1789), and deposited at the Nepal German M anuscript
Preservation Project in Kathmandu, fols.36, bearing the reel no. E-2691/6.
yig
94
Temple shall not remain but be expelled forth. The Treasure discoverer
called 0 rgyan Bstan gnyis gling pa w ill c o m e "3
When 0 rgyan Bstan gnyis gling pa extracts the Treasures buried under
the Rtsis Tem ple"6 the king of Gung thang insists that he now extract those
Treasures reconcealed by Rgod Idem at Ri bo Dpal 'bar:
Furthermore, in order to dispel people's misunderstanding, the

King of Gung thang requested the great treasure discoverer of the
necessity to extract Ri bo Dpal ' bars Treasures in public (khrorn g ter).:'
He told the master, "even though I am personally responside fo r
guarding these [Treasures!, even though the Treasures of Dpal bar are
not destined as your share of Treasures, then take out [only] one
[Treasure] scroll." An entire retinue [of people! assemded [w aiting! fo r
the master to comply, and as soon as they arrived before the d iff
I know n as! Rgya gram - before everyone's sight - from the opening in
the m outh of the rock, [inside] a pot fu ll of yellow scrolls, the one [scrolll
to be taken out swirled around as if m oved by a w in d [and] was
extracted.
A t that [tim e] a m antradhara [called] Che mchog Rdo rje from Do
bo d ie requested that still m ore be removed for the sake of sentient
beings, [w h ile the Treasure finder] reached in to take out [m ore scrolls]
the m outh of the rock clamped shut and chopped off his forefinger. (6a)
A t that time, the Treasure guardian Jo mo Rgya gar ma appeared in a
3 Phrin las, fol.5a.l... yar 'brog m tsho gling dgu la dmag sgar 'cha' % stag
'th a b n a n g du gtsang dmag sum gnyis 'chi % rtsis kyi lha khang sbas pa'i gter
kha 'd i % mi bzhag 'don pa'i rtags de bstan nas byung % o rgyan bstan gnyis
gling pa zhes bya 'byung %
16 see Kun bzang, pp. 240-41 fo r a m ore detailed description of this Treasure
called Sangs rgyas dgongs 'dus.
On the notion of khrom gter see M. A ris (1989), 120-134.
95
very angry form and the m antradhara Che mchog Rdo rje was afflicted
US
w ith illness because of d istu rbin g the Treasure
This episode serves as a rem inder of how the act of Treasure discovery
could be dangerous. As texts like the Outer Passkey caution, these Treasures
must only be extracted by those specific individuals w h o hold the prophetic
'seal of appointm ent' (gtad rgya) - and even then, only at a specifically
designated times (dus la bab) . Neglecting these conventions can p ro v o k e
disastrous consequences fo r those involved and can even lead to death, as in
the case of the unfortunate m antradhara from Do bo che.
Bstan gnyis g ling pa's u n tim ely venture, nevertheles, served to heal the
doubts of the local com m unity, w h o rewarded him the hereditary stewardship
of the Byams sp rin tem ple It was from this strategically located 'bordertaming' dntha' d u l) tem ple that Bstan gnyis gling pa's descendents were to
populate the hidden-lands on the Nepal-Tibet frontier in the next generation.
'Phrin las: 5h2... de yang gter ston chen par mnga' bdag gung thang
rgyal pos 'gro ba'i log rtogs gsal p h y ir ri bo dpal 'bar nas khrom gter bzhes
dgos par bskul ba'i tshe/ slob dpon chen po la gsol ba b ta b p a s / rang zhal
mngon sum du bstan te dpal 'bar gyi gter mams khyod kyi gtrer skal m in
kyang de ltar na shog ril zhig long shig long shig gsung ba'i gnang ba thob
par brten 'dus pa'i 'k h o r dang bcas te b ra g rd o rje rgya gram du byon ma
th a g / kun gyi m thong sar brag kha bye pa'i nang du shog ser rdza ma gang
'd u g pa nas bzhes rg y u 'i shog ril te rlun g gi bskyod pa lta r 'k h o r zhing 'd u g
pa de bzhes/ der m d o bo che'i sngag 'chang che mchog rd o rjes 'g ro ba'i don
yin pas da dung bzhes dgos zhus nas bzhes par brtsams pas glo bur du brag
kha 'g rig pa'i bar du gter ston gyi phyag (6a) m dzub kyang shor la khad
byung skad/ der gter bdag jo m o rgya gar ma shin tu khros pai gzigs snang
byung ba lta r sngags 'chang che mchog rd o rje la gter tu r byung nas snyun
gyis z in / rdzong khar phebe ba'i lam dgun mda' nas bgrong bar phyogs pa'i
tshe/ gter ston chen p o 'i sku 'phang du dbu mgas gtad de skye ba 'd i la
khyed la log rtog gi bskur ba yang mang po thal skye ba phyi ma khyed kyi
sras su rjes su bzung dgos zhus nas gshegs so/ rin g por ma thogs pa gter
ston gyis sras su sprul sku 'k h ru l med du byon/ de skabs m d o bo che bar
dgon ma lag dang 'brel ba bdun tsam yod pa las shel ri byams sprin dang
96
bcas pa sprul pa'i sku rgyud bcas la 'p h ul bas deng sang byams sprin gyi gnas
'd zin byed dgos byung ba 'd i'o /.
97
Opening the Snoan/ M o u n ta in Ranee of Yol m o :
Besides Bstan gnyis gling pa, w e find other Treasure finders gravitating to
the court of the Gung thang King Nyi zla grags pa.
One such person is Rig
'dzin Mchog ldan mngon po (alias Gter ston M do sngags gling pa) w h o plays
an instrumental role in reinstigating the search for the hidden-lands.
119
This master is the 'heart-son' of the famous Bhutanese Treasure finder

Padma gling pa (1450-1521), w h o warns his disdple that the conditions fo r
extracting his share of Treasures is not yet rip e We fin d Mchog ldan mngon po
perform ing fierce rites in the fo khang temple of Uia sa to repel border-arm ies
trying to invade Tibet. Tw o years after Padma gling pa's death, we are told that
Mongolian
armies invade the nomadic territories
of
Byang,
and
their
depredations intensify in the fo llo w in g years.

A t this time, Mchog ldan mngon po travels to central Tibet asking fo r
donations from the officials of Tibet's 'fo u r horns' (ru bzhi) to perform a
w rathful rituals to repulse the Mongols. The paraphernalia he requests include
the "skull of a Mongol person w h o has never heard the Buddha's teachings,"
along w ith the names of the Mongol generals to be ritu a lly subjugated.
120
Mchog ldan mngon po then makes a pilgrim age to the famous fo bo

shrine in Sky id rang, where he meets a Treasure fin d er by the name of Ngag
chang Shakya Bzang po (1475-1530) m editating in a nearby cave. He hands
Kun bzang, pp. 255.5-258
12D
Ibid, pg.221.4... rdzas ci 'dra dgos zhus pas/ hor chos ma thos pa'i thod pa
dgos/ hor gyi dm ag dpon m am s k y i m ing shes dgos gsungs/.
98
over to h im m any 'entry certificates' to the hidden-lands, and specifically urges
h im to open a hidden-land called 'The Snowy M ountain Range of Yolmo' ( Yol
mo Gangs ra also know n as Padma'i tshal)
121
~ - a hidden-land shaped like a
lotus stalk that is meant to be opened as a refuge fo r Tibetans fleeing from the
122
province of Stod.'
The guidebook to Yol mo w arns pilgrim s of natural and
supernatural hazards they may encounter on the way:
A t the end of tim e those Tibetans w h o are bound by suffering

should escape to this area. India and Tibet w ill be conquered by the
M uslim Turks, at that time, in the west of M ang y u l, east of Gnya' n a m
in between there is a wall of snow, below hidden under thick forests
which are difficult to cross, there is a rugged valley. The gods, demons
and protector deities of that place are fierce in the m iddle of that valley
there is a pestilential lake where there lives a venemous naga The rock
cliffs rise sheer tow ards the sky, and the w ild btsan deities are w rathful;
there are many female poisoners, witches, [and] yetis (mi rgod) w ith
;23
faces of birds.'
Guru Bkra' skis, v o l.2, pg.31... ri bo dpal 'bar du thugs 'dam la rgyun ring
bzhugs/ spyan ras gzigs 'k h o r ba dong sprugs kyi sku li dm ar las grub pa
gter nas bzhes/ dpal 'bar gyi lha 'dabs dkar gye zhes pa' dben dgon du
rgyang tsam bzhugs/ de skabs rig dzin mchog ldan m ngon po skye grong
jo bo mjal bar phebs p a / dkar gyer gdan drangs/ gter ston sprul sku des
sbas yul spyir sger gyi kha byang mang po rje di par gnang nas/ sbas yul
sgo 'fcyed pa d a n g / 'd z in pa'i bka' babkhyed la yod pas cis kyang lag tu
longs ma m dzod gsungs/zhal ta dang bden brjod smon lam m dzad pa bzhin
sbas yul padm a'i tshal la m / yol mo gangs rar phebs tsu ti dgon pa btab/
Byang gter, pg.535.2... de 'd ra i dus su bod kyi skyid pa zad pas% dge byed
chos pa dang% skye bo chos la dkar ba mams lh o bal dang rong la bros%
khyad par stod kyi sa cha la gnas pa mams% yol m o gangs kyi ra ba la bros
gcig7o dang po gangs bkra shis tshe ring m a'i n ub thad% grong khyer li'i
byang shar na% sbas yul padm a'i tshal zhes fcya ba% lun g pa'i dfcyibs thams
cad padm a'i sdong po 'd ra ba gcig yod7o
Ibid, pg.531.2... dus tha ma la bod sdug bsngal gyis nyams thag pa mams
der bros gcig% de nas rgya gar (dkar) dang bod kha ba can gyi yul bdud
99
No detailed biographical or autobiographical accounts of Shakya bzang

po's journey in to the forests of Yol mo (Padma'i tshal) have yet come to light,
and his short biography does not go in to great detail about his expeditions. Yet
the guidebooks to the hidden land of Yol mo found in the collection of
N orthern Treasures give us an idea of the preparations necessary fo r the
journeys.
First, gather w hat is necessary fo r the expedition, in preparation

perform a m onth's m editation retreat in one of m y sacred places. A fte r
that search for the way. Wherever you go, take an arrow w ith 5-color
silk ribbons at the end and a m irror, as well as a large q u an tity of
provisions to make oblations and grain offerings to the gods.
Because [this hidden valley] has been entrusted to the guardian
deity of the place, Rdo rje Legs pa, Upasaka Glom
ru and the Btsan
[spirit] <Vlo ta, depart [only] after having offered good clean victuals to
these guardian deities, in the east you need to go across flat plains, in
the south you need to enter in the direction of a great river, in the west
you need to enter in the direction of snowy m ountains and rock cliffs.
The route [from ] the north is very difficult. But, even if you enter fro m
those three directions, carefully examine the cliffs, rivers and forests.
Place [path] markers in the dense forests. Bring axes and chisels to
properly clear the [overgrow n 1 path.
When you are unable to proceed because of rain and being
enveloped in fog, pray to Guru Rinpoche and the protector deities, if
strange things happen d u rin g snow storms and rain, then you should
bum the stool of a black dog along w ith 'ku ku r' resin (A m yris Galloca).
Recite the m antra of the 'Ten Furies' and all the demons w ill vanish. If
dmag du ru kas brtul ba'i dus na% n ub mang yul la gtad pa% shar gnya'
nams la gtad pa'i bar na phu gangs kyi chod pa% mda' nags kyis chod pa'i
lung pa btsan po gcig yoci do% de'i lha 'd re dang gzhi bdag ni tsub po% lung
pa de'i gting na m tsho gnyan po gcig yod% (532) de la klu gdug pa can yod%
100
threatened by w ild animals make sounds w ith y o u r ritual instrum ents

and bum theO aba shin kun?). if you pray to me, Padmasambhava, you
w ill fin d the w a y .124
A fte r enum erating more hazards, the guidebook describes reaching the
center of the hidden-land, where it lays out the ideal plan for a fu tu re m ountain
settlement:
From the center of that place you can see all around like a m irro r.
The m id d le of the land looks like a tray of gems. There you can build the
city of kings, in the north there is a m ountain rising like a jeweled stupa
in the m idd le of which you must build an offering shrine to Guru
Rinpoche's lineage-holders and a retreat center. In the east, there are
grassy meadows as smooth as a thanka. Below that build a shrine fo r
Shakya Senge (a monk
manifestation of
Guru
Rinpoche)
and
monastary fo r monks. Where there is a hill w ith meadows and forests

b u ild a temple for AvalokiteSvara w ith liv in g quarters. To the west there
is a m ountain that looks like a wom an w earing an apron. In front of
brag gnams du snyog pa 'dra ba la% bstan rgod dregs pa can y o d / m o ngs
gdug pa can dang bsen m o yod% mi rgod bya'i gdong pa can yod%
~4 Ibid, pg.519.1... dang p o la m gyi yo b ye d mang du khur% u rgyan nga'i
thugs bsgrubdben pa gcig tu zla ba gcig du bsgrubpa shig% de i dred gdeng
dang ldan pa'i dus su lam btsal te% lam gang nas 'g ro yang m dal rgod sgro
ma la dar sna Inga dang me long gsal ba btags% gser skyems dang 'bru
mchod kyi chas mang du khyer% gnas de'i gzhi bdag rd o rje legs pa dang%
dge bsnyen (gloms ru ?) dang% m o ta'i lha btsan la gtad yod pas70 bshos
bzang gtsang ma la% gzhi bdag mchod nas 'gro'o% de yang shar gyi lam
gya spang la phal cher 'gro dgos% lho chu bo chen p o 'i mtshams nas 'ju g
dgos% nub gangs dang brag gi mtshams nas 'ju g dgos% lam byang bgrod
dka'7c phyogs gsum ka nas 'ju g kyang7o brag dang chu dang nags kyi rong
la rigs pa zh ib m o s dpyad gro% m ig m thong re la m th o re gzugs7o nags dog
pa mams la m tho lag sgral (ste?) du gzugs7c ti'u dang gzong khyer la lam
dka' ba mams legs par 'chos kyin 'gro70 kha char dang (520) rm ug pa byung
pa'i7o sa 'k h o r nas 'g ro ma nyan na% gu ru la gsol ba gdab7o gzhi bdag la
bden pa brdar70 cho 'p h ru l dang kha char che grags na70 khyi nag po i lud
bsreg pa dang70 gu gul gyi dud pa btang7o khro bcu'i sngags rings kyis bgegs
tsher gcad do70 gcan zan dang sems can gdug pa'i cho 'p h ru l che na% rol
m o'i sgra sgrag70 gla ba shing kun mu z i'i dud pa btang70 padma bdag la gsol
ba 'debs kyin p h yin na7c lam bgrod par 'g y u r ro70
101
there, build a tem ple for the Buddha Am itabha and build a large
com m unity for dharma practitioners. To the north, in the range w here
there is the m ountain like a jeweled stupa, there is a cave opening to the
southeast; there you w ill find a sacred place belonging to me, U rgyan
(Padmasambhava), called Yang dag mchog g i bsgrub gnas. From the top
*25
of there you can see the m editation cave of Yang le bshod.'
According to the Tibetan historian Guru Bkra snis, the M antradhara

Shakya bzang po made several trips in to the hidden-land, where he built a
temple called 'T s u ti'1''' and a lineage of Yol mo incarnations, w h o were to play a
key role in the preservation and propagation of the Northern Treasures in the
fo llo w ing centuries.
Ibid, pg.521.3... yul de'i dbus nas phyogs mtshams me long gi ngos ltar
mthong ba% sa'i dbus ni rin po che'i gzhong pa 'dra ba yod% der rgyal po'i
gling gdab dgos% de'i byang phyogs na ri sna rin po che'i mchod stong
btsugs pa lta bu y o d / de'i rtsa (rise?) bar padma 'byung gnas rig 'd z in gyi lha
khang bzhengs la% gnas der dge byed kyi gling tshugs% shar na spang
bshongs bde ba dar gyi yol ba 'b ri pa lta bu yoa% de'i 'dabs su shakya seng
ge'i lha khang dang% dge 'dun btsug pa'i gling thob% lh o phyogs (522) na
spangs dang nags 'dres pa'i ri gdong gcig yod% de'i dbus su phag pa sphyan
ras gzigs kyi lha khang dang% skye bo yongs kyi gnas thob% n ub na btsun
mo thu ba rkyang pa dra ba'i ri yod7e de'i m dun du sangs rgyas 'od dpag
med kyi lha khang dang% dge fcyed kyi sde chen po tshugs
(btshugs/btsugs)% byang ri rin po che'i mchod sdong dra ba'i rgyud la%
brag phug kha shar lh o r bstan pa gcig yod% de u rgyan ngai yang dag
mchog gi bsgrub gnas y in no% de'i rise nas bltas pas yang le bshod kyi brag
phug mthong%
*26
One local tra d ition reported by G.Clark (1980) claims Churi-Ghyang to be

a corrupt pronunciation fo r btsu ri - "curved antelope horn". For doubts
concerning this etym ology see F.K. Ehrhard (1997), d50.
102
The Incredibly Long Life o f Legs ldan Rdo rie gro lo d :
The M antradhara Shakya Bzang po induded among his disdples, the

reincarnation of Rgod Idem. The boy, called Legs ldan rd o rje, was bom in to a
"fa m ily of secret mantradhara-s belonging to the lineage of Tibet's heavenly
dharmaraja-s Cod gsal lha rigs bod chos kyi rgyal po'i gdung 'dzin pa'i gang
sngags chang ba'i r g y u d ) , >V as the son of a certain 'Jam dbangs rin chen rgyal
mtshan liv in g in the small Tibetan border kingdom of Glo bo.,7&

W hile the K ingdom of Glo, in the early 15:h century, was strongly
influenced by the Sa skya pa sect and particularly the lam 'bras
teachings of
the Sa skya pa sect,'^ the young Legs ldan rd o rje gravitated towards the
charismatic personalities of Treasure finders like Mchog ldan mngon po and
Shakya Bzang po, the latter of whom bestowed on h im the complete N orthern
Treasure empowerments and teachings, and m ade h im aware of his destiny as
a Treasure finder.
inducted in to the messianic ideology of these Treasure finders, Legs ldan
rd o rje was also appointed to unearth several hidden Treasures that w ould
'tame' a period of civil unrest. The Tibetan historian, Guru Bkra shis quotes a
prophecy from the Thang yig hagiography of Padmasambhava:
*27
G uru Bkra shis, v o l.2, pg.42.
125 Present day M ustang situated in northwestern Nepal.

For the early religious history of the kingdom of Glo see D. Jackson, The
Mollas o f Mustang, (Dharamsala:1984).
103
The border armies w ill obscure Central [Tibet]. The female yak and
the pig w ill fight. Dbus and Gtsang w ill be wrecked in to pasture [fo ri a
small herd of pigs. Based on these omens the hidden Treasure tro ve of
the Tiger's Den at 'On p in t shall not remain but be expelled forth. The
130
Treasure discoverer called Rdo rje gro lod w ill come
Guru Bkra shis then provides the fo llo w in g gloss on the prophecy:
As for the omens of the time, they correspond exactly to when the
Mongols began to raid M do Smart, the internecine struggles of B ri
gung pa, [and] the decline of G overnor Phag m o gru pa's Law when
[fields] turned in to pasture The Lord Legs ldan completely extracted the
cycle of teachings of the 'W ra th fu l Ten-Heads' (drags po'i dbu dgit) fro m
the Tiger's Den at 'On p h u and bestowed it onto Gnas gsar ba M khyen
brtse'i dbang phyug (1524-1587), w h o [became] the principal guardian of
teachings. Then, as the tim e of the [prophecized] Treasure started to
npen, he departed to open the door to the [hidden-land] of ' Bras m
gshongs, [where] at dusk, on the tenth day of the seventh m onth of the
earth-snake year, he extracted this w onderful cycle of (longevity)

teachings of Tshe sgrub bdud rts i'i khyil ba from the rock cliffs [called]
Rin chen snying po.
130
Guru Bkra shis, vo l.2, pp.46-7... M tha' dmag dbus 'thibs 'b ri dang phag pa
'th a b % dbus gtsang sil bu phag khyu tshal par gas % 'on phu stag tshang
sbas pa'i gter kha di % mi bzhag 'don pa'i rtags de bstan nas 'b yu ng % gter
ston rd o rje gro lod zhes bya 'byung % For an alternative translation of this
passage and a discussion concerning the political subtext of Tibetan
prophecies see R. Pratz 1997:256-60.
131
Ibid,... zhes pa'i dus rtags h o r sog gis m d o smad la gnod pa byed pa'i m go
tshugs/ 'b ri gung pa nang zhig sde srid phag m o gru pa'i bstan pa nyams te
tshal par song ba sogs shin tu dus 'g rig pa la b rte n / rje legs ldan zhabs kyis
'on phu stag tshang nas/ drags po dbu d g u'i chos skor yongs su rdzogs pa
spyan drangs/ cos bdag gi gtso bo gnas gsar ba mkhyen brtse'i dbang phyug
la gnang/ gzhan yang rang gter lun g bstan gyi don thog tu babs te 'Ira s m o
gshongs kyi gnas sgo dbye par phebs/ sa 'brug zla ba bdun p a 'i tshes bcui
104
Besides this short hagiographical note, no fu rth e r details of this master's

journey to the hidden-lands have so far come to light. A lthough Legs ldan rd o
rje (1512-1625) reputedly lived to be over a hundered years old, it was his elder
brother, Mnga' ris Pan chen Padma dbang rgyal (1487-1542), whose next
reincarnation was to consolidate the fortunes of the Northern Treasures.
The M ongo l Repellers:
Legs ldan rd o rje's brother Mnga' ris Pan chen Padma dbang rgyal
reincarnated in the northern district of Gyas ru, in to a noble fa m ily descending
from Tangut ( M i nyag) royalty as Bkra shis stobs rgyal chos rgyal dbang poi
sde (1550-1607). in his childhood he received the transmissions of the N orthern
Treasures from Legs ldan rd o rje himself, and became the m ain systematizer of
these teachings in his generation. From a cave in Gtsang rong, he extracted
several cycles of hidden Treasures
legendary
Guru
Padmasambhava,
132
including a lengthy hagiograpy of the

which
contained
om inous
prophecies
concerning the invasion of the Hor (Mongols). When the Mongols attacked his
home province of Byang, he performed w rathful rituals associated w ith 'Black'
srod la tshe sg ru bb d u d rtsi 'k h y il pa'i chos skor ngo m tshar can 'd i rin chen
snying po'i brag nas spyan drangs/
132
These were th e Tshe 'grub sku gsum rig 'dus, the Karma g u r u i chos skor
and the M a rgyud khrag rlung ma.
105
Yama ( Gshin rje nag po), w hich repelled the hordes and brought happiness to
the land of Tibet.
133
Bkra shis stob rgyal's magic was equally effective against his enemies at
home. During his lifetime, the com m unity of the Northern Treasure yogins,
know n as vatn Lcog sgar, were still forced to w ander from place to place due
to the enm ity of Kar ma Tshe brtan Rdo rje (c 1565) the ruler of Gtsang w h o
had recently taken over power from the Rin springs pa. When Bkra shis stobs
rgyal failed to heal the rift peacefully, he resorted to w rathful magic - ritu a lly
slaying the u n ruly governor by casting an evil spell associated w ith
particularly virulent aspect of the god Vishnu Ckhyab
ju g ) - a deed that
subsequently earned him the h o norific title Byang bdag ('Protector of the
Northern [Treasuresl'
Bkra shis stobs rgyal's son Rig 'dzin Ngag gi dbang po (1580-1639) was
recognized as the third incarnation of Rgod Idem. He b u ilt the m onastary of
Rdo rje brag (1632) on the northern banks of the Tsang-po River, where the
itinerant
seminary
of
Northern
Treasure
practitioners
finally
found
permanent home. Bom in to the Za h o r dan on his m other's side, Ngag gi

dbang po thus became cousin to the 5!h Dalai Lama Ngag dbang bio bzang
rgya mtsho (1617-1682), w hom he blessed at birth.
3:5Lung bstan, fol,19h6... bkra thum dgu rtser rta skad tser ba'i tshe% gshin
rje nag po'i gzhan bzlog byas gyur na% ngam ring hor gyi 'ja m pa nges par
bzlog% byang chubsems dpa'i sprul pa chos sde'i ming% lha khang kun la
zhabs rtog mchod pa dang% gsol ba btab d n g yig drug 'dren pa dang% rigs
gsum mngon po'i gzungs 'don klu m chod dang% hor bzlog byas pa'i b o d la
bde skyid 'byung%
This is according to Bdud 'joms Rinpoche, The N vingm a School of Tibetan
Buddhism, (tr.) Gyurme Dorje and M atthew Kapstein, (Boston: 1991),
v o l.1,783.
106
W hile the m onastary of Rdo rje brag secured the fortune of the sect in
central Tibet, the messianic ethos of Northern treasures seemed out of step
w ith the Dalai Lama's vision of empire backed by M ongolian mercenaries.
in 1642, the 5,h Dalai Lama once again unified Tibet under a central
government. But this was achieved through an alliance w ith Gushri Khan of
the Qosot Mongols, whose armies defeated the Gtsang pa and terrorized all
other Tibetan factions posing a threat to the tem poral a u th o rity of the new
Dalai Lama. Even though the religious com m unity of the N orthern Treasures
was spared because of its close ties w ith the 5th Dalai Lama, other Rnying m a
pa masters such as Sog bzlog pa Bio gros rgyal mtshan dpal bzang po (1552-
1624), literally the "O ne w h o Turns Back the Mongol Hordes," held a ve ry
i i i
,i5
bleak view of current events.
in a small w o rk called an 'Account of Turning Back the Mongols' (Sog

bzlog bguis tshul g i lo rgyus), Sog bzlog pa talks about three m ajor periods of
Mongol invasion: The first of these, started w ith the incursions of the notorious
Mongolian captain Dor tog (Doorda Darqan), 36 whose depredations were so
v iv id ly lamented by texts lik e the Outer Passkey. The Mongol abuses of this
period, according to the author, reached a climax after 'Phags pa's death, when
Mongol troops were brought in to hunt dow n and put to death the renegade
governor Kun dga' bzang po.
A few years after this event, Sog bzlog pa
in Tibet, the follow ers of the Old Tantras, known as the 'A n cien t Ones'
(Rnying ma pa), never managed to combine ecclesiastic and tem poral
authority in the same w ay as other sects. In this group there developed a

secret circle of ritual specialists know n as 'M ongol Repellers' (Sog bzlog pa),
among w ho m Sog bzlog pa was perhaps the most outspoken proponent.
107
reports that the Dpon chen A g lan (the Grand Governor of Sa skya) used
Mongol mercenaries to invade 'B ri gung, where m any temples and scriptures
were put to the torch, and m any people and cattle were killed.
A t this time, the author states that a certain Bla ma 'Jam dbyangs Gsar ma
travelled all over central Tibet exhorting people to perform M ongol-repelling
ceremonies. The monks, Tantric practitioners, and the adherents of the Bon po
sect all perform ed rites according to their own traditions. He also m entions a
Rgyal ba Yang dgon pa (1213-1258) w h o collected offerings from the provinces
of Dbus and Gtsang and established the practice of repelling Mongols am ong
monks, Tantric practitioners and the Bon po. On one occasion it is reported that
he sat in m editation and repelled a Mongol invasion by the sheer pow er of his
m editative concentration on
the 'Great
Seal (mahamudra samadhi).
The
Mongol repellers of this period, according to Sog bzlog pa, included Gu ru

Chos kyi dbang phyug (1212-1269/1270), Ye shes khyung grags and Chos Bio
ste (?), Z u r Pakshi Shakya 'od, Sgrol ma ba Bsam 'g ru b rd o rje (1295-1375),
Gangs pa gral te sambho (?), Gra stag Rin chen rd o rje and others.
The second period of Mongol invasion, according to the author, coincided
w ith the childhood of the great Treasure discoverer Padma gling pa, and was
Sog bzlog, pg.217.3... bod du m tha' dm ag lan gsum ong bar lung bstan pa
la s/ lcags po byi ba lo gcig la / rgyal po go dan g y is / hor dor rtog dmag
dpung dang bcas pa btang nas... /. On the id e n tity o f ' Dor tog' see note 41.
37 ibid, pg.218.5... bla ma 'jam dbyang gsar mas dbus gtsang thams cad du
byon nas/ hor zlog gi dge bskul m dzad pas / ban sngags bon gsum so so nas
rang rang lugs kyi rim 'gro byas/ khyad par du rgyal ba yang dgon pas/
dbus gtsang nas phye phud bsdus/ ban sngags bon gsum so so zlog pa
btsugs/ thams cad la zhabs tog dang yon rdzong bzang po m dzad d e /
tshogs 'k h o r gyi dpang yang ri d o chad tsam byung ze r/ rje rang gis phyag
rgya chen p o 'i dgongs pa la zhag bdun du m nyam par gzhags pas/ hor
dmag zlog pa yin t e / .
108
predicted in prophecy texts lik e the Gsal ba'i me lo n g ." ' Sog zlog pa m entions
that about fifty-on e secret prophecies were circulating at that time, predicting
the invasions and prescribing rituals to repulse them - texts w hich he says
further strengthened the intent of repelling armies (dmag zlog gi dgcngs pa
315
gtad)
among a secret society of Tibetan bodhisattvas.

D uring this tim e masters like Karma pa Mi skyod rd o rje (1507-1554) and
the 'Bri gung [Chos rje Kun dga rin chen?l Rin po che (1475-1527) also spoke of
the im portance of m editating on the vital points (me btsa') of the Tibetan
landscape and b u ild in g special stupas to repel invading armies, but these
directives went unheeded fo r the most part, and due to people's lack of faith
the master Bsam 'g ru b Rdo rje was unable to take out the greater portion of
Treasures buried at Mchim pit pertaining to the repelling of armies.'40
Then according to Sog bzlog pa, at the tim e designated by the text called
the 'D a' ka'i zhal client,''' and the tim e of the m onth recommended by the text
called the Kun
gsal
me
l o n g , 1' all the im portant officials and religious
practitioners gathered in Lhasa, bringing together offerings fro m Tibets 'fo u r

horns' (rus bzlii).
These substances were required fo r a grand ceremony
prescribed in the 'Testament' (Bka clients) of Padma g lin g pa that included one
Unknown.
Sog bzlog, pg.220.
*40
ibid, pg.220.4... bstan pa gso thabs kyi lung bstan d e / dbus gtsang m do
khams kong po la sogs su bstan pa spyi rim bskul ba la btang na y a n g / byed
mi su yang ma byung bas thugs mugs ste/ m chim bu (phu) na dmag zlog gi
gter kha rgya cher yod kyang gdan ma drangs.
41 Unknown.
109
hundred fire-offerings, thread-crossing ceremonies, initiations, Tantric feasts,
rites of the m edicine Buddha and Tara, the restoration of the ancient bordertam ing (mtha did) and further-tam ing temples (yang did) and the resum ption
of the form er ritual offerings to these temples, perform ing a hundred rites of
attainment, suppression, Tantric feasts and fire-offerings at each of the fo u r
h o ly places of Rtsa ri, Yer pa, Stag tshang and T i se, to p u t a ban on hunting in
mountains and valleys. If these are not performed, the Testament warns, that
'people from the border'
(mtha'
m i)
w ould invade central Tibet and a
massacre w ill fo llo w .145

The author continues to say that in the earth-hare year (1519), tw o years
before his death, the master Padma gling pa, w h o was the uncontested master
of these M ongol-repelling rites, passed on this know ledge to Mchog ldan
mngon po. A fte r the death of Padma gling pa, it was now up to this disciple to
deal w ith a period of renewed Mongol invasion.
A t that tim e during the year of the fir-p ig (1527), Mchog ldan m ngon po
was invited to address the ministers and lords of the Western Tibetan province
of M nga' ris, where he issued a declaration (bka' shog) saying that in these
d ifficu lt times, times of degeneration, it was necessary to engage in rituals to
avert Mongol armies, rebuild the border-tam ing and further-tam ing temples
and to open the hidden-lands.
144
45 Unknown.
143 Sog bzlog, pp. 224-225.
144
Ibid, pg.221.1... da lta dus ngan snyigs ma Inga bod 'd ir / bod kyi yul
mam s hor gyis nyen pa'i d u s / /m th a ' dmag thams cad dbus su rd ib p a 'i
d u s / / gnas chen sbas yul thams cad 'fcyed pa'i dus; ;dbus m i thams cad
m tha' la 'bros pa'i dus/... /h o r sog m tha' dmag thams cad belog dus
y in /... /m th a ''d u l y a n g dul gtsug lag gso'dus yin.
110
But Mchog ldan mngon po was unable to fu lfill his mission. A t the age of
35, he traveled to the hidden-land of M khan
Bhutan
and
contructed
Padmasambhava,
but
tem ple
w ith
he was killed by
pa lu n g in the highlands of
gilded
copper
"m isguided
people
image
w ho
of
w ere
incarnated demons" (bdud sprul skye bo log pa'i bio can dag).'*
A fter his u n tim e ly death, Mongol soldiers again began to raid Tibet. The
author reports that Padma gling pa's chief disciple; Zla ba grags pa, was
secretly travelling across Tibet at this time, perform ing M ongol-repelling rites
at Bsant yas
and Zab bu lu n g . 1* Sog bzlog pa also m entions that the tw o
brothers Mnga' ris Pan chen and Legs ldan rd o rje also learned these rites fro m
Mchog ldan mngon po and effectively used them against the Mongols.
Sog bzlog pa, the author of this unique Tibetan history, now turns to his
own times, claim ing to have inherited the m antle of a 'M ongol Repeller' fro m
his own Guru, Sprul sku Zhig po gling pa (h l5 2 4 ).147 He m entions his ow n
contributions in repulsing the Mongol mercenaries w hich had been invited to
Tibet by the monks of Bras spungs monastery ( bras spungs pas dmag b s ku l
'* Kun bzang, pg. 258.6

* Sog bzlog, pg.227.4... m chod ldan mngon po bdud kyi bar bead n a / de
tshe bod la dgos pa'i rten 'brel m a m s/ dbang chen sprul ba zla ba grags pas
b yed/ 'das pai gdung yang bsam yas 'a m / yang na zabbu lun g du bzhugs
pa n a / mtha' dm ag lo brgya'i bar du bzlog. For more inform ation on the
career of this master see Sprul pai sras mchog zla ba rgyal mtshan g y i mam
thar rin chen rgyan mdzes, included in 0 rgyan padma byung gnas kyi
'khrungs rabs sangs rgyas bstan pai chos byung mun sel sgron me.
(Kinnaur:1978).
147
This appointm ent is also confirm ed by Kun bzang, pg.295.6... khyad par
khyung tshang brag gi dm ag bzlog nyer lngai skor bka' babs kyi slob ma lha
rje bio gros rgyal mtshan la gnang nas/ khong gis m tha' dm ag bzlog pa sogs
bstan 'g ro 'i don brlabs p o che m dzad pa yin.
byas),1* and then provides a long list of over tw o hundred names of Mongol
captains belonging to the 'six banners of Chahar and the three banners of the
Turned' to be ritu a lly murdered using effigies and w rathful ceremonies.
149
To
attest to the efficacy of such rites, the author then relates an episode during the
early w in te r of the w ood-tiger (1614?) when an entire Mongol arm y was
buried under an avalanche, after a group of priests conjured up frightening
w in d s and snow storms.
Sog bzlog pa's unique w ork depicts a Tibetan w orld in crisis, not only
political crisis, but also social and religious crisis, where an old Tibetan
aristocracy and its spiritual lineages are being displaced by new Tibetan clans
backed by large theocratic hegemonies and their Mongol mercenaries. In Sog
bzlog pa's w orld, w rath often becomes an expression of compassion, and the
d u ty of a Tibetan bodhisattva is not only not only to teach people the truths of
Buddhism, but to reveal Padmasambhava's buried Treasures and repel Mongol
armies through fierce rituals.
By the 17th century w e also begin to see a new geographical orientation
emerging from this speculation. T h e 'b o rd e r-ta m ing ' (mtha \ i u l ) and 'furthertam ing' (yang \ i u l ) temples, w hich were allegedly built d u rin g the reign of
Tibets first Buddhist king, Srong btsan sgam po, in order to pin dow n the limbs
^ Sog bzlog, pg.239.5.

U:b id , pp. 236.1-239.6.
150
ibid, pg.254.3... de nas shing pho stag lo 'i rgun thog de ser myog dang sog
po 'dres pa m ang po 'ong gi dug zer/ 'o 'ug gi bod 'brog thams cad skrag
pa'i tshe/ dpon slob bcu bdun gyis sgrubpa la behugs pas/ zhag bdun na
rtag th a n / gangs chen babs/ d e ije rlung chen po langs nas/ kha ba thams
cad bye ri lta r 'gongs pa 'd ir yang b y u n g / sog po mam s gangs sdibs kyi 'og
tu mi rta khal ma dang bcas pa non te / gcig kyang ma thon par shi / gangs
zhu dus su hor smad pa m am s la de tsho'i chas dngos len gyu byung 'dug.
of a hostile land demoness, are now conceived as a geographic mandala, w ith

Bsam yas and the fo kh a n g
center.
- Tibet's first Buddhist temples - located at the
D uring Sog belog pa's time, these temples and their im m ediate
territories begin to serve as the epicenters of a new ritual and political

orientation fo r the follow ers of the Old Tantras. Texts like the O uter Passkey
im p ly that the restoration and the constant stream of worshippers to these
temples guards Tibet's te rritorial in te g rity from invasions, it is fro m these
temples that Tibetan Treasure finders direct their fierce rituals to destroy
invading Mongol armies, and when these measures fail, these sites often
become the staging grounds fo r the search fo r m ythic lands in the Tibetan
borderlands.
The Remaining Treasures:
Some im portant scrolls related to Northern
Treasures still remained
buned in the m ountains of Gung thang aw aiting the designated incarnations to

reveal them, in the 16th century, as noted earlier, some of these rem aining
Treasures w e re 'd is tu rb e d ' by the im patient king of Gung thang N yi zla grags
pa, w ho requested the Treasure fin d e r Bstan gnyis gling pa to pull them out
before their tim e - an incident that angered the guardian deity of the Treasures
leading to the death of a local m antradhara One mchog rdo rje Now, almost
tw o hundred years and five generations after that incident, at a tim e of
renewed c iv il tu rm o il in M nga' ris Gung thang , it seemed that the tim e to pull
out these Treasures had fin a lly arrived. The historian Bstan 'dzin n o r bu (18671940) says:
113
The designated revealer of Rig 'dzin Rgod Idem dngos grub rgyal
mtshan's reconcealed Treasures [was] Mnga' ris Gter ston Zla ha rgyal
mtshan otherwise know n as Gar dbang rd o rje [w ho] was bom in a
place called Nub r i Sku thang mnyal in the [province] of M nga' ris. His
[b irth ] was accompanied by m any m arvelous signs: The umbilical cord
was w rapped around him like a m editation belt, [and] when that was
unravelled,
there
was
a beautiful
child
whose
hands rested
in
[m editation posture] and his m outh uttering the syllables A and Ham
A t the age of 18, Mnga' ris gter-ston Gar dbang rd o rje (1640-1695) is still
herding sheep in the highlands of Nub ri, but a strong feeling draws him
tow ards religion and he begins to serve as 'C hant Master' (dbu mdzad) at his
uncle's local tem ple He continues his studies at the nearby hermitage of
'Crystal Cave' (Shel
Northern
phug) where he receives the em powerm ents of the
Treasures, and takes the dge gnyen (upasaka) and dge ts h u l
(sramanera) vow s w ith a certain Bla ma Bsod m ams rgya mtsho. A t the
famous Mi la ras pa cave-hermitage of Brag dkar rta so he meets the Great
Cotton-Clad ascetic (Ras chen) Karma chos 'phel, from w hom he receives the
in itia tio n of Cakrasamvara. A t the command of his teacher he stays in a threeyear retreat at Shel phug, practicing inner yogas in freezing temperatures,
clothed in just a cotton robe
3 Gcod yul, pg.105.3... rig 'd z in rgod ldems dngos grub rgyal mtshan gyi
yang gter gyi bka' b abm nga ris gter ston zla ba rgyal mtshan n a m / gar
dbang rd o rje ni 'k h ru n g yu l mnga' ris nu b ri sku thang m nyal zhes pa'i sa'i
c h a r/" (106) lte th a g sgom thag gi tshul du d k ris p a zhig byung debsal bas
nang nas k h y i'u y id du 'ong ba phyag m nyam benag d a n g / zhal nas a ham
gsungs pa sogs ngo m tshar ba'i rtags mang du byung yang.
114
A fte r the passing away of the Ras chen in 1671, he begins to w ander in the
hidden-land of Sky id mo lu n g visitin g the lairs of demons and rock-spirits in
the manner of a mad ascetic practicing Gcod (gcod pa'i brtul bzhugs sam s m y o
spyod lta bu).
152
Situated in the ravines belowManaslu Himal, this hidden
valley had long ago been visited by the great Tibetan yogin Mi la ras pa in the
12'h century, w h o described it as a demon-infested land inhabited by a people
w ho speak an incom prehensible dialect called sku skad.1*
D uring this wilderness pilgrim age, he dreams of a man dressed in a w h ite
robe w h o introduces him self as the Lord of M u l Gangs, the guardian spirit of
the Treasures reconcealed by Rgod Idem. The dream apparition then directs
him westward tow ards a c liff called Ra zam where, in a subsequent dream, the
three local deities of the land introduce themselves to him as Rdzong lha d k a r
po, a man dressed in w h ite h olding a m irro r and a gem, Skos rje dkar po, as
another man h olding a conch shell, and a 'female serpent' (naginl) called K lu
sman dkar mo, dressed in w h ite .
Excited by these visions, he starts to explore the nearby cliffs, reciting the
Guru m antra when he suddenly spots a red m ountain goat and trails it to a
steep c liff where he can no longer follow . Inside the boulders he fin d s a k id n e y
* ibid, pg 110.4. The practice of gcod or bdud kyi gcod y u l (literally, "th e
demon as the object that is to be cut off"), is a Tantric practice developed in
Tibet that marks a syncretic movement between Indian Tantric Buddhism
and pre-Buddhist shamanic elements in Tibet. To cut off ego-attachment, the
adepts of gcod m editate in burial grounds and remote m ountains and
through elaborate visualizations and prayers sym bolically offer th e ir m ortal
bodies to the demons and goblins w hich haunt these te rrifyin g places. For the
early history of this lineage in Tibet see J. Edou, Machig Labdron and the
Foundations o f Chod, (Ithaca:1995).
115
shaped amulet containing three scrolls bearing the dharm a Treasure know n as
154
'The
H e a rt-M irro r
o f Vajrasattva' (Rdor sems
thugs
kyi me
lo n g ).
rainbow lig h t illum inates the w ay to an overhanging boulder on the side of the
c liff where he sits for three years, m editating and revealing the contents of the
scrolls.
A m ong these Treasures we find a guidebook to the secret pow er -
places of the hidden-land of Sky id mo lu n g and prophecies lam enting the

political turm oil of his times:
in the year of the sheep the country w ill be filled by war% The
heart of every Tibetan w ill be in anguish% In the year of the bird m any
officials are to be executed% Many monks w ill battle and die by the
sword% The province of La Stod Byang
w ill be a a pool of sw irling
blood% Those in the m id d le of the Dam shod religious seminary w ill be

nearly all killed7c Those in Gtsang
and M ang y u l
w ill all die by the
sword% There w ill be no happiness in upper Brog and low er Byang %

Mongols w ill massacre all of those in upper and low er Dbus % Stacks of
weapons w ill appear before the [sacred image! of the Jo bo
Am ong the disciples w h o gather around Gar dbang rd o rje at this tim e is one
called as N yi zla klong gsal (alias ' Ja' lus snang stong rang grol), w h o embarks
^ For the connection w ith Mi la ras pa see M. A ris's introduction to

Autobiographies o f Three Spiritual Masters o f Kutang, (Thim phu:1979)
This master is also know n to have extracted a Treasure at Byams sprin

temple in M ang y u l Gung thang called the Zab tig chos dbyings rang gsal, in
the bird year (1669).
Lung bstan, fol,17h3... lug gi lo la lung pa dmag gi 'gengs% bod kyi mi
mams thams cad snying rtsa 'dar% byi ba lo la sde dpon mang po 'jig% dge
slang mang po 'k h ru g cing gri ru khums% la stod byang khrag go rdzing bu
'khyil% dam shod chos sde'i m th il du phal cher gsod% gtsang dang mang yul
ma lus mtshon gyi 'chi7c yar 'brog lho byang thams cad bde ba med7c dbus
116
on a heroic pilgrim age through the hidden-lands to perform rituals to turn

back armies inva d ing Tibet.
kyi lh o b /a n g thams cad h o r gyi 'khrugs% jo bo drung du mtshon gyi kh u r

po 'byung%
117
N y i r la klong gsal: The Yogi who Lived W ith o u t
Solid Food:
Bom in Stod Spu rang in to a fam ily of mantradhara-s, N yi zla klong gsal
receives initia tio ns and teachings from his own father and later from a Bla ma
'Phnn las dge 'dun he receives the initiations, oral permissions and ripening
instructions regarding the dakini practice of the Cakrasamvaratantra. A t T h u b
bstan gser mdog gdan sa, the residence of Mkhan po Shakya phun tshogs, he
dons the robes of a novice monk for six years and pursues intellectual
Mahayana studies, m astering the 'Five Treatises o f M aitreya' (Byams chos sde
Inga).
But suddenly, at the age of twenty-five, a sudden change of heart makes

him abandon intellectual studies and take a more radical Tantric path. Sitting at
the feet of Bres gshongs pa 'Jam dbyangs Chos rgyal rd o rje (1602-1677), ^ he
receives the teachings called 'The
A u to-Liberation
o f the
Peaceful
and
W rathful Deities of the M in d ' (Zhi khrod gongs pa rang grol), as well as the
m editative instructions of the 'Great Perfection' (Rdzogs chen). Subsequently,

he receives the instructions for the practice of "L iv in g off of Essence" (bcud
len), along w ith the teachings of the Mahasiddha Dza ha bir, and continues to
m editate w ith o u t eating solid food for another seven years.
157
A disciple of Gnas gsar ba Mkhyen brtse'i dbang phyug, alias M d o sngags

gling pa.
Gcod yul, pg.133.2... bcud len skor rigs m i gcig pa mang p o 'i lun g kh rid
dang khyad par grub thob dza ha b r gyi gdams zab yongs rdzogs phyag len
dang bcas pa gnang/... ra b ts h e 'd i ill p o m th a l na'ng m i lo b d u n gyi ring mi
118
W hile practicing austerities in the mountains, he has a vision of five

beautiful girls w h o warn him of the im m inent invasion of Tibet by the Mongols
of the Upper (Dzungar) and Lower (Qosot) Tartary. The girls tell h im to
proceed w ith o u t hesitation to the w ild m ountain valleys in the southern
borderlands and engage in the practice of repelling the M ongol armies. Soon
after this vision the author reports that Dga' ldan Tshe dbang invited Mongol
mercenaries in to Stod M n ga' ris skor gsum, and they devastated Tibet and the
,
nom adic territories.
15R
W hile m editating in the mountains, he is visited by several famous

masters of his age, including Rdzogs chen Padma Rig 'dzin ( h i 625) and his
own root lama' Chos rgyal Rdo rje, w h o gives him fu rth e r teachings on the
practice of liv in g w ith o u t solid food and calls him by the name Dge slong Dza
ha h r ' Ja' lus snang stong rang grol.
Proceeding to other m ountain sites like
Zab bu lung, he meets the great Rnying ma pa master Smin gling Gter chen
Rig 'dzin 'G yu r med rdo rje (1646-1714), w h o bestows on h im initiations and
instructions from his own Treasure cycle called the Thugs thig, and shows him
the original unearthed Treasure scrolls.
zas mi te a ' ba'i dam bca' m dzad nas bcud len gyi rigs mang po re mos kyi
nyams tehes la g z h o l/.
Îbid, pg. 135.2... stod smad gyi hor sogs gi dmag nam m kha'i bya gzings ba
Ita r/ shang lung nag po'i phu rgyud dbus gtsang m am s skyabs mgon med
pa dri te a ' Itar gyur nas nyam tnag kya n g / bod 'bangs khengs dregs kyi
padme 'byung gnas khyad du song/ khyed rang the tshom ma byed pa
gangs ri rgod kyi gshog pa brgyangs pa 'd ra 'i lh o rang la b ro s/g u ru la gsol
'debs dang 'brel hor dmag te lo g pa'i thabs mang po nyin mtshan med ba
bskyed cig zer ba'i sgra lan gsum byung nas m i snang bar g y u r/ ya mtshan
som nyi m dzad kyang phyis lo dus su dga' ldan tshe dbang gi(s) sog dmag
drangs nas stod mnga' ris skor gsum / bod 'brog thams cad b rla g /.
4
Ibid, pg.138.1... de ring phan chad khyed kyi m ing yang dge slong dza ha
b ir 'ja' lus snang stong rang grol zhes zer ro gsungs.
119
A t Khatns
shag Srin mo
rdzongs, he meets another Treasure finder
called Rig 'dzin 'g ro 'dul gling pa Sna tshogs rang grol N yi ma grags pa (?),
w ho gives him the initiations and ripening instructions of the Phag mo zab
rgya. He then reaches the border of Gnya' nang and Nepal, near to the
'northern gate' of a hidden-land called 'Lotus Grove' (Padma tshal), where he

establishes him self in a cave and starts to explore the hidden valleys in the area.
On the w ay to Padma tshal he passes through a valley called G lang
phreng,
recently opened as a hidden-land by a lama called M do dm ar ba Mi
'g yu r rd o rje ( h i 675),
160
to afford safe passage to people w h o were being
harrassed by soldiers. The soldiers w ho drove away their wealth and cattle on
top of the pass had perished in a massive landslide allegedly caused by the
protector deity of the land. The path in to these m ountains had been closed fo r
a long tim e and had recently been cleared.
On the w ay Nyi zla klong gsal sees many strange apparitions (phebs I a m
la cho 'phrul sna tshogs byung kyang), and fin a lly arrives in the hidden-land
of Padma tshal M in the center of this uninhabited valley, he finds a Guru
160
This master has authored tw o small w orks equating Glang phreng w ith
the hidden-land of Gnam sgo zla gam called: Guam sgo zla gam g yi ngos
'dzin phan bde'i snying po, 355-371, and the Gnam sgo zla gam g y i nges pa
brjod pa sum rtse na dga' mai glu dbyangs, 377-381; both found in The
Collected Works (gsung bum) of Rdo dmar Zhabs drung M i g y u r rdo Rje,
(New-Delhi:1981), 681 pages. For a discussion of M do dm ar ba M i'g y u r rd o
rje in relation to the hidden-land of Gnam sgo zla gam, see Ehrhard 1997:336.
161
Ibid, pg.145.3... sbas yul glang 'phreng gu shar sgo gnya' nang rtsa sgo la
gtad pa sngon ma gcig phye nas mis 'grul byed p a / dmag z ir (gzir) zhig gi
skabs dmag m i m am s kyis phyin nas/ gnas de'i nor phyugs m am s ded nas
yong la rtsar 'b yo r pa na gter srung gi cho 'p h ru l m i mang po s h i/ gnas lam
'gag te m i lo mang po song ba der phebs 'd o d kyi lan gsum phebs kyang ma
th a r/ slar sprel lo zla ba brgyad pa i tshes gsum nyin gu ru o rgyan rje la gsol
120
Padmasambhava cave and footprints in the rock. He stays here to pe rfo rm in g

a tantric feast, a libation and sweet smoke offering, praying fo r the happiness
of Tibet. Engulfed by emotions he utters the fo llo w in g spiritual song - a
testim ony
to the initim ate relationship existing between
landscape and
enlightenm ent:
E ma h d
If one were to identify w ith the western Pure-land of Oddiyana,
it w o u ld be [one's figure] - a vessel measuring a few feet in length.
If one were to id e n tify w ith Lake Danakosa,
It w ould be in [this] body of blood and pus,
If the head were to be the Gesar lotus,
it w ould be at the sum m it of the three m ystic arteries.
Identifying w ith the stainless sun and moon lotus [throne],
one is the pure w h ite and red [drops] of sperm and egg.
identifying w ith the Vidhyadhara Padmasambhava,
is to abide in the calm unfabricated [naturel of one's own mind.
Identifying w ith the solitary m other Ye shes Mtsho rgyal,
Is to abide in the inexhasutable great bliss of the 'fo u r [Tantric] joys',
identifying w ith the dharmakaya,
w hich is empty [yet] cognizant and cannot be grasped,
is to abide in the original p u rity of one's mind,
identifying w ith the profoundly intelligent play of sambhogakaya,
is to abide in the union of cognizance and emptiness of the m ind itself,
identifying w ith the nirmanakaya Sna tshogs 'gro 'dul,
is to abide in one's own m ind that gives rise to appearances,
if one were to describe oneself as the one hundred peaceful and w rathful
deities [of emotions and the intellect],
one abides at the door from where the em pty yet cognizant natural
awareness arises.
Describing oneself as the dharm a-protecting her os and heroines,
is to rest in the [naturally] increasing blissful m ind of enlightenment.
ba 'debs bzhin phebs pas/ phebs lam la cho 'p h ru l sna tshogs byung yang the
tshom ma m dzad pa phebs te gnas m th il du phyag phebs/.
121
Id e n tifyin g w ith the Glorious Copper Colored Mountain,

is to abide in the hidden-land 'Great Lotus Grove (Padma tshal chen).
The seven unchanging marks of the hidden-land,
are the hand and foot-prints left behind by previous saints.
E ma ho!
I meet w ith this amazing m arvelously formed place of m editation,
due to karm ic connection formed through aspirations of a past life
Dance brothers and comrades!
Repel th e 'fin a l w ar' [and] the Mongol armies!'
As Nyi zla Klong gsal reaches the m id d le of the valley, the entire landscape fills
w ith rainbow lights, sweet smells and w onderful visions. He promises to
return to this hidden-land and goes back to his retreat cave
But, his subsequent attempt to explore the region is not as successful.
Sometime after, the master sets out w ith a disciple called Rab rgyas to locate
another hidden-land called 'H a lf Moon Sky Gate' (Zla gam
gnam
sgo).
Towards dusk they lose their way, praying and offering sweet jun ip er sm oke
to the protectors. As they begin to offer libations (ser skyerns), dense fog and
h 2 .
ibid, pg.146.2... e m a h o / nubphyogs orgyan zhing khams rang byas

kva n g/ rang lus 'dam gang gru cehin 'd u g g o / rda na ko sha'i gyu m tsho
rang byas kya n g/ /ra n g lus khrag dang chu s e rn a 'd u g g o / /d e d b u s g e s a r
pad sdong rang byas k y a n g / / ro rkyang dbu gsum rtsa khor na 'd u g g o / /
skyon 'brel padma nyi zla rang byas kya n g/ /k h u rdul dang ma dkar dm ar
na 'd u g g o / / rig 'd z in padma 'byung gnas rang byas kya n g/ /ra n g sems
ma bcos Ihug pa na 'd u g g o / / ma gcig ye shes m tsho rgyal rang byas
kya n g / /d g a ' bzhi zag bral bde chen n a 'd u g g o / /chos sku stong g s a l'd z in
med rang byas k y a n g / /ra n g sems ye stong ka dag na dug g o / /lo n g s sku
rab 'byams rol pa rang byas kyang/ / sems n yid gsal stong zung jug na 'd u g
g o / / sprul sku sna tshogs 'g ro 'd u l rang byas kya n g/ /ra n g sems snang ba'i
'char yul na 'd u g g o / / zhi khro dam pa rigs brgya rang zer b a / /s to n g gsal
rig pa'i 'char sgo na 'd u g g o / /d p a ' bo m kha' 'g ro chos skyongs rang zer ba/
/k u n ngha byang sems spel sbyongs su 'd u g g o / zangs m dog dpal gyi ri bo
rang byas kya n g/ / sbas yul padma tshal chen na 'dug g o / / sbas yul mi
'g yu r rtags bdun rang byas kya n g/ /phyags zhabs sku rjes sgrubna 'd u g
g o / e ma ngo m tshar rm ad byung gi sgrub gnas/ tshe sngon las smon rten
'brel gyis mjal b y u n g / / rang re mcned grogs zhabs gro (bro) zhig m dzod
d a n g / /m th a ' dm ag hor sog dmag dpung m am s bzlog c ig /.
122
strong w in d s surround them. On top of the pass they spot a yeti w ith a face of
a rat, and realizing it is the Treasure guardian, they recite the prayer M c h o d
sprin nor bu'i do shal, but the disciple Rab rgyas suddenly goes m ad.'63
T ra ve llin g to the m ountain cloister of Shel phug, N yi zla klong gsal seeks
out the counsel of the Treasure fin d e r Gar dbang rd o rje, w h o encourages his
wilderness odyssey, directing h im tow ards the sacred site of Lha'i pho brang
(near present day M khar rta). A t that time, according to his biographer, Tibet
was oppressed by the 'nine dem onic siblings' ('gong pospun dgu).
164
According
to the prophetic Com mandments of Guru Padmasambhava, one needed to

erect temples and stupa-s at vital geographical points in the m ountain ranges to
repulse these armies of Mara.1<c
Follow ing the Guru's prescriptions, N yi zla klong gsal builds a tem ple
near a m editation cave called Sag kha, and prays day and night fo r the
deliverance of Tibet from im m inent w arfare A t this point a disembodied voice
instructs h im on the necessity of perform ing rituals and prayers that w ill
p ro vid e respite from w arfare and fam ine A vision of a beautiful wom an lead
Ibid, pe. 148.1... skabs nyin gcig mtshan lam du sbas yul zla gam gnas sgoi
lam tshol ('tshol) zhig bya ba'i lung bstan la b rte n / lam 'tshol bar phebs pas la
rong kin tu bgrod dka'i gnas sgor bsangs m c h o d / gser skyem kyis bmgan
pas rmugs rlungs sprin sogs dvangs ba d a n g / la rtser m i rgod byi (bya?)
gdong can g zig s/ gter bsrung yin par mkhyen nas m chod sprin nor bu'i do
shal gsungs/ zhal slob rab rgyas de ma thag tu sm yo nas gar song ma byung
p a r/. For a different translation of this passage see Ehrhard 1997:337.
Ibid, pg.162.4... da ni maha gu ru 'i lung bstan tshe lo n y i shu kha ral gyi
'gar 'gong po spun dgu yang 'k h o r dang bcas pas bod khams dkar po'i Ijongs
kyi 'g ro ba rlag par gsungs pa'i dus rtags m am s phal tsher tshangs.
Ibid, pg. 162.5... byang sems ldan pa'i skyes bu y i % gangs ri gnas chen
bkra shis sar % lha khang bzhengs na bod khams bde % lung gsum m do
dang sa yi m d u d % rong sgo thang d k y il sa sgo ru % m chod rten behengs na
bdud dpung bzlog %
123
him to the secret sites of the hidden-land where he finds a spring that "washes
away sins and cures those afflicted w ith disease and madness" ( myong tshad
sdig pm dag).'1'*'
in another dream, the voice of a woman tells him that the righ t tim e has
arrived for him to open the 'door' to the hidden-land for the benefit of the
people of Bod (Tibet) and Kham s W In a further dream, he sees a beautiful
maroon-complex!oned maiden w ip in g away some crystal footprints on top of
a boulder and asks her whose footprints those are She says they belong to
Guru Padmasambhava, upon which he grabs her hand, to prevent her fro m
erasing the prints. The next day he finds a place w ith the same exact footprint.
He then composes a guidebook describing the sacred places of the valley as
they were revealed to him, and teaches it to those w h o had follow ed him in to
the hidden-land.16h
* .bid, pg. 165.2.

.bid, pg. 166.2... yang n yin gcig thorangs khar bu med kyi skad kyi zhi ba
bzang po'i sprul sku zhes lan mang po 'bod la 'd u g / de 'd ra 'i m i 'd i na med
gang zer ba yin nam dgongs pa'i tshe/ bud med mams nas sngon Inga bcu
kha ral skabs dpal zhi ba bzang po zhes pas/ gnas 'd i'i sgo phye nas sgrubpa
m d za d / da lta khyed rang yin nyams gso 'd zin skyongs gi dus la babs bod
khams la phan no z e r /.
Ibid, pp.167.2... yang n u b c ig so kha phug gi n u b n a gu ru 'i behugs khri
yod pa'i brda' cig b y u n g / btsal bas sa dang rtsva rul gyi khrod nas m y e d /
khus bsangs rab gnas mngags gsol dar phan btsugs/ 'g ro ba lha m i'i bsod
nams kyi rten du m andala phul nas yod gsungs/ yang nub cig bud med
dm ar po shin tu mdzes pa zhig gi m dun n a / pha phong (bong) zhig gi ldebs
la shel las grub pa'i zhabs pes shin tu gsal ba behi 'd u g pa bu med des bsub
gin 'dug/' de la rjes di su'i zhabs rjes yin bsubnas gang byed byas pas/ des
'd i gu ru padm a'i zhabs rjes yin yang bdag rkyen d a n g / mchod 'bul byed
mkhan med pas bshig pa y in ze r/ m o de'i lag pa nas zin de bsub tu ma bcug
pa lus pas/ de 'phral nyams gsal sang nyin gzigs pas zhabs pes bcag pa gcig
dang bsub pa'i rjes m am s m ngon sum du gzigs/ der yod pa m am s la lo
rgyus gsungs pa d a n g / gzhan yang gnas de'i skor la ya mtshan gyi bkod pa
ji snyed zur du yod gsungs ba... /.
124
D uring a visit to the nearby valley of M kh a r ta, however, Nyi zla klon g
gsal is openly challenged by some 'intellectuals' (rtog ge ba), w h o claim that all
this talk of hidden-lands and and im m inent Buddhist apocalypse is all nonsense
The master
then
sings the
fo llo w in g
verses
attributed
to
Guru
Padmasambhava: Erect victo ry banners in the eight great sacred places of

Tibet!
Erect victo ry banners in the eight sacred places of Tibet!
Build temples on the eight great m ountain sites!
Do not break the stream of the three types of p ro p itia to ry offerings!
If you act in this w ay there w ill be happiness and joy!''
He then explains:
in that sacred place in the coiling m ountain crucible called R o ng

p h u inside the eight m ountain [ranges] that are the jo y of Tibet, this
year many impressions of Guru Padmasambhava, v ic to ry banners, flags

and flag posts and soon have been cast, dispensed and distributed, w ith
heart prayers aspiring for the happiness of Bod (Tibet) and Khams. The
eight m ountain ranges appear as T i se, the k in g of snow mountains;
Thang lha, the governor of snow mountains; Spom
ra, the general of
snow mountains; Yar lha sham po, the snow m ountain of the gods;
Gang ba Bzang po, the snow m ountain of the gnod byin spirits; Rta sgo
bkram pa, the snow m ountain of the btsan spirits; Bu le dkar ba, the
snow m ountain of the naga; along w ith the aform entioned coiling
m ountain range of Rong phu - these are the eight.
Now as fo r the eight auspicious rock-mountains: the Dmar po r i in
Skyi shod Lha sa; the Has po r i in Sber y i Bsam yas; the Do ma r i in
Nag sho; Dpal Chu bo ri; Rnyan Bya ri; Phung bo Ri bo che; Rgyal
Shri ri and Ri bo Bkra bzang make eight.
125
The Great Guru also mentioned, Stag tshang zla ba cave; R n a m

stod cave and Gang bzang
cave Lung bzang a la
M khar chu cave; Bsam yas mchim
cave; the supreme
phu dza r i cave; Sian 'brum sgong
cave and Yang rdzong cave as the the 'eight great caves'.
[H e mentioned] the M a dros Lake and G ung Lake; 'O ma Lake
and the Grags pa Lake as the fo u r reknowned great lakes. The cliffs in
the four cardinal directions where [hel left his hand prints are the cliffs of
Mon kha and Spa ro cliffs; the cliffs of Dom tshang and Z a og.
In these sacred places, in times of suffering, [he said that] one must
perform purificatory rituals, Tantric feasts (ganacakra), expiatory rites,
invocation and aspiration prayers in order to greatly benefit sentient
beings.
Furthermore,
here in
Tibet,
the
Lord
[predicted]
in
his
prophecies the great disturbances of the Mongols in the not so distant

future, and om nisciently beheld the actions required for thess times to
come Those w ho have the capacity to travel to the ancient sacred places
[m ustl really go, and for those w h o cannot go and are led [to believe]
otherwise, Tibet w ill become a place w hich w ill [invoke! the sentiment of
great pathos.
Ibid, pg.170.6... skabs d e rrto g g etha snyad mkhan re 'g a s / sbas gnas yin
zer lung stong du sku gzugs lha khang bzhengs ba pra chal gyi rgyu red zer
ba mang ya n g / rje'i dgongs par maha gu ru 'i zhal nas/ bod kyi gnas chen
brgyad la rgyal mtshan tshugs % ri chen brgyad la lha khang zhongs % sgrub
pa sde gsum rgyun mi chad % de Itar byas na bde skyid byung % znes
gsungs pa Itar dgongs pa yin zhing %bod la bde skyid byung ba'i gangs
brgyad kyi nang mtshan rong phu k h y il ba rdza gangs su 'd u g pa'i gnas
d e r/ de lo m khar rta nas gu ru 'i sku brnyan gcig d a ng / rgyal m tshan/ dar
chen/ thugs dar Icog sogs mang du 'dzugs gtong gnang zhing bod khams
bde ba'i thugs smon m dzad tshul ngang/ gangs brgyad sogs ngos 'd z in d u /
gangs ri rgyal po ti se/ gangs r i'i blon po thang lh a / gangs ri'i dmag dpon
sporh ra / yar lha sham po lha yi gangs/ gangs ba beang po gnod byin
gangs/ rta sgo bkram pa btsan gyi gangs/ bu le dkar ba klu yi gangs/ gong
gi rong bu (phu) 'k h y il ba rdza yi gangs dang brgyad d o / bkra shis pa'i ri
brgyad ni / skyi shod lha sa dm ar po ri / sber yi bsam yas has po ri / nag sho
do ma ri / dpal gyi chu bo ri / m yan gyi bya ri / phung po ri bo che/ rgyal gyi
shri ri / ri bo bkra beang dang brgyad so/ maha gu ru 'i zhal nas/ stag tshang
senge zla ba phug % m am stod phug dang gangs bzang phug 7o lun g bzang
a la phug pa dang % m khar chu dpal gyi phug pa dang % bsam yas m chim
phu dza ri phug % slan 'brum sgong phug dang yang rdzong phug % phug
chen brgyad du grags pa yin % gsungs/ grags pa'i mtsho chen bzhi ni % ma
dros m tsho dang gung m tsho dang % 'o m a'i m tsho dang grags pa'i m tsh o /
126
A fte r laying out this map of vital sacred places, N yi zla klong gsal then
urges his detractors to take a good look at their time, when the Demon
Kamadeva has cast his poison-tip arrows onto Tibet from the sum m it of
Sumeru, striking the hearts of priests, governors and m ilita ry commanders,
when people hunt and fish and the principal sustainance is red meat and blood.
Quoting Padmasambhava once again, he says, "w hen filled w ith signs like
these in Tibet there is no joy; one must go to the hid d e n -la n d s."170
Despite Nyi zla klong gsal's long pilgrim age through the hidden-lands on
the Nepal-Tibet border, he failed to 'take h old of these sacred places by
establishing a permanent seat or an incamational lineage This was to be the
destiny of another contem porary Treasure finder called Sorya Seng ge (16871738)
whose
life
story
is
testim ony
to
the
compulsion
that
Guru
Padmasambhava's prophecies exercised on a small group of Tibetan yogins

w h o dreamed of establishing a spiritual utopia in the mountains.
zhes d a ng / phyogs b zh i'i brag la zhabs rjes bzhag pa n i/ man kha'i brag
dang pa spro'i b ra g/ dom tshang brag dang za 'og brag/ ces gsungs pa'i
gnas su bod sdug pa'i dus su bsangs dar p h an / tshogs skang gsol 'debs smon
lam la brtson m khan byung na shin tu bstan 'g ro r phan pa yong zhes maha
gu ru 'i bka' y in zhes gsungs/ rje n y id kyis kyang bod 'd ir rin g po m in pa hor
sog gi dus 'k h ru g che ba yong ba'i lung bstan d a n g / dus babspyod tshul la
gzigs m khyen g y i/ gong gi gnas m ams su phebs th u b p a m am s la ngo
phebs/ ma th u b pa m am s la'ng gzhan bskul ba'i bod la lhag par sku d rin che
ba'i yul du g y u r/.
Ibid, pg. 174.5... de Ita r rtags m am s tshang na bod yu l du % bde ba med do
sbas pa'i yu l m yogs shig %
127
Hozv SOn/a Senge Defies the Lord o f D eath:
Bom in to the fifth generation of the Bstan gnyis gling pa dan, Surya Seng
ge became the hereditary steward of the 'border-tam ing' tem ple of Byams
sprin in Skyid rong. Like Nyi zla klong gsal, his fa m ily had dose ties w ith Rig
dzin Gar dbang rd o rje.171 A t the age of about three, he impressed everyone
one day when he jum ped off the roof w ith a bamboo sword in his hand and
landed w itho u t a scratch.172
His grandfather Guru Bdud 'dul taught him the dharma of his paternal
clan <yab chos) called the 'Magic Web o f the Peaceful and W ra thful
Deities'
iZ hi khro sgyu 'phrul). From a T a n tric master called Z il gnon dbang rgyal rd o
rje he received the vows of a novice m onk and teachings related to Phur ba
(Kilaya) and Gshin rje (Yamaraja) cycles, and fu rther teachings spedfic to his
paternal dan called the Rdzogs chen yang tig ye shes mthong g ro l and the
Phags mo zab rgyas.
When his guru Zil gnon dbang rgyal rd o rje dies, he leaves hom e and
wanders in to Nepal m editating in sacred confluences and Tantric charnel
'Phrin las, fol.8a.4... d e n y id kyi sras kyi thu b o n i/ bdag gi y a b rje b k a '
d n n mtshungs med mched gnyis yin te / nged rigs rus 'p h yo 'brang phun
sum tshogs shing rig 'd zin gar dbang rd o rje sogs skyes chen dam pas rjes su
bzung ba'i yum u rgyan skyid ma zhes dpral ba'i dbyings su sme ba dkar po
rin g bsrel Itar 'od 'tsher ba sogs m kha' 'g ro 'i mtshan rtags dang ldan pa de'i
rm i lam du bla ma sngags 'chang zhig gi lcags kyi rd o pe rtse Inga pa lag pa
(8b) ya g rig gi theg tsam zhig sbyin pa rm is nas ring bor ma thogs par dam
pa 'd i n yid lhum s su bzhugs so/.
128
grounds, where he apparently gains a reputation as a pow erful w izard. For

soon after his return to Tibet, when a great plague spreads in the Kathmandu
Valley, a Nepali m inister by the name of 'M ugsha ratna' ( Moksharatna) arrives
w ith the request that he come back to Nepal and perform rituals to combat the
epidem ic
Due to the d ifficu lty of travelling in the mountains d u rin g the m onsoon
season, the master refuses to go. In the fo llo w in g w ater-rabbit year (1723), the
prophetic commandments of Guru Padmasambhava start to bear upon his
heart, and "because of various causes which created a need to m igrate" (bstan
g ro 'i plw g y u r sna tshogs byung ba'i rkyen gyis), he decides not to delay the
search for the hidden-land as this was the ripening of a vow taken in a fo rm e r
life-time.
But as the party travels tow ards Nepal, they hear reports that epidemic in
the Kathmandu Valley has still not abated, and is now claim ing about a
hundred lives a day in the Kingdom of Maharaja Jagajjaya Malla (ra dza dzye dza
ga smal la).
A t this tim e the w ife of a m inister called Jangal Thakur (dzang gal
khragkhur) n was struck by the plague and "all were amazed when Surya Seng
~ Ibid, fol,15h2... dgung lo gsum tsam phebs skabs phyag tu snyugs gri
bsnams pa dang lhan gcig yang thog nas lhung bas ci yang ma skyon par gri
dang bcas te krong ngehzhugs 'd u g pas kun ya mtshan du g y u r/.
\71
Ibid, fol,13a.4) o rgyan chen p o 'i ma 'ongs lung bstan mams thugs la bcags
bzhin pa'i ste/ / bstan 'g ro 'i pho 'g y u r sna tshogs byung ba'i rkyen gyis
kyang nger y id 'byung ste/ sbas yul snyegs par dgongs pa las gnyen bshes
yon bdag mams kyi thabs sna tshogs kyi sgo nas bshol ci btab kya n g / sngon
gyi smon lam gyi dus babs su gyur te bshol ma thebs par (13b) 'chas so / der
thams cad ci drag la dor te / b io stobs che ba mams ni khang gzhis bu smad
bor 'os mams bor nas rjes su 'b ra n g / b io stobs chung ba mams m ig 'chi ma
tsar re shul du lus nas bal yul du phebs.
74 The Newar king of Kathmandu, Jagajjayamalla w h o reigned 1722-1734.
See M. Slusser,1982:192-245; D. W rig h t,1990:221-222.
129
ge delivered the princess from death by means of talismans and spells," (rdzas
dang Ijags sngags kyi btsun mo nad las grol te kan ngo mtshar du gyur).
The news of the healing reaches the Maharaja, w h o extends an invitation

to the lama, issuing an edict, w hich is translated in to both Tibetan and Newari
explaining the need to perform special rites to deliver the kingdom from the
contagion and the necessity to w orship the Buddha. A t this tim e he also orders
his treasury to supply the lama w ith anything necessary fo r the rites.
The master combines the rites of
the
deity
Rdo
rje
gzhon
nu
(Vajrakumara) w ith the effigy (gtor ma) - th ro w in g ceremony related to the

mandala of the deity called Thugs sgrub drag po rtsal and the spells which
Possibly the same as Jhangalthari Kaji, w h o according to W right's Nepali

chronicle, was already a court official under the previous ruler of Kathmandu
Sri Bhaskaramalla when the plague struck: "... in the year the Raja reached his
22nfi vear there were tw o months of Asw in, and the Raja dterm ined to hold
the Dasain ( Dasahra festival) during the intercalary month. The people of
Bhatgaon and Patan refused to celebrate it in that month, but the Raja
persisted in doing so, and the goddess, being angry, sent a plague called
Maha-mai, w hich appeared now after an interval of 120 years. The symptoms
of this disease were that the patient was seized w ith a pain in the head near
the ear, and death ensued in an instant. The da ily m o rta lity amounted to
between 30 and 40. This lasted for tw o years, but at length the frig h tfu l teeth
of Pahupati were seen, and the d a ily num ber of deaths increased to between
80 and 100. A t that tim e Jhangalthari Kaji kept the Raja, his tw o wives, and a
servant, w ith a store of provisions, in Kindol Bahai, to prevent the disease
being communicated to them. He kept them there fo r six months, w h ile the
plague was raging in the country. A t this tim e a Jogi came, and to ld the Kaji
that the Maha-mai w ou ld not be appeased by any small ceremony. If he was
desirous of appeasing the goddess, ne should give every man in the country,
w hether a native or a stranger, an ample meal of such food as he liked best.
The Kaji therefore distributed food at Hanuman Dhoka, and in fo u r days the
plague began to abate The Raja inquired about the plague from a cultivator,
through a hole in a w in d o w of the Dharansala at Kindol; and being
assuredthat the m o rta lity had abated, he jum ped out of the w indow , and ran
to the durbar, he died that same night, on the 15th of Bhadon Sudi, N.S. 822
(A D . 1702). The cause of his death was that the eye of Maha-mai had fallen
upon him. In him the solar dynasty at Kantipur became extinct. The Ranis
and Maijus (concubines) sent fo r a distant relative; on the side of a daughter,
and having made him Raja, the four became Satis. The new Raja was named
Jagajjaya Malla. " See D. W right, The History of Nepal, (N ew Delhi-Madras:
1990), 221-222.
130
protect from and repel the Lord of Death. A fter perform ing a m onth-long
m editation retreat on these rites he concludes w ith the ceremony of offering a
ransom effigy in the charnel ground of 'Ra ma d o li'.
The Maharaja himself attends the final ceremony, accompanied by his
ministers and retainers m ounted on horses and elephants, "w h ile a great
company of soldiers fire guns, cannons and the like until the sky looked as if
was b o iling over and the roar reached the plains of Tibet."16
The Maharaja then says: " Lama, because you and I have crossed paths
due to the power of a vo w taken in form er times, as long as the sky remains, I
w ould like to [extend to you the in vita tio n ] to stay in the royal palace If that is
not possible you may stay someplace in the highlands nearby."
Ibid, fol,13h.. de skabs kyang yam b u 'i rim nad ma chad par nyin rer yang
ro brgya phrag rgal ba re 'd o n c in g / rgyal bo nad kyi grong nas ra dza dzye
dza ga smal la rgyal srid 'phos te m a dang 'g rig / de'i tshebka' blon chen po
dzang gal khrag kh u r gyi btsun m or nad btabsteshi la khad thug pa'i skabs/
sngar gyi rgyus yod zhig gi lhas lung bstan pa'i bla ma de 'd i na phebs 'dug
zhus pas/ de phral du spyan 'dren ba byung nas byon / rdzas dang ljags
sngags kyi btsun m o nad las grol te kun ngo mtshar du g yu r/ de ga'i gnas
tshul rgyal po la zhus yod 'd u g bas/ rgyal po shin tu thugs mnyes te da lha
spyan drongs shig gsungs nas (14a) chibs dang bcas te gdan dren pa byung
b a r/ gos dm ar kha sprel zhig phyag rten du bsnams nas byon pas/ rgyal po
chen pos kyang bal tarn nyi shu tham pa phyag sbar du bcug ste Idem mjal
m d za d / yul lugs kyi mtshams dris d a ng / khyad par nad rims 'd i chad pa'i
thabs dang rten 'brel m dzad dgos tshul gyi bka' lung mams skad gnyis pas
bsgyur byung b a r/ dkon mchog la gsol ba btab pa'i ngos nas gang yong ci
th u b bgyid par zhus pas thugs dgyes so/ deng gang la ci dgos kyi yo byad ni
rgyal po'i gan m dzod nas zhu rgyu yod pas ci znus zhus yod 'd u g kyang rje
'd i par ltogs bla dang ma rabs kyi dri mas ma gos pas phral tu nye bar m kho
ba'i yo byad gang y in de gya nom pa sbyar byung ba zhus te rgyal khang
rang du gnas mal bcas so/ /d e r bcom ldan 'das rd o rje gzhon nu (14b) d a ng /
thugs sgrub drag p o rtsal gyi d k y il khor la brten pa'i gtor b e lo g / sri g n on /
khyad par nad bdag stobs 'jom s kyi bsrung belog bsad pa'i man ngag sogs
phan thabs thams cad gcig ti 'bungs te zla ba gcig gi bar du sgrub pa'i gzhi
bzung nas glud chen d u r khrod ra ma d o lir bteg zor 'phen gyi n y in / sku
drag pos chas su zhugs/ rgyal blon dpon gyog thams cad spyan gzigz kyi
bkod pa rgya chen pos rta dang glang po sogs la brgyan phun sum tshogs
pas brgyan / me m aa' dang me sgyogs la sogs pa dmag gi dpung chen pos
gnam sa 'khol ba tsam gyi 'u r sgra dang bcas te bod thang mgon p o 'i bar du
phebs bas/.
131
A t that tim e that it dawns on Surya Seng ge that the hidden-land of Guru
Padmasambhava is to be his alloted destiny. The Maharaja gives h im a copper
plate land deed to the m ountain site, and fo r the value of tw o thousand silver
[N'epali sovereigns! purchases rice-grow ing lands in the valleys below to
support the com m unity of religious practitioners in the hidden-land. 77
Surya Seng ge and his party travel to the hidden-land of Yol mo Gangs ra
and start to b u ild the foundations of a tem ple on a frozen hill-top in the center
of the valley as directed by the prophetic guidebooks of Rig dzin Rgod Idem
can's N orthern
Treasures.
Unfortunately, no fu rth e r descriptions of this
master's journey in to this hidden-land have so far come to light. By w ay of

compensation, however, a song by the contem porary Tibetan master Bya bral
Sangs rgyas rd o rje entitled, 'The Eulogy o f the Hermitage of the Broad Sandy
Plain:
The
Iron
Hook
which
Captures
the
M inds
of the
F o r tu n a te
describes the physical features and spiritual qualities of this sacred placet salute the
awesome Guru!
Excellent Lama manifestation of the Lord Conqueror;
Ngag gi dbang po, posesser of the three kindnesses.
ibid,fol,15a-4..khyad par rgyal pochen po'i zhal nas/ b la m a k h y o d dang

nged gnyis sngon gyi smon lam gyi m thus zhal 'dzom s pa yin pas/ nga n yid
nam tshoi bar du rgyal khang rang du behugs dgos s h in g / d e lta r ma
byung kyang nye 'og gi sa cha bzhugs nyams spro ba zhig tu ris kyang
behugs dgos gsung p a r/ o rgyan gu ru chen po i sbas gnas rang la bio gtad
pa yin pas de 'dra zhig tu sdod par zhus pas dgongs pa khrol te / dpon gyog
brgyad bcur nye ba la yul lung dang m thun pa'i lus dgos/ thod ras/ dngul
stong phrag gnyis kyi rin thang can gyis 'bras zhing zangs yig dang bcas pa
chos brgyud ma stong gi bar du bka' d rin btang rag gi yon tu phul / gzhan
yang o rgyan sbas gnas gang du bzhugs kyang de phyogs kyi bla ma slob
dpon rdzong dpon m go yod sus kyang bskad rtser byed pa med r in g / bla
m a'i mnga' zhabs su 'kh o d pa thams cad kyang khral med dar rgan au btang
ba'i bka shog m i sna dang bcas pas rdzong brda' m d z a d / srog la 'babs nges
pas nag can kh ri m un du bcug pa 'ga' yang m i 'jigs pa skyabs kyi sbyin pas
bskyangs te gnas chen gangs kyi rva ba'i nang du phebs so/.
*7 S
see appendix 3 fo r the Tibetan text.
132
The daughter respectfully makes supplication.

Bless the land that holds the m ountain hermitage!
The hidden-land blessed by the father Guru,
the field where the m other dakini-s naturally congregate;
the famed and reknowned Broad Sandy Plain.
Listen a mom ent to the explanation of how it became so!
it is in the center, surrounded by the great places of the fo u r directions;
in the East the Pure M editation Grotto, the place of peace
in the South the N aturally Formed Sun and Moon, the place of increase
in the West the Lake of Gods and Demons, the place of bewitchment.
in the North the H alf Moon Sky Gate, the place of w r a th .J
Surrounded by tw o layers of walls, outer mountains and inner h ills of clay,
The heart of the sacred realm is the Broad Sandy Plain in the m iddle,
shaped like the skin of a man stretching out for a distance of about a league
in the upper part of the valley facing north, from a fork in the rocks of Rdza lung
tw o streams of glacial and clay water descend,
in the m id d le of the valley they join in to one and go south to India.
The m ountains in the sunny slope are like spiked weapons.
The m ountains in the shade are like spreading flames,
in the valley of lo w -ly in g meadows, protected by magic-daggers,
are the small and large lakes w hich support the soul of the land,
called the lakes of Melted Butter and Fat.4
Never having a fixed color, they are constantly sw irling.
Here the poet is id e n tify in g the landscapes in the four cardinal directions
w ith the fo u r Tantric activities (las) of pacifying, increasing, bewitching, and
destroying.
4 The notion of bla denotes w ha t is roughly understood as 'soul', and appears
to be a pre-Buddhist concept. A person's bla may be robbed by a demon
requiring that it be ransomed back by special Buddhist or Bon po rituals.
M any regions in Tibet associate the soul of their country w ith a central tree,
lake or m ountain.
133
In the fo u r directions there are many m editation caves the legacy of w hat previous masters relied upon.
N aturally arisen on the side of the great rock on the upper slope of the valley
is the great Crazy W rathful Indestructible King.
The m agnificent body, about four stories in size, is clear before one's eyes.
Before the victorious peak of the northern snow m ountain
is a m arvellous sacred d w e llin g know n as the 100 springs,
or the river of eight branches,
a place where the m ind is happy and perceptions clear,
the flowers of the meadows and pastures in d oom ,
the eight-branched river running steadily like a d a ck serpent w ith the sound
of Ihung tilling'.
The golden-beaked grouse, the delight of the protector goddess Sman btsun,
rivals the beauty of the peacock's p lu m e
W ild animals and herds of deer [roam] here
and the w ater of small pools make the sound of the guru-siddhi mantra.
Furthermore in this snow-encircled Broad Sandy Plain,
the Lord Padmasambhava and the assemdy of knowledge-holders
th in k in g of the people of later generations,
h id innum erade profound dharma Treasures.
In particular it is clearly indicated by the North Lha brag p rophecy/
the manner of h id in g in a w h ite rock,
the relics of the glorious 'knowledge-holder' Santigarbha,
belonging to the fierce lineage of spells.
Rdo rje gro lod is a fierce manifestation of Padmasambhava. He is thought

to be effective in subduing provocations caused by demons of the 'k in g '
(rgyal po) class. He appears crazy, raising a thunderbolt sceptre and a magic
dagger w h ile rid in g upon a pregnant tigress. The most im portant m ountain
shrine of this deity is in Bhutan.
Santigharba was one of the legendary eight Indian Vidhyadharas associated
w ith the Old Tantras whose teachings were brought to Tibet by
134
The land is robust w ith no enemies, thieves or fierce beasts.

Various m edicinal plants that quell harsh diseases,
tubers, stems, flowers and fruits, the hundred roots capable of taste sprout!
A ll around in every place fragrances fill the air.
Plantains, leaves, and penance foods
bloom in plenty w ith o u t being sown.
Friendly birds, w ater fo w l and wood-pigeons,
the gentle song of the jo l mo bird and the like,
resounding lik e the sweet sounding gling bu,
encourage the purification and ejection of the m ind 's weariness,
C utting off the straying of beings and the bustle generated by jealousy and misery.
Inner understanding and the accumulation of virtues increase,
b e n e fitin g the a c tiv ity of path, view, and m editation.
For the practitioners of ru shan and gnyan gcod

There is no better place than this!;
This strifeless hidden-land of Lord Padma,
is the same as Indias eight chamal grounds.
Surrounded all around by a moat and earthen wall,
always possessed of clouds, mist, and rain, it is strictly and naturally isolated.
The local deities, the pure Kalyanam itra - Thang la 'The Great' - , Rdo [rje]
Legslpaj,
M other Sman btsun, Sri Zla ba cha ti and the like,

are friends of dharm a practitioners.
If from among hundreds there are a few
endeavoring to practice dharm a from their hearts,

I say, "com e to this place fo r the attainment of Buddhahood in this life tim e "
Adepts and students of yoga remove obstructing conditions here!
Draw to the dharma various paths of harmonious gain.
May there be spontaneous and auspiscious benefit for one's self and others.
Padmasambhava. Them andala associated w ith Santigharba is the fierce form

of ManjuSri.
135
Advanced meditations, w hich have to be perf ormed in isolated places away

from villages.
136
The Enthronem ent
in the Forest:
The prophecies and guidebooks of the Northern Treasures all agree that
'Bras mo gshongs ('The Valley of Rice') is the most im portant of the hidden-
lands - a place of intrinsic spiritual blessings, where the supports for realization
na turally come together in this degenerate age
W hile Rgod Idem could
pa rtially opened this hidden-land in the 14th century, its d e finitive opening was
to occur later, as foretold by this rather cryptic passage from the O u te r
Passkey:
An incarnation of the 'Three Learned Ones of Tibet', w h o is a adept

of the [deity] Rdo rje Pliur ba
land of 'Bras mo bshongs.
(i.a Rgod Idem) w ill open the 'm iddle'
Due to the blessings amassed by the three
vajrasiddha-s of Tibet at Bsam yas M chim pu, first one person w ill open
[the hidden land]. Afterwards, the prophecies of the three siddha-s each
having spread separately, three places [dedicated] to the m antrateachings w ill be established in Bras mo bshongs.
The most famous of these path-finders is Lha btsun chen po Rig 'dzin Nam
m kha' 'jigs med (1597-1650), a scion of the Lha btsad po lineage of Tibetan
dharmaraja-s, bom in Byar y u l in southern Tibet.
In his youth he adopts the life of an itinerant ascetic m editating in the
sacred m ountains of southeast Tibet, where he quickly impresses people w ith
his m iraculous powers. Once when w alkin g around the 'Pure Crystal Peak' of
137
Rtsa ri, a boulder rolls tow ards him. Casting a w ra th fu l [Tantric] gaze and
m aking a threatening 'mudra' w ith his hand he m iraculously diverts the falling
ro c k .80
The Tibetan historian Gu ru Bkra shis, takes particular relish in recounting
another hagiographical episode where Lha bstun pa travels to India and
encounters a heretical king w h o is persecuting Buddhists. For three days the
king's m inisters assault the Lha btsun pa w ith all kinds of weapons, but these
do not harm him and "pass through him lik e punches fly in g through em pty
space."
When the master displays no apparent physical suffering, his
attackers develop great faith and are converted to Buddhism.

Returning to Tibet, in the year of the w ood-m onkey (1644) Lha btsun pa
opens the door to a small hidden-land called Rig mo
stong. Then in the
fo llo w in g year of the w ood-bird (1645), at the the request of his master Rig
'd zin 'Ja' tshon snying p o (1585-1656), Rkong po Rgod tshang sprul sku Mkhas
mchog padma legs g ru b and the great siddha Bkra shis tshe brtan, he departs
to open the secret site of Lha ri 'oci gsal snying po in the h id d a v la n d of 'Bras
mo gshongs.
A ppendix 1: Sbas y u l spyi'i them byang, fol.8-h5.

*RD
Guru Bkra shis, v o l.2, pg.171... khyad par gnas chen rtsa r ir 'phebs dus
gangs zhur byung te ri chen po n y il ba dang dags pa shel r i'i gyon ngos nas
brag ri chen po chad la khad pa sogs lta bstangs dang sdigs m d zu b m dzad pa
tsam gyis rang gnas su zlog pa'i rdzu 'p h ru l bstan/.
Ibid, pg.172, rgya gar gyi yul du mu stegs kyi rgyal po zhig gis nang pa'i
bstan la 'tsho ba byed pa la rdzu phrul gyi rgyal po de'i k h ri'i khar phebs pas
rgyal blon thams cad kyi mtshan cha sna tshogs kyi n yin gsum bar du brdeg
par byas kyang m kha' la khu tshur bsnun pa Itar gyur te ci yang nongs par
ma gyur pas gus pa btud de bsnyen bskur phul / p h yin chad mu stegs pa'i
lugs m i b y ^ Par khas blangs te / rgyal bion 'k h o r bcas log pa'i lam las
skyobs nas nang pa la b k o a /.
138
Further details of this master's journey in to the hidden-land are provided

in a text called History of S i k k im . 1** On the 13!h day of the 5th m onth of the
fire-dog year (1646), Lha btsun pa has a vision of the hidden-land appearing in
the clouds. He sees himseif crossing beyond the pastures and villages of Tibet
in quick succession, and at last com ing upon the hidde-land, he starts to m ake
m andala offerings and prayers, when a w h ite v u ltu re comes flyin g out to meet
him. This creature proves to be a d ivin e being w h o has assumed that shape and
proceeds to teach the master several things regarding the hidden-land and its
sacred sites.
:s3
A t a place called Nyams
dga' tshal, the Lha btsun pa meets another
pioneer lama called Kah thog Kun tu bzang po, w h o is also looking for a path
in to the hidden-land. Kah thog pa recounts how he has been turned back b y
the cliffs of M ka' brag, "w hich looked lik e the pillars of the heavens."W But
Lha btsun pa tells him that the opening of the northern gate to the hidden-land
is to be allotted only to him and tells Kah thog pa to go search for a w a y
elsewhere.
^ The text entitled the History of Sikkim: Compiled by their Highnesses th e

Maharaja Sir Thutob Namgyal, K.C.I.E, and the M aharani Yeshay Dolma o f
Sikkim in 1908, (tr.) Zla ba bsam g ru h A copy of w h ich was given to me by the late
M. Aris, and bore the seal of the India Office Library, dated 24, A pril, 1930. A copy of
this m anuscript is also preserved in the British Library in London w ith the call
num ber (MSS Eur E78). The original Tibetan text has yet to appear, although D.
M artin (1997:172), suggests that it m ay be the M k h a ' spyod 'bras mo Ijongs k y i
rgyal rabs gsal ba bkod pa divang shel me long, quoted by T. Shakapa in the Gangs
Ijong bod chos srid gnyis ldan g y i rgyal khab chen po'i srid don gyi rgyal rabs gsal
bar ston pa zla ba bam phrag 'char ba'i rdzing bu, 2 vols. (Dharamsala:1986), v o l.2,
617.
*83
H isto ry o f Sikkim, pg.32.
139
Lha btsun pa then proceeds to th e M k a ' brag cliffs and disappears in to the
ravines beyond the sight of his followers. A fte r a week, his disdples conclude
that he has died. As they start to turn back, however, they hear the echo of
their master's thigh-bone trum pet in the cliffs and decide to wait.
Inside the maze of cliffs, Lha btsun pa encounters a Lepcha w izard called
Thekong Salang w h o "guided by divine d ire ctio n "185 goes to receive the
Tibetan saint and guide him dow n from the pass. The bevevolent wizard
shows the master the great caves of the hidden-land, and helps him to
compose a guidebook describing the various sacred sites of ' Bras mo gshongs.
After a total of three weeks, the master returns declaring he has found a path
into the lush valleys across the m ountain range
W hile Lha btsun pa opens the northern gate to the hidden-land, news
amves that Kah thog pa has also forged a w ay in to the hidden-land from the
west over the " Singili" pass.
A t this time, a third Tibetan saint called Mnga'
bdag Sems pa 'phun tshogs rig 'dzin, a scion of the old Tibetan royal family,
also starts to travel tow ards the hidden-land from the Tibetan province of
Gtsang on the 25th day of the 3rd m onth of the water-horse year (1642).
The History o f S ik k im quotes a prophecy concerning this lama from the
oracles of the Treasure fin d e r Ratna gling pa (1403-1478):
"The sign of [the hidden-land] being populated w ill be when a

descendant of the line of Khri srong lde btsan w ill be driven by
1 For the role of this Lepcha w izard in opening the hidden-land see ibid,
pp.44-5. A t Lha ri snying 'phug, the dent made by the end of the Thekong
Salang's bow, his foot print, a d u m p of bamboos planted by him, and his
grave at 'Khrag thang rong are still visited w ith reverential interest.
140
circumstances, as a bird pursued by a hawk, to seek refuge in Bras m o

gshongs. **
This th ird path-finder, according to the History
of
S ik k im
was a
descendent of King Dpal 'kh o r btsan, the grandson of King Glang Dar ma
whose descendents had fled to the northern borders of Tibet and reigned as
kings over M ang yul, Spu reng
and Lha Stod. A descendent of King Dpal
'k h o r btsan, named Bkra shis Khri btsan w h o ruled the border kingdom of Gu
go, m arried a Kashmiri princess called Lha gcig Bsod nams srgol ma, w h o gave
h r th to an extraordinary son on the 5th day of the 4th m onth of the iron-hare
year (1591).
When this young aristocrat is only 21, w e find him w andering around in
Central Tibet engaging in pranayama-related m editation practices, "abstaining
from solid food and barley, subsisting upon elixirs etc for a period of tw elve
years.
He gives up inhabiting human dwellings,
and only lives in the
m ountains and awe-inspiring places lik e cremation grounds and devotes

him self most energetically to spiritual devotions and meditations. ^
Travelling towards Bras mo gshongs, he subjugates the local spirits on
the way, and commands them to support the Faith, and binds them by an oath
to observe the laws of piety. He also perform s sanctification and benedictory
ntes as he goes, and arrives in 'Bras mo gshongs on the 3rd day of the 8th
IBB
Tibetan m onth of the same water-horse year (1642).* Then in the year of the
186 Ibid, pg.35.

W Ib d .
,88 ibid.
141
earth-ox (1649), he builds a monastary in the center of the hidden-land and

performs "th e ceremony of taking possession of the place; as prescribed in the
oracular book of Guru Padmasambhava."
199
When the three saints ind ivid u a lly converge in the center of the hiddenland, Lha btsun pa convenes an assembly saying, "w e are all lamas, w e want a
layman to rule the kingdom righteously."
190
Various oracular books, like the
guidebooks to the hidden Treasures of Padma gling pa, Rgod Idem and Ratna
gling pa all agreed in saying, " if a descendant from the unbroken line of Khri
srong lde btsan be appointed ruler of this land, it w ill enjoy peace and
prosperity."
191
The guidebook discovered by the Treasure fin d er Rin chen gling
pa was even m ore precise saying, "one named Phun tshogs from the direction
_
1P2
of Lang w ill apear." Lha btsun pa sends his disciples to look fo r such a man.
The search party is led by a certain herm it called Rtogs Idan Skal bzang
don g ru b whose escort of musketeers and m ounted retainers apparently
make quite an impression on the aboriginal Lepcha population: "The simple
natives w h o had never seen ponies or firearms, said to others, the entire party
rode on huge hogs, and some of them bore sticks, w hich when pointed
tow ards you produced great sounds."'93
in the forests of Gangtok, the search party makes a startling discovery: a
lost Tibetan tribe liv in g alongside the Lepcha aboriginees. Am ong this clan,
ibid, pg.42.
Wibid, pg.35.
1ibid, pg.37.
02
ibid, pp.35-6.
Ibid, pp.36-7.
142
they find a man called Phun tshogs m ilk in g his cows, and request him to be
their king.
The H istory of S ik k im traces this person back to the 25th king of K h a m s
M i nyak w h o was prophecied to go towards Bras mo gshongs, where his
descendants w ou ld ru le His lineage continued w ith his eldest son, Prince

Brgyad 'bum bsags, w ho moved to the Chumbi Valley. But, having no m ale
issue, the prince sought the aid of a Lepcha w izard called Thekong-tek, "w h o
lived in a bamboo hut in the jungle, w earing his feather cap and his garland of
teeth and claws of w ild beasts, interspersed w ith various shells and cowries."
The w izard succesfully conferred the boon of male progeny onto the
Prince - it seems - by granting him a Lepcha consort. For after this event, the
H istory of S ik k im reports, "a blood oath was made at which both domestic
and w ild animals were sacrificed and all the deities invoked to bear witness to
the bond between Tibetans and the Lepcha. Sitting on the raw hides of the
animals, they entwined the entrails around their persons and put their feet
together in a vessel filled w ith blood, and took a vo w that all the sons should
be regarded as Tibetan and all daughters as Lepcha."1"'
Settlling in the cloud forests of Gangtok, the descendents of Prince Brgyad
'bum brought the local Lepcha tribes under their control. Generations after, in
the year of the w ood dragon [1604], a boy called Phun tshogs m am rgyal was
bom in to this fa m ily - the one destined by Guru Padmasambhva's prophecies
to be crowned as the future king of the hidden-land.
The enthronm ent of the king takes place in the water-horse year [1642],
w ith Kah thog pa and Lha btsun pa acting as officiating priests. Having secured
M Ibid, pg.25-26.
143
the realm w ith a kin g according to the prophetic injunctions of
Guru
Padmasambhava, Lha bstun pa then goes in to a m editation retreat at Brag

dkar bkra shis sdings in order to extract the Treasures of the hidden-land.
in a dream, Lha btsun pa sees a young wom an dressed in kashm iri-style

clothes w h o delivers a prophecy to h im about the hidden Treasures destined
for him. Then in a subsequent dawn-dream, he reveals the Treasure cycle
know n as the Rig 'dzin srog sgrub in a pure-vision (dag snang).
Having intitiated the dharmaraja in to the mysteries of his visionary
teachings, Lha btsun pa then realizes a b rillia n t political coup by subm itting the
text for the perusal of the 5th Dalai Lama, w ith the request that he also be
initiated in to its secrets. The Dalai Lama, himself a Treasure finder, accepts and
thus comes to regard Lha btsun pa as his guru. " And as the Maharaja Phun
tshogs m am rgyal is also initiated in to this practice; the Dalai Lama is inducted
in to the spiritual brotherhood, and recognizes him as the ruler of the "sacred
land of the southern slopes."'77
175 Ibid, pg.26.

Guru Bkra shis, v o l.2, pg. 173... brag dkar bkra shis sdings su rm i lam
dang mngon sum 'dres pa lta bur rgya gar kha che'i cha lugs can gyi bu m o
zhig gis khyod la bla ma rig 'd z in gyi srog sgrubs dakki chos srung gi snying
thig cig dag snang gi tshul du 'ong zhes lung bstan pa bzhin d u / me m o phag
lo r dakki snying gi phug par bzhugs dus su tho rengs kyi cha zhig la dag
snang gi tshul du a ti bla med snying tig gi gdams pa thun m ong ma yin pa
rig 'd zin srog sgrub kyi skor m am s byung ste/.
w
History of Sikkim, 45.
144
Chapter Six:
Padma bkod: Tibet's Heart o f Darkness'
145
The Early Explorers:
Padma bkod (The Lotus-Shaped Land') is undoubtedly the most rem ote
and dangerous of Tibet's legendary hidden-lands.
Located in a forgotten
comer of southeastern Tibet where the Brahmaputra River cuts a deep chasm
towards the plains of northern India, this region is separated from the rest of
the Tibetan plateau by m ountains and dense forests. The d ifficu lt journey over
the form idable rin g of high passes to the sacred sites of this hidden-valley is
possible only in late summer, when the blizzards briefly abate, and a path can
be cut in the snow.
Over the centuries the inaccessible ravines of Padma bkod served as an
ideal refuge from the invasions and civil wars w hich shook Tibet. According to
prophecies attributed to Guru Padmasambhava, somewhere in this untamed
wilderness Tibetans believed they w ould find an earthly paradise - a pure
realm abounding in fru its and self-sown crops which w ou ld
p rovide a
sanctuary d u rin g the Buddhist dark-age For the yogis of the Rnuing ma and
Bka' brgi/ud orders w h o held the transmission lineage of these prophecies, the
journey in to the Brahmaputra gorge became an obsession. Defying fierce

tribes, w ild animals, and a variety of tropical diseases, they repeatedly entered
this wilderness try in g to open the doors to its earthly paradise
The legends of Padma bkod first spread in Tibet in the m id d le of the 17th
century. Guidebooks to the hidden-land appeared in the prophetic revelations
of the Rig 'd zin 'Ja' tshon snying po,
196
w ho lived d u rin g the turbulent reign of
146
the 5th Dalai Lama. For 'Ja' tshon snying po, Padma bkod
was the ultim ate
pilgrim age to undertake in this degenerate age (snyigs ma'i dus). Those w h o
enter this realm, he says, realize the 'vajra-body' and dissolve in to rainbow
light upon death. Merely taking seven steps tow ards Padma bkod guarantees
rebirth in this pure realm after death.
When the armies of Gushri khan of
the Qosot Mongols were subjugating Tibet in the m iddle of the 17th century,
Ja' tshon snying po appointed his disciple Rig dzin Bdud 'dul rd o rje (16151672) to convert the aboriginal tribes of the Brahmaputra gorge to the
Buddha's teachings and open the w ay to the hidden-land.
Bdud dul rd o rje journeyed to the kingdom of Spo bo, situated at the
entrance to the vast wilderness of the Brahmaputra gorge
According to local
tradition, he mapped a circum am bulatory pilgrim age path around Padma

bkod, called Padma srx . This master in tu m passed on his teachings to Stag
sham pa Nus ldan rdo rje (1655-1708), a famed Rnyitig ma pa master fro m
Kham s w ho had settled in Spo bo and discovered m any hidden Treasures. A
Treasure text called Rtsa gsum y i dam dgongs dus, revealed by Stag sham pa,
describes eight hidden-lands which unfold like the petals of a lotus over Tibet,
in the heart of the lotus, he locates Padma bkod, which he fu rth e r subdivides
^See Sbas y u l Padma bkod ky i lam y ig dang sku tshab padma bshes
gnyen 'gro dul dang skye bdun dkar chags, in the collection: Sbas yul
padma bkod kyi lam yig ma 'ongs lu ng bstan sna tshogs phyogs gcig
tu bsdus pa'i gsung pod. Tezu: 1974; fols. 1-35. Also see Erhart, 1994,
for discussion of material related to this hidden-land in the gter ma
cycle called Rdo rje gro lod rtsal g yi sgrub skor.
Sbas yul, pg.13.4-6
147
"in to the 12 outer territories,
the 40 inner ravines,
and the 16 secret
territories.
During Stag sham pa's time, Padma bkod was still an uncharted h unting
ground inhabited by a fierce confederation of Mishmi and A b o r tribes: vassals
of the w arrior kings of A hom w h o had overran the Assam Valley and enslaved
the Naga.201 in his visions, Stag sham pa perceives this untamed wilderness as
the geographic representation of the goddess Vajravarahi his ow n secret
tutelary deity. The ritual pilgrim age through the 'cakras' of her body follow ed
the Brahmaputra riv e r which symbolized her central channel, begining fro m
her head in Tibet and culm inating in her w o m b somewhere in the jungles of
Northern india.
202
The outer journey through the cloud forest became an inner
joum ey of self-discovery, and the landscape itself became a reflection of the

yogi's own 'body-m andala' visualized in meditation. Stag sham pa's visionary
guidebooks became the basis fo r the exploration of Padma
bkod and the
identification of her'cakras' at the turn of the next century, d u rin g a period of

unprecedented political turm oil.
Yi dam, pg.521. A lso see F.Erhart 1994, fo r further discussion of

Stag sham pas guidebooks to Padma bkod in the Treasure cycles Yi
dam dgongs 'dus rta mchog rol pa, and the Rta mgrin dgongs 'dus.
For a general discussion of hidden-lands in clu d in g Padma bkod in the
prophetic revelations of Stag sham pa see Bla ma rd o jje gro lod kyi
mam thar, (Delhi: 1985).
CD!
M ajor Sitaram Johri, Where India, China, and Burma Meet.

(Calcutta:1933), 34-5.
^ it is unclear when Padma bkod was first identified w ith the body
of the goddess Vajravarahi possessing 5 'cakras'. Ehrhard (1994:8),
mentions that S le lu n g bzh a d pa'i r d o ije ( h 1697) w h ile travelling to
Padma bkod in 1729, already refers to sections of the Rta mgrin
dgongs 'dus of Stag sham pa w hich contained the description of
148
The Dzungar I n v a s io n :
When the Dzungar Mongols sacked Lhasa in 1717, m any Treasure finders
fam iliar w ith the prophecies of Padmasambhava believed that the final wars
signaling the decline of the Buddhist teachings were at hand. An Italian Jesuit
missionary, H ip p o lyte Desideri, w h o spent the years 1712-1727 in Tibet was
also fa m ilia r w ith the prophecies of Padmasambhava:
But I m ust now recount what, when first I arrived in Thibet, I took
to be a jest and laughed at, but w hich later induced me to bow m y head
to the ground, adore the supreme inscrutable Providence of God and
repeat the w ords of the H oly Prophet David: Justus es, Demine; et rectum
iudiaum tuum. The judgem ents of God are, indeed, incomprehensible
but adorable You must know that among the m any books which are in
general use in Thibet tw o in particular deal w ith w hat I have been
m entioning. The name of one is Lungh-ten, or the prophecies of
Urghien ; this was the first that was translated to me w ord by w o rd
when I began to study the Thibettan books soon after m y arrival at
Lhasa. The second book which I studied and caused to be explained to
me w o rd by w o rd contains the life of Urghien. The first book and some
chapters of the second contain, in the form of a dialogue between the
King and Urghien, a series of prophecies of the latter as to w hat w ould
happen in Thibet d u rin g successive centuries, i read them in 1716 and
they had been w ritten a very long tim e before One was in manuscript
the other was printed. The first of the m any prophecies was that the
Tartars of Lower Tartary w ou ld become masters of Thibet. Secondly,
that the country w o u ld be invaded by Tartars of Upper Tartary. Thirdly,
that the latter w ou ld sack and ru in the land and send all the spoils back
to their country. Fourthly, that they w ou ld m urder m any religious and
Padma bkod h a v in g 5 'cakras', see The Collected Works (Gsung

'Bum) o f Sle-lung Rje-drung Bzhad-pai-rdo-rje. ( Leh: 1984), v o l.8.
149
Lamas, destroy monasteries and convents, profane temples and com m it

other horrors. Fifthly, that the King Cinghes-Khan w ould be killed w ith
his w hole fam ily. Sixthly and lastly, that China w ould attack and defeat
the tyrannical usurpers and conquer the Kingdom. The first prophecy
was fulfilled some tim e ere 1 arrived in Thibet, as King Cinghes-Khan
was a Prince of Lower Tartary and his courtiers and arm y were natives
of that kingdom . The second came true in 1717, p a rtly in 1718. The
fourth was but too well fulfilled d u ring the years 1718-1719-1720 and
1721 to the grief, tears and h o rro r of the Thibettans. The fifth came tru e
in 1717 and 1719 to m y intense sorrow, and marked the end of all m y
hopes, founded on the evident inclination and good disposition of King
Cinghes-Khan to aid m e in establishing our H oly Faith in the Kingdom .
The sixth, concerning events about w hich I have w ritte n before, came
true in 1719 and 1721. These are facts. Let everyone explain so abstruse a
mystery according to his own feelings; fo r my part I believe that God in
His infin ite w isdom made know n future events to the demons either
after or at the tim e of their fa ll.333
Father Desiden, w h o considered Padmasambhava to be some kind of

inspired demon, nevertheless developed a certain sym pathy fo r the follow ers
of his sect, w h o in his opinion were u n fa irly persecuted and bullied by the
reformed theocratic institu tion s of the 'Y ellow Church':
in Thibet there are tw o kinds of monks. The first class, whose

superior is the Grand Lama of Potala, wear a yellow cap. The second
class wear a red cap and also acknowledge the said Grand lama as
supreme head of their sect and religion, but regard the Lama w h o lives
on the m ountain in the province of Thakpo as their im m ediate
superior... A lthough there are fewer of these [ Rnying ma pal monks, they
are held in higher esteem and honour in Thibet than those of the yellow
ip p o lito Desideri, A n Account o f Tibet, (tr.) Filippo De Blippi, (New D e lh i:l995),

279-80.
150
caps, perhaps because they are m ore re tirin g or because they appear to
have higher m orality. The envy and intense hatred w ith w hich thay are
regarded by the monks of the first class is not to be described; the
persecution was so great as to cause the ruin and almost the destruction
not only of the monks of the second class, but of the unhappy Kingdom
of Thibet... The tyrannical execrable usurper of the kingdom of Thibet,
Ce-nng-ton-drup, was a m onk of the first class and studied in the great
M onastery-U niversity of Giegazze. The tw o principal commanders and
nearly all the soldiers of his arm y w ere also monks of the yellow cap
and, as I said before, no sooner did they approach Lhasa than from the
monasteries of Sera, Breebung and others the monks rushed out armed,
carrying arms and am m unitions to those barbarous enemies of their
fatherland. But the deluded Thibetans soon discovred that the statement
that they had delivered the Grand Lama fro m his prison in China and
were bringing him to his palace of Potala was only a pretext to be able
to vent their hatred on the monks of the red cap. So little did the fo rm e r
care about the Grand lama, that when the Chinese arm y entered Thibet
escorting him, those deceitful wolves attacked them. Indeed, from the
first of December, 1717, until the end of October, 1720, they ill-treated
and murdered the monks of the second dass and all w h o had dealings
w ith them. Many of their monasteries were sacked and destroyed, the
richest and most honoured
Lamas were killed, w hile others fled
deprived of everything and sought refuge in caverns.
Am ong the "red cap" lamas escaping to the m ountains was Chos rje gling pa,
alias 'D zam gling rd o rje rtsal (h 1682), the abbot of the Bka brgyud cloister of
Ras chung phug in Yar klung, w h o believed the tim e had come to seek refuge
in the hidden-land of Padma bkod.
TfU
205
Ibid,220-1.
205
On the ide n tifica tio n of this master as the reincarnation of the former
abbot of Ras chung phug, Zhabs d ru n g 'C h i med dbang po see Kun
bzang, pg.322.
151
A lthough this master was fo rm a lly recognized as a reincarnate lama of

the Bka' brgyud order, he was particularly draw n towards the teachings of the
Rnying ma pa school. The prophecies of the Rnying ma pa master Stag sham
Xus ldan rd o rje had apparently designated him as one of the path-finders of
Padma bkod. 206 As the Dzungars carried their bloody campaign tow ards the
cloisters of southeastern Tibet, Chos rje gling pa and his disciples fled in to the
hidden-land over the high passes of the kingdom of Spo bo:
(D uring] a tim e of great unim aginable persecution of the Ancient

Teachings by the Dzungars, [w h o were] the manifestation of [the Mara]
Kamadeva, this master set his m in d for the departure to the hidden-land
called 'Lotus Grove' (sbas y u l padmai tshal). Having arrived in Spit bo,
he endeavored tow ards opening the 'door1of the sacred place of Padma
bkod... H aving w ritte n
clarifications and guidebooks, he put all his
visions into w ritin g . Bestowing the religious pronouncements onto the

people of Klo w h o were like beasts, he laid dow n the inclination fo r
religion. The K lo in turn paid homage and reverence according to the
< ,
customs of the country.
2,7
Kun bzang, pg.325.4... de yang stag shams lung byang la s/ dang po nges
med smyon pa'I tshul gyis 'ongs70 zhes pa rje nyid kyi zhal slob byang gling
sgrub chen d a ng / derjes sems dpa' ded dpon tshul du 'ongs% zhes pa dam
pa n y id / de rjes m al 'b yo r 'g ro mgon tshul du 'ongs% zhes pa n i/ sgam po
rin po c h e ' g r o ' dul gling pa yin ' dra snyam m o /.
207 ibid, pg.415...dga' ra b db a n g phyug gi m am 'phrul rdzun gar bas

rnying bstan mtha' dag dm igs med du rgyas 'debs pa'i tshe rje 'd i nyid
sbas yul padm a'i tshal du phebs pai thugs gra bsgrigs te spu bor phebs
nas padma bkod kyi gnas sgo 'byed pa'i thugs rtsol gnang/ rim gyis gnas
nang du phebs pas...gnas kyi gsal cha dang lam yig sogs m dzad nas gzigs
snang thams cad gtan la p h ab / klo mi dud 'g ro 'dra ba de m am s la'ng
bka chos bstsal nas chos kyi bag chags 'jog par m d za d / k lo mam s kyis
kyang dad gus dang zhabs tog yul lugs dang bstun pa'i bsnyen bkur
The career of this master in Padma bkod was cut short when he suddenly
contracted a sharp rheum atic attack and passed away in the dam p cloud forests
of the hidden-land. But even after his death, Klo pa
hunters reported seeing
his emanational w isdom -body (ye shes sku) surrounded by a retinue of female
companions deep in the jungle slopes.
206
Chos rje gling pa's lineage endured
and became the bedrock of Buddhism in the Klo pa inhabited territories of

N orthern Padma bkod.
His reincarnation, Kun bzang 'od zer Gar bang Chi med rd o rje (h 1763):'w
was bom in to a M on pa fa m ily in Padma bkod, where he continued to develop
and spread the dharm a Treasures of his predecessor called the I m m o r ta l
Heart Drop' (Chi med thugs thig).
Kun bzang od zer also showed a keen
interest in m apping out the sacred geography of the hidden-land. He is

remembered as a skilled Buddhist w izard w h o "reopened" the head and throat
cakras of thehidden-valley.
210
bstabs/. For a fu rther discussion of this master's activities in Padma bkod

see Ehrhard 1994:7.
Kun bzang, pg.326.1... padma bkod nye skor klo pa las dag pa 'ga' zhig gis
gter chen zhing la gshegs nas phyi m o'i bar du ri dvags gshor bar phyin dus
dngos su mjal te / bla ma kho rang shi song zer yang bsdad 'd u g / zla bo
sngar gyi grva pa de tsho ni m i 'd u g / bud med skyang pas bskor nas 'dug
zer ba ye shes kyi sku'i bkod pa' sgyu 'p h ru l du nges so.
'' Another tra d itio n claims that Chos rje gling pa was reincarnated as 'Jigs
med gling pa (1729/30-1798). See S. Goodman, " Rig 'd z in 'Jigs med gling pa
and the Klong chen Snying th ig ", in (eds.) S, Goodman & R. Davidson,
Tibetan Buddhism: Reason and Revelation, (A lb a n y: 1992), 188.
Guru Bkra shis, pg.134... gzhan yang padm a bkod kyi gnas r i'i bye brag
spyi bo m g rin pa'i gnas phug mang po gsar phyes d a n g / o rgyan yang
rd zo n g / padm a rdzong che chung sogs nas gsang gter kyang mang du
bzhes shing sgrub gnas gtsug lag khang sogs gsar skrun d a n g / gzhan yang
stod smad thams cad du lha kh a ng / m chod rten sogs mang du bzhengs par
gnang z h in g / k lo m o n gyi 'g ro ba m am s bsdu ba m am pa b z h i'I p h rin las
153
Even as the fires of the D zungar invasion subsided, the legendary land of
Padma bkod continued to attract maverick Tibetan yogis in search of vision
and adventure The career of the Fifth Sgam po pa 0 rgyan 'G ro 'd u l gling pa
(t i 1757), the scion of the ancient Lha rgya r i '"fa m ily w h o ascended to the
abbacy of Dvag lha sgam po is a case in point.
The Adventures o f the Fifth Sgam po pa 0 rgyan 'Gro dul g lin g pa:
O rgyan 'G ro 'dul gling pa was form ally recognized
as the
Fifth
reincarnation of Sgam po pa, the famed master of the Bka ' brgyud order, but
he too soon gravitated tow ards the teachings of Rnying ma pa. in his young
age he received in itia tio ns from Kun beang 'od zer Gar bang Chi med rd o rje,
and fu rther teachings from Bde chen rgyal po the Treasure fin d er of 'B rug
thang w ho fu rther inducted the young Fifth Sgam po pa in to the messianic
ideology of the Rnying ma pa. initiated in to the secret society of Treasure

finders, the Fifth Sgam po pa obtained Commandments (lung bstan) to open
hidden-lands and perform fierce m agic rituals to turn back m ilita ry invasions
w hich threatened Tibet.'12
kyis rjes su bzung ba m dzad nas/ slar yang lha ldan phyogs su phebs skyod
dang bcas skal pa dang ldan pa mang po'i don mdzad cin g /
For a brief history of this fa m ily see J. Karsten, "Some Notes on the House
of Lha Rgya-ri", (eds.) M .A ris & A u n g San Suu Kyi, Tibetan Studies in
Honor of Hugh Richardson, (W arm inster: 1980), 163-168.
212
" Kun bzang, pg.341.5... de rjes bead rgya gnang skabs bstan 'g ro 'i bde
thabs sbas yul du phebs dgos m th a dmag nad mtshon yang ts h u l/ belog
thabs lung bstan mang du byung bar snang.
154
in 1788, on the eve of the Nepali invasion of Tibet, several inauspicious

omens appeared in the v ic in ity of Lhasa. People saw a strange beast which was
neither a tiger nor a leopard, the cry of an elephant arose from the lake at
'Bam ra, and the great flag pole at Dga' ldan
fell down.
213
A t this tim e the
Fifth Sgam po pa travels to the sacred shrines of Central Tibet where he

participates in rituals to repell the invading armies of the King of Gorkha.
He
then returns to the border kingdom of Spo bo, and w ith the support of the
local king, Nyi ma rgyal po, he attempts to further open the hidden sites of
Padma bkod.
He joins up w ith Kun bzang 'od zer, and the tw o of them become the
principal recipients of the teachings of the master Rig 'dzin Rdo rje thogs med
(1746-1797), called The Seven
Profound
Opening the Gate o f the Hidden-land'

bdun
pa sbas yul gnas sgo byed).
Teachings
of the
Lumious
W eb
(Tshe 'grub 'od g y i 'dra ba zab chos
Collectively these three lamas become
know n in local tradition as the "Three Vidyadhara-s of the Hidden-land".

Their teachings, especially the Treasure cycle of the Lum inous
14
Web, spread
among the Mon pa clans m igrating to Padma bkod from Bhutan at the end of
the 18th century.
A fter Rdo rje thogs med s death, the Fifth Sgam po pa ventures fu rth e r
dow n the Brahmaputra gorge to reveal the sacred sites corresponding to the
Goddess' sacred anatomy. A t dawn, on the 9th day of the 5th m onth of the
w ood-tiger year (1794), an acarya and a woman in ragged clothes appear to
3 Rnam thar, pg.197.

J4 The list of the sbas y u l rig 'dzin rnam gsum occurs in Spo bo lo
rsyus. P8-21Q-
155
him in a dream instructing him to build a tem ple on a nearby hill in the shape
of a rice heap Rin chen spungs.
215
The Klo pa tribesmen resist this takeover,
claim ing that the drum -beating and conch-blowing of the Buddhist lamas
w o u ld scare away the w ild game in the area. For compensation, they subm it an
exorbitant list of demands, which include a g ift of cows, yak half-breeds, pigs,
chickens, w ool
ornaments.
cloth, swords,
knives,
axes,
copper utensils,
and
silver
216
Surrounded on all sides by valleys, w hich fan out like the petals of a lotus,
Rin chen
spungs became the center of religious life in Padma
guidebook of the Lum inous

'cakra' of Padma bkod
Web
bkod. The
describes the protector deity of the heart
as the Indian god Siva (dbang phyug) and his consort
Lima, and in the surrounding groves one is said to find a plethora of healing
Rnam thar, pg.722. According to Ehrhard (1994),however, the date for

laying the foundation of this temple was 1806.
see Rnam thar, fol.723.1-3. W hile the conception of Padma bkod as the
geographic representation of Vajravarahi started to gain currency after
the 17th century, there was not always agreement as to the topographical
identification of her 'cakras. The Spo bo lo rgyus quoted by Ehrhard
(1994) identifies Bod lung pa as the heart of the Goddess and Rin chen
spungs as the navel 'cakra'. This identification also accords w ith
inform ation contained in Gnas gsol bar ched kun sel phrin las m y u r
'grub by Kun bzang od zer. This text identifies the 'cakras' of the Goddess
w ith entire sections of the Brahmaputra gorge The throat 'cakra', fo r
example, not only covers the site of M ngon po gnas as quoted by
Ehrhard (1994:11) but extends all the w ay to Dga 'Ide. Similarly, the heart
area comprises a vast region begining fro m Kong y u l, passing through
Bod lung pa and ending at Rin chen spungs, considered to be the
begining of the navel 'cakra'. But it seems that there was not always an
effort to correlate w ith past visions of the Goddess' 'cakras'. Instead, each
lama seems to have identified the 'cakras', of the Goddess w ith his own
personal visual fie ld of reference depending on where he settled in Padma
bkod. For a different topographical identification of the 'cakras' see Sle
lung Bzhad pa'i rd o rje, w h o fo llo w in g sections of Stag sham pa's Rta
mgrin dgongs 'dus, locates Rin chen spungs at the heart.
156
plants and w ild fruits such as the giant 'tamanta', w hich can satisfy the hunger
of fiv e p e o p le '1'
In the Treasure cycle of the Luminous Web w e also fin d w hat appears to
be a discussion of hallucigenic plants. Near Rin chen spungs one is said to find
a plant called the 'cu ttin g of the klesa-s'. By eating this, it is said, one forgets
food, and the 'knots' (m d u d )
of the body's subtle channels are untied,
producing visions of various Buddha-fields.
218
Padma bkod , w ith its perpetual rain, w ild animals and fierce tribes m ay
not have conformed to most people's idea of paradise, but fo r the 5th Sgam po
pa and his disciples it was the perfect Tantric paradise The journey through this
untamed wilderness was heaven and hell at the same tim e and as such it
became a sk ilfu ll means fo r the testing and transform ation of the hum an spirit
in this degenerate age
C om paring it to Devtkota, a legendary Indian Tantric
pitha, the 5th Sgam po pa says, "th e actions of w hoever enters this place are
beyond good and e v il."'
'" Tshe sgrub od kyi dra ba'i lam byang rnying g i mun sel, in Sbas
i/u/,pg.285.1... ta man ta zhes bya bai shing tog ni7c rtog po re res m i Inga
la tsheng pa yang%
218
ibid, pp.294.6... nyon mongs kun gcod rtsa m chog sus zes pa % rtsa
m dud kun grol shing kham s sna tshogs m thong % bea' btung rtogs pa
yid la mi skye zhing % tin nge 'dzin rang ? rgyud la skye bar 'g y u r %
tshangs pai dbyangs ldan dus gsum m khyen par gyur % A fu rth e r
description of fiv e special plants occurs in a text called the Rtsa m c h o g
rman pa Inga rtags thabs gsal bai me long- in Sbas y ii/,p p .250-263.
211
o
E.ma.ho/ dus gsum rgyal ba'i zhing mchog gnas kyi m chog/ / o rgyan
byin rlabs de w i ko ta'i s a // gangs can bod kyi Iho n u b rgya bod
m tsham s/ / gzugs can gang p h yin las la beang ngan med / / .... from a text
entitled Sbas y u l padma bkod kyi lam yig, handw ritten in cursive script
on damaged rice paper, signed by O rgyan Gro 'd u l g ling pa.
Photographed in the possesion of Ka ba sprul sku of Cham do in August
1995 by the author. Deposited at the Sanskrit Library, H arvard University.
157
For the yogi initiated in to the secret topics of the M other Tantras, the
physical landscape of Padma bkod
served as a geographical referent fo r
deeper levels of m editative vision. The guidebook of the Lum inous
W eb
describes Rin chen spungs as just a rock shaped lik e a pitched tent, but on the
'inner' level it is said to be the temple of Heruka, the Buddhist manifestaion of
enlightened wrath. On the'secret' level the h ill is described as the transform ed
mandala of emotions and thoughts represented by the 100 peaceful and
w rath fu l deities of the Z h i 'k h ro mandala, and its 'innerm ost secret' reality is
equated
w ith
the
[principle]
of
Padmasambhava,
Samantabhadra
Vajradhara, the icons of non-dual awareness and perfect realization.
and
22D
For the ordinary p ilg rim w h o could not directly experience these 'inner'
and 'secret' and innermost secret' levels of reality, the physical jou rn e y
through Padma bkod became the u ltim a te exerase in pure vision. The w arlike
aborigines were seen as the fierce human gatekeepers of the hidden-land;
venomous snakes on the path were considered supports for mindfulness; and
the leeches were believed to be sucking away one's sins. Even the hunters
inhabiting the Brahmaputra gorge saw their activity as a sacramental rite
Convinced that they live d in the perfect Tantric paradise, they came to believe
that the m inds of the animals they killed were instantly liberated and the
venison was tshog sha, the sym bolic m eat-offering of a Buddhist Tantric
feast.- '
See Sbas yul, pp.265... phyi lta r shel gyi pha bong gur ph ub *dra70 nang
lta r he ru ka yi lha khang ste% gsang ba kun bzang zhi kh ro 'i pho brang
che70 (266) yang gsang pad 'byung kun bzang rd o r 'chang gi% lha tshogs nyi
brgya kyi pho brang yin7c
158
Celebrating the paradoxical pow er of the hidden-land in a spiritual song,

Rdo pe drag sngags tsal, w h o was the 5th Sgam po pa's foremost disciple; calls
Padma
bkod
the paradise of the future Buddha Maitreya,
praising her
medicinal groves filled w ith rainbows and the sonorous voice of the dakini. At
the same time, however, he describes it as a gathering place of fierce btsan
spirits, teaming w ith tigers, leopards, bears, and poisonous snakes baring their
fangs.
222
The Modern Exodus:
The 5th Sgam po pas principal gurus incarnated
as his sons and
im m ediate disciples and continued teaching among the M on pa and Klo pa
On several of m y visits to Padma bkod, our Mon pa porters insisted on

bringing their guns to hunt Takin (budorcas taxicolor). A ccording to their
oral tradition the 5th Sgam po pa perm itted them to conceive of the hunt
as a sacramental rite A ccording to a convenient legend this beast is a
Treasure provided fo r the people of the hidden-land by Padmasambhava
as a source of food, i fauna no textual source w hich confirm s this claim,
but the Mon pa track dow n this beast w ith im p u n ity w ith o u t fearing any
karm ic repercussions. T o ju s tify their act they point to a little space
between the horns of this m agnificent beast to show where the m ind of
the animal is autom atically liberated after being killed.
... ma bzhengs lun gyis grub pa'i rang byung padma bkod chen/ ma
dang mkha' 'gro rgya m thso snang stong 'ja' 'oa 'k h y il b a 'i/ ma 'ong dus
kyi tha ma las 'phro 'jams pa'i gdan sa/ ma btsegs rd o rje bra dzongs dus
gsum rgyal ba'i shing kham s/ og m in padma bkod chen bsam zhing
snang ba'i skyid b y u n g / rang sems m am par dag pa'i glu byangs mchod
pa bul lo / gung sngon nam m kha'i 'byings nas 'ja' tshon sprin dkar
khyug k h y u g / o rgyan m kha' 'g ro rgya m tsho zhal mjal gsung nyan Iang
lang/.... excerpt from the O rgyan Rdo rje Drag sngags kyis gsungs pa'i
padma bkod kyis yon tan rdzogs p a i glas byangs. H a n d w ritte n text
copied from the lib ra ry of Phun tshogs m am rgyal of Padma bkod in May
1996 by the author. Deposited at the Sanskrit Library, H arvard University.
159
populations of Padma bkod.
223
By the close of the 19th century, the Buddhist
inhabitants of hidden-land start to pay taxes to the king of Spo in butter and
pelts, and he in return protects their villages against attacks from the 'black'
Klo pa. For disciples of the 5th Sgam po pa, Padma bkod became not only a
refuge from foreign invasions and religious persecution, but also a testing
ground for Buddhism as a 'tam ing1 force The hidden-land became the focus of
an archetypal encounter between the 'civilized' center and the 'barbaric'
periphery.
The Tibetans, however, were not the only ones obsessed w ith entering
this w ild frontier. For the last British imperial explorers Padma bkod harbored
one of Asia's last geographical riddles. It was in to this nearly im penetrable
region that the Tsangpo River disappeared from the Tibetan plateau, amid
speculation that it eventually emerged in India as the Brahmaputra river.
In an effort to determine w hether the Tsang-po and the Brahmaputra
were the same river, the Survey of India trained Tibetan-speaking secret agents
called 'pundits'. Equipped w ith dum m y prayer wheels, in w hich they hid paper
Bde chen rgyal po reincarnated as Sgam po pa's eldest son Rgyal sras
Bde chen gling pa w h o established his seat at the village o f Yid 'ong phel
on the righ t bank of the Brahmaputra across from the monastery of Rin
chen spungs. From here he initia te d the pilgrim age to the h o ly mountain
of Buddha tshe phug. A ccording to one local tra d itio n Rdors sems pho
brang and Buddha tshe phug are kn ow n respectively as the 'father' (yab)
and 'm other' (yum) pilgrim age sites. Kun bzang 'o d zer, reincarnated as
another one of the Fifth Sgam po pa's sons called Gar dbang Bstan pa'i nyi
ma. This master continued to reside and teach at the village of Dga Ide,
the traditional seat of the Chos rje g ling pa incarnations in Northern
Padma bkod. Rdo rje thogs m ed's reincarnation was also recognized in
one of the Fifth Sgam po pas disciples called Rdo rje drag sngag tsal, w ho
continued to expand the Treasure cycle of the Luminous Web revealed
by his previous incarnation.
160
and tools, they were instructed to use their rosaries to count paces, and
measure a ltitu de by b o iling water.
224
T h e 'p u n d it' spies failed to fo llo w the entire course of the riv e r from Tibet
to India due to the h o stility of the Klo pa tribes, but their accounts convinced
m any that the Tsang-po and the Brahmaputra rivers were indeed the same.
There remained, however, a fu rth e r unsolved rid d le The riv e r lost so much
altitude in a short distance between Tibet and India that many geographers
speculated that the unexplored sections of the gorge harbored giant waterfalls,
surpassing even those of the Niagara.
in 1913, Lieutenant F.M. Bailey, the master spy of the Great Game in
Central Asia, was the first westerner to enter Padma bkod in search of its
fabled waterfalls. His journey began in M ipi, where he encountered a group of
frightened Tibetans searching fo r a hidden paradise Treating them fo r spear
w ounds suffered in a M ishm i ambush, Bailey writes:
Here in Mipi w e had come upon these seekers fo r the promised

land. But they had not found it. The exact geographical position of
224
The bravest of these 'p u n d its' was a Sikkimese man called K inthup w h o
along w ith a M ongolian lama was sent to explore the Tsangpo gorge in
1880. He was equipped w ith a d u m m y prayer wheel containing the paper
and tools necessary for m aking a record of his journey and was to use his
prayer beads to count distances in paces. Once in the gorge, he was to drill
inform ation in to logs and release them in to the riv e r to be picked up
dow n stream by the Survey in Assam. Having accrued a gam bling debt
along the way, the M ongolian lama sold K intnup in to slavery and was
never heard of again. K in th up escaped in to the gorge, until his master's
envoys caught up w ith h im at the village of M a rpu n ft where he
convinced the local lama to buy h im as his own servant. Then, on the
pretext of going on pilgrimage, he left several times to cut and release his
logs. These went unnoticed however, fo r the Survey had already given up
looking fo r them. Unable to fo llo w the Tsang-po River all the w ay fro m
Tibet to India because of the h o s tility of the Abor tribes, K inthup was
forced to return home retracing his footsteps through Tibet. For the story
of K in th up see F.M. Bailey, No Passport to Tibet, (London: 1957).
161
Pemako was imprecise A ll that was know n was that somewhere on the
D ihang-lohit watershed there was a holy m ountain of glass and around
this holy m ountain lay fertile valleys.
225
The w ounded Tibetans Bailey encountered were part of a wave of

refugees from various parts of eastern Tibet, escaping the depredations of the
Chinese w arlord Chao Erh Feng. The first w ave of about a hundred Tibetans
entered the upper valleys of Padma bkod over the passes at the head of the
Dri, Matun and Tsu valleys in 1902, where they settled among the Chulikatta
M ishm is from w hom they bought land. Then in the fo llo w in g years about tw o
thousand more Tibetans set out from Khams, Der ge, Spo bo and other places.
Am ong this exodus many were the follow ers of Ri bo che Rje drung 'Jam pa
'byung gnas, a Treasure finder from the Khams pa enclave of Ri bo che, w h o
attempted to reveal the 'innerm ost secret site' (yang gsang gnas) of the hiddenland.
W ith the support of the king of Spo bo Rje drung first settled in the
C him dro Valley in Northern Padma
bkod, from where he attempted to
explore the deeper reaches of the hidden-land. He led his party in to the lands
of the C hulikatta Mishmi in Arunachal Pradesh where he built a temple near
the village of Mipi called Dkar mo gling.
Somewhere in this wilderness
supposedly lay the legendary Lotus Crystal
Mountain (Padma
shel
ri),
described as a snow m ountain like a heaped mandala. A round this m ountain

Rje drung describes eight great valleys and sub-valleys that fan out like a
thousand-petalled lotus island, " it is the topography that shields from evil
invaders, tu rn ing back weapons and pestilence It is the weapon that kills the
162
[psychic] cause, the three poisons, and the fruit. It is the all encompassing
glorious citadel."
Rje drung's search fo r this fantastic m ountain was interrupted as the
armies of the Kuom intang occupied Spo bo forcing the local king to flee and
take refuge w ith the British at Sadiya in Assam. Rje drung returned to his hom e
place of Ri bo che after the Chinese had sacked it, but he was arrested by
Tibetan officials on w hat seemed to be trum ped-up charges of sedition and
im prisoned at Byang Stag lung where he passed away shortly after.
Rje drungs follow ers in Padma
bkod were now left stranded in the
wilderness of the Brahmaputra gorge w ith no spiritual guidance or m ilita ry

protection against the Klo pa tribes. According to one account quarrels arose
when the Tibetans began stealing from Mishmi grain stores.
227
In the ensuing
battle, Bailey explains that although the Tibetans were armed, the reflection off
of their matchlock rifles made them easy targets for the iMishmi archers w h o
picked them off w ith poisonous arrows. Experts at jungle warfare, "th e Mishmi
laid ambushes and set traps on the jungle paths and attacked the Tibetans at
every opportunity. They also set fire to the Tibetans' houses and crops."28
Captain H. Bailey, No Passport to Tibet, (London: 1957), 35-7.

22h
Rtsa gsum yid bzhin nor b u 'i chos sde las sbas yu l lam yig gsal bai
sgron me, in Sbas yul, pg.235,3 ...'di dang 'brel dang ma 'brel bai % lung
chen brgyad lung phran mang% 'jam gling sum gnyis shong ba yod7o
snogs stong ldan padma gling% m tha1dmag gdug can srung ba'i gong70
nad mtshon mu gebelog pa'i dpung% dug gsum rgyu 'bras bsad pa'i
mtshon% kun 'dus dpal gyi grong khyer yin7o
Oral account of the headman of Shinku villa g e in C him dro (Padma
bkod).
23Captain H. Bailey, 1957: 35-7.
163
Failing to negotiate a truce between the Tibetans and the Mishmi, Bailey's
expedition traversed the Yangyap-la and the Pungpung-la, reaching the main
Tibetan settlements in N orthern Padma
bkod.
From here Bailey and his
companion Captain Moreshead entered the Brahmaputra gorge, m apping the

rive r upstream between the m ountains of Gyala Pelri and Namche Barwa.
Their expedition failed to discover any giant waterfalls and they left roughly 30
miles of the riv e r unobserved.
In 1924, the famous English plant collector Francis Kingdom W ard once
again attempted
to
determine
w hether
such
waterfalls
existed
in
the
Brahmaputra gorge, but he was also repulsed by intractable cliffs. A t this tim e
Kingdon-W ard observes that m any Tibetans from Kham and Spo bo were still
com ing in search of the promised land. He writes:
...the only th in g common to the w hole region being perpetual rain;

snakes and w ild animals, giant stinging nettles and m yriads of b itin g and
blood-sucking ticks, hornets, flies, and leeches... Why, it may be asked,
this anxiety to settle in Pemako? It is because this is the promised land of
the Tibetan prophecy. This prophecy was to the effect that, when their
religion was persecuted in Tibet, the people should go to Pemako, a land
flo w in g w ith m ilk and honey, where the crops grew of their ow n
accord. Most races have their promised land, and such legendary places
must necessarily be somewhat
inaccessible
barriers where ord in a ry men d o not go...
hidden
behind
m isty
229
For a brief period in m odem history, the western quest fo r geographic

discovery and the Tibetan yearning fo r an earthly paradise both came to focus
on the planet's deepest gorge Not everyone was impressed, however. In Tibet
29 F. Kingdon-W ard, 1926: 110-11.
164
rival scholars such as Rje btsun Shes rab rgya mtsho, the notorious polemicist
of the Dge lugs pa order, denounced the Padma bkod guidebooks as lies,
accusing false Raping ma pa and Bka' brgyud pa Treasure finders of leading
people to their deaths.
Rdo bis Dge bshe's Quarrel w ith the H id d e n -la n d s:
Rdo bis dge bshes Shes rab rgya m tsho (1884-1968) began his career as a
brilliant m onk rising in the ranks of the Dge lugs pa order, and becoming a
close attendant of the 13th Dalai Lama, only to turn around, and openly
espouse the cause of Chinese com m unism in Tibet, inspired by the w ritin g s of
Mao Ze dong, Rdo bis was convinced that socialist reforms could fu lfill m any
Buddhist ideals betrayed by Tibetan feudalism. Elected to the Presidency of the
.All China Buddhist Association in 1953, one of Rdo bis' responsibilities was to
persuade his fellow Tibetans that the expansion of Chinese com m unism in to
Tibet presented an o p p o rtu n ity fo r progress. Standing in his way, however,
were rum ors of a hidden Buddhist paradise called Padma
bkod,
situated
somewhere in the Brahmaputra gorge

Since the 17th century, the deep ravines of Padma bkod served as an ideal
refuge from the foreign invasions and civil wars. The pilgrim age through this
hidden-land and culm inated somewhere in the jungles of Arunachal Pradesh in
Northern India.
in an autobiographical note, Rdo bis mentions that when tra ve llin g near
Padma
bkod
in 1909, he personally witnessed the suffering of m any
165
disillusioned Khams pa nomads w h o were b lin d ly fo llo w in g these spurious

prophecies and guidebooks.
230
A t the turn of the 20th century, as a new w ave of political unrest swept
across Tibet, the m yth of the hidden-iand became quite popular among
nomads in Eastern Tibet. When the Chinese w arlo rd Chao Erh feng began to
plunder Eastern Tibet in 1902, hundreds of Tibetans from Khams escaped to
the upper valleys of Padma bkod. Then, in the fo llo w in g years, after the British
b ru ta lly forced themselves in to Lhasa, about tw o thousand m ore Tibetans set
out from K h am s, Spo y u l and other places. In the face of tropical disease,
insects, venom ous snakes, and hostile natives, these intrepid and often naive
Tibetans faced these tribulations w ith astonishing devotion.
Fifty years later, when the Peoples Liberation A rm y occupied Tibet, m any
Tibetans again flocked towards their promised land, precisely at the tim e Rdo
bis was attem pting to im plem ent his reforms in Eastern Tibet.
For progressive thinkers like Rdo bis, the notion of a hidden Buddhist
paradise was deeply offensive, not only because it was another example of
superstition and backwardness preventing social reform, but also because the
hidden-land directly competed w ith the socialist 'paradise' he was tryin g to
prom ote.
A m ong Rdo bis' collected w ritin g s we find a rather vehement refutation
of a guidebook to the hidden-land of Padma bkod entitled 'A Refutation
of
the Guidebook to Padma bkod, the Lamp which Clears the Darkness of Black
230
Lung bstan rdzun ma sun 'byin mongs pa'i mun sel shes rab nyi ma'i
ad zer in Rdo bis, v o l.2, pg.595... kho bo lo nyi shu rtsa g rig gi tshe rdza
skye rg yu 'i phyogs su lh a 'i lung bstan zhig la brten nas 'brog pa'i sde khyim
mang po spo yu l padm a bkod chung du bsnyeg pa don r i yang ma grub par
166
Lies' (Padma bkod kyi gnas yig sun'byin
rdzun
nag mun
sel rgron me).
23
'
Rdo bis, unfortunately, does not id e n tify the author of the guidebook he is
refuting, but the lines he quotes are taken almost verbatim from a guidebook
w ritten by 0 rgyan 'g ro 'dul gling pa (h 1757), the abbot of the Bka brgyud
hermitage of Divags lha sgam po, w h o was one of the principle path-finders of
this hidden-land towards the end of the 18th century.
Rdos bis' refutation conforms to the standard used in most Tibetan
polemical literature he first outlines the views of his opponent, and then
proceeds to show how these d o not accord w ith facts, nor reason, before finally
laying dow n his own views.
But w hat is interesting is how he transfers new
ideological vocabulary in to the polemic, in order to discredit the opponent and

vindicate his own program of socialist reform.
What we have here is perhaps
the first Marxist critique of Buddhism w ritte n by a traditional Tibetan scholar.

In his guidebook, Sgam po pa compares the hidden land to Indias
legendary chamel grounds saying, "a n y creature w h o goes to the southwest of
Tibet, on the border of Tibet and India, passes beyond good and evil karma;
the person w h o wishes to go, upon taking seven steps towards that place, w ill
be certainly reborn in that place even if he dies." Glossing over these lines Rdo
h s says, " What does it mean that one is reborn [in Padma bkod ] after [taking]
seven steps? What happens if you o n ly take six [steps]? [Granted] even if you
are reborn, w hat actually happens after you die?
What kind of 'afterlife
passage (bar do) does one pass [through on the w ay to Padma bkod?]."31
m i zog tshang mas ya nga gyong gud shi chad bsam gyis mi khyab pa'i sdug
sngal myangs te cho nge rgya cher bsgrags pa thos.
Ibid, vo l.3, 457-467.
167
For Rdo bis the province of Spo bo, of w hich Padma bkod form ed a part,
was the furthest thing from a Buddhist paradise, notorious fo r its bandits and
people of crude manners and a ttire He rem inds the reader that this rebellious
kingdom had to be m ilita rily occupied and brought in to submission d u rin g the
tim e of the 13th Dalai Lama. "The people of that country," he says, "are m ostly
[of] fierce n ature D onning ape skins, and raising long swords, revelling in the
play of dogs and monkeys..."
233
Vlost travellers to this area w ou ld have to agree w ith Rdo bis to some
extent, but in general his arguments seem unfair. Where Sgam po pa says:
"The excellent odor of the six excellent medicinal crops pervades. For
every face of the moon 25 kinds of seed ripen. A variety of seed types fills the
earth ground. [Fori butter, there exist many trees, fruits, and fields [of
rapeseedl oil. One fru it satisfies seven men... " Rdo bis laughs, " Ha ha! Where is
the learned scholar w h o does not throw up at these verses."
liv in g in Spo bo, Rdo bis says, deny that any such fru it exists.
Even people
234
Ibid, pg.458... gang can bod kyi lh o n u b rg ya bod m tsham s/ gzugz can
gang phyin lus la bzang ngan m e d / gnas der 'g ro 'd o d gam pa bdun bor n a /
shi bar gyur kyang gnas der nhes par skye/ zhes sm ras/ ha h a / 'd i'i tshig
don gyi m am 'g y u r la ltos dang skyug pa mi tshor ba'i mkhas pa su y o d /
... gom pa gang nas drug gi bar gyis ci byed dang/ shi tshad der skye la
khyad yod med d a n g / bde can mngon dga' sogs dag ma dag gi zhing gzhan
du skye ba yod med d a n g / bar d o r 'da' ba sogs yod med gros m ol m dzad na
legs.
233 ibid, pg.457... yul de'i m i m am s phal cher gtum p o 'i rang b z h in / sprel slog
gyon zhing gri rin g thogs nas kh yi dang spre'u sogs rol du k h rid de dbus
gtsang ru b zh i'i phyogs su tshom bu tshom bur 'p h rog bcom btsan dbang
sdang sdug rgyun par gtong bar yin gshis rgyal dbang bcu gsum pa'i skabs
dga' ldan pho brang pa i dpung 'ju g gis zil 'og tu mnan cing dbang du bsdus
par b rte n /.
234
Ibid, pg.459... shing thog bzang drug sman gyi d ri bzang k h y a b / zla ngo
re la 'bru rigs nyer Inga tshang/ 'bru yi rigs ni bye brag sa gzhi gang/ m ar ni
shing 'bras snum zhing m ang po y o d / shing thog re yis m i bdun 'grang ba
y o d / ... shin tu snum pa'i shing 'bras kyi m ar da ng / g rig gis m i bdun 'grang
168
Rdo h s ' inform ants obviously never travelled far enough in to Padma
bkod , otherwise they w ou ld have noticed that the climates of Spo bo and
Padma bkod are very different. In Padma bkod one enters a tropical cloud
forest boasting many species of plants and animals not found in Spq such as
banana trees, the fru it of w hich could easily satisfy seven people In fact, the
Chinese were thinking of creating a huge banana plantation there in the 70s,
but the idea was abandoned because it was too difficult to transport the
bananas out of this region.
Further along, when Sgam po pa says, "D a y and night are filled w ith
rainbow and light," Rdo bis sarcastically interjects, "... is there no darkness?...
225
Even an id io t like myseif w o u ld not talk [lik e this] in a dream."

Where Sgam po pa says, " Food and d rin k are unnecessary, old age does
n o t exist, and youthfulness increases, Rdo bis again asks, if food and d rin k are
unecessary, then what is the [purpose of] self-sowing crops, and the tw e n tyfive [types of seed] bloom ing every month?
236
in reaction to the verse,
"w herever one goes one finds m arks of enlightened realization," Rdo b s
retorts that the only thing people in this region have realized is how to ro b
others.^
ba'I shing thog gnyis kyang spo bo'i yul m i d a ng / der song ba'i mi m tha' yas
pa yod pa gnyis ka la d ris n a 'phral du thag ch o d /.
Ib d , pg.460... nyin mtshan thams cad 'ja' dang 'od kyis gang/ /m u n pa
med d a m / ... tshigs 'd i 'd ra o rg ya n chen po lta bu'i mkhas pas gsung e s rid /
glen pa bdag gis kyang rm i lam du yang m i smra o /.
ib d ... bza' b u n g mi dgos rgas med lang tsho rgyas/ /bza' b u n g m i dgos
n a / 'bru rigs kyis sa gang pa d a n g / zla ngo re la nyer Inga re thang bas ci cig
bgyi /
Ibd... kha ru song tshad grub rtags nges par skye/ / ze r/ 'd i yang skal ba
bzang/ spo mi mams la rku 'p h rog sogs k y i grub rtags yongs grags la yod
pa... /.
169
These examples suffice to convey Rdo bis' general tone Sgam po pa's
m ystically inspired com position is designed to inspire and attract on several
levels. But Rdo bis seems intent on denying his opponent any such latitude He
takes Sgam po pa's poetic visions and slams them w ith a kind of hard-nosed
realism, w hich may seem somewhat ungenerous. In doing so, he calls to m ind
Sa skya Pandita, w h o back in the 13th century accused certain Bri g u n g yogins
of confusing the discourse of poets and scholars when
identifying the
legendary Tantric pitha w ith Tibetan mountains.

Especially disturbing for Rdo bis are what appear to be prophecies
predicting earthquakes, war, famine, draught, irregular rainfall, a variety of
pestilences. Rdo bis calls these the "confused and befuddled w ords of a fenced
in enemy lacking analytical understanding, and the v o m it of pus and blood
arousing fear in the faithful." (dgra'i phyogs skyor rtog dpyod med pa'i b l u n
po rmongs dad can mams la skrag bskul khrag skyug m ag skyug g i skad cha
yin te).~* He p a rticularly takes issue w ith the verses saying that in the year of
the dragon, the three districts of Western Tibet w ill have been conquered, and
in the year of the horse the w o rld w ill be bereft of joy and happiness.
Rdo bis exhorts his readers to look back at the dragon year of 1952 and
the horse year of 1954 and see whether they were bad years. Quite to the
contrary, Rdo bis says, these were auspicious years, when output in the
pastures
and
farms
experienced
unprecedented
grow th
by
means
of
Production Brigades (m thun sgril thon skyed) operating under the guidance
of the People's Governm ent (mi dmang srid gzhung).
235 Ibid,461.
170
He reassures his Tibetan audience, saying that even if there have been
wars in the past, these have been wars of liberation, necessary wars to secure
fu tu re prosperity and destroy im perialism and the policies of Chiang Kai shek.
But now, in this period of 'post-liberation', Rdo bis says, a new China has come
in to being, depending on the Com m unist Party, The Peoples Government, and
the Leadership of Chairman Mao, w h ile the various ethnic m inorities connect
23q
to it "lik e fingers on an iron fist" (Icags kyi khu tshur Ita bu).
Rdo bis then
offers his ow n prophecy, saying that in the fu tu re dragon year: 1963, and the
horse year, 1965, he is confident that Tibet w ill be enjoying trem endous
prosperity under a true socialist utopia.
Rdo bis' prophecies, of course, did not come tru e He soon became an
outspoken critic of the Chinese policy tow ards m inorities and was arrested.
D unng the Cultural Revolution, he was put in jail where he died in 1968.
What remains to be understood, however, is the kind of role Rdo bis
reserved for Buddhism in his imagined socialist society. If society had to be
reformed,
aspects,
Buddhism also needed to be reform ed, and purged of certain

namely
those
apocryphal
prophecies
and
spurious
pilgrim age
guidebooks attributed to Padmasambhava which, according to Rdo bis, w ere

leading people astray.
As a Dge lugs pa monk, Rdo bis was tra d itio n a lly removed from these
very types of lay Buddhist practice he condemns. He lived most of his life in a
Dgc lugs pa monastery, w hich already functioned as a quasi-collective On the
other hand, a pilgrim age to a place like Padma bkod , and most pilgrim ages in
Tibet fo r that matter, were tra d itio n a lly lay affairs, and it was also in the lay
population that prophecies and guidebook literature circulated. The spiritual
171
merits of such practices was already suspect for a Socialist ideologue lik e Rdo
bis, for they tied in w ith the w h o le issue of re d istributing wealth and the
dism antling the foundations of the lay religious aristocracy.
For Rdo bis, the hidden-land, in its exclusive ordering of sacred space,
reflected just the kind of hierarchy he wished to eradicate in Tibetan society.
The real nature of Padma
bkod, as the wisdom-goddess Vajravarahi, could
only be perceived by an enlightened few. The average person saw o n ly rock,

trees, and ice But, taking the 'pure-vision' expounded in these guidebooks fo r
granted, people risked th e ir lives to visit this wilderness in order to gain
spiritual merit.
This was best exem plified by the summer pilgrim age to a m ountain called
Rdor >tms
pho
brang in Padma
bkod.
Perceived as the mandala of the
Buddhist deity Vajrasattva, the outer circumambulation route of this m ountain

extended in to the te rrito ry of the 'black savages' (Klo nag), a term used to
identify the unconverted A b o r and M ishm i tribes still liv in g beyond the pale of
Buddhism. For the in tre p id and often naive Tibetan pilgrim , going around this
peak was said to equal th irty -n in e visits to the ancient Jo k h a n g tem ple in
?40
Lhasa/ Risking their lives, every year pilgrim s from various parts of Eastern
Tibet w ould attem pt to circum am bulate this m ountain under the constant
threat of attack from local M ishm i tribesmen.
For Rdo bis, travel to such remote places was not o n ly extrem ely
dangerous and bereft of any spiritual value, but m ore im p o rta n tly it had no
Ib d ,464.
240
Sbas yul, 202.5... jo bo sha kya len ma bcu gsum d a n g / rtsa ri rong skor
gcig dang m n y a m / (203) rtsa ri rang skor bcu gsum dang padm a shri m tha'
bskor gcig dang m n y a m / padm a shri m tha bskor bcu gsum d a n g / rd o r
sems pho brang rtse bskor gcig dang m n ya m /
172
economic va lu a The average Tibetan fa m ily w o u ld spend all of their savings in

one year in order to travel to some remote jun g le and prostrate to a m ountain
under a shower of poison-tipped arrows. Naturally, fo r Rdo bis, this was a
waste of valuable resources. And by discrediting the pilgrimage, Rdo bis
theoretically makes it possible for the economic surplus to go elsewhere
We can say that both Rdo bis' idea of a Buddhist socialist state and O
rgyan 'g ro 'dul gling pa's Buddhist paradise were attempts to imagine the
perfect Tibetan society. But operating underneath these visions were tw o ve ry
different notions of meritocracy. In the vision of a socialist paradise, m erit is a
function of material production. Here, m atter takes precedence over mind, and
transform s the latter.
In the hidden-land m erit is a function of spiritual production. In the
Buddhist dialectic of actions and results, m ind takes precedence over matter,
and purifies itself by transform ing the perception of the latter. For the average
pilgrim , w h o cannot directly perceive the true nature of the m ountain as deity,
the pilgrim age still becomes an exercise in pure vision.
Rdo bis' refutations, however meticulous, did not detract from the appeal
of Padma bkod. When the Chinese Red A rm y invaded Tibet in the 1950s,
thousands of Tibetans went in search of the hidden-land, searching for the
legendary Crystal Mountain in a region of dense jun g le surrounded by snow
covered m ountains below the bend of the Brahmaputra River.
In 1956, Bka' gyur rin po che, one of Rje drung's disciples travelled in to the
u n in h a bite d valleys below the m ountain Kun 'dus rdor sems pho brang. Here,
according to local tradition, Bka' gyur rin po che had m any profound visions.
On one occaision it is reported that he entered a w aterfall emerging in to a
valley filled w ith the songs of dakinl. He interpreted this as the 'innerm ost
secret place' (yang gsang gnas), but his follow ers were apparently unable to
173
'enter' this visionary dimension of the hidden-land.
Succumbing to the
hardships of the physical journey, the party continued further south, settling in
Tuting under Indian jurisdiction.
A year later in 1957, Lha brdong Sprul sku, another disciple of Rje drung,
travelled
from
N orthern
Padma
bkod
w ith
seven
households
to
uninhabited valley south of the m ountain Kun dus rdors sems pho brang.
an
In
these fertile valleys, they herded yaks and cows and successfully cultivated
barley. A fte r three years they were spotted by an Indian helicopter gunship on
border patrol. Indian commandos were sent up to relocate the Tibetans.241
Today m any parts of Padma bkod remain unexplored. Many Tibetans
believe that the tim e to open the 'innerm ost secret place' of the hidden-land has
not yet come. Access to this area remains difficult, for on either side tw o of
.Asia's most pow erful armies confront each other in a border dispute As a
hidden-land, some w ou ld argue, Padma
bkod could not be m ore ideally
located.
i41Lha brdong sprul sku's fa m ily now lives in Tezu, Arunachal

Pradesh.
174
Concluding Th o u g h ts:
H idden-lands lik e Padma bkod often appear as landscapes of paradox - of

belligerent cannibals, dangerous beasts, and vio le n t storms, juxtaposed w ith
gleaming glaciers, exotic flowers and sonorous song-birds - of both p u rity and
danger, w here the reflections of heaven and hell seem to have perfectly
merged. There is a sense that this w ild , almost w ra th fu l m ountain environm ent
is somehow in w a rd ly fulfilling, p ro v id in g a charged space that allows the
ripening of a certain type of vision. As the poet W illiam Blake once said, the
beauty of paradise w ou ld become banal w ith o u t the contrast of hell.
Unlike
the spiritual arcadias that we are so used to in Western imagination, which

have been so u tte rly purified of their diabolical contam ination and banished of
their serpents, the hostile elements of the hidden-land play an active role in the
process of spiritual awakening.
A t the start of this study, we compared the Tibetan m yth of the hiddenlands to western utopias like Shangri-la and Eden, but these dreamlands,
scholars have argued, are only im aginary destinations that can never be
attained. For thinkers like Bishop and Eliade^ these m otifs of sacred landscape
repeat themselves, as long as the need arises, precisely because they are
unattainable
in Tibet, the yearning fo r earthly paradises was m ore complex. The
autobiographies and dream-joumals of the Tibetan masters suggest a degree
of psycho-somatic intim acy w ith the landscape that western utopias often lack.
W hile on the popular level of the Tibetan m yth w e do find a certain degree of
175
hope and even delusion, fo r yogi's like Rgod Idem can the outer journey to
these sacred lands was a m ethod of spiritual attainment. The quest fo r these
hidden-lands repeated itself, precisely because they were attainable on some
level.
Whether they existed as a physical, verifiable scientific reality did not
matter, for they justified a 'quest' sym bolizing the attainm ent of som ething
much larger in scope The hidden-land was not only a place to go at the end of
time, but also a place to go to end ones lim ited conventional m ind - an
anachronistic journey back in to the legendary pitha and smasana of Indian
Tantric lore, places w here the true vision of the Tantras could be preserved,
and could heal the existential rift between outer and inner space
For Rgod Idem can and those Treasure finders w h o travelled in his
footsteps, these sacred lands were more than just places to hide from invading
armies, they were also a testing ground for Buddhism as a 'tam ing' force, the
focus of an archetypal encounter between
the 'rivilize d ' center and the
'barbaric' tribal periphery, a place where some Tibetans w ent to exorcize their
own inner demons, a pilgrim age in to the Tibetan 'heart of darkness'.
As Bishop observes, certain types of sacred places "induce a sense of both
serenity and terror. Such places are terrible, yet also fascinating. C ontem porary
use of the term 'sacred place, frequently lacks such paradox, too often sacred
places are imagined m erely as benign places for healing and contemplation. But
as w e shall see in the case of Tibet, once paradox has been too easily resolved,
contradiction replaced by harm ony am biguity by certainty; once fear and
darkness have yielded to unequivocal hope, then the sacred place has become a
utopia. A w hole new set of fantasies is then m obilized."
242
242 P. Bishop, 1989:10.
176
What Bishop observes about the place of Tibet in western rom antic
im agination holds even more true for Tibet's own discourse w ith sacred places,
landscapes that were inextricably bound by both te rro r and beauty. Take fo r
example, this line from Sle lung Bzhad pa'i rd o rje, w h o made a pilgrim age to
Padma bkod in 1729:
" Nowadays when one travels to these sacred m ountains one

n aturally (experiences) resplendent terror, and (at the same time) is at
ease, and in one's stream of consciousness a new spiritual experience of
the conception-free (unity of) bliss and emptiness flames up. (There are)
the peculiar noises of the assemblages of the Mothers, dakini-s, and
Titans, deep sighs are uttered, the sounds of songs,
dances and
instrum ents come forth, and the spontaneous sound of the secret
mantras rolls on."
243
What makes these lim inal places particularly valuable fo r spiritual progess
is the w ay they force the m ind to go beyond the extremes of hope and fear.
They act as sublim e gateways between the h o rrific and the beautiful; they are
paradoxical landscapes that heal the dichotom y of self and other as incarnated
in the ideal of the Tantric 'charnel ground'. As such these places become a
perfect foil to our inner condition that combines the peaceful and the w rathful.
Tantras such as the Z h i khr o teach that the p o la rity between the h o rrific
and the beautiful is our intrinsic condition - represented by the assemblies of
peaceful and w ra th fu l deities residing respectively in the heart and the mind.
243
Translated and quoted by F. E hrhard," Political and Ritual Aspects of the

Search fo r H im alayan Sacred Lands", in Sacred Places and Powerful Places
in Tibetan Culture, (ed.) Toni Huber, (Dharamsala: 1999), 247-8. Passage
taken fro m Gnas chen zangs mdog dpal r i ' i cha shas las 'phros pa'i gnas ri
lo rgyus a ki dgyes pai glu dbyangs in the Collected Works of Sle lung
Bzhad pa'i rd o rje, vol. 8, pp. 155.5-156.1.
177
To w o rk w ith this condition requires a type of landscape w hich is radically

different from w hat w e w o u ld n o rm ally im agine
The sacred places m entioned in the Buddha's earlier teachings - the
pleasant groves and parks associated w ith the 'first tu rn in g of the wheel' remove one from the passions by p ro vid in g a delightful place to find solace
The sacred geography associated w ith the first yana put our demons to rest by
produce a beautiful vision leading to a complacent sense of peace On the other
hand, Pure Lands like Sukhavatl associated w ith Mahayana scriptures p ro vid e
an im aginary m editative refuge that inspires and strengthens our resolve to
return to the profane w orld. The landscapes of the second yana still contain the
seed of hope that w e may be somehow
reborn
in the com fort
of a
transcendental paradise
But the Vajrayana takes us through a different order of sacred space, one
that radically removes the distinction between the self and the physical w orld.
In thepitha and smaSana the human passions are no longer seen as poisons but
as intrinsically uncorrupted energy. The landscapes of the th ird yana invoke the
pure invig o ratin g force behind India's h o rrific charnel grounds and w ild
aboriginal forests, suggesting that bliss and pain, hope and fear, are no longer
exclusive poles of experience but of one taste The passage through these
hidden-lands
- where
the
geographic
extremes
of
deep
gorges,
high
mountains, tropical forests and glaciers have attained a subtle harm ony promises to resolve the p o la rity of existence
The journey in to the hidden-lands was not only m otivated by a naive faith
in w hat could not be seen. For the yogis it was an attem pt to trigger a
sympathetic resonance between the inner psychic anatomy and the pure
elements of a physical landscape to trigger a prim al vision of bliss and
emptiness. As the m aroon-com plexioned dakini-s rem inded Rig 'dzin Rgod
178
Idem, the journey in to his ow n 'vajrabody' was m ore im p o rta n t than chasing
around after the great sacred places.
But, fo r Tibetan yogis w h o wandered and m editated in the mountains
surrounding Tibet, the sym bolism of the sacred place as a threshold between
w orlds also became a response to political crisis. Tibet's rem ote m ountain
sanctuaries were not just places to hide, but also became ideal places fro m
where to look back onto Central Tibet and propose an alternative to a
degenerating feudal society.
W hile the quest for these sacred lent tended itself to the inner Tantric
sadhana. this internal process became a dynam ic act in Tibet, in times of
spintual degeneration,
it was the bodhisattva's
feat
of
compassion
to
extenorize this inner journey and lead his flock in to a Tantric 'dream tim e' - a
creative act that had no precedence in Indian Buddhism.
O utw ardly these hidden-lands turned back the onslaught of armies and
in w a rd ly they banished the socio-political preoccupations, w hich disrupted the
m editative life Once these sacred lands were opened, invasion had no pow er
over you; physically you were surrounded by snow m ountains and intractable
cliffs representing a natural fortress to hide in, but in w a rd ly they represented
the full flo w e rin g of the hum an heart - leaving no scope fo r armies to arise
even as ideas.
W hile critics argued that this Tantric wilderness was to be reserved only
for heroes (vtra) and sky-walkers (dakini), for Rgod Idem the quest became a
skillful means to reorient society away from a w o rld plagued by aggression
and diversiveness. The Mongol armies and the like became the external
reflections of the inner armies: the five poisons of anger, greed, jealousy, lust
and ignorance, w hich afflicted all classes of Tibetan society.
179
There are parallels h e re w ith the development of the rom antic wilderness
aesthetic in the West. W hile the circumstances of the industrial age and the rise
of machines were quite different, the inner psychology was not dissimilar. As
the forces of change in Tibetan society reached a critical mass the untamed
suddenly became a source of hope, a m etaphor fo r a deeper search.
The visionary Treasure finders w h o promoted this nature mysticism w ere
criticized by their m ore rational-m inded peers, w h o challenged them to reveal
their paradises where o rdinary eyes could only see rocks and ice But this was
not the first tim e pure-vision' was criticized in Tibet. The Guru's hidden
paradises were in part a physical, verifiable reality - but m ore im portantly,
they were a choice to see things in a new way. As such, the hidden-lands came
to sym bolize something larger than the physical geography they comprised;
they were a skillful means to redirect vision away from a corrupt and violent
w o rld by using a pristine natural landscape as the support. To conclude o u r
journey through these fantastic landscapes, let us contemplate a song by the
contem porary Tibetan master Bya bral Sangs rgyas rd o rje praising the hidden244
land of Yol moY
'A Song G lo rifyin g of the H idden-land of Yol mo-.

(Arranged as the 33 Letters of the Alphabet)
Praise the Guru!

Like a pillar, the precious m ountain Jo m o rises in the sky.
Changing w ith the season, colors do not remain the same
We the lineage-holders of the 'Lotus-Born1praise this holy place,
w hich is surrounded by w h ite snowy-peaks lik e camphor dust,
244
See A ppendix 2 for the Tibetan text.
180
Free from the samadhi-scattering thorns of chatter,

there are no objects of delusion, as w e sit in the company of deer.
Tea and beer are obtained, religious practitioners are received w ith respect.
There is no sinful consumption of non-virtuous foods like fish and pork!
The im m aculate'Lake-B om ' Buddha foresaw the End, by the power of his grace
Now the supports for practice are naturally fu lfille d as this dwelling.
Suffering or happiness, death or excitement, w ill not spread,
I rejoice in this hidden residence
Pure lik e Venus are the three upper m ountain slopes.
Beyond and below, rocky heights and forested valleys defy orientation,
in awesome array like 'Ba ling' offerings.
Previously unseen, this new banquet appears most excellent!
Like the verdant heights of [ Rltsa ri, undestroyed by the 'fin a l war',
245
a temperate clim ate arises on the border of Tibet and Nepal,

w ith no room for depraved and m isguided activity.
What dealings do w ild men have in this forest,
inhabited by the likes of faxes and wolves?
Taking off m y rig id hat of m onkey-like delusion, I generate kindness,
chasing away herds of deer from the hungry enemy craving food,.
In us self-sufficient hut dwellers liv in g in close neighborhood,
form idable compassion arises of its ow n accord.
The Translator Ra, M i la, Rgod tshang, these three and cither Tibetans , M
245
Rtsa ri is a sacred m ountain site in southeastern Tibet. Rgod Idem includes

it in his list of hidden-lands. The 'final war' refers to the destruction of
Buddhism in Tibet prophesized by Padmasambhava.
181
not just a few, but m any practitioners of the New and Old lineages,
relying on the the ascetic diet of nettles and mushrooms,
realize the Great Perfection because of the emptiness of the M idd le w ay of
Ground and Path.
This m elodious song of praise, quasi verse mixed w ith prose,
is offered from the d elightful inner valley of the m other Jo mo.
Buddha Bya bral's pronouncement of wonder!
These refer to Rwa L o ts a b a fh 1016), Rje btsun M i la ras pa (1040-1123),

and Rgod tshang ras chen (1452-1507), three masters w h o meditated in and
blessed this hidden m ountain site
182
A ppendix 1
(la ) % Sbas yul spyi'i them b y a n g %
(lb ) slob d p o n padm a byung gnas kyis bsam yas 'chims phu'i brag phug
tu ting nge 'dzin la bzhugs pas %
rnnga' bdag khri srong lde btsan gyis bsam
yas su gdan drangs nas tshogs brgya rtsa m dzad pa'i dus su %
spyir ma 'ongs
pa'i lung bstan mang du zhus % khyad par sbas pa'i yul gyi lam yig zhus pa %
kye slob dpon chen po lags %
ma 'ongs pa'i dus Inga brgya tha ma'i tshe %
kha ba can gyi sems can m am s sbas pa'i yul du 'gro 'tshal na phyi'i rtags ji ltar
mchi ces zhus so %
bka' stsal pa %
rnnga' bdag rgyal p o lags gsan gcig %
gong du bstan pa hzhin du mtha' ma'i rtags bsam gyis m i kh ya b bo %

par sbas pa'i yul (2a) du 'gro dgos pa'i rtags 'di lta r byung %
khyad
rgyal po nyid la
sogs pa rgyal po byang chub sems ldan gsum gyis bzhengs pa'i lha khang gi
mchod pa 'chag phal cher zhig ral du song %
mtha' 'dul dang yang 'dul gyi
gtsug lag khang phyed zhig % mchod pa 'bul ba rgyun chad 'on chang rdo'i sa
phyogs su sprul pa'i rgyal po g rig gis da ste gdung rabs gnyis nas lha khang
bzhengs par 'g yu r ro %
de behengs nas mi lo sum brgya d ru g cu nas zhig ral
du stongs par 'gyur % de nas phyi yul gyi rtags dang sbyar te bas pai yul du
'gro ran pa'i rtags so % nang rtags bod du rnnga' bdag rgyal po 'i rnnga' thang
nyams nas khrim s 'jig % bod la khrim s med (2b) lo brgya dang nyi shu rtsa
gsum yong %
de na mu d u r nag po hor gyis 'dul %
dang nyi shu rtsa Inga yong % de nas hor khrim s 'jig %
h o r khrim s lo brgya
de'i dus su bod sbas
pa'i yul du 'gro dgos ces gsungs so % yang zhus pa % kye slob dpon chen po
lags % sbas pa'i yul du bdag cag bod kyi rje dbangs m am s 'gro dgos par gda'
183
ba %
de'i dus su sbas pa'i yul mams nges par m yed dam mi myed lags %
hod kyi sbas yul zin nam m i zin lags %
bod snying stobs chung bas m thar d r
'gyur lags % ces zhus pas % bka' stsal pa % rnnga' bdag rgyal po gsan d g %
khyed bod kyi mi khong bcol chung pas ji lta r bstan kyang m thong dus med %
ji ltar bshad kyang go dus med % ji lta r bskul y a n g 'g ro dus med %
spyir du
bod srin po sha lings kyis non pa gshin phal cher gsod par 'gyur ro %
Inga
brgya tha ma'i dus na dang po mi m go bran gyis byed pa lo brgya dang nyi
shu rtsa Inga yong %
mi m go nan * pas byed la lo drug cu yong %
de'i dus
'bros ran % sbas pa'i yul du 'gro ba la chos skyong pa'i rgyal po g dg dgos te %
(3a) rgyal po bshan (shan) pa nag pos byed pa'i dbang gis % ru nga chags
sdang gi m tsho brdol bas sbas pa'i yul 'g ro ba'i bskul ma dge byed kyis byed
de % dge byed sdig byed kyis 'khol % lam sna chos byed kyis byed de % chos
byed yal ga las smod % lam brgyags bzang po dgos te chos byed 'b yo r pas
'phongs % sa 'p h ru l ma 'kh ru l brtag dgos te col chung po ti ta 'k h o r % bod du
dang po bdud kyi bu go rta nag po bya ba 'byung % de'i dus o skol yon mchod
kyis bzhag pa'i ma 'ongs lung bstan mams gter kha mang po nas rim gyis
myed par 'g y u r % de'i dbang gis bod sbas pa'i yul du 'g ro ba'i bio skye % kun
kha skyengs par 'g y u r ro % de nas hor khrim s zhig nas bod nang 'khrug byed
% srid le'ur 'th o r % gong gsum du jag pa gcer thabs byed pas dge byed kyis
lam mi shogs % bod sbas pa'i yul dran pa mams 'jigs shing kyi gya' ste snying
stobs kyis 'g ro m i nus % de'i dus nas dge byed re re tsam gyis sbas pa'i yul
tshol ba'i 'dun pa drag po dang % tshol ba'i dka' spyad drag po byas pas bod la
bde skyid lo (3b) 'ga' 'byung % bod m am s de'i bde skyid la zhen pa'i sems
dang % ru nga phrag dog gi dbang gis dge byed sbas pa'i yul 'tshol ba la smod
cin g y a ga sgrog pa 'byung % de'i tshe dge byed m am s yi chad pas zhum ste
dge ba m thar m i 'don % de'i tshe bdud dga' rab dbang phyug gis % ri rab kyi
184
rtse nas phyogs bzhir bltas pas % p h yir nag po'i phyogs kha rgyal nas bdud
brod pa skyed % lh o phyogs 'dzam bu'i gling pa sha'kya'i bstan pa nya ba'i sa
m thong pas % bdud snying dga' % de'i dus na rgya gar rd o rje gdan du ru
khas 'dzin pas bdud mtshon cha'i me tog 'th o r % bod kha ba can gyi yul du
bstan pa'i lhag ma dar la ma smin pa'i dus 'ongs te % bdud kyi rgyal po des ri
rab kyi steng nas dug mda' bdun bod la 'phen te % de la lo zad zla zad nyi zla'i
mdangs 'dzam bu'i gling la med p a 'i tshe 'phangs pas % phyi rtags su ni m kha'
la me 'od lam lam pa 'ong % nang rtags su sde dpon dang % dm ag dpon dang
% gtso bo dang % 'jig rten gyi las stobs che ba mams la bsod byed kyi dug
'phangs pas % bio bur du zhe (4a)
sdang tsha lam lam pa dang phrag dog
'kh ru g ram ram pa skye % de'i rjes su gcig gis gcig gsod % gcig gis gcig brlag
par joms so % mkhan po slob dpon ston pa stobs che ba m am s la smyod byed
dug m da' phog pas % bio bur du snying mi dga' ba dang % snying drang lhang
lhang pa 'ong % de'i dus su chos byed la sems zhugs te % gcig gis gcig smod %
chos bor nas 'jig rten gyi las la 'ju g % nyams len bar nas tshig la Itos % gos ser
m o gon pas yul phyed khengs % ston pa'i bka' bzhin sa re re tsam % 'kh ru g
byed kyi dug blon po dang gros byed la phog pas % shes pa rtsi phun pa bio
bur du skye % de'i rjes su bio phrul khong skyon che bar 'dod pas pha rol la
mi smra ba'i gtan tshur smra % tshur rol mi 'dod pa'i gros bar slob % bod nang
'kh u g ('khrug) la zing 'g ro m am char Ito ba'i dug shar po la phog ste % bod kyi
chos pa dang mi chos pa 'b rin g po thams cad la kha sngal khyog khyog pa Ito
ba tsha chil chil ba b io bur du 'b yu n g % de'i dus su thams cad la zas skom gyi
'd u shes 'd o d sred langs (4b) te p h u 'i ri dags (dvags) m gon % m d a 'i nya 'd zin %
rang gi phyugs 'og tu bcug ste gsod nus % sha dm ar po za % khrag dm ar po
'th u n g % lpags pa dm ar po 'dings % dus tha m ar pha sha za ba 'byung ngo %
gyo byed kyi dug bud med la phog ste bio bur du shes pa rtsi ru m 'ong % de'i
rjes su phra ma mang po smra ste pha dang bu 'th a b tu 'ju g % yu l m i nang
185
'thab7c dpon dang gyog 'khon % pha spun nang sme byed pa gcig 'ong % las
log bio rgyugs kyi m da' bio ngan la phog nas b io bur du m gam sems hab
k h yu r ba skye % de'i tshe bio bur du m i gsod nor 'khyer 7o chos gos kyi 'og
nas gri 'dzugs % bud med gri ru mchi % dbugs ma chad par 'bal dang m g o
gdungs byed % gson po sa rdibs su skungs pa gcig 'ong % srog gcod tshe
'phrog gi bdud dge ba'i bshes gnyen chos byed dang 7c sde dpon ya rabs la
phog ste dge byed la b io bur du snying tsha stong stongs pa 'ong % de'i dud su
dge ba'i rtsa ba ci yod pa m thar m i than par mchi 7c de lta r bdud kyi dug mda'
bdun bod la phog pa dang % bye (5a) bran khras khyer ba lta r % bod kyi bsam
pa phyogs gcig tu mi 'd ril bar cig (gcig) la gcig rtsod % gcig la gcig sgol zhing
'khrugs pas 7c m i lo sum cu bar gnas so % de'i dus na dge byed byang chub kyi
sems dang ldan pa 7c snying rus lus stobs che ba 7c 'k h o r dang yo byad ldan pa
7c thabs dang rten brel mkhas pas lam rtsal (btsal) yul bzung na sbas pa'i yul
thams cad zin no 7c bod kyi mi thams cad m tha' dmag dang du ru kas briag
cing gsod par m i nus so % bod la bdud kyi dug m da 'phogs pa'i rkyen gyis
bzang lan ngan gyis mjal 7c dge sdig pas sgrub % de'i dbang gis dge byed
thams cad yi m ug sgyid lug shal nas 'g ro 7o m do khams kyi yul na sbas pa'i yul
gsum 7c gtsang gi yul phyogs na sbas pa'i yul brgyad 7c rnnga' ris kyi sa na
sbas pa'i yul gnyis yod de7o phal c h e ry id smod las lag tu m i Ion % m thar bod
la sbas pai yul du bsgrod pa'i skal pa med pas sangs rgyas kyi yul (5b) dang
'dra 7c thos lo tsam las m thong par m i 'g y u r ro 7c 'on kyang nga dang rgyal p o
nyid kyis sems rtse gcig tu dril ba'i mon lam gyis bod kyi sbas yul mi m yed
ljong bzhi dang rong gsum du dge byed phal bar ro (phal cher thar) 70 dbus
phyogs kyi sbas yul gcig blon po bai ro tsa nai sprul pa gcig gis 'byed 7c ro n g
kha ru chos byed pa phal cher thar 7o gtsang du khams pa m i gsum gyi sprul
pa gcig gis sbas yul 'byed 70 a tsa ra dznya na'i sprul pa gcig gis stod du sbas
yul gcig 'byed 7c rong bdun du chos byed pa phal cher thar 70 rnnga' rigs (ris)
186
kyi sbas yul mi phyed % rong la 'ga' re thar de la ma thar ba mams hor kh rim s
zhig nas lo sum cu song ba dang smad nas dm ag sde chen po dgu % bdud kyi
pho nya nyi shu rtsa gcig stod nas m y u r mgyogs kyi bshan pa lag Inga %
dmag sde chen po gsum m i lo drug cu'i bar du brdol te % bod srin po sha lings
kyis non pa bzhin je sdug la 'g ro m th a r yul khams me yis tshig pa behin brlag
par 'g yu r ro % rigs gsum mgon po'i byin rlabs kyis (6a) bsam yas dang 'phrul
snang gi ri la sa bon tsam gcig las % p h y ir bod thams cad bio bo pu rengs
mtshams nas rgya nag po'i bar du kun brlag par byed d o % sems can las kyi
dbang gis kun gsod par 'g y u r te % bod snying re rje % bod kyi sems can
snying re rje % bdud kyi dbang du g yu r pas lan % phran dog rlu n g lta r 'tshub
pas lan % dus kyi m tha' la thug pas lan % nga y i bka' la nyan pa na % lo nur zla
n u r bsrung thabs yod % lo skor gsum du bzlog thabs yod % yod kyang chos
byed yid smon tsam % log Ita can m am s ngan song rgyu % dus ngan de yi
sems can mams % snying re rje ste rang gis lan % nga la log lta byed pa dang
% nyi zla rg ya b kyis phyogs pa dang % srog thag chad pa'i sems can m am s %
shing sdong me yis tshig pa bzhin % 'd i ru dge bas mi 'dogs te % phyi ma brtso
bsreg ya re nga % nga yi bka la nyan pa m am s % bio can mams kyis sbas yul
tshol % byams sems can gyis bsrung 'k h o r bsgoms % dge stobs can gyis bdud
dmag bzlog % de yi (6b) thabs dang mi ldan na % di ra rdza zom nags kyi
phug % brag rong nags rong dben pa ru % 'jig rten 'di la ma chags par % rtse
gcig byang chub sgrub pa gyis % tshe 'd ir bdud kyis mi gsod cing % phyi ma
rgyal bai zhing du thar % gsod gcod las la m i brtson na % bdud kyi dmag gis
gsod mi 'g y u r % sha khrag zas su mi za na % bdag la gzhan gyis mtshon m i
'phog % de p h y ir nga yi bka' la nyan % ces gsungs so % yang zhus pa % kyai
slob dpon chen po lags % Inga brgya tha mai dus bod kha ba can pa la bdud
kyi dug mda' bsrung ba'i thabs bstan du gsol % sbas yul nges par m yed pa'i
thabs bstan du gsol % ces zhus so % bka' stsal pa % rgyal po legs par gsan rig
187
% bdud kyi dug m da'i bsrung pa la p h yii yul gsum % nang gi rdzas gsum %
gsang ba'i tm g nge 'dzin gsum % drag po'i sngags gsum % bca' ba'i khor lo
(khrul 'khor) gsum dgos so % dang po p h y i'i yul gsum ni % byang chub kyi
sems (7a) dang ldan pas bzhengs pa'i lha khang gsum dang % sngon byin gyis
rlabs pa'i bsgrub gnas su 'gro (ba dang) 'd u g pa'i dus na % gdugs sam zha'i
bum pa la u shni sha'i sngags bris pa dang ma bral na bdud kyi dug m da mi
'phog go % tin g nge 'dzin rang gi dam gyi lha dang % byang chub kyi sems
dang 7c m i dm igs pa'i tin g nge 'd z in gsum gang rung re dang ma bral na bdud
kyi dug mda' mi 'phog % nang gi rdzas ni 7c sgrub pa'i sman 70 de bzhin
gshegs pa'i ring bsrel % sngon grub pa th o b pa'i d kyil 'k h o r gyi rdzas bcangs
pas dug mda' mi 'phog 7c drag po'i sngags gsum ni % rd o rje rder m o'i sngags
7C gtsug gtor 'k h o r los bsgyur ba'i sngags 70 rd o rje go khrab kyi sngags %
dgongs kha g rib so gnag song nas bza' skar gyi skrag ma thon gyi bar bzlas
pas dug m da' mi 'phog % bca' ba'i khor lo (khrul 'khor) gsum ni 7o rdo rje
d kyil dkrungs % kh ro bo'i stang stabs 70 phyag dang bskor ba byed pa'i lus
gnad la dug mda' m i 'phog go 7c dge byed nga'i bka' la nyan pa (7b) mams 7o
bsrung ba'i p h y ir gnam lcags thog gi gur zhes bya ba shog ring (ril) dang po'i
nang na yod pas Itos shig 7o d e lta r bdud kyi dug mda' ma phog pa'i gang zag
la sbas yul gyi lde m ig gnas chen bsgrod pa'i thabs bstan gyis 70 de yang bod
na gnas chen po gsum yod 7c lde m ig byang bu bdun bdun dgos so 7o gnas bar
ba bcu gsum yod de 7c b y a n g bu gsum gsum dgos 7o gnas phran bu bdun yod
pas byang bu re res chog go 7o de yang tshe tshad bdun cu kha ral nas drug cu
kha ral la siebpa'i bar la gter kha chen po bdun sprul pai gang zag bdun gyis
myed par 'g y u r % de mams gung sgrigs la sbas pa'i yul du song zhig 7c gu ge'i
khugs (khyung) lung brag dkar nas 7c m do khams klong thang sgron ma yan
chad kyi lh o 'i rgyud la sbas pa'i yul nyi shu rtsa gnyis 7c byang gi rgyud la sbas
pa'i yul gsum yod 7o de'i nang nas che ba'i yul gsum ni 7o shar na rtsa ri 7c Iho
188
na 'bras mo gshongs % byang na 'brab ( bras) m o khugs (khud) gsum m o %

yul bar pa bcu gsum ni % rgya m o tsha bai rong nas gtsang sra rum gyi bar...
Iho rgyud la (8a) yod % phran bu mams ni de mams kyi bar la yod de % byang
gi tsha byi dang % lh o 'i gyu sa brag m o ni skye bo phal pas bsgrod par mi rius
la % bshad pa la don med de % de m am s kyi nang nas btsal sla ba ni % lho
brag gi mkhan pa lung yin no % yu l bzung pa yang de sla'o % khum bu'i
mkha' gro gling btsal sla % 'dzin pa thabs la mkhas na zin no % kun bskyed
kyi phug btsal ba dka' 'dzin sla % lha pho brang sdengs btsal sla thar thar bar
dka' % 'dzin pa ni chos byed re re'I tshe las mi yong (ngo) % lh o 'bras m o
bshongs su gang zag bio stobs dman pas m i bsgrod % bzung pa sla % shar rtsa
ri ni bsgrod sla zin na longs spyod rgyal po'i pho brang dang m nyam % has
kyi sbas yul ding ding nag m o thag rin g sgrod dka' bzung sla % bar rtsa ri in
bsgrod sla 'd z in pa thabs la mkhas na sla'o % sbas yul gzhan mams ni la la btsal
dka' % la (8b) la phra'u yin pas m i brjod % de ltar sbas yul mang po bstan
kyang nges par m yed pa gsum yod % gzhan mams ni gnas re la lung bstan
pa'i gang zag re yod de de dang ma 'phrad na mi m yed do % nges par m yed
pa'i gnas gsum ni % lo tstsha ba bai ro tsa na'i sprul [a rdzogs chen gyi mal
'b yo r pa gcig gis rtsa ri gangs kyi ra ba m yed do % 'dzin pa ni ba' ro tsa na
spyugs pa'i las ngan gyis rdzogs chen pas m i 'dzin % theg pa dman pa gcig gis
'dzin no % bar yul 'bras m o gshongs ni % bod kyi mkhas pa m am gsum gyi
sprul pa rd o rje p h u r p a 'i m al 'b yo r pa gcig gis byed par 'g y u r ro % bod kyi
grub thob rd o rje m am gsum bsam yas 'chim phur tshogs pa'i byin rlabs kyis
% dang po gang zag gcig gis 'byed % de rjes su grub thob m am gsum lung
bstan pa so sor gyes las % 'bras m o gshongs su sngags kyi sgrub sde gsum
yong % la phyi gangs kyi ra ba ni a tsa ra dznya' na'i sprul pa gcig gis 'byed %
a tsa ra dznya na dad pa che bas mos gus can gcig gis dzin par gyur % (9a)
gnas de nges par m yed do % las can dang 'phrad na m yed par 'g y u r ba'i gnas
189
ni ku thang skyid kyi phug rta m grin la nus pa than pa gcig gis m yed do % de
yang gtsang bkra thum nas 'byung ngo % yol m o gangs kyi ra ba ni % rig
'dzin bla ma'i bsnyed pa rdzogs pa gcig gis m yed do % de'ang gtsang bkra
thum gyi n ub nas 'byung ngo % sman sha khum bu'i rong che mchog ma m o'i
bsnyed pa rdzogs pa gcig gis m yed do % de yang byang th o yo r nag poi yul
nas 'byung ngo % bud kyi mkhan pa lung rd o rje m am 'jom s la bsnyen pa
rdzogs pa gcig gis m yed do % de yang ru lag rgyang ni nub phyogs nas
'byung ngo % sbas yul ding mo ni jam dpal gshin rje gshed la bsnyen pa
rdzogs pa gcig gis m yed d o % de yang n ying ro i phyogs nas 'ong % lh o brag
rgyal gi mkhan pa lung ni % he ru ka'i bsnyen pa rdzogs pa gcig gis m yed do
% de yang beam yas kyi phyogs nas 'byung % sbas pa'i yul de mams bod la
gees pai p h y ir % sbas pa'i yul thams cad kyi rgyal po 'bras m o gshongs (9b)
sgo 'byed pa'i gang zag tshe lo drug cu kha ral nas Inga bcu kha ral gyi bar
bdun n m par 'byung % rtsa ri la gsum 'b yu ng % la phyi gangs kyi ra ba la
gnyis 'byung % yol m o gangs kyi ra ba la gsum 'b yu ng % sku thang skyid kyi
yul gnyis 'b yu ng % gzhan mams la re re 'byung % de mams dang 'phrad na
sbas pa'i yul m yed % ma 'phrad na sgo 'gag par 'g y u r ro % dus tha ma'i sems
can bsod mams chung bas lung dang man ngag 'dzom s pa dka' % gnas chen
phal cher m yed par mi 'g y u r % bdag dang rgyal po'i sman lam gyis gnas gsum
stod smad bar gsum gyi dge byed skyod pa'i p h y ir nges par m yed par 'g y u r
ro % ces gsungs so % yang zhus pa % kye slob dpon chen po lags % stod smad
bar gsum la gees pa'i gnas gsum po 'tshol ba'i thabs bstan du gsol ces zhus so
7C bka' stsal pa % rgyal po gson rig 70 tshe lo drug cu kha ral nas Inga bcu kha
ral gyi bar la lun g bstan mang po yod de % gnas kyi khungs brjod pa dang 70
phyogs mtshon pa dang % dang pa 'dren pa las (10a) gnas bsgrod pa dang
m yed pa mi 'b yu ng % tshe tshad Inga bcu la sleb pa dang bod kha ba can du
ngas byin gyis brlabs pa'i gang zag 'jig rten gyi yul la yid m i chags pa % skad
190
mi rtag pa'i sgrar smra ba bya ba nges med spyod pa gcig gis sbas yu l thams
cad 'byed par 'g y u r ro % gdul bya dus la bab na gtsang tshong 'dus gur m o
nas spra dum gyi bar gyi bod dang mon gyi mtshams na sbas pa'i yu l chen po
gsum % chung pa yul phran bdun pa phye d g % dus m thar thug na gang b io
'ju g pa'i thad so la song la sbas yul gcig gis phye % de dus na bod kyi bsod
nams nyams pas chos byed tsho bas 'phongs % bdud kha langs (rlangs) pas
rdzun dang zog pos mi 'd u l ba yang % chos byed nga yis byin gyis brlabs pa'i
mi mams rgyu la zog med pas shes pa drang por yongs % rdzun dang zog
med pas bio drang por spyod % de'i dus su chos byed la chos log byed pas
lung bstan lung log gis bsgrub % bka' lung dri ma med pa nyon mongs pa'i
chags sdang gis 'gegs % dge byed y o (10b) byad kyis 'phongs % sbas pa'i yul
m thar mi phyin pa yang % de'i dus na nga'i lung bstan thob pa'i gang zag
mams dang po bar chad dul ba gal che gsungs % 'jam dpal gshin rje dang %
rd o rje phur pa khrag 'th u n g he ru ka gang (rung) gi bsnyen pa rdzogs par
gyis 7c de nas snang ba dbang du bsdu ba dang srid pa'i m kha' 'g ro bskang ba'i
p h y ir 7C rta m grin dang tshe mchog ma m o'i bsgrub pa gyis % nga'i gter kha
gnyis la mchog dang thun m ong gi bsgrub pa tshang bar yod pas gang la gang
dgos spyod % de nas chos byed 'tsho bas 'phongs na Iho 'bras m o gshongs
tshol ba'i dus su % gtsang tshang 'dus 'g u r m o'i Iho nub la nye ba na co ro srad
kyi yul yod 7o de'i skyed na u rgyan padm a 'byung gnas kyi sg ru bp h u g yod 7C
m ing m khar chen brag dkar zer % de na gser m dzo khal gcig yod pas thon 7C
tsha lo ro n g la lha khang 'd a m gru bzhi pa gcig behengs 7o 'bras m o gshongs
kyi bkul byang yi ge la th o b la zhog % gang m dzod Inga stag rtse'i ri rgyud
ma chad pa Iho bod kyi mtshams su lha (11a) khang brgyad brtsegs % dge
'd u n gyi sd e th o b7 0 'bras m o gshongs kyi lam chos 7c gnas kyi m th il du dben
khang brtsigs 7c shar nas m tha' dm ag lan gsum dbus gtsang gi gzhung la 'g rim
7c Iho kha tshur la mi yong pas 7c de'i dus bod kyi rkyen dbang gis nga dran pa
191
yang pas dad pa dang phrin las bskul zhig % de'i phyi ma dbus gtsang thams
cad khyab pa'i her dmag sogs dus gcig la brdol nas bod yul bar la bras m o
gshongs su bros shig % bud dang khum bu la 'g ro bar 'd o d pa mams cang mas
lta bu'i brag gi lha khang yod % Iho nu b kyi thang po 'dom s pa bdun phyin pa
na gser bsam yas kyi bre gang dang % gyu bdun yod pas thon la bu le'i gangs
brag la lha khang brtsigs % bud kyi rong la dge 'dun gyi sde thob % sbas yul
gyi lam phyogs la phyi dang yol m o gangs la 'g ro ba mams % zang zang lha
brag gi shar na gser gzi'i dong pa gang dang th ig po ra'i mchin pa tsam zhig
yod pa thon % rgyal thang gi rong la lam khang tshugs % snya nam ( lib ) gyi
la ('gram) la dge 'dun gyi sde thob % sbas pa'i yul gyi lam chos % skyid m o
lung du 'g ro ba mams % sra thum gyi lha khang dbus m a'i sgo 'gram na mu
men gyi rdza ma gser bre dos bskang pa yod pas de thon la ku thang gi rong
la gnas dang lam khang dus gcig la thob% de lta r byas pas gtsang gi phyogs su
lo bskor gcig bde skyid yong % m thar chos byed dang mi nag pa bsam pa dkar
ba mams kyi srog thar ro % yang ti se gangs kyi shar Iho na % 'dzeng rd o dkar
po gyag tsam gcig yod % de'i n u b n a gser th ig po lag pa tsam bcu gsum yod %
chos byed phongs na thon te ti se la lam khang tshugs % gangs ri de'i n ub
phyogs kyi gangs yod kyi mtshams nas phyogs nub tu bltas pas gangs ri lha'i
khrom tshogs pa 'dra ba gcig yod % der dus tha ma la thug dus chos byed sum
brgya thar pa'i rdzong yod % 'tsho ba'i zhing yod pas stod kyi chos byed la
lam ston cig % dbus kyi sbas yul bzung lugs ni % shar rtsa ri gangs kyi ra ba
dge byed kyis bskor % nags rong phugs bzang pas bsgrod sla % dags p o 'i (12a)
bka ma lung du dge 'd u n gyi sde thob 'g ro don stobs che'o % chos byed 'tsho
bas 'phongs na yer pa'i brag phug shar m a'i logs la rin po che sna lnga'i bum
pa sog po'i skye regs gser phye ma bre phyed % gyu m ing can bcu % gyu
phran dong pa gang yod pas than % 'g ro ba'i lam byang ni 'bras m o gshongs
dang m thun pas gyis shig % bsam yas brag dm ar gyi m dun na pa bong rgya
192
shog sgril ba 'dra ba gcig yod % de'i 'og na bse dm ar po'i sa ru (ga'u) gcig yod
% de na rdzi dug yod pas ra tshil gyi byug pa gyis la dben par zhog % de'i brag
rd o dkar po bre 'dra ba gcig yod % de gsal (bsal) ba'i 'og na ti tsha'i bum pa
gcig na gser bsam yas kyi khal gcig gis bskang pa yod pas % 'chims pu la dge
'd u n gyi lam khang gyis % Iho brag m khar chui rong la gnas th o b % de'i gting
du m tha' dmag m i yong % dus phyi ma la gter de mams thon la bsam yas kyi
zhig hsos gyis 70 bre gsum gyis chos byed kyi 'tsho ba gyis la rong la bros rig
% bod thams cad (12b) Iho rong la 'g ro ba'i dus na rdzi dug gi ga'u bsam yas
kyi sgo la zhog rig % de'ang bsam yas gogs pa dang bod la nang khrug yo n g
% dbu rtseri gsum dang lha sa 'p h ru l snang la zhig ral dang 'd g ra 'i gnod pa ma
byung na bod gting nas brlag par m i 'g yu r % de'i p h y ir m i sprel lo pa g rig gi
sna bug tu tsan ldan gyi gu blug % ra tshil gyis m go lus med par byugs % bsam
yas kyi them pa'i 'og na m ar bskos bse'i gau de'i nang du bzhag la kha phye
ste rang bros shig % gtsang jo m o kha rag gi dabs su lam khang tshugs % Iho
brag m khar chu la gnas th o b de m am s su thar ro % spyir bod thams cad ro n g
bzhi dang rdzong (Ijong) gsum la bros % dbus gtsang gnyis sbas yul dang Iho
kha tshar gyi yul la bros % byang m tha' (13a) regs la yod pa mams snying rus
che ba Iho rong du 'gros % der ma thar ba mams byang dang ra nas 'b ru 'i sa
bon khyer la star sgo gangs kyi byang thad na phar nyin lam gyi sar yul 'byed
du song g rig % star sgo'i gangs nas m i 'b rin g po'i zla gcig phyin pa'i sa na
gangs dkar po Icags ri'i thsul du 'k h o r yod % de'i gangs bar la so g rig byas nas
thar ro % dge byed kyi lam btsal na gangs de'i khog pa na byang 'bras m o
khud yod % de myed na bod kha ba can gyi yul na de bas dga' bai yul med do
% ma m yed kyang gangs brag la mi yongs kyis bros % dang ra nas byang
smad rgyal m o'i smug dong yan chad kyi mi phyugs ni thog ma la bdud dm ag
gis gsod % ti se nas dang ra 'i bar gyi byang rgyud ni phyis stod dmag gis gsod
% ba thag sha dung gi sgo m o yan chad nas rgya nag po'i bar gyi yu l dbus k y i
193
rgyud thams cad sdug zad la song ngo 'jom s so % pu rengs nas mi nyag 'ga'i
rong yan chad kyi Iho kha tshar la jag pa'i tshul gyis 'joms so % kye rgyal po
stod mang yul gung thang du rgyal po n yid kyi gdung brgyud gcig gri ru (13b)
bkum pa dang bod kyi sdug m go 'dzugs so % gnyis gri ru bkum pa dang bod
kyi phung m go 'dzugs so % gsum bkum pa dang bod kyi skyid pa zad pas
sbas yul dang Iho rong la bros shig % de'i dus su sbas pa'i yul du thar pa m am s
la bde skyid 'byung ngo % Iho rang du thar pa m am s bshis ngan du 'chi mi
dgos % de ma yin pai rang yul la brtag phyis byed pa dang % col chung ti ta
'kh o r ba dang % bio log bka' lung la 'gal bar byed pa mams du kha ri yis gnan
pa tsam % zug zer me 'obs su shar ba tsam cho nges brag ral ba tsam m yo n g
zhig kun gsod par 'g y u r ro % sog ma me yis tshig pa bzhin 'bras bu kun brlag
ste dmag des gsod pa thams cad dm yal khang nag por las kyis skye bar 'g y u r
ro % de lta bu'i dus su thams cad du kha non te nga dang sbas pa'i yul dran pa
gcig yong ste phyis so % nga la rtse gcig tu mos pa mams dm ag la phyis m ig
ma lta bar bros pas n ub li'i yul du thar % de'i gong du chos skyong ba'i rgyal
po'i khrim s zhig nas bod k h ri'u r 'th a r ba'i dus su 'bros ran te kun yul la chags
nas (14a) mi 'gro% de'i rjes su mu d u r nag po hor gyis 'dul de'i tshe bod sdig
sgrib kyis non nas m i 'bros so % de nas hor khrim s zhig bde srid 'th o r bas lam
bsgrod dka' ste 'bros ran no % de'i dus su nga'i bka' la nyan pa mams bros cig
% gong lta r lam khang dang rong sna'i m i dang m thun par gyis la bros shig %
de'i dus na bod la nga'i thugs rje dang bdud kyi dug mda' rtsal 'gran pa'i dus su
de'i lung bstan th o b pa'i gang zag la bdud kyis byin gyis brlabs pa thams cad
ya ga dang sgra (sgro) skur dang bar chad rtsam pa yong ste % ci la yang
skrag par ma byed par bros shig % de'i dus na dros (bros) na Iho 'dzam bu'i
gling na rgyal ba sha'kya th u b pa'i lung bstan gyi m do bdun yod de % so so
na 'bros ran pa'i dus su yang % bdud sdig can gyi lung nag p o bre dgu gyos
pas de'i dus na 'dzam bu'i gling na m tha dmag gis bskor ces pa'i lung gi dus so
194
% de'i dus na lung bstan rgyal po'i m do las % sha' ri'i bu nyon cig % nga m ya
ngan las 'das nas rgyal poi gdung sob sgron me (14b) dang dra ba lan bdun
'byung % de'i phyi la Inga brgya phrag bcu'i tha ma 'char % de'i dus na nga'i
nyan thos 'kh o r fcehi po ri bo dan tig gi gling dang chu bo dan tig gi m go dang
% p h yi'i rgya m tsho'i do gling dang bse tha nags kyi rong la song cig % rgya
gar dang % u rgyan dang % kha che dang sing nga dang tsha la dang li 'i yul
dang sangs rgyas kyi bstan pa yod pa'i gnas thams cad Iho n u b rgya m tsho'i
do gling la song cig % byang phyogs kha ba can gyi yul du dus kyi tha ma la
bstan pa dar bar 'g y u r gyis % der yang rigs gsum mgon pos lung ston pa Inga
brgya snyigs ma la bod nas m tha' nags kyi rong la bros shig ces lung ston zhig
shod cig ces gsungs pas % thugs rje chen po'i byin rlabs kyis da lta nga nyid
kyis lung ston pa'o% de'i tshede'i dus na 'dzam bu'i glin g bod kha ba can gyi
m tha' bzhi dmag gis 'k h o r yong % nga yis lung bstan pa'i dus la ma bros na %
bod thabs thug pa dang m i thar te mtha' bzhi nas dmag ri stibs pa lta r yong
nges pa'i p h y ir ro % ces gsungs so % kye slob dpon chen (15a) po lags % de'i
tshe de'i dus na bdud dmag de las thar ba du mchi % dus gsum m khyen pa'i
padma 'byung gnas kyis lung bstan du gsol ces zhus pas % bka' stsal pa %
rgyal po chen po gsan cig % bdag gis rgyal po bod la brtse ba'i p h y ir lung
bstan thabs mang po bstan pa yin gyis bod mtha' 'k h o b kyi m i 'di da lta dus
bzang pa yin kyang % nged lo pan bod kyi don la 'ong pa m am s gsod pa'i gros
byed % rgyal po n yid bod kyi m ig (mgo) yin te sku tshe ring na m i yong (dga')
pa'i bio 'char % bsam yas kyi lha khang bkrag che bas gzhon pa m ig yengs na
(zhon pa yi lam das nas) las stobs cog par bdug ('dug) zer % bod kyi m i 'di
bsam pa ngan pa kyi dang 'd ra % kha 'chal smra ba w a dang 'dra % gnod gyis
brlabs pas smyon pa 'd ra % da lta bas Inga brgya snyigs m a'i dus na bcu 'g y u r
bas ngan du 'g ro % rgyal po med pas m go med kyi yan lag 'd ra % yul re na
rgyal phran re % rgyal phran shan pa glang snying re % gros m go kha 'chal
195
gyog pos byed % gnas dgos re na mkhan slob re % m khan slob skye (15b) bo
gos ser gyon % gros m go nye gnas sgyed (skyed) mgos byed % zag pas nye
bas kh yim mdzes 'jom s % bshes skur chos byed grogs la gtong % log lta
byams sems can la byed % spang bya dam pai chos la byed % de lta bui bsam
bya ngan pas bod khengs nas % bod phal cher phung zhing brlag par 'g y u r %
rgyal po thugs khral ma mdzad % de lta 'i dus na ngan song gsum na du kha la
hzod blags med te % las ma dag bar la thugs khral byas pas phan pa med %
dus tha m a'i bdud dmag de yang sems can las ngan can snyigs ma lus len pas
de'i bshed ma byed pa yin % bod 'd ir nga dang rgyal po'i smon lam gyis byang
chub sems dpa'i rigs can bdun gyis sna drangs nas Iho 'bras m o gshongs su
sum brgya thar % bal bod kyi mtshams su nyis brgya thar % brin khum bu'i
rong du brgya drug cu thar % bud kyi rong du Inga bcu thar ro % spa gro bum
thang gi mtshams su bzhi brgya thar % Iho brag m khar chui rong du brgya
thar % de m am s sbas pa'i yul du btsan pa zin pa'o % tsa ri tsa gong la Inga
brgya thar % gzhan yang Iho rong thag nye ba mams la (16a) 'gro ste % la la
srog thar % la la Iho rong gi ngan byung ste gsod % la la nags rong dang gangs
rong dang chu rgod la 'chi % la la bod nang 'khrugs te gri ru 'chi % bdud dmag
las th a rte rk y e n ngan g y is 'c h i % la la lh o 'i dug phog s te chi % la la ltogs te 'chi
% rgyal po de'i dus su sems can la ji Itar byas skyid med de dm yal ba'i gnas
dang 'dra % de'i dus sems can kun sdug pa'i dus yin % nags la me shar ba'i
gling na so gsod (sod) dang bde skyid dug pa ngas ma m thong % rgyal po
nyid rang chos nyid zab m o la longs spyad du yod pas da lta btsan pa bzung
m dzod % ces gsungs pas % rgyal po yul kyis bmangs nas spyan chab mang po
shar ro % de'i dus su slob dpan padma 'b yu ng gnas kyis Inga brgya tha ma'i
sems can la zhal gdams bzhag pa'i % bcom ldan sha'kya th u b pa yis % bstan
pa'i snyigs ma Inga brgya'i thar % 'dzam gling sems can thams cad la % bde
skyid med pas btsan par bros % sdig can bka' las m i nyan pas % dge byed
196
bsam pa phyogs gcig d ril % lung bstan sbas (16b) pa'i yul mams kyang % nags
rong btsan pa'i yul yin pas % bde zhing yangs pa'i 'dod pa skyungs % smu
'thorns man gyi yul mtshams na % 'byung ba mi snyoms nad behi'i rgyu %
thabs mkhas rten brel sman dpyad dgos % nags rong 'dzin pa'i gyang sa la %
dred dangs ma byed sgo ba chos % char rmugs 'chibs dang sa dug la % 'jigs par
mi bya pho nya bcos % lo gsum spyod pa legs par bsdams % de nas yul dang
lus phrad 'g y u r % nags rong dog kyang sa btsan pas % u rgyan rgyal po
padma ngas % sa rong btsan pa'i yul phran mams % sa brtul byin rlabs g te r
chos sbas % sgo ba sgo bsrungs bka nyan bskos % de p h y ir sbas pa'i yul kun
nang % bsgrub gnas re dang gnas chen re % bka' rtags yin pas hzhag par bya
7C nga yis byin rlabs sgrub gnas su % pha yul bu yis 'dzin pa lta r % the tshom
med p a r'd z in du behud % skye ba 'di yi phi ma la % nga dang 'phrad par the
tshom med % bka' 'd i'i dus na bod kyi las ngan gyis % bshis ngan gri ru 'chi
bas (17a) lung 'di nyon % ces gsungs so % de'i
tshe rgyal po khri srong lde
btsan gyis 7c lung bstan thams cad kha kha so sor btab % slob dpon la rin po
che sna lnga'i mandala phul nas gter du sbas so % lung bstan 'di gu ru u rgyan
du gshegs pa'i dus na byang zang zang lha brag gi skyed la sbas te bod kyi dad
pa can gsum la bka' stsal pa % nyon cig bod kyi dad pa can % nga yi zhal
gdams yi ge 'di % thon pa'i dus la bab pa'i tshe % lung phran pad sdong 'dra
ba'i rtsar % 'brug gam glang lo kh ro ba'i gzugs % drag shul can gyis gter nas
'don % las can d e y is 'd i khyer nas % Ih o y i rong bdun sbas yul bdun las can de
yis 'byed par 'g y u r % de la bod k yi srog rten cig % ma m o bstan ma bcu gnyis
kyis 7c lung 'd i las can de la bstod % ces gsungs so % ma 'ongs pa'i lung bstan
sbas pa'i yul thams cad kyi them yig 'di % las can d g dang 'phrad par shod %
sa ma ya' % rgya rgya rgya % byang zang zang lha brag gi skyed nas rig 'dzin
rgod kyi Idem phru can gyis gter nas bton pa'o %
197
A ppendix 2
Sbas y u l y o l m o i gnas bsdod ka kha sum cu pa
Na m o gu ru bhya/
Ka-ba gnam du bsgrengs 'd ra 'i jo m o yi gyang ri /
Kha-dog gcig tu mi gnas nam zla kho bskyur 'g ro /
Ga-bur rdul lta r dkar ba'i gangs ri yis m tha' bskor /
Nga-cag Padmai brgyud 'd zin bsti gnas su bsngags so / /
Ca-co gnas gyeng tin g 'd zin tsher ma dang bral zhing /
Cha- tsam nyon mongs yul m in ri dvags kyi grogs dang /
Ja -chang m yed dang bkur stis chos-mdzad m am s btegs kyang /
Nya- phag kha na tho'i sdig zas ni ma lags / /
Ta-tha ga ta dri med m tsho skyes kyi rd o rje /
Tha-m a'i dus la dgongs nas byin gyis brlabs m thus /
Da-lta sgrubpa'i m thun rkyen rang shugs kyis tshang zhing /
Na - dga' 'chi skyid gding thobsbas-gnas 'd i dga' o i l
Pa -Iba sangs lta r dkar ba i phu gsum gyi gangs dab /
Pha-rol tshu rol med par brag khrod dang nags-rong /
Ba-ling gtor gral bsham 'd ra 'i 'jigs m am s kyi bkod pa /
M a-m thong ltad m o gsar pa'i dga ston 'd i yag byung / /
Tsa'-ri rtsva gong lta bur m tha' dmag gis m i 'jig /
Tsha-grang snyoms pa bal bod sa mtshams su chags kyang /
Dza-lang log lta can tsho'i spyod yul yang ma lags /
Wa-spyang nags su gnas 'd ra 'i m u rgod m am s ci cha / /
Zhva-rengs spangs pa'i spra spreu m ig 'p h ru l behin brtse zhing /
Za - 'd o d lin g pa'i dgra la ri dvags tshogs bskur ste /
A'-cag rang shong spyil bu'i nye 'k h ris su yis 'd is /
198
Ya -nga snying rje'i bsam bio dbang-med du skyes byung / /

Ra-lo M i la Rgod tshang m am gsum sogs bod kyi /
La -la tsam m in gsar m y in g grub thob ni du mas /
Sha -mong za tshod 'tsho ba dka' th u b la bsten cing /
Sa - lam dbu m a'i sbun nas rdzogs pa la gzigs shing / /
Ha-lam bead ma lhug gi gnas bstod kyi glu dbyangs /
A-m a jo-m o'i ri sul nyams dga' nas blangs so /
Zhes pa'ng bya bral buddha nyam mtshor ro / /
199
A ppendix 3
Dbyen gnas bye thang la bngags pa skal Idan yid dbanggugs
p a i Icags kyn
(lb ) Nam o guru b h ya/ rje rgyal ba'i mam 'p h ru l bla ma mchog
//
d rin sum Idan ngag gi dbang po la / /

bu mos gus gdud bas gsol ba 'debs / /
gnas ri khrod zin par byin gyis rlabs / /
pha gu rus byin brlabs sbas pa'i gnas / /
ma mkha 'g ro rang behin 'du ba'i zhing / /
mtshan snyin grags che ba bye gling thang / /
' d i'i chags tshul 'chad la dar cig gson /' /
shar yang dag sgrubphug zhi ba'i gnas / /
Iho nyi zla (2a) rang byon rgyas pa'i gnas / /
nub lha m tsho bdud m tsho dbang gi gnas / /
byang zla gam gnam sgo drag po'i gnas / /
phyogs gnas chen bzhi yis bskor ba'i nang / /
phyi gangs dang de'i nang rdza ri ste / /
obs ra ba rim pa gnyis kyis bskor / /
dei dbus gyur bye thang gnas kyi m th il / /
dbyibs mi Ipags brkyang 'd ra rgyang grags tsam / /
phu byang bstan rdza lung kha brag nas / /
gangs chu dang rdza chu'i (2b) rgyun gnyis bab / /
thang d k y il du gnyis med gcig tu 'dres / /
de Iho phyogs rgya gar yul du 'g ro / /
nyin ri mams mtshan cha gzer 'd ra dang / /
s rib ri mams me Ice mched pa 'd ra / /
dm a' spang gi gshongs na phur srung gi / /
bla rten gyi m tsho m o che chung ni / /
m ar khu dang zhag gi mtsho m o zhes / /
m dog gcig tu ma nges grangs mang 'k h y il / /
phyogs bzhi ru sgrub-phug du ma yang / /
sngon byon gyi gong mas bsten shul bdog / /
phu brag chen logs la rang byon ni / /
200
dpal che mchog rd o rje gro bo lod / /

sku che chung thog tshad behi tsam pa / /
chu bur gyi m ig la mngon sum gsal / /
byang gangs ri rtshe rgyal m dun rol na / /
gnas ngo m tshar chu m ig brgya rtsa'am / /
chu yan lag brgyad Idan zhes grags pa'i / /
nyams dgala rig pa dvangs pa'i gnas / /
spang ri dang ne'u thang me thog b k ra / /
chu yan lag brgyad Idan (3a) lhung Ihung gi / /
sgra dang bees sbrul nag 'kh yu g 'gros 'gros / /
lha sman btsun dgyes skyed skyung ka ni / /
mchu ser po can dang sbab ces bya / /
spu rma bya'i mdzes sdug la 'gran dang / /
n dags kyang sha bai khyu tshogs mchis / /
lu ma dang ldeng ka sna tshogs chab / /
sngags guru siddhi rang sgra Idan / /
lar bye thang gangs kyi ra ba 'd ir / /
rje pad 'byung n g 'd z in tshog bcas kyis / /
phyi rabs kyi gang zag la dgongs nas / /
chos zab gter dpag tu med pa dang / /
khyad par du drag sngags bka' bab kyi / /
dpal rig 'd zin shanti garbha'i gdung / /
gnas di yi brag dkar la sbas tshul / /
byang lha brag lung gis gsal bar grub / /
sa btsan zhing dgra rkun gcan gzan med / /
'byung 'khrugs kyi nad sel sman sna tshogs / /
rtsa ba dang sdong po me tog 'bras / /
ro nus (3b) dang Idan pa brgya rtsa 'khrungs / /
khor ra dang khor vug thams cad du / /
dri bsung gi spod ngad thu lu lu / /
chu shing dang lo ma dka' thubzas / /
ma btab par skyes pa m am mang yod / /
grogs 'd a b chags m th in g ril thi ba dang / /
skad snyan gyi bye'u thung 'jol m o sogs / /
gsung snyam p o 'i g ling bu skyu ri ri / /
y id skyo ba sangs shing nges 'byung bskul / /
201
gzhan chags sdang nyon mongs 'phel byed pa'i / /

du dzi dang skye bo'i rgyu grul dben / /
nang kha 'don dge sbyor dang gis 'phel / /
lam lta sgom spyod pa'i bogs 'don dang / /
ru shan dang gnyan gcod byad pa la / /
gnas 'd i lhag deng sang gang na'ng med / /
rje padm a'i sbas yul rtsod med 'd i / /
rgya gar gyi d u r khrod brgyad dang m nyam / /
phyogs m tha' kun ngam grog gyang sa che / /
sprin na bun char pa rgyun du Idan / /
mtshams dam po rang behin babkyis (4a) bsdams / /
gzhi bdag kyang dkar phyogs dge bsnyen che / /
thang lha dang rd o r legs sman btsun ma / /
dpal zla ba cha ti la sogs mams / /
chos sgrub pa po yi grogs dan m dzad / /
lar snying nas dam chos don gnyer ba / /
brgya la na r e ' ga' mchis srid na / /
tshe gcig gis sangs rgyas thob pa'i gnas / /
d ir phebs zhes kho bos gzhen skul 'debs / /
'd ir mchis kyi m al 'b yo r dpon slob mams / /
rkyen m i m thun bar chad dbyings su sol / /
don m thun pa'i lam sna chos la drongs / /
dpal don gnyis lhun gru bb kra shis shog / /
202
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1) Selected Prim ary Sources (arranged according to title):
O rgyan rdo rje drag sngags kyis gsungs p a 'i padm a bkod k y i yon tan
rdzogs p a 'i glus byangs.
H andw ritten manuscript photographed from the
lib ra ry of Bla ma Phun tshogs m am rgyal of Padma bkod
in May 1996 by
author. Sanskrit Library, Harvard University.
B k a ' chems ka kh o l ma. Lanzhou: 1989.
Gro lod b k a ' thang sogs. "Accounts of the lives of manifestations of
Gu ru Rinpoche from the discoveries of Stag sham nus Idan rd o rje and Mchog
gyur gling pa and the Slob dpon padma'i m am thar rgya gar lugs of
Taranatha. Tezu: 1973.
Spo bo lo rgyus. Lhasa: 1988.
Bod Ijongs sod m n g a ris skor gsum nye rabs chab srid kyi lorgyus
dang dgon sde khag zhig gsos grub p a i gnas ts h u ll spyi tshogs gsar p a i
'phel shugs sogs rgyas p a r brjod p a i Tael g ta m rin chen gte r gyi phreng ba.
Lhasa: 1996.
R eproduced with permission o f the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
203
Sbas y u l padm a bkod k y i lam yig ma 'otts luti
bstan sna tshogs
phyogs gcig tu bsdus p a i gsun pod. "A Collection of Prophecies of Things to
Come and Accounts of Padma-bkod from the Library of Ri-bo-che Rje-drun of

Padma-bkod." Tezu: 1974.
Sbas y u l Tjras mo Ijongs 'og min m a m dag p adm a d n v a can g y i gnas

yig lung bstan gsol 'debs smon
lam gter srung gsol mchod bcas bzhugs.
Collection of visionary texts revealed by Lha btsun Nam m kha' 'jigs med &
Rdo rje Bde chen gling pa. Gangtok: 1972.
Gnas gsol bar cited kun sel phrin las m yur grub, Kun bzang 'od zer
Gar dbang Chi med rd o rje H andw ritten text copied from the library of Kha
ba sprul sku of Padma bkod in May 1996 by author. Sanskrit Library, Harvard
University.
Sprul skti rig dzin rgod Idem 'phru can gyi m a m th a r gsal byed n y i
m a 'i
'od zer.
Author: Nyi ma bzang po, in Byang gter lugs kyi mam
th a r
dang ma 'ongs lung bstan. Gangtok: 1983
Spntl sku Bstan gnyis gling pa pad ma tshe
dbang rgyal p o 'i m a m
th a r yid bzhin nor bu. Fols. 2, 88 missing out of 96, xylograph print. NGMPP.
running no. L1754, reel no. L143/5.
M a 'ongs lung bstan gsal b a i sgron me.
Leh:
1973
204
B k a ' thang sde Inga.
Based on the Sde ge manuscript arranged b y
Rdo rje rgyal po, Lhasa:1990.
P a d m a bk a'i thang yig.
Manuscript prepared by Dar rgyas dbang p o
and his son (w ho were students of scribe Shan) in w ater-bird year 1753, 1813 o r
1873? Patna: 1988.
P adm a b k a thang, (U rgyan gu ru pad ma 'byung gnas kyi skyes rabs
mam par thar pa rgyas par bkod pa pad ma fcka'i thang yig). Reproduced from a rare
18th century illustrated wood d o c k p rin t fro m Bar kh yim chos 'byung gling ri
khrod of Sde dge in Khams, preserved in the Library of Tibetan Works &
Archives, Dharamsala: 1986.
P adm a b k a ' thang, (U rgyan gu ru pad ma 'byung gnas kyi skyes rabs
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th a r Fols. 246, author: Padma 'phrin las. NGMPP xylograph print, running no.
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205
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206
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O rgyan 'G ro dul gling pa, Sgam po mchog sprul V (h 1757)

The A u tob iog rap hy
Sgam-po
O-rgyan
'G ro -'d u l
of the Fifth Sgam-po M chog-sprul o f Dwags-la

Gling-pa, reproduced from
a possibly unique
manuscript from Lho Stod-kha from the lib ra ry of Sprul-sku Rig-'dzin-chosrgyal. Darjeeling: 1985.
Kah thog Rig 'd zin Tshe dbang nor bu (1698-1755)

Bod rje lha btsad po'i gdung rabs
thang
mnga'
ris smad
du j i ltar byung ba'i tshul deb gter dwangs shel
mang yu l g u n g
'phrul g y i me lo n g ,
pp. 87-150 in Bod kyi lo rgyus deb therkhag Inga, Lhasa: 1990.
Kun bzang nges don klong yangs (19th cent.)

Bod du byung ba'i gsang sngags snga 'gyur g y i bstan
'dzin skyes
mchog rim byon g y i mam thar nor bu'i do shal. D alh o usie 1976
Bkra shis stobs rgyal, Byang bdag

Rig 'dzin grub pa'i dbang phyug
mam
par thar pa ngo mtshar phun
chen po padma 'byung
gnas k y i
sum tshogs pa'i rgya m tsho. Gangtok:
1976
Mkhas pa de'u
Rgya bod kyi chos 'byung rgyas pa. Lhasa:!987.
207
Ngag dbang bstan 'dzin nor bu, Rdza rong phu bla ma (1867-1940)
Gcod y u l nyon mongs zhi byed kyi bka' gter bla ma brgyud pa'i m a m
thar byin rlabs gter mtsho, Gangtok: N gagyur N yingm ay Sungrab Series, vol.
21, 1972.
Guru Chos kyi dbang phyug (1212-1273)

Gter 'byung chen mo, Paro:1979
Stag sgang mkhas mchog Ngag dbang bio gros, Gu ru Bkra shis (19th
cent.)
Bstan pa'i snying po gsang chen snga 'gyur nges don zab m o 'i chos
kyi byung ba gsal bar byed pa'i legs bshad mkhas pa dga' byed ngo m ts h a r
gtam g yi rol mtsho. Xining:1990.
Stag sham nus Idan rd o rje (h 1655)

Gu ru rdo rje gro lod kyi mam thar. Orissa: 1985.
Padma glin g pa, Gter ston, (h l4 5 0 )

U rgyan Slob dpon padma
'byung gnaskyi 'khrungs
rabs
zhes bya ba sang rgyas bstan pa i byung khungs mun selsgron me
chen
mo
lasr n a m
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Dpa' bo gtsug lag phreng ba (1504-1566)

Chos 'byung mkhas pa'i dga ston. Delhi: 1980
208
Bu ston rin chen grub (1290-1364)

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Lung bstan rdzun ma sun 'byin rmongs

m ai 'od zer , in Rje btsun shes rab rgya mtsho
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Nyang ral N yi ma 'od zer (1136 - 1204?)

Chos 'byung me tog snying po sbrang r ts i'i bcud. Gangs chen rig
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209
Chos
'byung
me
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po
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M onum enta
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R ig 'd z in Bdud 'd u l rd o rje (1615-1672)

"The Collected Works (Gsung 'bum) of Spo bo Gter ston Bdud 'dul rd o
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Rig-'dzin Rgod kyi Idem 'pnru can (1337-1408)

Sbas y u l s p y i'i them byang , 17 fols., in Byang gter lugs kyi mam th a r
dang ma 'ongs lung bstan. Gangtok: 1983
Ma 'ongs lung bstan lu?ig byang bdun pa, 7 fols., in Byang gter lugs
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Sprul sku 'byung p a i lung bstan, 9 fols. in Byang gter lugs kyi m a m
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Sle lung rje dru ng bzhad pa'i rd o rje ( h i 697)

Rdo lung rdo r je i g lin g g i gnas gsar du myed pa i lo rgyus go bde
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Bka' thang gser phreng. Kalim pong: 1970.
Bla
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Rinpoches
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par
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in The
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Abbreviations
Rdo bis = Rje btsun shes rab rgya mtsho
'jam dpal dgyes pa'i bio gros k y i
gsung rtsom pod gsum pa bzhugs so. M tsho sngon m i rigs dpe skrun khang:
Kun bzang =Bod du byung ba'i gsang sngags snga 'gyur g yi bstan 'dzin skyes
mchog rim byon gyi mam
thar nor b u 'i do shal. Author: Kun bzang nges
don klong yangs (19th cent.) Puh Damchoe Sangpo, Dalhousie 1976
Rnatn
thar = The A utobiography
Dzvags-la
Sgam-po
O-rgyan
o f the Fifth
Sgam-po
'G ro -'d u l'-g lin g -p a .
M chog-sprul
Puh
of
Chopal
Lama, Darjeeling: 1985.
Guru Bkra' shis =Bstan pa'i snying po gsang chen snga g y u r nges don zab
mo'i chos kyi byung ba gsal bar byed pa'i legs bshad mkhas pa dga' byed ngo
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218
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tno'i chos kyi byung ba gsal bar byed pa'i legs bshad mkhas pa dga' byed ngo
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y i dam
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ProQuest Information and Learning

The undersigned, appointed by the

have examined a thesis entitled

candidate fo r the degree o f D octor o f Philosophy and hereby

The Buddha's Secret Gardens:

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Bell & Howell Information and Learning Com pany

C op yrig ht [2001 - A b d ol-H am id Sardar-Afkham i]

In tro d u c tio n ..........................................................................................................1

C hapter One: Pure Lands and Forest Utopias in Indo-Tibetan Imagination

1.2 Tibetan Tantric Explorers.................................................................................15

C hapter Two: The Tibetan Cult of the Mountains

C hapter Three: The Mountain Paradises of Guru Padmasambhava

The Demon's Poison A rrow s.............................................................42

Protection from the Demon's A rrow s.............................................. 48

The Way to Peach the Hidden Lands.............................................. 53

Deliverance from the Demon's Legions.......................................... 61

The Historical Setting........................................................................................ 67

The Search for the Hidden Land........................................................................ 77

4.2.1 The Dream Songs of Rgod Idem can............................................................. 80

Chapter Five: The Path Finders

Opening the Snowy Mountain Range of Yol mo.............................................. 97

The Mongol Repellers......................................................................................... 104

5.4 The Remaining Treasures....................................................................................112

Chapter Six: Padma bkod: Tibet's Heart of Darkness

Dzungar invasion.............................................................................. 148

bis Dge she's Quarrelw ith the Hidden-lands..................................... 164

Tibetan Sources........................................................................................................... 202

Tibetan im agination over the centuries and paved the w ay for a

massive exodus in m odem times.

' J. Hilton, 1933:159

1 Jacques Bacot, Le Tibet re volte

Vers Nepemako. la terre promise des

The guidebook obtained by Bacot later became a source fo r some

W hile there has been a considerable discussion regarding the Tibetan

h M. Aris, " Report on the University of C alifornia Expedition to Kutang and

For Peter Bishop, Shangri-la is also not discovered, but produced as a

1 M. Eliade The M yth of the Eternal Return. 1975:103 ff.

passageway from man's ordinary realm (gzhugs kham s) to a pure realm

autobiographies of masters - one can begin to comprehend the psychology

The idea of paradise first appears in Buddhist literature when Indian

Sukhavativyuha. the visualization of heavens became a powerful m editative tool

where only people possessed of

miraculous powers could travel.

in the Buddhist Vajrayana school - especially in the textual tradition later

Cakrasamvaratantra list tw enty-four and thirty-seven respectively, w h ile sim ilar

Buddhist Tantras such as thp Tattvasamgraha p ro vid e a legendary account of

debate as to whether these pitha-s were of Shaivite or Buddhist origin, this

the final and most

They are places of paradox that confront and w o rk

to study the philosophical texts taught at the great

universities of India. The real question is w hat was excluded from

curriculum , a question which compelled good brahm in students lik e Saraha,

hagiographies to insisting that m any left their universities to study w ith

" The earliest extant hagiography of the 84 Mahasiddha-s in Tibet seems to be

exhausting all phenomena in to dependent relationships. But the fletcher