a land of Tibet

We're in our coracle heading down the Yalong Dza chu on our way to Dargye Gonpa! The drawings in our Footprint Tibet handbook are a bit difficult to interpret as far as the topography and streams. Again it may be because of the restrictions placed upon visitors by the Chinese government although I'm not certain of this. This area is part of what in China is known as the Qinghai province and is subject to particularly heavy restrictions. I recently read an account of someone biking across this area; fairly frequently he was detained by the authorities and often simply put on a bus headed out of the area. Dargye Gonpa was one of the thirteen Gelukpa monasteries that were set up by the Mongols under Gushi Qan when they created the five Trehor states of Beri, Kangsar, Mazur, Drango and Trewo in the 17th century. It has a huge assembly hall with gates on all the four directions of it's walls. Among the deities whose image is here is that of Pehar of whom we know already ;one of the aspects of Pehar is associated with the Nechung oracle which the Dalai Lamas consult! Pehar, called Kunga Gyelpo in Tibetan is an important protector deity in the Nyingma lineage also since it was Padmasambhava who bound the different forms of the deity to Buddhism. Speaking of lineages you probably noticed I mentioned Patrul Rinpoche in the same poem as Milarepa. Patrul was considered very learned in several lineages including Kagyu and Nyingma as I mentioned. Practitioners of the level of attainment as Patrul or Milarepa often have a calming effect on the locale where they are present that tends to diminish the negativity there. The story also says something of the paradoxical situation in ancient Kham in which there was frequent strife but yet where the different spiritual traditions were respected. There a pilgrim might have a tent in the road and not be disturbed even by soldiers heading for battle. Still though the presence of this extraordinary human being must have had a profound effect upon those who came upon his ragged tent! There is a similar story told of Milarepa that I'll bring us soon. There's a lot more to add but as usual two as one we'll add to the notes later beautiful one!


	Through My Eyes * We're in our coracle heading down the Yalong Dza chu on our way to Dargye Gonpa! The drawings in our Footprint Tibet handbook are a bit difficult to interpret as far as the topography and streams. Again it may be because of the restrictions placed upon visitors by the Chinese government although I'm not certain of this. This area is part of what in China is known as the Qinghai province and is subject to particularly heavy restrictions. I recently read an account of someone biking across this area; fairly frequently he was detained by the authorities and often simply put on a bus headed out of the area. Dargye Gonpa was one of the thirteen Gelukpa monasteries that were set up by the Mongols under Gushi Qan when they created the five Trehor states of Beri, Kangsar, Mazur, Drango and Trewo in the 17th century. It has a huge assembly hall with gates on all the four directions of it's walls. Among the deities whose image is here is that of Pehar of whom we know already ;one of the aspects of Pehar is associated with the Nechung oracle which the Dalai Lamas consult! Pehar, called Kunga Gyelpo in Tibetan is an important protector deity in the Nyingma lineage also since it was Padmasambhava who bound the different forms of the deity to Buddhism. Speaking of lineages you probably noticed I mentioned Patrul Rinpoche in the same poem as Milarepa. Patrul was considered very learned in several lineages including Kagyu and Nyingma as I mentioned. Practitioners of the level of attainment as Patrul or Milarepa often have a calming effect on the locale where they are present that tends to diminish the negativity there. The story also says something of the paradoxical situation in ancient Kham in which there was frequent strife but yet where the different spiritual traditions were respected. There a pilgrim might have a tent in the road and not be disturbed even by soldiers heading for battle. Still though the presence of this extraordinary human being must have had a profound effect upon those who came upon his ragged tent! There is a similar story told of Milarepa that I'll bring us soon. There's a lot more to add but as usual two as one we'll add to the notes later beautiful one! * courtesy of A Luminous Diamond (Bright) Crystal Show productions. The information for the sketches is courtesy of the Footprint Tibet handbook by Gyurme Dorje. ( please click here to return to my spinning for you!)