a land of Tibet

We're in our coracle on Yangtze Dri chu on our way to Batang Jakhyung! Our Footprint Tibet handbook indicates it's about 32 kilometers or about twenty miles to the northeast of where the Batang chu flows into the Dri chu. It is said that the original being living here was the legendary Garuda or Jakhying and was half human half bird! A statue of it still stands in the center of Batang. The Garuda has lots of fascinating stories associated with it. It was also associated with the valley of Zhangzhung or Shangshung that goes into the Sutlej which we remember from being at Khyunglung! In fact it was present even before the practice of the ancient Bon faith.It was said to be able to tolerate the venom of even the most poisonous of snakes. It also is said to have interacted with the naga , serpent spirits that we know of already from the temple of Lhukhang. They are said to inhabit water and possibly earth, I'm not certain. Anyway, their effect upon the land is considered profound as they can impact the fertility of land, the outbreak of epidemics, good or bad weather and other such things. The Buddha himself was said to have enlisted their aid as guardians of certain termas which they only released hundreds of years later when the terton whose name was told to the naga requested them. They are close to the earth and can be very strongly affected by the disrepectful harmful behavior and thoughts of human beings and will respond by causing outbreaks of such dreaded diseases as leprosy and smallpox. In one case a lama who through shamanic means realized the nagas needed to be propitiated asked that when he died that he not be placed in the reliquary as is customary. Instead he asked that he be buried with his head straight into the ground as a sign of humility to assuage the anger and hurt of the nagas. His followers couldn't bring themselves to do this. The end result was a long lasting outbreak of leprosy. In other cases, very advanced practitioners who were unable to pacify the nagas have intentionally contracted an illness in order to take the karma of others upon themselves and thus end epidemics. 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 on Yangtze Dri chu on our way to Batang Jakhyung! Our Footprint Tibet handbook indicates it's about 32 kilometers or about twenty miles to the northeast of where the Batang chu flows into the Dri chu. It is said that the original being living here was the legendary Garuda or Jakhying and was half human half bird! A statue of it still stands in the center of Batang. The Garuda has lots of fascinating stories associated with it. It was also associated with the valley of Zhangzhung or Shangshung that goes into the Sutlej which we remember from being at Khyunglung! In fact it was present even before the practice of the ancient Bon faith.It was said to be able to tolerate the venom of even the most poisonous of snakes. It also is said to have interacted with the naga , serpent spirits that we know of already from the temple of Lhukhang. They are said to inhabit water and possibly earth, I'm not certain. Anyway, their effect upon the land is considered profound as they can impact the fertility of land, the outbreak of epidemics, good or bad weather and other such things. The Buddha himself was said to have enlisted their aid as guardians of certain termas which they only released hundreds of years later when the terton whose name was told to the naga requested them. They are close to the earth and can be very strongly affected by the disrepectful harmful behavior and thoughts of human beings and will respond by causing outbreaks of such dreaded diseases as leprosy and smallpox. In one case a lama who through shamanic means realized the nagas needed to be propitiated asked that when he died that he not be placed in the reliquary as is customary. Instead he asked that he be buried with his head straight into the ground as a sign of humility to assuage the anger and hurt of the nagas. His followers couldn't bring themselves to do this. The end result was a long lasting outbreak of leprosy. In other cases, very advanced practitioners who were unable to pacify the nagas have intentionally contracted an illness in order to take the karma of others upon themselves and thus end epidemics. 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!)