a land of Tibet

We're floating down the Kyi- chu on our way to the caves of Drak Yerpa! We've come down past the Nyenchen Tanglha mountains from Tashidor along Lake Namtso as you know well. They are on the Yerpa ridge which is another of those great mountain amphitheaters like the one above Lhamo Latso.Yerpa Lhari peak to the far northeast of the ridge is the abode of the deity of the area. To get to them we'll have to go up from the ruins of the Yerpa Drubde monastery. From there we can see the caverns in the white cliffs of Drak Yerpa above. There are many caves and shrines here associated with many of Tibet's great ones like Atisha with his followers, Songsten Gampo and the protectoress Shridevi, Maitreya. Actually, we haven't read of Maitreya yet. Maitreya is the Buddha to come in future times. There was Dipamkara, then Shakyamuni who gave rise to Buddhism in India and hence is the Buddha of the present with Maitreya to come. Then there's ones associated with Padmasambhava and one of his students,Lhalung Peldor the monk who assassinated the King Langdarma, and Shakyamuni Buddha.The hermitage of Atisha is not far from here. Atisha as you remember well was invited from India by King Yeshe O of the Kingdom of Guge in western Tibet. Our footprint Tibet handbook doesn't mention it but I imagine there have to be caves associated with Yeshe Tsogyel since a figure of Padmasambhava is present here! Anyway, as we continue travelling down the Kyi- chu we'll go to Nyetang which has lots of fascinating treasures many associated with Atisha, Rato monastery, and Chushul not far from which are the remnants of a bridge built by Tangtong Gyelpo! There's quite a bit more to add but two as one we'll add to the notes later beautiful one as it is again a bit late!


	Through My Eyes * We're floating down the Kyi- chu on our way to the caves of Drak Yerpa! We've come down past the Nyenchen Tanglha mountains from Tashidor along Lake Namtso as you know well. They are on the Yerpa ridge which is another of those great mountain amphitheaters like the one above Lhamo Latso.Yerpa Lhari peak to the far northeast of the ridge is the abode of the deity of the area. To get to them we'll have to go up from the ruins of the Yerpa Drubde monastery. From there we can see the caverns in the white cliffs of Drak Yerpa above. There are many caves and shrines here associated with many of Tibet's great ones like Atisha with his followers, Songsten Gampo and the protectoress Shridevi, Maitreya. Actually, we haven't read of Maitreya yet. Maitreya is the Buddha to come in future times. There was Dipamkara, then Shakyamuni who gave rise to Buddhism in India and hence is the Buddha of the present with Maitreya to come. Then there's ones associated with Padmasambhava and one of his students,Lhalung Peldor the monk who assassinated the King Langdarma, and Shakyamuni Buddha.The hermitage of Atisha is not far from here. Atisha as you remember well was invited from India by King Yeshe O of the Kingdom of Guge in western Tibet. Our footprint Tibet handbook doesn't mention it but I imagine there have to be caves associated with Yeshe Tsogyel since a figure of Padmasambhava is present here! Anyway, as we continue travelling down the Kyi- chu we'll go to Nyetang which has lots of fascinating treasures many associated with Atisha, Rato monastery, and Chushul not far from which are the remnants of a bridge built by Tangtong Gyelpo! There's quite a bit more to add but two as one we'll add to the notes later beautiful one as it is again a bit late! * 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!)