a land of Tibet

We're in our coracle in the Rudam Kyitram near the Dzogchen Rudam Orgygen Samten Choling Monastery having come over the Muri la pass to this wondrous valley! There are actually two temples there one of which has reliquaries or stupas containing the remains of Dzogchen incarnations. As I mentioned these are more to benefit those making pilgrimages with the spiritual vibration of the master than for any other purpose. Both have wondrous images, some very large, of Padmasambhava, Shakyamuni and King Trisong Detsen along with Shantaraksita, who was invited in by King Trisong Detsen from India. He founded Samye, Tibet's first Buddhist monastery! One of the images is that of Vajradhara who seems to be a manifestation of the ideals of Buddhism. I'm not sure about this yet though. As we can guess by the images, this is a Nyingma monastery and is the largest Nyimgma monastery in Kham! There's also a college there below the monastery that drew some of the greatest minds of Eastern Tibet among them Peltrul Rinpoche, Mipram Rinpoche and Khenpo Zhenga. Actually they could be described as some of the greatest minds anywhere! I've heard many stories of Peltrul Rinpoche who also was called Patrul Rinpoche. He was very learned,a great meditation master yet he wandered about living a simple life when he wasn't sitting upon the teaching throne expounding upon some sacred text. Rinpoche as we know means precious and like the Dzogchen he certainly was! Ther are caves in the upper parts of the valley where he and the others meditated including Padmasambhava. I'm sure Yeshe Tsogyel must have been there although she isn't mentioned as being in this particular place by our Footprint Tibet handbook.In general in Tibet and in Kham in particular, both great monasteries and individual seekers contributed equally to the development of the faith, both modes of practice existing simultaneously. There are many humorous stories of yogins like Patrul Rinpoche arriving at monasteries and exposing the occasional hypocrisies and foibles of their inhabitants. This they could do because they were quite omniscient and often unrecognizable from any wandering pilgrim. 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 in the Rudam Kyitram near the Dzogchen Rudam Orgygen Samten Choling Monastery having come over the Muri la pass to this wondrous valley! There are actually two temples there one of which has reliquaries or stupas containing the remains of Dzogchen incarnations. As I mentioned these are more to benefit those making pilgrimages with the spiritual vibration of the master than for any other purpose. Both have wondrous images, some very large, of Padmasambhava, Shakyamuni and King Trisong Detsen along with Shantaraksita, who was invited in by King Trisong Detsen from India. He founded Samye, Tibet's first Buddhist monastery! One of the images is that of Vajradhara who seems to be a manifestation of the ideals of Buddhism. I'm not sure about this yet though. As we can guess by the images, this is a Nyingma monastery and is the largest Nyimgma monastery in Kham! There's also a college there below the monastery that drew some of the greatest minds of Eastern Tibet among them Peltrul Rinpoche, Mipram Rinpoche and Khenpo Zhenga. Actually they could be described as some of the greatest minds anywhere! I've heard many stories of Peltrul Rinpoche who also was called Patrul Rinpoche. He was very learned,a great meditation master yet he wandered about living a simple life when he wasn't sitting upon the teaching throne expounding upon some sacred text. Rinpoche as we know means precious and like the Dzogchen he certainly was! Ther are caves in the upper parts of the valley where he and the others meditated including Padmasambhava. I'm sure Yeshe Tsogyel must have been there although she isn't mentioned as being in this particular place by our Footprint Tibet handbook.In general in Tibet and in Kham in particular, both great monasteries and individual seekers contributed equally to the development of the faith, both modes of practice existing simultaneously. There are many humorous stories of yogins like Patrul Rinpoche arriving at monasteries and exposing the occasional hypocrisies and foibles of their inhabitants. This they could do because they were quite omniscient and often unrecognizable from any wandering pilgrim. 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!)