2022/09/16

[SBS 스페셜] 드디어 베율을 찾았다

[SBS 스페셜] 드디어 베율을 찾았다


[SBS 스페셜] 드디어 베율을 찾았다
2015-03-21
lifenewsteam medical@medicalworldnews.co.kr

[SBS스페셜]이 드디어 베율을 찾았다.

베율은 티베트 불교의 창시자 파드마 삼바바가 예언한 전설의 땅으로 현대인이 겪고 있는 절망과 고통을 잊게 해준다는 꿈의 파라다이스다. 신화에 등장할 법한 이곳은 티베트의 정신적 지도자 14대 달라이라마도 그 지리적 실체를 인정한 곳이다. 1998년 미국 탐험가 이안 베이커에 의해 발견된 “베율”을 찾아 [SBS스페셜] 원정 탐험대는 장장 6,600km의 180일 간의 여정을 소화해 냈다.

지식의 사자(使者)

인도 시킴에 위치한 남걀 티베트학 연구소에서 박정헌 탐사대장은 <지식의 사자>라는 베율에 대한 새로운 단서를 발견했다. [지식의 사자]는 16세기 티베트 왕 린풍파가 베율에서 환생한 그의 아버지께 보내는 편지이다. 린풍파는 편지를 전달할 사자(使者)들을 위해 글 서두에 베율로 가는 경로를 매우 구체적으로 묘사해 놨다.

그 출발점은 티베트의 수도 라싸이다. 그는 티베트 일대를 가로지르며 라마승들을 만나 베율로 가는 지혜를 구하라고 이야기 한다. 그리고 그들에게 베율을 찾으며 겪게 될 난관과 시련을 이겨낼 힘을 얻으라고 조언한다. 그 뒤, 린풍파는 사자들이 황량하고 타들어 갈 듯 한 사막과 온갖 야생동물의 위협이 엄습하는 숲 등 극한으로 치닫는 고비를 맞게 될 거라 예언한다.

이 지역들을 통과해야 비로소 마지막 난관이 될 지역에 들어서게 된다. 지리상으로 오늘날 파키스탄 부근인 이곳을 린풍파는 마치 성난 악마가 길을 막아 놓은 것 같다고 묘사했다. 눈 쌓인 거대한 바위벽과 치솟은 산이 그곳을 지나는 이의 발걸음을 위협하지만 이 난관을 지나야 비로소 베율에 도착한다고 했다. [SBS스페셜]의 베율탐사대는 [지식의 사자]에 적힌 경로를 어떻게 통과했을까?

강 린포체, 영혼의 보석



인도 시킴에 위치한 남걀 티베트학 연구소에서 박정헌 탐사대장은 <지식의 사자>라는 베율에 대한 새로운 단서를 발견했다. [지식의 사자]는 16세기 티베트 왕 린풍파가 베율에서 환생한 그의 아버지께 보내는 편지이다. 린풍파는 편지를 전달할 사자(使者)들을 위해 글 서두에 베율로 가는 경로를 매우 구체적으로 묘사해 놨다.

그 출발점은 티베트의 수도 라싸이다. 그는 티베트 일대를 가로지르며 라마승들을 만나 베율로 가는 지혜를 구하라고 이야기 한다. 그리고 그들에게 베율을 찾으며 겪게 될 난관과 시련을 이겨낼 힘을 얻으라고 조언한다. 그 뒤, 린풍파는 사자들이 황량하고 타들어 갈 듯 한 사막과 온갖 야생동물의 위협이 엄습하는 숲 등 극한으로 치닫는 고비를 맞게 될 거라 예언한다.

이 지역들을 통과해야 비로소 마지막 난관이 될 지역에 들어서게 된다. 지리상으로 오늘날 파키스탄 부근인 이곳을 린풍파는 마치 성난 악마가 길을 막아 놓은 것 같다고 묘사했다. 눈 쌓인 거대한 바위벽과 치솟은 산이 그곳을 지나는 이의 발걸음을 위협하지만 이 난관을 지나야 비로소 베율에 도착한다고 했다. [SBS스페셜]의 베율탐사대는 [지식의 사자]에 적힌 경로를 어떻게 통과했을까?

강 린포체, 영혼의 보석

“(베율로 가려면) 라싸에서 출발해 시가체로 가라. 그런 다음 성스러운 산 카일라스로 가라. 그리고 길가에 지어진 사원과 성지를 방문하고 라마승들을 접견하라.“ -지식의 사자 첫 번째 장-

[지식의 사자]를 좇아 라싸에서부터 카일라스까지 티베트 일대를 가로지르기 위해 베율 탐사대가 산악자전거에 몸을 실었다. 티베트는 1951년 중국 공산당에 무력침공 당해 아직까지 식민지 상태에 놓여있다. 이러한 역사적 배경 속에서 티베트 인들의 정신과 신념을 지켜준 것이 바로 티베트 불교였다.

첫 출발지인 라싸는 ‘신의 땅’이라는 본래의 뜻과는 달리 변해있었다. 티베트 불교의 정신적 지주 달라이 라마의 거처 포탈라궁은 관광지로 변해 돈벌이 수단이 되어버렸고, 자신의 몸을 신께 바쳐 기도하는 오체투지 또한 구걸행위가 되어버렸다.

마지막 기대를 걸고 탐사대가 향한 곳은 순례자들의 발길이 끊이지 않는 4대 종교(불교, 힌두교, 자이나교, 뵌교)의 성지 ‘카일라스’다. 과연 그곳에서 탐사대는 베율에 이르는 지혜를 찾을 수 있을 것인가?

코라, 순례자의 길

“길은 점점 험난해질 것이다. 눈앞에 거대한 바위벽과 하늘을 찌를 듯 한 눈 산맥이 길을 막고 있을 것이다. 여기서 절망해서는 안 된다.” - 지식의 사자 마지막 장

<지식의 사자>에 언급된 마지막 여정은 티베트를 지나 파키스탄으로 이어진다. 베율 탐사대가 파키스탄에 첫 발을 내딛자마자 무장 경찰이 탐사대의 여정에 동행했다. 평소에도 탈레반에 의한 크고 작은 테러가 끊이지 않아 항상 위험하기 때문이다.

베율을 찾으려면 우선 파키스탄 깊숙한 곳으로 들어가 거대한 바위벽과 눈 덮인 산맥을 가로질러야 한다. [지식의 사자]에선 이러한 고난의 땅을 지나야 비로소 눈 속에 파묻힌 계곡이 펼쳐지고, 그곳에서 진주빛깔로 빛나는 베율을 발견하게 된다고 한다.

탐사대는 파키스탄 북쪽 끝에서 평균 고도 5000m에 위치한 세계에서 가장 긴 길이의 빙하지대에 도착했다. 그곳은 거대한 빙퇴석이 길을 막고, 양 옆으로 높은 설산이 병풍처럼 이어진 지형이었다.

얼음과 흙 외에는 아무것도 존재하지 않는 빙하 위, 고소와 추위에 맞서는 베율 탐사대의 치열한 고난기가 계속된다. 그리고 마침내 빙하를 벗어나 탐사대 앞에 새로운 모습의 땅이 드러났다. 이곳은 [지식의 사자]에 언급된 베율의 모습, 숨겨진 계곡과 매우 흡사했다. 과연 그들이 찾은 베율은 어떤 곳이었을까. 탐사대가 발견한 곳이 베율의 지리적인 실체를 이번 주 방송되는 
[SBS스페셜-인생횡단 3부]에서 공개된다. 방송일정 (3부) : 3월 22일(일) 밤 11:15~

Beyul: The Sacred Hidden Valleys | Documentary

Beyul, The Sacred Hidden Valleys – Dharma Documentaries

Beyul, The Sacred Hidden Valleys – Dharma Documentaries

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Beyul, The Sacred Hidden Valleys

Posted on April 30, 2021 by Dharma Documentaries

A film from Nepal which looks at how traditional concepts are being incorporated into park management.



This is a film from Nepal about the idea of the Sacred Valley, or Beyul, which is a concept similar to Shangra-la, a hidden away valley where people live in peace and prosperity, and in harmony with nature.

The film looks at how this concept has helped with conservation through the ages, and how a sense of the sacred guides people in their relationship with the natural world, especially as it pertains to the Sherpa culture.

It also shows how these traditional concepts are being embedded in national park management in Nepal, providing a stronger guidance on the protection and use of natural resources in the country.

For this reason we see how traditional religions and science can work together to help protect the natural world from the forces of greed that have been unleashed upon it.

It is also one of the few films I have seen which fits into all three categories this site is concerned with: Culture, Dharma and Ecology.






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Beyul: The Sacred Hidden Valleys | Documentary
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This documentary is filmed in the Khumbu valley located at the foot of Mt. Everest. The area is now declared as Sagarmatha National Park and a World Heritage Site. Locals believe that Khumbu is one of the many Beyuls - the sacred valleys of the Himalaya, hidden by the 8th century Buddhist saint Padmasmbhava as refuges for people suffering from the impacts of war, conflicts, famine, or religious persecution. The Khumbu Beyul was discovered by the ancestors of the Sherpa people escaping religious conflict in Tibet. 

The film introduces traditional Sherpa views of the Beyul as a sacred space, co-habited by many other natural and supernatural beings, where negative thoughts and actions such as quarreling, polluting, and taking life are discouraged because the place is considered spiritually powerful. It is these positive attitudes and self restraint on part of the people that made Khumbu not only a peaceful place for people to live and visit but also a safe refuge for wild animals and plants. The sympathetic attitudes of Beyul believers supported most Beyuls  to become national parks and protected areas. The role of the ancient belief system in conservation however has received little recognition. The lack of recognition, outside cultural domination and the influence of modern education that do not take into account the value of the indigenous knowledge have eroded knowledge about Beyul values. This film reveals both the strength of the Beyul concept in maintaining environmental and cultural integrity of a place as well as the vulnerability of concepts to change. This film is produced to raise awareness among viewers of the role of sacred natural sites such as Beyul in protecting the environment and maintaining harmonious relationships between the land and people throughout the world. 

Directed by: Tsering Rhitar Sherpa
Concept by: Dr. Lhakpa Norbu Sherpa
Produced by: The Mountain Institute
Language: Sherpa / Nepali / English
Subtitle: English


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Beyul of the Himalaya – Nepal, Tibet, India – Sacred Land

Beyul of the Himalaya – Nepal, Tibet, India – Sacred Land



Beyul of the Himalaya


Status Threatened
Country Nepal, Tibet, India
Report By
Amy Corbin
Thanks
Lhakpa Sherpa, senior technical expert at the Mountain Institute, for reviewing prior to publication.
Posted
August 11, 2009
Updated
August 11, 2009







Throughout the famed Himalayan mountains are large, hidden valleys known as beyul, places of peace and refuge revered by Tibetan Buddhists. These secret lands of legend have drawn Buddhist seekers for centuries, and one called Pemako is thought to have been the inspiration for Shangri-La, the mystical Himalayan utopia described in James Hilton’s 1933 novel “Lost Horizon.” Because of their remote and isolated location, and the respect with which they have been treated by the communities that reside in or near them, the beyul contain high levels of biodiversity in a setting of tremendous beauty. However, outside influences like globalization, nationalization, cultural assimilation and tourism have begun to erode the power of the traditional beyul concept in many places, while development encroaches on the physical landscape. If modern conservation and management efforts are to be successful, they must find ways to preserve and integrate longstanding traditional beliefs and practices. In his introduction to the Ian Baker book “Heart of the World,” the Dalai Lama writes, “From a Buddhist perspective, sacred environments such as Pemako are not places to escape the world, but to enter it more deeply.”
The Land and Its People

The beyul are large mountain valleys, sometimes encompassing hundreds of square kilometers, found in the Buddhist areas of the Himalaya in Nepal, Tibet, India and Bhutan. They originate from the beliefs of the Nyingmapa sect of Tibetan Buddhism, which has a rich tradition of respect for natural sites. According to ancient Buddhist texts, the beyul were preserves of Padmasambhava, also known as Guru Rinpoche, who introduced Buddhism to Tibet and founded the Nyingmapa tradition in the eighth century. Information on their locations was kept on scrolls hidden under rocks and inside caves, monasteries and stupa (shrines). Some beyul are now inhabited, others are occasionally visited by spiritual seekers and adventurers, and some are still unknown. The total number of beyul, discovered and not, is often said to be 108.

One of the most legendary beyul is Pemako (“the Secret Land Shaped Like a Lotus”), in southeastern Tibet, east of a dramatic Tsangpo River gorge known as the Great Bend, where the river curves sharply into the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh. The Tsangpo Gorge is three times deeper than the Grand Canyon, with enormous waterfalls in which the river drops more than 8,000 feet in a 150-mile stretch. These waterfalls, where several explorers have lost their lives, are said to be a gateway to a secret inner part of Beyul Pemako. The Tsangpo River connects Pemako to one of Tibet’s most sacred mountains, Mount Kailash, and the landscape of the Tsangpo-Pemako area is said to represent the body of the goddess Dorje Pagmo, with the river her spine and the surrounding peaks her breasts.

In Nepal and Tibet, around Mount Everest, are the Khenbalung, Khumbu, Rolwaling, Rongshar, Kyirong and Nubri sacred valleys. Khumbu was discovered by ancestors of the Sherpa people, who had left Tibet to escape religious persecution in the 15th and 16th centuries. They entered the valley to seek refuge and made a new homeland there. Buddhist monasteries and sacred mountains have brought many spiritual travelers to Khumbu, more accessible than the mysterious Pemako.

Many other beyul are known only to local people and they often transcend political boundaries. The exact geographical locations of beyul are often debated because their locations are also spiritual. A person might follow instructions from the ancient texts but still not be able to see or experience the beyul if not in the proper spiritual state.

Beyul are religious conceptions, but because of the reverence with which they are treated by local residents, hunting, fighting and disturbing the natural landscape are considered inappropriate behaviors and are avoided. As a result, beyul have become significant oases of biodiversity as well. They typically have plentiful water coming from the surrounding mountains, and their terrain is covered with forests, lakes, alpine meadows, and snow and ice fields. These valleys cover large areas and have vast elevation ranges. Their size and topographic variations provide a home for a diverse array of plants and animals; their isolation and inaccessibility generally means low levels of human disturbance.

Within the beyul, particular natural features such as lakes, rocks and patches of forest are often regarded as especially sacred because they are home to supernatural beings. Some gathering of plant resources, such as medicinal plants, firewood and timber, is allowed, but collectors make sure they have not harvested more than is needed. The animals in beyul are protected by the Buddhist taboo against killing. The residents of the Kharta and Rongshar areas in Tibet, for example, challenged British explorers who wanted to hunt when they arrived in 1921. Endangered species that live in beyul include the snow leopard, musk deer, red panda and Himalayan black bear.

The sacredness of the beyul also means that human conflicts are spiritually discouraged. In Beyul Dremoshung in the Indian state of Sikkim, two groups, the Lepchas and Bhutias, hold an annual festival that commemorates the signing of a peace treaty. The festival celebrates the deity of the beyul’s Mount Kangchendjunga, who is supposed to have witnessed the treaty signing.
Current Challenges and Preservation Efforts

Today, most beyul in the Himalaya are designated as some form of park or reserve by their respective governments. In the process, the centuries of protection the beyul concept has provided are being forgotten, and regulation and policing are taking precedence over communities’ faith-based conservation. Many beyul are no longer so isolated because of modern modes of transportation and communication. Education in outside languages often erodes local cultural values and traditional knowledge. When children adopt cultures that are alien to their own land, traditional concepts such as the beyul begin to lose their grip on people’s minds.

In the age of global economic systems, voluntary faith-based approaches may also not be adequate to ensure continued environmental protection, as development projects are authorized from outside the communities. Roads now run through Ronghsar and Kyirong and there are airfields near Khumbu and Khenbalung. Burning of forests, livestock overgrazing and soil erosion are becoming problems as community respect for the beyul declines. And since the higher-elevation and more isolated areas tend to be economically poorer, the money to be made from tourism and development is a powerful force. Adventure tourism like trekking is often unregulated, and increasing numbers of visitors are taking their toll on fragile areas. Recent migrants to the area often serve as commercial and trekking porters, and they do not share the religious and cultural traditions of long-term inhabitants.

Pemako is currently threatened by China’s plans to build a hydroelectric dam, twice as big as the controversial Three Gorges Dam, which would harness the power of the Tsangpo waterfalls to pump water to northeast China. The project would displace the traditional Tibetan villages above the gorge and impact millions of people downriver in India, who will be deprived of river water and the nutrients its flood levels bring into soil. The artificial lake created by the dam would also submerge untouched forests and wildlife.

Sagarmatha National Park, which encompasses Beyul Khumbu, near Mount Everest, was established in 1976 and declared a UNESCO World Heritage site three years later. It is the second most visited national park in Nepal’s Himalayan region; tourism increased from 3,600 tourists in 1979 to 21,570 in 2001. The Sherpa continue to live in the park and grow food through traditional methods. However, there are pressing concerns about the increased harvesting of fragile and slow-growing high-altitude vegetation such as shrub juniper and cushion plants, which the growing population uses for fuel. Tourism has brought them some financial benefits, but the growing numbers of people disturb fragile ecological zones, and tourism income is not equally distributed throughout the region.

For protected areas to be successful in the long term, park managers and government officials need to learn more about the spiritual underpinnings of the beyul concept in order to gain support from the local communities who are the real guardians of the hidden lands. Regulations should complement traditional use rules instead of override them. A full survey of beyul throughout the Himalayas needs to be conducted, alongside interviews with community spiritual leaders to document the principles by which they govern their beyul. Local schools should incorporate beyul traditions into their curriculum so adults can pass on indigenous knowledge and practices. Outside visitors and migrant workers should also be educated in the local culture and conservation ethics; their respect and interest will further encourage community members to preserve their heritage.

Some community groups and NGOs are currently working to strengthen local attachment to the beyul and educate communities about the value of ecotourism, which can provide income while also protecting the sacred valleys. The Mountain Institute’s Himalaya Program works with local communities in the eastern Himalayan valleys of Nepal and Tibet to preserve mountain cultures, improve mountain livelihoods and conserve ecosystems. Its Sacred Sites Trail Project has constructed a trail in Sagarmatha National Park to keep tourists away from fragile areas and direct them to lesser-known sacred sites and villages in the Khumbu region, thus spreading the economic benefits to isolated communities and lessening the impact on better-known places. The nonprofit Vision Builders runs the Lhundrüp Topgyé Ling School in the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh, which serves local students and Tibetan refugees by teaching literacy, Buddhist principles and cultural traditions.

Protecting ecosystems across political boundaries is also vital for long-term conservation. Toward that end, the Mountain Institute has supported the governments of Nepal, India and the Tibet Autonomous Region in creating a network of transboundary protected areas including Sagarmatha National Park, Makalu-Barun National Park and Tibet’s Qomolangma Nature Preserve. These adjacent parks jointly protect nearly 40,000 square kilometers around Mount Everest in the heart of the Himalaya, including six beyul.
What You Can Do

Read more about the work of the Mountain Institute and consider making a donation. You can also watch their film “Beyul: The Sacred Hidden Valleys,” which documents Beyul Khumbu, the Sherpa’s traditional reverence for it, and the vulnerability of this belief in modern times.

Visit the Vision Builders website to learn more about Lhundrüp Topgyé Ling school and how you can donate to their work.

If you visit Himalayan beyul regions, be respectful of Buddhist tradition regarding sacred places; read the cultural tips in the Mountain Institute’s sacred sites trail brochure (PDF) to learn more. For more general guidelines, read Sacred Sites International Foundation’s Ethics for Visiting Sacred Sites.
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Heller, Peter. “Liquid Thunder.” Outside, July 2002.

Jain, Alka, et al. “Folklores of Sacred Khecheopalri Lake in the Sikkim Himalaya of India: A Plea for Conservation.” Asian Folklore Studies 63 (2004): 291-302.

Nepal Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation. Sagarmatha National Park.

Sherpa, Ang Rita. Sacred Sites of Khumbu Region. The Mountain Institute. (PDF)

Sherpa, Lhakpa N. Through a Sherpa Window: Illustrated Guide to Sherpa Culture. Kathmandu: Vajra Publications, 2008.

Sherpa, Lhakpa N. “Sacred Hidden Valleys and Ecosystem Conservation in the Himalayas.” In Conserving Cultural and Biological Diversity: The Role of Sacred Natural Sites and Cultural Landscapes. Edited by Cathy Lee and Thomas Schaaf, 68-72. Paris: United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), 2006. (PDF)

Sherpa, Lhakpa N. “Sacred Beyuls and Biological Diversity Conservation in the Himalayas.” In The Importance of Sacred Natural Sites for Biodiversity Conservation (Proceedings of the International Workshop Proceedings of the International Workshop held in Kunming and Xishuangbanna Biosphere Reserve, People’s Republic of China, February 17-20, 2003). Edited by Cathy Lee and Thomas Schaaf, 101-105. Paris: United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), 2003. (PDF)

Sherpa, Lhakpa N. “The Sacred Mountains of the Nepal Himalaya.” In UNESCO Thematic Experts Meeting on Asia-Pacific Sacred Mountains, Final Report (Meeting held in Wakayama City, Japan, September 5-10, 2001), 221-230. Paris: UNESCO, 2001. (PDF)

Stevens, Stanley F. Claiming the High Ground: Sherpas, Subsistence, and Environmental Change in the Highest Himalaya. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1993.

Sud, Hari. “China’s Future Water War With India.” UPI Asia, May 13, 2008.

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Tsering, Tashi. Hydro Logic: Water for Human Development: An Analysis of China’s Water Management and Politics. Tibet Justice Center: 2002. (PDF)

Tsering, Tashi. “Inviting Apocalypse: India to Support China’s Plans to Harness the Brahmaputra River.” TRIN-GYI-PHO-NYA: Tibet’s Environment and Development Digest, December 7, 2005.

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Beyul - Wikipedia

Beyul - Wikipedia

Beyul

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According to the beliefs of the Nyingma school of Tibetan BuddhismBeyul (Tibetanསྦས་ཡུལWyliesbas-yul) are hidden valleys often encompassing hundreds of square kilometers, which Padmasambhava blessed as refuges. Tertöns may reveal them from terma at specific and appropriate times. Their locations were kept on scrolls (lamyig or neyig) hidden under rocks and inside caves, monasteries and stupas. They are places where physical and spiritual worlds overlap and Tantric practice effectiveness increases with multiple perception dimensions.[1]

Padmasambhava assigned deities to protect the beyul. Protective forces manifest as snowstormsmists and snow leopardsBuddhist texts indicate beyul are discovered when the planet is approaching destruction and the world becomes too corrupt for spiritual practice. They describe valleys reminiscent of paradise, which can only be reached with enormous hardship. Pilgrims who travel to these wild and distant places often recount extraordinary experiences similar to those encountered by Buddhist spiritual practitioners on the path to liberation. People who try to force their way in may encounter failure and death.[2] [3] Earthly beyuls share significant characteristics with Shambhala.[4]

A recent attempt to open a beyul occurred in 1962, when the Tibetan lama Tulshuk Lingpa journeyed to Sikkim in order to 'open' Beyul Demoshong, a beyul fabled to exist on the slopes of Mount Kanchenjunga straddling the Nepal/Sikkim border. He took with him over 300 followers from across the Himalayas and Tibet, each of whom had supposedly given away his or her worldly goods.[5]

Nghe-Beyul at Barun Valley.

Beyul are often understood to embody dharmapala and lords of the land, which are associated with geographic features such as mountains, trees, rocks, and water sources. Pilgrims make ritual offerings to these beings to appease their wrathful nature, and to renew the symbolic unity that people share with them. It has been argued that this attitude indicates a sustainable approach toward land stewardship. [6]

In Nepal and Tibet around Mount Everest are the Khenbalung, Solukhumbu, Rolwaling, Rongshar, Kyirong and Nubri sacred valleys.[7] The Sherpa people discovered Solukhumbu when they left Tibet to escape religious persecution in the 15th and 16th centuries. They entered the valley to seek refuge and made a new homeland there. Buddhist monasteries and sacred mountains have brought many spiritual travelers to Solukhumbu. Beyul are found in the Himalayan regions of Nepal, Tibet, Sikkim, BhutanIndiaChina and Pakistan.

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Baker, Ian (May 2, 2006). The Heart of the World: A Journey to Tibet's Lost Paradise (Reprint ed.). Penguin Books. p. 544. ISBN 978-0143036029.
  2. ^ Norbu Sherpa, Lhakpa (2008). Through a Sherpa Window: Illustrated Guide to Sherpa Culture. Kathmandu, Nepal: Vajra Publications. ISBN 978-9937-506-20-5. Archived from the original on 2011-07-18. Retrieved 2010-09-30.
  3. ^ Christopher McLeod (2009–2010). "Beyul of the Himalaya". Earth Island Institute. Retrieved 30 September 2010.
  4. ^ Dmitrieva, Victoria (1997). "Be-yuls: Shambhala on Earth". The Legend of Shambhala in Eastern and Western Interpretations (MA thesis). Mc Gill University.
  5. ^ Shor, Thomas (2017). A Step Away from Paradise. USA: City Lion Press. ISBN 9780999291894.
  6. ^ Mallarach, Josep-Maria; Spoon, Jeremy; Norbu Sherpa, Lhakpa (January 16, 2009). Protected landscapes and cultural and spiritual values. Earthprint. pp. 68–79. ISBN 978-3-925064-60-9.
  7. ^ Reinhard, Johan (1978) Khembalung: The Hidden Valley. Kailash, A Journal of Himalayan Studies 6(1): 5-35, Kathmandu.

Further reading[edit]

External links[edit]

Who is Tsasum Lingpa – Padmasambhava Buddhist Center

Who is Tsasum Lingpa – Padmasambhava Buddhist Center




The reincarnation of Nubchen Sangye Yeshe known as Tsasum Terdag Lingpa or Garwang Namchag Dorje was born in the eleventh rabjung, although the year of his birth is unclear. His father, Tashi, was from Drupchen Ling, and his mother, Gelekma, was from the area known as Ngarong, which is near the slopes of the secret mountains Jowo Zegyal and Kugyal Shan in the Ngachen region of Tibet.



At the time of his birth, numerous amazing signs and visions appeared. When he was very young, he received refuge vows and teachings from Lama Karda Chöje, the head lama of the Karda Monastery of the Gelugpa School, who was known as the reincarnation of Ngog Loden Sherab. Upon receiving these vows, he received the name Tashi Phuntsok and entered the monastery, where he memorized some daily ritual ceremonies and sadhanas.

At a very early age, he received a teaching from the great tertön Tagsham Terchen, who was visiting the town of Ngachen Gar, thus forging a dharma connection between them. No accounts of his life indicate that he contacted or received teachings from any other teachers at this time.

Tsasum Lingpa’s behavior was so wild that it was very difficult for him to get along with the other monks. The monastery appointed him as the “collector of donations for the monastery,” and when Lama Karda Chöje went to central Tibet to make offerings, Tsasum Lingpa joined him as an attendant. This was during the time of the White Lotus Holder Yeshe Gyamtso and his dharma patron, King Lhazang. Young Tsasum Lingpa was so smart that Lama Chöje encouraged him to study philosophy, but since it had been predicted that he would reveal many profound and timely terma teachings, he did not stay for a long time in central Tibet, but instead returned to Kham.

Subsequently he returned to central Tibet, where he contacted Könchog Thinley Zangpo of Drigung Monastery who became his root teacher. He stayed for about three years in that monastery and received many teachings, particularly the oral pith instruction lineage teachings of the Zabir wind practices [1], in a very thorough and detailed way. Immediately his realization and experience burst forth: omniscient wisdom and miraculous powers arose and developed effortlessly. By achieving complete realization of his wind energies and his mind, his miraculous powers enabled him to travel to many holy mountains very easily and without any delay, according to instructions and advice Yeshe Tsogyal. From the Dakini Assembly Hall of Zhoto Tidro, he received the Heart Practice of the Lama That Accomplishes All the Sugatas and Fulfills All Wishes. This was the first terma he revealed.

In a dream, Tsasum Lingpa went to the Pure Land of Lotus Light and had many amazing and inconceivable experiences and visions. From then on, at the holy mountain cave of Chenrezig called Tsari Zilchen Phug, Mön Sha’ug Taggo, Kongne, and other places, he revealed many terma teachings. Because he knew that his root teacher, Könchog Thinley Zangpo, was thinking to benefit all other beings by entering mahaparinirvana, Tsasum Lingpa traveled to see him; but due to obstacles on the path, it took him longer than expected, and when he arrived, his lama had already passed away—it was the day of the cremation. This happened during the same period of time when the Zungar armies invaded central Tibet (around 1718).

Tsasum Lingpa went back to Kham and opened the secret mountain door of Jowo Zegyal, the second Tsari. This was the first of many other secret doors in sacred mountains that he opened. Due to his auspicious connections with the king of Ngachen and other dharma patrons and disciples, his dharma activities were able to spread to some degree in that area of Tibet. In particular, he had very positive connections with the dharma patrons of Kanam Depa in the hidden valley of the Puwo area of Kham. There he founded a small monastery named Dudul Ngagpai Ling, in the valley of Trimzig Ngamchen at Puwo Yegong. On the eastern side of this mountain range, called the Gawalung Valley, he identified the holy site of Hayagriva; in the south, Jala Singdam, the holy site of Yamantaka; in the west, the mountain of Bongri, the holy site of the Dakini; and in the north, Ma Kunglung, the holy site of the Eight Herukas. From Ngamchen Rong, he revealed a large cycle of terma teachings of the Eight Herukas. He also revealed many other terma teachings in this area. He was able to transcribe and spread most of these teachings through empowerment, transmission, and pith instructions.

Tsasum Lingpa recounted his life up to this point in his own autobiography, which is known as the Clear Garland Crystals of Fire. Written in verse and comprising more than three hundred loose pages in pecha form, it describes his visions, predictions, and songs, although it does not actually include many details about his daily life. It appears that no one contributed any additional information about his life beyond the time when his autobiography ends [when he was about thirty years old].

When he went to the Puwo region, he enthroned Daglha Gampo Zhabdrung as his lineage holder. This was apparently around the time of Zangpo Dorje Tulku.

Tsasum Lingpa has many names: Pema Terdag Lingpa, Karma Ledril Lingpa, Rigdzin Tsasum Lingpa, Garwang Ngachok Dorje, Ngagchang Hungnag Dragtsal, Rigdzin Dudul Dorje, and Terchen Padma Mindrol.

When he went to Samye Chimphu in the village of Chidmo Drong, he practiced with a “qualified lady” as his consort. She gave birth to his son, Rigdzin Thugchog Dorje. [2]

He made a list of his terma teachings while he was in the Puwo area, which include: “Four different long-life practices, the Dark Red Amulet of Yangdag and Phurba, three different practices on wrathful deities, practices on the ‘Great Compassionate One,’ Lion-Faced Dakini practices, two different practices on Shing Chong, practices on the five emanations of Mahakala, practices on the ‘Hundred Thousand Essences of the Mighty One, and many others. Altogether, the yellow-scroll termas that I revealed and transcribed up to the Fire Dog year [3] total a little over fourteen volumes.” This was said by Tsasum Lingpa himself. This is just a rough list; there are more [terma teachings] than those listed above.

Each of [Tsasum Lingpa’s] terma teachings is a comfortable, convenient length of about 250 pages; altogether, they total about eighteen medium-sized volumes that resonate with the living lineages of empowerment and transmission. There are many more termas that could not be transcribed from the yellow scrolls. In addition, it appears that some of the termas, even though they were transcribed, do not currently have any empowerment and transmission lineages. [4]


NOTES

1. These are terma teachings of the great tertön Drikung Rinchen Phutsok of the Drikung Kagyu lineage.

2. Rigdzin Thugchog Dorje, an emanation of Hungkara, one of the Eight Great Vidyadharas, was a great tertön who revealed many termas and was one of the principal teachers of Rigdzin Jigme Lingpa. As a lineage holder of Tsasum Lingpa, Rigdzin Thugchog Dorje edited his terma teachings and transmitted them to many students.

3. This refers to the Fire Dog year of 1726.

4. The complete text of this biography by the great First Khyentse can be found in The Dark Red Amulet: Oral Instructions on the Practice of Vajrakilaya (Snow Lion Publications, 2008) by the Ven. Khenpo Rinpoches.

This brief biography of the great tertön Tsasum Lingpa was written by Jamyang Khyentse Pema Ösel Dongnag Lingpa in the middle of the nineteenth century. It was translated by Khenpo Tsewang Dongyal and Pema Dragpa in the Shantarakshita Library of the Sambhogakaya Temple at Padma Samye Ling, in the seventh month of the Fire Dog year, August 2006. May all be auspicious!