Zangdok Palri

The Lotus Light Palace of Guru Rinpoche

Lama Gongd Tongdrol Khorlo Kyilkhoror theWheel of the Embodiment of the Master's Realization Mandalais a Ter from the most sacredLama Gongd Cycleof
Teachings discovered by Terton Sangye Lingpa (1340-1396), who was the reincarnation of Yeshe Rolpa Dorje (the second son of King Trisong Deutsen) and is counted
among the Five Kingly Tertons. Tis is the Mandala that the late Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche (1910-1991) had instructed Gelong Nyabchi to place above the Guru Nangsid
Zilnon statue in Kyichu Monastery; however being so rare, no painting was found until coincidently Queen Mother Ashi Kesang Choeden Wangchuck upon visiting the
Guru Lhakhang in Dechenphug and instructing Gelong Nyabchi to clean the principal Guru statue, the meditation deity of Jamyang Kuenga Sengye (the 4
th
of the 9
Sengyesprophesied by Tsangpa Gyare),he discovered a scroll of the very same Mandala behind the statue. Te golden secret Dakini script was written by the late Lopen
Pema Tshewang (Pemala).
Zangdok Palri
The Lotus Light Palace of Guru Rinpoche
ZANGDOK PALRI SERIES
Volume I
Edited by
Supawan Pui Lamsam
Kesang Choden Tashi Wangchuck
With Contributions by
Tulku Thondup
Dungchen Sangay Dorji
Lopen Kunzang Tengye
Pema Wangdi
Chotiwat Punnopatham
Chongmas Rajabhandarak
Tanika Pook Panyarachun
VII
Contents
PREFACE
Her Majesty Ashi Kesang Choeden Wangchuck VIII
ZANGDOK PALRI THE PURE LAND OF GURU RINPOCHE
Tulku Thondup 1
ZANGDOK PALRI MURALS AND THANGKAS IN BHUTAN
Dungchen Sangay Dorji
Lopen Kunzang Tengye
Kesang Choden Tashi Wangchuck
Pema Wangdi 93
A BRIEF BIOGRAPHY OF GURU ORGYEN PADMA JUNGNEY
THE SECOND BUDDHA SOJOURNING IN THE SACRED KINGDOM OF BHUTAN
Lopen Kunzang Tengye
Kesang Choden Tashi Wangchuck
Pema Wangdi 256
SACRED SITES OF GURU RINPOCHE IN BHUTAN 274
THE HOLY SITES
Lopen Kunzang Tengye
Pema Wangdi 316
THE ASPIRATIONAL PRAYERS OF THE GLORIOUS COPPER COLORED MOUNTAIN
FROM THE LONGCHEN NYINGTHIG COLLECTION
Discovered by Kunkhyen Jigme Lingpa 324
Glossary 336
Bibliography and References 364
Editors Note 367
About the Authors 368
Acknowledgements 370
XVI
1
The Different Perspectives of Zangdok Palri 3
The Life of Guru Rinpoche, Padmasambhava 7
The Details of Zangdok Palri with Their Symbolic Meanings 17
Clouds of Enlightened Ones Fill the Pure Land 23
Narrations of Lamas Visiting Zangdok Palri in Their Pure Visions 33
Ratna Lingpa 34
Pema Lingpa 37
Do Khyentse Yeshe Dorje 43
Chokgyur Dechen Lingpa 51
Dudjom Lingpa 60
Jigme Tenpe Nyima 64
Shugseb Jetsun Rigdzin Wangmo 68
Dodrupchen Thupten Thrinle Palzang 73
Importance of Meditations and Prayers 75
Three Levels of Meditations and Prayers 77
The Benefits of Building and Serving Zangdok Palri Monuments 83
The Mantra of Guru Rinpoche and Its Meaning 86
Zangdok Palri
the Pure Land of Guru Rinpoche
By Tulku Thondup
2
3
The Different Perspectives of Zangdok Palri
Zangdok Palri,
1
the Glorious Copper-Colored Mountain, is known as a Buddha pure land
2
manifested through the enlightened
power of Guru Rinpoche. It is an enlightened world, a paradise on earth, accessible only to accomplished adepts.
At the top of the glorious mountain is the Lotus Light Palace,
3
the heart of the pure land. This Palace is called the Lotus
Light as it is the wisdom light of the Lotus Born
4
MasterGuru Rinpocheappearing in the form of a pure land. For the
realized ones, Guru Rinpoche and his pure land; his wisdom and his wisdom lightall are inseparable, like the sun and the
light of the sun.
According to the literature on Zangdok Palri, it is a union of all the three Buddha-bodies
5
of Buddhahood. Highly or
fully enlightened ones see it in its inner or innermost qualities, as they are, but others may only see its outer qualities or
nonedepending on the depth of their spiritual realizations.
In its innermost emptiness nature, Zangdok Palri is the Ultimate-body
6
of Buddhahood, the absolute sphere of all. It is
the union of wisdom and emptiness, the primordial purity, like sky. Never moving from such a nature, the Ultimate-body
facilitates the arising of the two form Buddha-bodies
7
and their pure lands, as the sky enables showers to saturate the felds.
In its quality of inner clarity, Zangdok Palri is the Enjoyment-body.
8
The pure form-bodies of the fve Buddha families
9

and their pure lands are ever present. They appear as the union of enlightened wisdom and the radiant light of wisdom. All
are spontaneously and indivisibly present, like the sun and its radiance. However, it can only be seen by the wisdom of
enlightened ones.
In its outer all-prevailing compassion, Zangdok Palri is the Manifested-body.
10
The infnite Buddhas and pure lands appear
to ordinary beings in various forms and activities at ordinary levels, like infnite refections of the moon appearing in infnite
buckets flled with water, concurrently.
Opposite: Tree levels in the Lotus Light Palace, Buddha Samantabhadra in the Dharmakaya Paradise, four-armed Avalokiteshvara in the
Sambhogakaya Paradise, and Guru Padma Jungney in the Nirmanakaya Paradise. Wall painting. Sampa Lhundrup Lhakhang, Kurjey,
Bumthang.
4
5
Thus, Rigdzin Jigme Lingpa writes:
Its innate essence beyond concepts is the naturally pure womb
(the Ultimate-body).
Its ceaseless radiant glow of the union of bliss and emptiness is
the Enjoyment-body.
Its emanating power appearing in the World of Endurance is the
Manifestation-bodys pure land.
The Glorious Copper Colored Mountain, in it may I take rebirth.
11
Khyentsei Wangpo writes:
The great wisdom of indestructible-essence
And the ultimate sphere of innate luminosity
Appear in union, like rainbow light in clear sky.
That is the naturally manifested excellent pure landthe Lotus
Light.
12
Hence, the highly or fully enlightened beings see Zangdok Palri as
it is, the union of the three Buddha-bodies, and the natural glow of the
union of wisdom and ultimate sphere of their own minds.
The devotees who have accumulated merits and are preserving sacred
connections
13
but are still enduring a dualistic mind and emotional fames
see Zangdok Palri as a pure land of Manifested-body with symbols of
Enjoyment-body and Ultimate-body. They see it as a glorious world of
esoteric power, presided over by Guru Rinpoche. Many of us are devotees,
as we meditate on and pray to Guru Rinpoche and his pure land with
two factors: the joy of being in the presence of Guru Rinpoche and trust
in his enlightened power. Such devotion opens our heart, accumulates
merits, accomplishes spiritual attainments, causes rebirth in Zangdok
Palri, realizes Zangdok Palri as the union of the three Buddha-bodies,
and fulflls services for many beings, who are open.
However, ordinary beings, who have no devotion to Guru Rinpoche,
do not see Zangdok Palri at all, as it is beyond the range of their
not-yet-awakened mental scope and not-yet-cleansed karmic penetration.
Nevertheless, if they could learn the enlightening actions of Guru
Rinpoches life and the profound teachings that he imparted, their hearts
could begin opening to Guru Rinpoche and Zangdok Palri, step by step,
and they could become devotees.
Opposite : Guru Padma Jungney in the Lotus Light Palace, with Amitabha on the top
level and four-armed Avalokiteshvara on the middle level. Wall painting.
Kyichu Lhakhang, Paro.
6
7
The Life of Guru Rinpoche
Padmasambhava
Guru Rinpoche is not only a fully enlightened Buddha, but he has also manifested as one of the greatest sages of the
Vajrayana Buddhist world. He was born miraculously and served infnite beings for millenniums through the power of his
wisdom and compassion. He manifested Zangdok Palri pure land and remains there in the body of light.
14

Twelve years after the mahaparinirvana of the Buddha, the rays of blessing light of the Buddha of Infnite Light
15
touched
a lotus in the Milk Ocean in the Southwest direction from Bodhagaya. As a result, Guru Rinpoche was born miraculously in
that lotus by lotus birth
16
without human parents.
Indrabodhi, the King of Oddiyana, and his Ministers found the child while returning from sailing across the ocean. They
brought the child to the Palace and enthroned him as the Crown Prince. The young Prince was trained and skilled in all the
arts of knowledge that were taught then. But before long he took leave of the royal Palace in order to serve a greater number
of beings through the path of esoteric
17
teachings and sacred power.
Guru Rinpoche was already a fully enlightened Buddha, but in order to show others the importance of following the Dharma
trainings stage by stage, he himself received various transmissions from both human Knowledge-holders
18
and non-human
deities,
19
and dakinis. He trained himself in different stages of esoteric disciplines at many sacred places and progressed
through various stages of high realizations.
He gave those teachings to infnite visible and invisible beings and through his invincible power pacifed many negative
forces obstructing his enlightening activities.
One of the numerous miracles that he displayed was the transformation of a huge fre-which was meant to burn him-into
the Rewalsar lake.
20
As a result, he brought the Kingdom of Zahor into Dharma. Then he and his consort Princess Mandarava
of Zahor meditated in Maratika cave
21
and attained immortality.
Opposite: Guru Padma Jungney on a thousand-petals lotus. Wall painting. Phurdup Gompa, Paro
8
9
Through the meditations on Dzogpa Chenpo, Guru Rinpoche transformed his mortal body into the rainbow-light-body of
great transference.
22
With such a pure light body, a person can live in the same body as long as he or she wishes, as his or
her body is free from the conditions of gross elements.
At the beginning of the ninth century, Guru Rinpoche visited Tibet at the invitation of King Trisong Deutsen to build Samye
Monastery and to establish Buddhism. His visit to Tibet and other Himalayan areas accomplished three major goals.
First, through his mystical power, Guru Rinpoche tamed both human and non-human beings who were obstructing the
building of the Samye Monastery and the establishment of Buddhism in Tibet. On the top of Hepo Mountain near Samye
Monastery, he summoned the spirit forces of Tibet and the Himalayan areas, and bound them to the vow of protecting the
Dharma and Dharma followers. Also, in the cave of Taktsang in Bhutan, he manifested himself in the form of Dorje Drol,
a wrathful form of Guru Rinpoche, and subdued the negative spirit forces.
Second, he taught and transmitted hundreds of different teachings and the wisdom of Vajrayana to many accomplished
disciples. The unbroken lineages of those transmissions have been maintained by highly enlightened adepts for centuries and
are fourishing to this day. Today, these lineages are even reaching many corners of the world.
Third, traveling to every valley of Tibet and many Himalayan areas such as Nepal, Bhutan, and Sikkim through miraculous
power, he blessed them as sacred lands.
More amazingly, transmitting those esoteric wisdoms and teachings to his disciples, he miraculously concealed them in the
pure nature of their minds. Then he also concealed numerous symbolic scripts or texts and religious objects in different places
such as rocks, statues, lakes, and space. Those concealed teachings are known as his famous ter,
23
hidden treasure teachings.
24

Starting from the eleventh century till today, thousands of tertons
25
the rebirths of Guru Rinpoches direct disciples in
whom he has concealed the teachingshave miraculously been discovering thousands of volumes of ter teachings
26
and ter
objects
27
from the rocks, earth, lakes, sky, etc. These discovered teachings and objects are called the earth ter.
28
Then, many
of those tertons discovered the concealed teachings and wisdoms from the nature of their own minds through the power of
their memory. These discovered teachings are called the mind ter.
29

Opposite: Guru Rinpoche conducting the empowerment of Kagy Lhatshog in Samye Chimphu. He is fanked by Khandro Yeshe Tsogyal,
Lhacham Mandarava and Monmo Tashi Khryidren. Among the disciples receiving the empowerment are King Trisong Deutsen,
Prince Mutig Tsenpo, Buddhist ministers and some of the twenty-fve disciples as depicted by the Bhutanese master painter,
Ugyen Lhundrub in according with Guru Rinpoche's biography, Pema Kathang. Wall painting. Khenlopchoesum Lhakhang, Kurjey
Bumthang.
Above left: Dorje Drol. Wall painting. Taktsang Pelphug, Paro.
Above right: Padmasambhava. Wall painting. Taktsang Pelphug, Paro.
10
11
Thus, Guru Rinpoches presence is still vivid and his enlightened activities remain active to these days. His teachings are
not only followed and practiced in Tibet, but in many parts of Himalayan areas and even many places around the world.
Guru Rinpoche also blessed many valleys such as Sikkim, Khenpa Lung
30
and Pemak as hidden lands.
31
He gave
prophesies, saying,
In the dark ages, people blame the decadence of the time as the culprit of their sufferings, but the
sufferings are actually caused by their own misdeeds. (Nevertheless,) when the devotees are facing danger,
the safe places for them to escape to are the hidden lands.
32

In the recent decades, we saw at frst hand that those who escaped to and chose to remain in those hidden lands have been
able to evade two dangers. Their corporeal lives have survived the dangers caused by the political waves. Their spiritual lives
were relieved from the relentless pressures of greed and obligations, the routines of modern life.
There is hardly any valley in Tibet that Guru Rinpoche has not visited through his miraculous power and blessed as a sacred
sanctuary for his future followers and spiritual seekers in general. In all those valleys he also left numerous imprints of his
own hand, foot and body in rocks and lakes as sources of blessings and sacred rememberances. One of the most famous
body imprints of Guru Rinpoche is in Kurjey in Bumthang, Bhutan. It can still be seen after more than a millennium.
After staying in Tibet for about ffty-fve years,
33
Guru Rinpoche announced that he was leaving for the lands of the rakshas.
34
On Gongthang pass in Western Tibet, he bade farewell to King Mutig Tsenpo
35
and the assembled devotees of Tibet, saying:
Opposite: Image of Pejung Dorje Guru in front of Guru Rinpoches famous body imprint, inside the cave of Guru Padmasambhava, Old Guru
Lhakhang, Kurjey, Bumthang.
Above: Guru Rinpoches foot imprints and hand imprint on rock face at Shuk Drak, Bumthang.
12
Opposite, above : Scene at Gongthang Pass of Guru Rinpoche leaving for Zangdok Palri. Wall painting. Tsali Gompa, Timphu.
Below left : Te divine celestail horse, Balaha led by a Raksha with skull hat, waiting to escort Guru Rinpoche to Zangdok Palri.
Tsali Gompa, Timphu.
Below right : A greatly distressed King Mutig Tsenpo fainted on the ground upon Guru Rinpoche leaving for the Paradise of
Zangdok Palri. Wall painting. Tsali Gompa, Timphu.
13
While you are young, exert yourself in Dharma trainings.
For it is hard for the elements of the body to cope with trainings when you are old.
O lord and subjects - life is momentary!
When you are having gross thoughts, just stare at their root.
Without accepting or rejecting anything, just relax there naturally.
O Lord and subjects, it is crucial to have confdence in such view.
When the defled emotions are exhausted, there is no need of more Dharma trainings.
If there is no compassion in you, the root of your Dharma training is rotten,
So, think about the sufferings of samsara, again and again.
O Lord and subjects! Do not delay Dharma trainings.
The devout accomplish their own goals by themselves. ...
Gain Dharma experiences before you die.
It is too late to rely on ceremonies after your death. ...
For the devout, Padmasambhava has not gone anywhere.
For those who pray to me, I am at your doors.
36
...
Now, Padmasambhava will not stay in Tibet, but goes to the land of rakshas,
As a bird ies away from a treetop.
Again, promising his unswerving presence with the devotees, he sang to the grieving Tibetans,
37
Every morning and every evening, I will come to serve you
By riding the rays of the rising and setting sun.
On the tenths of the waxing moons, I will come in person.
O my devout followers!
Arrange feast offerings in blazing vessels of precious gems
And sing the Seven Line Prayer in devotional melodies
With the sounds of music and skull damarus.
I, Orgyen (Guru Rinpoche) - from the Chamara subcontinent,
who, like a mother, cannot bear the cry of her beloved child,
Will come to grant my blessings. This is a promise!
38
Opposite : Scenes of Guru Rinpoche leaving Tibet for Zangdok Palri. Wall painting. Tsali Gompa, Timphu.
Above : A wall painting based on the Pema Tangyig or Biography of Guru Rinpoche. It is one of the most detailed Pema Tangyig wall found
in Bhutan. Tsali Gompa, Timphu.
15
He looked up at the sky. From the sky there suddenly appeared hosts of dakinis and celestial beings with fowers, banners,
and music in the midst of colorful beams of light with a beautiful blue horse adorned with ornaments.
Riding the horse, Guru Rinpoche few away through the sky before the eyes of all. He landed in Zangdok Palri, where he
instantly emanated the Lotus Light Palace as a Manifested Pure Land.
39
He still resides in Zangdok Palri, in the form of rainbow-light-body of great transference
40
with an ocean of Enlightened
Ones and the rebirths of many of his numerous devotees. Hence, he remains in the nature of Ultimate-body and the qualities
of Enjoyment-body and the display of Manifested-bodies of Buddhahood. Kunkhyen Pema Karpo writes,

Although the Dharmakaya is free of all elaborations like the sky,
Clouds of Sambhogakayas all-pervading compassion gather
And from them the Nirmanakaya, an outpouring of Dharmas diverse vehicles,
Rains upon all realms of beings to be helped with no exception.
I bow down to you, spontaneously presence of the three kayas.
41
16
50
51
Chokgyur Dechen Lingpa (1829-1870)
112
He was one of the great tertons, who discovered many ter teachings.
Once while Chokgyur Lingpa was in retreat, fve dakinis adorned with rich ornaments arrived with sounds of music. They
said,
We have come from the pure land manifested by Guru Rinpoche.
The Dharma wheel on Kad Chkyi Gyatsho
113
is about to turn in Zangdok Palri,
Son, we are sent to invite you; so you can enjoy your visit.
The dakinis seated him on a vajra cross seat and together they few through the sky
towards the Southwest. While on the fight, he viewed many sacred places of Tibet and
India.
They crossed a huge ocean called the Magical Blue Sea of Mu-le, as huge as if the
blue sky had fallen on the earth. The dakinis said, Now we are close to Zangdok Palri,
which is in the center of Chamara sub-continent.
They crossed the ocean in a beautiful ship and pulled up on the Eastern shore of
Zangdok Palri. Then they walked along the sacred path of the dakinis and saw astonishing
structures flled with activities of teachings and celebrations. Even the birds and animals,
the trees and rivers resounded with the words of Dharma. He saw Guru Rinpoche being
driven around in a golden chariot, bestowing blessings, accompanied by hundreds of
thousands of dakinis, scholars, translators and knowledge-holders with all kinds of music
and offering banners.
Then the dakinis took Chokgyur Lingpa around the Lotus Light Palace before going
in. He saw an amazingly vast wall made of nets of all kinds of instruments. Inside the
wall, the lands were flled with fowers, trees, gardens, swimming ponds, lakes, dancing
arenas, and concert halls.
The dakinis took him to the Peaceful Assembly Hall of Dharma in the East. He saw Guru Rinpoche there, too, teaching the
Dharma. All the gatherings were enjoying discussions and debates on those teachings.
The dakinis took him to the Elaborate Assembly Hall of Feasts in the South. He saw Guru Rinpoche there again, performing
yogic exercises, while dakas and dakinis were dancing. All were enjoying the great blissful feast of food and drink.
Then the dakinis took him to the Powerful Assembly Hall in the West. Wrathful forms of Buddhas-Hayagriva and
Vajravarahi-were displaying the dances of great bliss. With four symbolic signs, all were introducing each other and all
were enjoying ascetic performances.
Then the dakinis took him to the Wrathful Assembly Hall in the North. The evildoers caught by the four kinds of agents
were being liberated by Guru Rinpoche in Wrathful form with hosts of accomplished ones in wrathful forms.
Chokgyur Lingpa`s mind and body were flled with great joy and devotion. But he also felt sad about not having anything
with which to make offerings. At that moment, his companion dakinis produced a pile of jewels on his behalf in front of Guru
Rinpoche. Chokgyur Lingpa offered his body, speech, mind, and everything to Guru Rinpoche and received the fourfold
empowerments,
114
again and again. He attained full realization of Dzogpa Chenpo.
Then Chokgyur Lingpa was taken to a very beautiful wing of the Lotus Light Palace with a dome. Inside, he saw a very
beautiful dakini, young like sixteen years old, in the midst of an ocean of dakinis performing a simpler feast ceremony than
the earlier ones. He asked the dakinis who she was. Laughing they said, 'You can`t recognize her? You are so defled by
the womb-birth strain by having taken rebirth in a fesh body. She is Yeshe Tsogyal. At that moment the fve dakinis, his
guides, merged into Yeshe Tsogyal. Chokgyur Lingpa meditated on making offerings and prayers. His mind merged into an
absorption in which there is no duality and remained in that state for a long time.
Opposite : While Chokgyur Lingpa was in a retreat, fve dakinis appeared to escort him to visit Zangdok Palri. Tey seated him on a vajra
cross seat and together they few through the sky towards the Southwest. Tangka. Courtesy of Shechen Monastery.
52
Then Chokgyur Lingpa wished to have a guide to take him to the Second and Third
Stories of the Lotus Light Palace and also wished to receive more teachings from Guru
Rinpoche and his consorts. Instantly, the fve dakinis emerged from Yeshe Tsogyal and
took him to the Second Story of the Lotus Light Palace.
In the Second Story, Chokgyur Lingpa saw Guru Rinpoche again, with Eight Knowledge-
holders of India. He prayed with one pointed trust. Guru Rinpoche said, 'Dzogpa Chenpo
is pure from the beginning, free from efforts. Staring at the sky with wide open eyes,
Guru Rinpoche said, Ah, Ah, Ah! and then shouted loudly Phat! At that moment,
Chokgyur Lingpa attained and remained in a sky-like state, free from designations.
Then Guru Rinpoche and the four Knowledge-holders gave him the introduction saying,
'In the innate nature of Dzogpa Chenpo the clarity of the mind is the Manifested-body.
The freedom from concepts is the Ultimate-body. The joyfulness of the mind is the
Enjoyment-body. The indivisible nature of the mind is the Essence-body.
Above : While in fight to Zangdok Palri, Chokgyur Lingpa viewed many sacred places of Tibet and India. Tangka. Courtesy of
Shechen Monastery.
Opposite, above : Chokgyur Lingpa riding a white horse led by fve dakinis. Tangka. Courtesy of Shechen Monastery.
Opposite, below : On a beautiful ship, Chokgyur Lingpa and the dakinis crossing the Magical Blue Sea of Mu-le to get to Zangdok Palri.
Tangka. Courtesy of Shechen Monastery.
53
55
Then Chokgyur Lingpa was taken to the Top Story. There he saw Guru Rinpoche, again,
in the form of the Five Classes of Skeleton Garlanded Ones
115
with the assemblies of the
fve Buddha-families and huge assemblies of disciples.
From the Top Story, Chokgyur Lingpa looked out at the surroundings of the Lotus Light
Palace. He saw that the whole pure land was encircled by a wall of four colors-white in
the East, yellow in the South, red in the West, and green in the North. Also, the ground foor
of the Palace was white and the middle one was red, and each story had four wings. The top
story was in the structure of a mandala. Above that there was a golden dome with thirteen
rings to symbolize the Dharma wheels topped by a gem with a vajra as the pinnacle. The whole pure land was covered by
clouds of fve-color light that symbolized the fve wisdoms. The colors of the Lotus Light Palace were affecting the color
of the sky in each direction, and images of rainbow-light were appearing in various forms as offerings.
Opposite, above left : Principal deity Guru Rinpoche and two divine consorts; in the small mansion below is Guru Rinpoche as a pandita at
the Peaceful Hall of Dharma in the East, teaching the Dharma to Terton Chokgyur Lingpa and other beings. Tangka.
Courtesy of Shechen Monastery.
Opposite, above right : Guru Rinpoche at the Elaborate Assembly Hall of the Feast in the South performing yogic exercises, while dakas and
dakinis are dancing. Tangka. Courtesy of Shechen Monastery.
Opposite, below : Guru Rinpoche in golden chariot, bestowing blessings, accompanied by dakinis, scholars, translators, and knowledge-
holders. Tangka. Courtesy of Shechen Monastery.
Above left : In the Powerful Assembly Hall in the West, wrathful forms of Buddha, Hayagriva, and Vajravahari are displaying dances
of great bliss. Tangka. Courtesy of Shechen Monastery.
Above right : Khandro Yeshe Tsogyal in a very beautiful wing of the Lotus Light Palace. Tangka. Courtesy of Shechen Monastery.
56
57
He also saw that far in the East there was a park flled with all kinds of trees. In the South, there
were lakes for swimming. In the West, there were fower gardens and lotus ponds where people
were taking instant lotus birth. In the North, there was a mountain of rocks in the shape of a
stupa emitting rays of light. With the exception of the lands of rakshas-all were transparent
as they were made of light.
Touching Chokgyur Lingpa`s head with his two hands, Guru Rinpoche said,
E-ma fortunate son!
The opportunity of taming people in Tibet has arrived for you.
Father and son will have no separation.
You will come here again and again.
You will leave here again and again for the service of beings. ...
Please go to serve the Dharma and the beings of Tibet.
Then he felt himself fying away and instantly found himself at home, where he was in retreat.
Opposite, above : Seated in the upper story are Buddhas of the Five Families; seated in the lower story is Guru Padmasambhava with Eight
Vidyadharas of India in an unusual depiction of Lotus Hats and Tibetan dress. Tangka. Courtesy of Shechen Monastery.
Opposite, below : In the clouds are the various forms of Guru Sambha Lhundrup, with Guru Orgyen Menlha in dark blue and Guru Orgyen
Khandro Norlha in yellow; while within the Mansion are various ascetics performing yogic exercises on the yellow bricked
terrace foor. Tangka. Courtesy of Shechen Monastery.
Above : Touching Chokgyur Lingpas head with his two hands, Guru Rinpoche told him to return to Tibet to continue to serve the
Dharma. Tangka. Courtesy of Shechen Monastery.
83
7KH%HQHWVRI%XLOGLQJDQG6HUYLQJ=DQJGRN3DOUL0RQXPHQWV
Building, preserving, paying respect to, making offerings, and pracising meditations on Guru Rinpoche or Zangdok
Palri monuments are great sources for earning dual accumulations
148
the accumulations of merits and wisdom. The two
accumulations will cause us to attain two Buddha-bodies: the Ultimate-body and the two Form bodies.
149
The two Form-bodies
are the Enjoyment-body and the Manifestation-body of Buddhahood. The Great Master Nagarjuna said:
The Form-body of the Buddha is caused by the accumulation of merits.
The Ultimate-body of the Buddha is caused by the accumulation of wisdom.
150
At the time of the consecration of Samye Monastery, Guru Rinpoche gave teachings on the benefts of offering services to
the consecrated religious objects. He said:
Whoever sees the objects (with devotion) will seal the door of
their birth in the hell-realms.
Whoever pays respect to them will prosper as Kings.
Whoever meditates on them as deities
Will attain the state of Knowledge-holder of Mahamudra.
Whoever makes offerings to them,
His or her wishes for wealth, food, or offspring will be fulflled.
151
Guru Rinpoche told Princess Mandarava the merits of serving the images
of Guru Rinpoche. He said:
For the people of the future, who will not meet me,
My images will dispel the darkness of their ignorance.
Whoever builds representations of Padmasambhava, as the objects of offerings,
Is raising the victory-banner of Dharma and fulflling the purposes of the three Buddha-bodies.
Whoever generates devotion and pays respect to them,
Opposite : Front view of the Copper-Colored Palace or Zangdok Palri of Guru Rinpoche and ofering altar below. Zangdo Palri Lhakhang,
Kurjey, Bumthang.
Above : View of Zangdok Palri rooftop emanating rays of rainbow from balcony view. Zangdo Palri Lhakhang, Kurjey, Bumthang.
Below : Center is an ofering of the eight auspicious substances. Two Bodhisattvas are making oferings on the outer left and right; on golden
lotuses are Her Majesty the Royal Grandmother, Ashi Kesang Choeden Wangchuck on the left and Mayuem Choying Wangmo on
the rightpatrons of Zangdo Palri Lhakhang of Kurjey.
84
Above : View of the Main Floor of Zangdo Palri Lhakhang of Kurjey, Bumthang.
85
His or her wishes will be realized, like having a heap of precious gems.
Such monuments are the source of changeless joy, that will never
decrease.
Whoever recites my heart-essence
152

(Will realize) the aspirations that he or she is making. ...
Whoever offers lights to an image of Padmasambhava
Will enjoy a clear mind with no darkness.
Whoever offers precious jewels to an image of Padmasambhava
Will enjoy wealth and will not face poverty. ...
Whoever prostrates to and circumambulates an image of
Padmasambhava (with devotion)
Will attain liberation without wandering in samsara. ...
Whatever aspiration you make before them, you will realize.
Whatever prayers you make to them, I will grant you.
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ZangdokPalri:TheLotusLightPalaceofGuruRinpoche.
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