Paro Taktsang is a sacred Vajrayana
Himalayan Buddhist site located in the cliffside of the upper Paro valley in
Bhutan. It is one of thirteen Tiger's Nest caves in historical Tibet in which
Padmasambhava practiced and taught Vajrayana. Taktsang Palphug Monastery more
famous as Paro Taktsang is a Buddhist temple complex which clings to a cliff,
3120 meters above the sea level on the side of the upper Paro valley, Bhutan.
Mountainous Paro valley is the heart
of Bhutan; here the only international airport of the country is located. The
Taktsang Palphug Monastery is one of the most famous touristic destinations of
the country and the cultural icon of Bhutan.
A later monastery complex was built
in 1692, around the Taktsang Senge Samdup cave, where Guru Padmasambhava
meditated and practiced with students including Yeshe Tsogyal before departing
the kingdom of Tibet in the early 9th century. Padmasambhava is credited with
introducing Vajrayana Buddhism to Bhutan, which was then part of Tibet, and is
the tutelary deity of the country. Today, Paro Taktsang is the best known of
the thirteen taktsang or "tiger lair" caves in which he and his
students meditated.
The shrine dedicated to
Padmasambhava, also known as Gu-ru mTshan-brgyad Lhakhang or "the Shrine
of the Guru with Eight Names", refers to Padmasambhava's Eight
Manifestations and is an elegant structure built around the cave in 1692 by
Gyalse Tenzin Rabgye. It has become the cultural icon of Bhutan. A popular
festival, known as the Tsechu, held in honor of Padmasambhava, is celebrated in
the Paro valley sometime during March or April.
According to the Namthar of the
Lhakhang which literally means "Tigress lair", it is believed that
Padmasambhava (Guru Rinpoche) flew to this location from Singye Dzong on the
back of a tigress. This place was consecrated to tame the Tiger demon.[citation
needed]
An alternative legend holds that a
former wife of an emperor, known as Yeshe Tsogyal, willingly became a disciple
of Guru Rinpoche (Padmasambahva) in Tibet. She transformed herself into a
tigress and carried the Guru on her back from Tibet to the present location of
the Taktsang in Bhutan. In one of the caves here, the Guru then performed
meditation and emerged in eight incarnated forms (manifestations) and the place
became holy. Subsequently, the place came to be known as the “Tiger's Nest”.
The popular legend of the Taktsang
monastery is further embellished with the story of Tenzin Rabgye, who built the
temple here in 1692. It has been mentioned by authors that the 8th century guru
Padmasmabhava had reincarnated again in the form of Tenzin Rabgye. The
corroborative proofs mooted are: that Tenzin Rabgye was seen (by his friends)
concurrently inside and outside his cave; even a small quantity of food was
adequate to feed all visitors; no one was injured during worship (in spite of
the approach track to the monastery being dangerous and slippery); and the
people of the Paro valley saw in the sky various animal forms and religious
symbols including a shower of flowers that appeared and also vanished in the
air without touching the earth.
The monastery is located 10
kilometres (6.2 mi) to the north of Paro and hangs on a precarious cliff at
3,120 metres (10,240 ft), about 900 metres (3,000 ft) above the Paro valley, on
the right side of the Paro Chu (‘chu’ Bhutanese means ”river or water”. The
rock slopes are very steep (almost vertical) and the monastery buildings are
built into the rock face. Though it looks formidable, the monastery complex has
access from several directions, such as the northwest path through the forest,
from the south along the path used by devotees, and from the north (access over
the rocky plateau, which is called the “Hundred Thousand Fairies” known as
Bumda. A mule track leading to it passes through pine forest that is colorfully
festooned with moss and prayer flags. On many days, clouds shroud the monastery
and give an eerie feeling of remoteness.
Near the beginning of the trail is a
water-powered prayer wheel, set in motion by a flowing stream. The water that
is touched by the wheel is said to become blessed and carries its purifying
power into all life forms in the oceans and lakes that it feeds into. On the
approach path to the monastery, there is a Lakhang (village level monastery)
and a temple of Urgyan Tsemo which, like the main monastery, is located on a
rocky plateau with a precipitous projection of several hundred feet over the
valley. From this location, the monastery's buildings are on the opposite
ravine, which is known by the name “Copper-Colored Mountain Paradise of
Padmasambhava”. This is the view point for visitors and there is a cafeteria to
provide refreshments. The trek beyond this point is very scenic with the sound
of the water fall breaking the silence. Along the trek route blue pine trees,
prayer flags and kiosks selling paraphernalia for worship are seen. The route
is scattered with number of temples. On this path, a large water fall, which
drops by 60 metres (200 ft) into a sacred pool, is forded over by a bridge. The
track terminates at the main monastery where colorful paintings are displayed.
Guru Rinpoche's cave where he meditated is also seen. This cave is opened for
public viewing only once a year.
Sources :
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paro_Taktsang
http://www.parotaktsang.org/
https://www.budowle.pl/building/paro-taktsang
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