Report on Recent Tibet Trip
by Glenn H. Mullin
Just wanted to let you all know that the second Tibet trip went wonderfully well, from the man-made grandeur of the Jokhang, Ramoche and Potala in Lhasa, to the natural splendor of the Olhka Mountains (where Lama Tsongkhapa practised meditation for 5 years) and the Lhamo Latso, or Oracle Lake, empowered by the Second Dalai Lama.
The pilgrimage was so filled with highlights that it is almost impossible to single any out. We were able to serve as patrons to special prayer ceremonies in both the Jokhang and Ramoche, a most exhalted honor, and allowed to sit in meditation with them in late night sessions. Moreover, the monks of the Potala allowed us to sit in meditation in the chapel dedicated to the Seventh Dalai Lama (my favorite), which not only has the holy mummified body of the Great Seventh, but also has three statues of him, one at age eight, one in early 20s, and the third as an old man. Similarly, the Drepung monks allowed us to meditate in the Second Dalai Lama's teaching hall in the Ganden Potrang, and the Nechung monks allowed us a two hour meditation session in the room above the central courtyard where the Dalai Lamas would stay during the tenth day of the fifth month of each year, which marks the beginning of the Guru Bumtsok ritual.
Suffice it to say that the Oracle Lake is one of the world's most amazing phenomena, with magical mountains forming a horseshoe-like shape around it, and the mouth of the valley being closed by an amazing ridge that rises a thousand feet, almost like a man-made dam, forming a natural precipice above the lake three or four feet wide but a thousand feet long. Viewers perch themselves on this ridge in order to gaze into the mystic waters below in search of a mystical vision. All 20 of our participants either had profound visions while gazing into the lake, or had them in dreams during the night. We camped beside Chokhorgyal Monastery at 15,500 feet, and walked to the ridge at 17,600 for the vision quest. Although the day began with heavy clouds, the skies opened when we came to the ridge, and the lake sat like a mirror below, with reflections of mountains and clouds making it a mystical looking glass. Auspiciously, when we had completed our vision quest we had a light rain, followed by snow flurries, signs respectively of blessings from Palden Lhamo and White Mahakala. Anyone who has the opportunity should make every effort to visit and meditate there.
The six-day overland drive out of Tibet was equally fabulous, with visits to the Turquoise Lake, the Kumbum Stupa in Gyantse, Tashi Lhunpo Monastery in Shigatse, and Sakya Monastery at Sakya. It must be said that the last of these is one of the most spectacular monasteries in Tibet, and we had the honor of being there when the Rinpoche had taken out the sacred conch shell that was once used by the Buddha himself. Rinpoche would blow the conch once and then give a blessing from it to one pilgrim. Consequently the wait for the blessing took considerable time, but was well worth the effort.
Our last night in Tibet was spent in a campsite just above the Milarepa cave at Nyelam, where Milarepa made his first long retreat after parting from Marpa. The monks kindly allowed us to undertake two meditation sessions there. It was a marvellous way to conclude our pilgrimage in the Land of Snows.
On this pilgrimage we had the extraordinary good fortune to be blessed with the presence of Khenpo Puntsok Tashi from Bhutan. One of his American patrons asked if I would bring him along, because of the difficulties the Bhutanese monks have in getting visas to Tibet. He was the recipient of the Snow Lion "2004 Win a Trip in Tibet." Khenpo was a delight to all, with constant joy and enthusuasm throughout the Dharma adventure. Getting him on our visa list took great efforts (and expense) from the side of our land agents in both Kathmandu and Lhasa, but fortunately these efforts paid off, and Khenpo was able to fulfill his lifetime dream of visiting the power places of Central Asia. He almost dissolved into a pool of light in Samye and Mindroling monasteries, the fountainheads of his personal lineages. (Again, the monks in these two monasteries allowed us to engage in meditation sessions in their most sacred chapels.)
Now I am back in Nepal for a couple of weeks before going on to the Avalokiteshvara and Manjushri mountains in China. All but two of the group members have departed, and these two leave in the next few days.
Of course life is impermanent, and therefore talk of future plans are but sketches drawn on water. None of us have any idea if we will live even until tomorrow. However, after a great pilgrimage such as this, one can look death in the face with a smile, knowing that even if one does no more in this lifetime, already the essence of great spiritual adventures (and the exhalted karma associated with it) has been absorbed. |
