October 21, 2013
Now that I’m back in Dharamsala, with eyes fresh from seeing 10th-12th century Indo-Tibetan mandalas in monasteries of Spiti, Lahaul, and Ladakh, I made local trips through these lower Himalayas to see contemporary Tibetan monasteries.
Photo: bharatdiscovery.org
First stop was Rewalsar, or Tso Pema (Lotus Lake) as Tibetans call it. It is the site of a legendary miracle by Padmasambhava. Also known as Guru Rinpoche, this Indian sage brought Buddhism to Tibet in the 8th century, and is said to have subdued the people and the local blood-thirsty spirits through demonstrations of his magical powers as an adept practitioner. Padmasambhava is especially revered by the Tibetan Buddhist Nyingma school who regard him as the Second Buddha, the First Buddha being Shakyamuni.
The legend of the lake is that Guru Rinpoche was teaching Princess Mandarava tantra in local secret caves, and she became his consort. Her father the King of Zahor was greatly displeased and attempted to burn them both in the valley below. But Guru Rinpoche turned the pyre into water, and the fire became a lake. Thus, Lotus Lake miraculously came into being and is revered by Tibetan Buddhists.
Incidentally, it is also revered by Hindus, who regard the area as Hanuman’s land. Punjabis, as well, because Padmasambhava is one of their ten holy teachers.
After driving up to the hills above Tso Pema, one must go on foot up to the caves. Most of the way is fairly well paved and with stairs.
It is a pleasant scramble through some rocky but grassy areas, hung with plenty of Tibetan prayer flags.
At the top, there is a nunnery with small temples, a cafe for visitors, and dotting the hillside are numerous modest stone huts and cave entrances currently in use by nuns and other retreatants.
The landscape is punctuated by crags and boulders.
When we finally came upon the secret cave of Guru Rinpoche, the entrance was this steep decline down, which today has cement steps, a doorway, and lighting. I tried to imagine it as the dark natural crack it must have been originally, getting darker as you descended into the cave.
The stairway leads to a small antechamber which then leads to this section of the cave underground.
I tried to imagine this cave in Guru Rinpoche’s day, without the flooring, ritual objects and electricity. It must have been a mysterious womb-like place to practice meditation, to contemplate existence in pitch blackness, to truly face nothingness in the subterranean absence of stimuli.
In another cave is this large statue of Guru Rinpoche, built into a nook where above his head is a natural opening revealing daylight.
Just beyond this section is a smaller connected cave dedicated to his consort, Princess Mandarava.
It is said that pilgrimage to sacred sites where realized masters practiced meditation, such as these caves, imparts blessings to its visitors.
Rewalsar is also considered an auspicious place to be on retreat. The two Chod practitioners (chodpas) I met in Dharmasala (whom I wrote a bit about here) are currently on a few months’ retreat here.
They invited me to visit with them in their cabin near the caves. So I had planned to be in town when they were on a brief break from their hermitage. I learned that there are two short times of the month, according to the Tibetan lunar calendar, that retreatants may come out of isolation to tend to things outside.
These chodpas are lay tantric practitioners not only working towards enlightenment through Chod rituals (serious esoteric stuff, as one Zen practitioner friend of mine commented, “These guys are hardcore!”) but they are also shamanic healers. As traveling mendicants, they may be invited by community members to conduct prayers for the deceased, the living, and those believed to be wandering spirits.
Pictured above is the one-room cabin of a chodpa. On the long table against the back wall are ritual offerings made from colored flour and water.
During my visit, it so happened that the chodpas recently conducted healing prayers for a child I was acquainted with who suffered from a neurological brain disorder. They showed me some of the ritual objects created and used for this purpose.
I heard separately later that this child, who was located hours away from Rewalsar, demonstrated some unusual and extended calm behavior the day after the Chod treatment. Coincidence? Maybe. Go figure. Nothing in modern science can currently explain such phenomena as Chod healing.
Over a thousand years later, with the thriving nunnery, occupied caves, retreat huts and monasteries of Rewalsar, it certainly seems to me that Guru Rinpoche’s legacy is alive and well here.
My next post is about Rewalsar’s Zigar Monastery in which I first encounter contemporary sacred arts a lot like their Indo-Tibetan predecessors of 11th century Spiti and Ladakh. What’s more, I then met the master artist responsible and learned some insightful things about his art process! Stay tuned…
All photos © 2013, Eva Lee.
Loved your post. I had been there, but minded the small Guru Rinpoche cave. I will have to go back! I was once in a very elaborate Jain temple and went into this very small and completely dark meditation chamber. It was surely the place to realize emptiness. One had to be courageous to stay there. Must have been like that in Guru Rinpoche’s cave. Lisa
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Lisa! Great to hear from you and thanks for the reply. Yeah, and speaking of courageous, how about these chod practitioners who practice in scary places?!
Hi Eva,
I’m very interested in your stay and insights gleaned from the experience. I’m in search of a spiritual journey and hope you might share any suggestions you may have for places to stay, connections to make to experience the depth of this historic site.
Any recommendations are appreciated.
Namaste.
Emily
Hi Emily,
I hope you found your path. Apologies for delayed reply, but if you are still in need of suggestions, please let me know.
Eva
Dear Eva,
Thank you for your post. It is the kind of info I’ve been looking for as I prepare my trip to Northern India. I am one of those ” hardcore” practitioners although from a different school of Tibetan Buddhism. Do you know if and how one could arrange to do a short retreat in those caves?
Danielle (Palmo)
Hello Danielle,
I do not know personally how to do a retreat there, but I do know that nuns seems to be most present at this location. I would suggest you simply go there and ask one of the nuns you see. That’s generally the best way to do things in India…Have a wonderful trip!
Best, Eva
Thanks Eva!
Hi Eva Lee, I have been there in 2013 and visited all the holy caves and I can say without any doubts that visiting holy places have blessed me, specially when I think of all sentient beings as my mother, I can cope most of daily life hardship little better than before. I was thinking to visit again next year in Feb after attending Kala chakra but since it is postponed for 2017, I have to cancell my trip as well, any how your post is very informative and helpfull to any one who wants to visit those holy places.
thanks
ngawang samdup p
Hello Ngawang Samdup, thank you for sharing your positive experiences visiting the caves of Rewalsar. All the best to you in your future travels and endeavors!
my self from sikkim and i’m an engineer student siet in bilaspur district of h.p, i visited it today rit now m tired of journey n feeling sleepy but that place was awesome see tibetans…and …many buddhist followers i felt like i was at my home town ….felt so happy….being there.
Thank you for sharing your experience! All the best to you…
Hello Eva,
Thank you very much for such a detailed account of Tso Pema Lake and the legacy of Guru Rinpoche attached with it. I have been planning to visit this place with my better half for a year now. After reading your experience I am feeling all the more compelled to visit the lake. Will share my experience as well.
Thanks again Eva.
Regards,
Kamal Phukan
Hello, Kamal,
Thanks for reading and for your reply. I’m so pleased to hear that you have renewed inspiration to visit Tso Pema! I hope when you get there, it will be a marvelous experience.
Best, Eva
Thanks for the great pictures, am planning to visit January 2017. I look forward to experiencing the cave of Guru Rinpoche firsthand.
Enjoy your travels! The cave is really quite special.
Got n little Exprenced to visit
Thanks for ur kind sharing
Happy travels and good wishes to you!
Your blog so helpful for practitioner like me, I will like to stay in retreat after few years. I was searching for secret information so I was at least get view of it, thank you so much.
Hi Eva, went up to the monastery but could not make it to the caves in April 2018. It was like a miracle to see your pics of the cave since i have been longing to see it. Thanks for taking me there. Is the climb arduous? Am 53 now could i be able to do it in say 10yrs? Hoping to get there with his blessings
I hope you can get there, too!
Watching a Documentary by the name of “The Dakini Code” made me connect to your excellent and very helpful article about the Princess Mandarava Temple. She is also known as the Vajrayogini and one of the five wisdom dakinis. Thanks, Regards & Blessings.
Dear Eva,
Searching the net for any people apart from myself who have photographed the smaller statue of Guru Rinpoche in the smaller meditation cave over the top of that hill and tucked away around the back? It is bronze and is reported to be one of the few images of him with a peaceful blissful face.
I wish there was a way to share my photo with you so you could check if you or any of your contacts also photographed it.
Warm greetings from a Romani Irishman on the road between Spain and Siam,
Bruno Nua
Here is a link to my 2008 blogposts with the photo:
http://www.brunonua.com/2008/03/gr-caves-final-installment.html?m=1
http://www.brunonua.com/2008/03/guru-rinpoche-caves-contd.html?m=1