Biography of: The Venerable Lopön Yongdzin Tenzin Namdak Rinpoche

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Biography of: The Venerable Lopön Yongdzin Tenzin Namdak Rinpoche

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Biography of: The Venerable Lopön Yongdzin Tenzin Namdak Rinpoche.
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This biography is based on information from Wikepedia, The Ligmincha Institute, and Yungdrung Bon.


Lopön Yongdzin Tenzin Namdak (Tib. slob dpon bstan 'dzin rnam dag) (1926 - ) is the senior-most teacher of the Bön tradition and is considered the world's foremost expert on Bön.

Yongdzin Rinpoche was born in Khyungpo Karu (khyung po dkar ru) in the Khyunpo district of Kham province of Eastern Tibet to a family of famous artists.

In 1933, at the age of seven he entered Tingchen Monastery (steng chen) in the same district.

In 1938 Lopön Rinpoche went to Yungdrung Ling (gyung drung gling), then one of Central Tibet's two principal Bönpo monasteries. At Yungdrunk Ling, Lopön Rinpoche helped execute a series of wall paintings in a new temple.

In 1944 Lopön Rinpoche went on pilgrimage to Nepal including Solu-Khombu, Pokhara, Mustang and Kathmandu.

In 1945 at the age of nineteen Lopön Rinpoche returned to Yungdrung Ling to commence studies in philosophy (tsennyi; mtshan nyid).

During 1945 - 1950 Lopön Rinpoche lived principally as a hermit cloistered with his tutor and master Gangru Rinpoche (sgang ru tshul khrims rgyal mtshan) with whom he studied poetics (nyanga; snyan ngag), cosmology (dzopu; mdzod phug), grammar (da; sgra), monastic discipline (dulwa; 'dul ba) and the principal stages on the path to enlightenment (salam; sa lam).

Lopön Rinpoche, went to Menri Monastery (sman ri, literally "the medicine mountain") in Tsang Province in Central Tibet in 1950 where on the advice of his teacher Gangru Rinpoche he commenced his studies toward the degree of Geshe (dge bshes) (the Tibetan equivalent to a Doctor of Philosophy) and achieved it in 1953 .

Lopön Rinpoche became the teaching master (slob dpon) at Menri Monastery from 1953 - 1957. Lopön Rinpoche left Menri and this position in 1957 due to increasing conflicts between the indigenous Tibetans and the encroaching Chinese Communists.

In 1957 Lopön Rinpoche departed Menri and Central Tibet for Sezhig Monastery on the Dangra Lake in northern Tsang where he remained in retreat until 1960 .
Post Lhasa uprising (March 10, 1959), many greatly esteemed lamas of Tibet, including the present Dalai Lama and the Gyalwa Karmapa along with numerous Tibetan refugees departed their homeland to seek refuge in India and Nepal.

Following this exodus, Lopön Rinpoche endeavoured to reach safety in India in 1960, but was shot, wounded, and seized by Chinese soldiers and imprisoned for ten months by the Communist Chinese. Lopön Rinpoche made good his escape via the small principality of Mustang to the safety of Nepal.

While in Kathmandu in 1961, Lopön Rinpoche and the English Tibetologist David Snellgrove became colleagues. David Snellgrove invited Lopön Rinpoche to London where, through a Rockefeller Foundation grant, he became a visiting scholar at the University of London. Lopön Rinpoche resided for a period at the University of Cambridge.

The collaboration with David Snellgrove resulted in the publication of The Nine Ways of Bön which includes extracts translated from the esteemed Zhiji (gzi brjid): an extensive hagiography of the Buddha Tonpa Shenrab. This collaborative work was the first scholarly study of the Bönpo tradition to be conducted in the West. Lopön Rinpoche continued in England for three years (1961 - 1964).

Lopön Rinpoche made a second visit to Europe in 1969 at the invitation of professor Helmut Hoffmann where he was a visiting scholar at Munich University where he significantly contributed to compiling of the Tibetan-German-English Dictionary.

A social worker known as Doctor Khepa who was working in Nepal (Dorthang) Bön community as a social worker, had come to India and was looking forward to help any Bönpo community in India. Somehow he got to know about the small Bönpo community in India and decided to continue his support for the Bön community in India as well. At the time when he reached there, the head of the Menri monastery the then Menri Trizin his holiness had just expired and the next successor of the Menri trizin had not been appointed as yet. So at that time an acting head had to be appointed, and for that the organisation Bod Kyi Bönpo Tsokpa was started and Lopön Tenzin Namdak was appointed as the director by the members of that group and Dr Khepa.

After that Dr Khepa had arranged some fund from the Catholic relief service for the Bönpos to purchase a place where they can start a small Bön community. The fund was transferred and the land had to be purchased. After searching many places Dolanji was selected. But the Bönpo community was not able to purchase the land due to certain legal barriers. Finally Gungthang Tsultrim helped the Bönpo community to get the land registered for the organisation Bod Kyi Bonpo Tsokpa, of which the director then was Löpon Tenzin Namdak, by including the Dolanji in the organisation called Tsokpa Chuksum, in which there were other settlements registered such as the Bir settlement in Himachal and Clement Town in Dehradhun etc.Dolanji, near Solan in Himachal Pradesh. In 1967 the settlement was formally established and registered with the Indian Government under the name of the Tibetan Bönpo Foundation. About seventy families transferred there from Manali and each received a house and a small piece of land, the size depending on the number of people in the family in question.


The Tibetan Bönpo Foundation possessed its own constitution and administration, with the Abbot of Menri acting as president. The new settlement at Dolanji was named Thobgyal Sarpa (thob rgyal gsar pa) after the village Thobgyal in Tsang Provence which was located near Menri Monastery. Most of the Tibetans in the new settlement came from the Mount Kailash region and Upper Tsang in the west, and from Hor, Kongpo, Derge, Amdo and Gyarung in the east of Tibet.

After the death of the abbot of Menri in 1963, Sherab Lodro, the abbot of Yungdrung Ling became the spiritual head of the Bönpo community in exile. Sherab Lodro came to Dolanji with a band of monks who founded a new monastic community. An intimate prayer chapel and a few small houses were built. In 1969 the successor to the abbot of Menri was established by lot and the office fell to Lungtog Tenpai Nyima Rinpoche (lung rtogs bstan pa'i nyi ma rin po che), who was installed as the thirty-third abbot of Menri.

Following the death of Yungdrung Ling abbot, Sangye Tenzin assumed the spiritual leadership of the Bönpos in exile. More houses were established, along with a library and abbot's residence (labrang; bla brang). Monastic life was structured around the ordinances of the Vinaya (dulwa; 'dul ba). The foundation for the principal temple was inaugurated in 1969 and completed in 1978 and named Pal Shentan Menri Ling (dpal gshen bstan sman ri'i gling). The whole complex was styled the Bönpo Monastic Centre and formed part of the Tibetan Bönpo Foundation.

From 1970 - 1979 Lopön Rinpoche continued writing and teaching whilst in residence at the Bönpo Monastic Centre. Concurrently, Lopön Rinpoche was engaged in New Delhi with the publishing of a large number of significant Bönpo texts.

From 1967, when the first monks came to Dolanji, teaching had been done by Lopön Sangye Tenzin (former head teaching master at Menri) and assisted by Lopön Tenzin Namdak, who became his successor.
When Sangye Tenzin died in 1968, Lopön Tenzin Namdak was assigned the full responsibility for the education of the younger generation of monks.

By 1978 a sufficient number of Bönpo texts had been published so that classes could be organized around them in a curriculum. Thus a lama's college (shedrup; bshad sgrub) was established in 1978, organized under the guidance of Lopön Rinpoche who served as one of the two professors at the college. The official name of the college is Yungdrung Bön Shedrup Lobnyer Dude (gyung drung bon bshad sgrub slob gnyer 'dud sde).

The purpose of the new lama's college at Dolanji was to preseve the tradition of philosophy established and developed at Yeru Wensaka (gyas ru dben sa kha), where philosophical analysis and logic were applied to the understanding of Do Nga Semsum (mdo sngags sems gsum), that is, to the teachings of the Sutras, the Tantras and Dzogchen. Unlike the Nyingmapa tradition, the Bönpos developed a system of logic and debate specifically relating to the Dzogchen teaching.,

At Menri in Tibet, the monks studied the five scripture systems (Dozhung Nga; mdo gzhung lnga) in the philosophy college, but all instruction in Tantra and Dzogchen was done in private. The five scriptures, actually five collection of texts, are:
* 1 Tsema (tshad ma) - Pramana or logic;
* 2 Parchin (phar phyin) - Prajnaparamita or the Perfection of Wisdom Sutras;
* 3 Uma (dbu ma) - Madhyamaka philosophy;
* 4 Dzopu (mdzod phug) - Abhidharma or cosmology;
* 5 Dulwa ('dul ba) - Vinaya or monastic discipline.

However, at the revived Menri at Dolanji, students also study Tantra and Dzogchen in the college, as well as the above five scriptural systems which pertain to Sutra. Also included curriculum are the secular sciences (rignai; rig gnas), such as grammar, poetics, astrology, and so on. The college has a nine-year term of studies which prepare the student for degree of Geshe. The first group of young monks graduated in 1986 .
Another Bönpo monastery and college has been established under the direction of Lopön Tenzin Namdak in Nepal. Known as Triten Norbutse (khri brtan nor bu rtse), it is located near the auspicious Swayambhu, west of Kathmandu.

1978 Visited H.H. Dalai Lama to inform him of the purpose of establishing the Bönpo settlement at Dolanji and its Dialectics school with nine-year programme, and to request the official recognition by the Tibetan Government of Menri Trizin Rinpoche, Abbot of Menri Yungdrung monastery, as Head of the Bön religion. In that year he also conducted the funerary and post-mortem rites following the death of his master Lopön Sangye Tenzin.

1978-86 Engaged in educating the young monks at Dolanji as well as writing several texts, including some of those used in the Dialectics school.

1986 Awarded the geshe degree to the first six monks to complete the nine-year training at Dolanji. Travelled to Tibet, visiting Menri and other important monasteries, inspiring the monks still living there who had suffered under the Chinese domination and rewarding those who had strived to restore the monasteries; visited kLuPhug monastery in Hor where he met Ragshi rTogsldan Rinpoche with whom he exchanged important empowerments and where he also ordained about 70 monks; and sPa-tshang monastery, where he met Khabo rTogsldan Rinpoche from whom he received the lung (transmission) of Minub Mtshanmdo.

In Khyungpo he went to dKarlegs monastery where he conferred the Matri initiation on the local people; Rirtse Drug monastery where he inaugurated the Dialectics school (on this auspicious occasion he taught for 16 days on Bönand Vinaya), and ordained about 100 monks; gYungdrung dPalri monastery for a few days, where on request he performed the Byang-bu (a kind of phío-ba) for the people who had died and also ordained about 40 monks; then went to Kodgon monastery and taught Theg-rim for about 20 days, where he also gave the Long-life initiation and ordained about 60 monks.

Then he went to Ri-khrod monastery for 16 days, where he gave the lung of the Zhang Zhung Nyan Gyud and taught on Bön and Vinaya, conferred vows to about 80 ordained monks and gave the rNam-dag Padma kLong Yangs initiation to local people. He enthroned Shesrab dGelegs as Abbot of sTengchen monastery, and also offered donations of money and other things for the restoration of the monastery, at the time in a state of disrepair. Subsequently he was reunited with his mother for the first time after 45 years. After returning to Lhasa he flew to Chengdu (in China) where he visited temples, Byamspa Chugzigs and the holy mountain of gLangchen Gyingri, proceeding to Amdo Shar-khog where he visited all the monasteries, giving initiations and teachings, and also went to gSertsho (Golden Lake). At Amdo rNga-ba he made offerings and prayers before the gDung-bum (mChod-rten) of his deceased disciple sTanpa Rabrgyas (clan lineage holder and head of sNangzhig, the biggest Bön monastery in Tibet, with at the time over 500 resident monks) offering tea and money to all the monks, encouraging the Lama and older monks and advising them on how to administer the monastery. Then from Lhasa he returned to Kathmandu, where he donated all the money he had received in Tibet for the acquisition of the land and for the construction of Triten Norbutse. Today almost 200 resident monks study and practice there. Yongdzin Tenzin Namdak Rinpoche maintained a regular teaching schedule there, while making numerous excursions to teach in the West.

1988 Despite contracting jaundice he continued his regular teaching programme. Moved into the first buildings at Triten Norbutse.

1989 Travelled to USA, where the Healing Light Center in Los Angeles generously paid his hospital costs for an operation to extract six gall-stones after which he was completely cured. He also visited England and Italy on the invitation of the Dzogchen Community of Namkhai Norbu Rinpoche, where he taught Dzogchen.

In 1989, Lopön Tenzin Namdak made his third visit to the West, this time to England, America and Italy, at the invitation of the International Dzogchen Community of Chögyal Namkai Norbu Rinpoche in those countries. During the course of six months Lopön Rinpoche presented to interested Western students the Dzogchen teaching according to the Bönpo traditions of the Atri (a khrid) and the Zhang Zhung Nyengyu (shang zhung snyan rgyud).

Also, in the beginning of 1991, he visited Germany, England, Holland and Italy. During his visit to these countries, he gave discourses and teaching on various meditation systems and fields of study of the Bön tradition. Later that year he was invited by His Holiness the Dalai Lama to represent the Bön tradition at the Kalachakra Initiation in New York. In this way, Lopön Rinpoche has been spreading the Bönpo teachings in many countries. His permanent residencies are in Kathmandu (Nepal) and Dolanji (India).

1992 Returned to Dolanji for the geshe examinations and to give the Ma Gyud initiation; also enthroned the Abbot of Triten Norbutse monastery, in the presence of Menri Trizin Rinpoche. He also visited Tibet again, on a pilgrimage in the Lhasa area, proceeding to Nag-chu in Kham where he gave teachings and initiations as well as at Lung-dkar monastery in Hor where he gave the sMra-bíi seng-ge (sMra-seng) initiation and vows to about 70 monks. Also visited sPa-tshang and sPu-la-kha monasteries, then returned to sTeng-chen monastery in Khyung-po, which had been rebuilt since his previous visit in 1986. He remained there a while, giving the sMra-seng initiation and teaching Vinaya to the monks. After visiting other areas he met his mother again. At gYung-drung dPal-ri monastery he did Byang-bu and conferred higher vows on eight ordained monks. At Ko-dgon monastery he taught Theg-rim, Tantra and Zhine for several days. Also visited other places in Khyung-po; at Khrom-tshang he gave genyen vows and initiations to many lay-people. Then he returned to Lhasa, where he bought a piece of land to build a Reception House for the many Bonpos living in the city to meet and assemble.

1993 Went to the USA where he taught at the first year of the seven-year program of Ligmincha Institute founded by Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche. He also gave teachings at several other cities in the USA, Holland, Austria and Germany. Later that year he appointed a Lama as head of the Reception House in Lhasa. In this year, Heart Drops of Dharmakaya, his commentary on Shardza Tashi Gyaltsen Rinpoche’s book of dzogchen practice, was published in English by Snow Lion Publications.

1994 Travelled to Lhasa and Nagchug. On returning to Triten Norbutse he performed the rabgnas inauguration and blessing of the new gompa, also attended by Menri Trizin Rinpoche, and officially inaugurated the Dialectics school and Meditation Group.

1995 Travelled to Holland, Austria and Germany to teach Dzogchen.

1996 Travelled to USA to teach on the 21 Nails at Ligmincha institute. He also gave teachings at several other cities in the USA, Holland, Austria and Germany.

1997 Travelled to Italy and France to teach Dzogchen

1998 Travelled to Austria, Germany, France, Holland, Denmark and USA to teach Dzogchen
He has regularly taught retreats in France, where the Association Yungdrung Bon was set up by his Western students to facilitate his work in the West and in particular Europe.

In 2005 Shenten Dargye Ling, a congregation legally recognized by the French government, was established in France near Saumur for the preservation, research, teaching and practice of Yungdrung Bon.
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Re: Biography of: The Venerable Lopön Yongdzin Tenzin Namdak Rinpoche

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The retreat cave used by Yongdzin Tenzin Namdak in the 1950s on Gyeru Tsho Do.
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Tashi delek,

H.E. Lopon Tenzin Namdak Rinpoche teaches / will teach, in Peru at Ligmincha Dharma Center Bön Dzogchen.

https://www.facebook.com/23372703668717 ... 750202589/

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IN ADDITION:

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The construction of stupa in Shenten Dargye Ling in 2016 , (the Main Dharma Centre of the Yongdzin Rinpoche in Europe).
with
H.E Yongdzin Lopon Tenzin Namdak Rinpoche


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Re: Biography of: The Venerable Lopön Yongdzin Tenzin Namdak Rinpoche

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IN ADDITION:

Lopon Tenzin Namdak Rinpoche has many students and one of them is Tenzin Namgyal , a former monk from Tashi Menri Monastery.
I like the under mentioned photo very much because it shows that Tenzin Namgyal is like many of us a student from Lopon la.
It also seems to be that Tenzin Namgyal has the Geshe degree and from that event maybe other Bönpos can place here some nice photos, if possible. :twothumbsup:
Lopon la and student Tenzin Namgyal 00.jpg
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kalden yungdrung wrote: Thu Nov 23, 2017 8:59 am IN ADDITION:

Lopon Tenzin Namdak Rinpoche has many students and one of them is Tenzin Namgyal , a former monk from Tashi Menri Monastery.
I like the under mentioned photo very much because it shows that Tenzin Namgyal is like many of us a student from Lopon la.
It also seems to be that Tenzin Namgyal has the Geshe degree and from that event maybe other Bönpos can place here some nice photos, if possible. :twothumbsup:

Lopon la and student Tenzin Namgyal 00.jpg
His name is Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche.
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Re: Biography of: The Venerable Lopön Yongdzin Tenzin Namdak Rinpoche

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Lhasa wrote: Thu Nov 23, 2017 2:32 pm
kalden yungdrung wrote: Thu Nov 23, 2017 8:59 am IN ADDITION:

Lopon Tenzin Namdak Rinpoche has many students and one of them is Tenzin Namgyal , a former monk from Tashi Menri Monastery.
I like the under mentioned photo very much because it shows that Tenzin Namgyal is like many of us a student from Lopon la.
It also seems to be that Tenzin Namgyal has the Geshe degree and from that event maybe other Bönpos can place here some nice photos, if possible. :twothumbsup:

Lopon la and student Tenzin Namgyal 00.jpg
His name is Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche.
Tashi delek Lhasa,

Sorry, i see the spelling mistake, it should be indeed Tenzin Wangyal.


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Tashi delek Lhasa,

Thanks for your contribution, dear Lhasa.

But maybe you can obtain maybe also some photos about the Geshe ceremony of the former monk, Tenzin Wangyal ?


Thanks in advance,

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ImageImageImage
kalden yungdrung wrote: Thu Nov 23, 2017 4:22 pm Tashi delek Lhasa,

Thanks for your contribution, dear Lhasa.

But maybe you can obtain maybe also some photos about the Geshe ceremony of the former monk, Tenzin Wangyal ?


Thanks in advance,

Mutsuk Marro
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Re: Biography of: The Venerable Lopön Yongdzin Tenzin Namdak Rinpoche

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Lhasa wrote: Sun Dec 24, 2017 4:29 pm ImageImageImage
kalden yungdrung wrote: Thu Nov 23, 2017 4:22 pm Tashi delek Lhasa,

Thanks for your contribution, dear Lhasa.

But maybe you can obtain maybe also some photos about the Geshe ceremony of the former monk, Tenzin Wangyal ?


Thanks in advance,

Mutsuk Marro
KY.

Thanks for sharing ! :twothumbsup:
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Lake Namtso

Lopon La, was born in 1926 in Kyungpo Kham.
As a young boy of 11 years old, Lopon La, was a member of Tingchen Monastery.

He embarked on a pilgrimage to Nepal when he was 17 , and on his return he studied with Tsultrim Gyaltsen Rinpoche of Yungdrung Monastery.

He stayed with Tsultrim Gyaltsen Rinpoche for 8 years on an island in Lake Namtso.
Lopon La received from Tsultrim Gyaltsen Rinpoche, all important doctrines of Bön, including the Dzogchen transmissions.
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Tashi delek Bönpos,

Here the best wishes for 2018 from our H.E. Lopon Tenzin Namdak Rinpoche,
for all Bönpo Sangha members worldwide.
:bow: :bow: :bow:

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Tashi delek,

Today is the birthday of our Bön Yongdzin Rinpoche, H.E. Tenzin Namdak Rinpoche.

May Rinpoche live long
Many years
In good health
for the benefit of sentient beings

===================

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Tashi delek,

Lopon La, was born in 1926 in Kyungpo Kham.
As a young boy of 11 years old, Lopon La, was a member of Tingchen Monastery.

He embarked on a pilgrimage to Nepal when he was 17 , and on his return he studied with Tsultrim Gyaltsen Rinpoche of Yungdrung Monastery.

He stayed with Tsultrim Gyaltsen Rinpoche for 8 years on an island in Lake Namtso.
Lopon La received from Tsultrim Gyaltsen Rinpoche, all important doctrines of Bön, including the Dzogchen transmissions.

=========================
Some explanations about Lake Namtso:

by:
John Vincent Belezza
Devine Dyads Ancient Civilization in Tibet




A Survey of Srin mo do and bKra shis do


Srin mo do

The geomantic heart of gNam mtsho is an island variously called Sri mo do, Srin mo do, Se mo do and Nang do.
Srin mo and Sri mo refer to the pre-Buddhist class of deities mentioned in conjunction with the mythology of the Divine Dyad. Se mo is probably a corruption of Srin mo, but if it is a valid spelling it must denote the Zhang zhung language word for 'old woman', an obsolete term.

Nang is defined as inside or inner, and refers to the innermost place that the island occupies in the sacred geography of gNam mtsho. Of all the names, Srin mo do is the most common, although its spelling is often corrupted to Sen mo do by the 'brog pa. Sen mo, meaning 'fingernail', is certainly out of context in the case of the island. The variants Se mo do and Sen mo appear to represent the phonetic debasement of Srin mo, as a result of the gradual divergence of Buddhist and pre- Buddhist traditions. However, the Zhang zhung words se mo (old woman) and especially sad mo (lha mo) as representative the original etymology cannot be ruled out.

Nang do is a fairly common name for the island, especially among clerics. Nang do (Inner Island) is appropriately named for several reasons. Of all the holy places (gnas chen) at gNam mtsho, the most protected and inaccessible is Nang do. Like a sanctum sanctorum of a temple, it is the very heart or core of the sacred lake. Historically Nang do was the place that attracted the greatest numbers of saints and meditators, who sought out its pristine, untrammeled qualities. The supreme sanctity of the site is due in equal measure to its inaccessibility, its geomantic power, and the fact that it is the only place, barring the two smaller islands, that is permanently uninhabited by shepherds or their livestock. The inner nature of the island is protected by it only being accessible to pedestrians during the winter months, from about December to April. As would be expected of the most sheltered and defensible site at gNam mtsho, it is brimming with religious tradition.

For the purpose of this study the island will be called Srin mo do, its most popular appellation.

Srin mo do is situated in the northwestern portion of gNam mtsho.

It is approximately 3 kilometers long and rises more than 100 meters above the surface of the lake. The island is situated only 7 kilometers from the north shore of gNam mtsho. There is no discernible reason why the geographical nucleus of gNam mtsho is called Srin mo do, since whatever traditions were linked to this name have been effaced by the passage of time.

Ma chags (unborn/spontaneously arisen) is sometimes prefixed to the name of the island, indicating its primordial and cosmogonic character. As in other regions of Tibet, srin mo generally have negative connotations for the 'brog pa and are equated with cannibalistic demons. Although, as we have seen, the srin mo was an important component of cosmogonic myths, it is now essentially one and the same as the man-eating Indian rakshasani.

We have already met Srin bdag tsun mo, a cosmogonic goddess, and the srin mo progenitor of the Tibetan race, the primitive lha srin and the srin of the royal foundation myths. In these examples, the srin mo is a divinity and not a frightening demonic figure.
Her status was transformed into the inauspicious character of the rakshasani with the advent of Buddhism.

The vestiges of the divine srin mo can be discerned in Tibetan iconography. In the retinue of various Mahakalas, dPal Idan lha mo and ICam sring are both srin mo and srin po, and the mother of ICam sring is a srin mo (Nebesky-Wojokowitz: 31,50,51,61,63,66,89,92). Another tradition concerning the sri, which suggests a broad role for this deity in prehistory, is one which ascribes it to various divisions of time, stages in human life and in essential features of life like water, fire and food (Nebesky- Wojkowitz: 302).

The srin seem to have been fundamental to the supernatural world of the aboriginal Tibetans, perhaps the very foundation of that world. By the historical period, however, the srin had been marginalized and demonized by both Buddhists and Bon po. In the Tun-huang manuscripts, the srin are an evil force which must be pressed down (Gyatso: 46). The earlier traditions, now restructured, nevertheless lived on. In both the legendary histories of the Deb ther dinar po and the bShnd mdzod yid bzhin nor bu, the srin po are among the non-human rulers before King gNya' khri btsan po (Haarh: 294,295). In the gZer myig, three regional srin mo are mentioned: the rKong srin, the Nyang srin and the Dags srin (Haarh: 236). King gNya' khri btsan po was destined to subdue and command inimical and demonic powers ruling the earth or mi yul, with his principal enemies being a Byang srin and a rKong srin, who came disguised as red yaks (Haarh: 215,236,237).2

Apparently, in the time of the early Yar lung kings, the srin were not only a chthonic class of beings but also had territorial and political implications. This temporal face of the deity is also reflected in the legend of the srin mo as a benefactor of the catapult and infantry (Gyatso: 35). While it can be postulated that in southern Tibet the srin were a dominant force, the lack of historical records does not allow the same to be unequivocally said for gNam mtsho.

It cannot be ruled out that rather than an aboriginal feature of cultural life at gNam mtsho, the mythology of the srin was imported from southern Tibet. The Bon po, however, maintain that srin such as Srin bdag tsun mo are Zhang zhung deities. The paucity of historical materials available does not permit an assessment of the origins of the srin. Therefore, we can only assume that it was common to both Tibet and Zhang zhung and represents an aboriginal pan-Tibetan deity.

Although a myth of the subjugation of the srin mo has not been found for gNam mtsho, the Buddhist subjugation of gNam mtsho phyug mo also depended on wrenching it from its earlier cultural milieu and redefining it.3 As the island became a magnet for Buddhist meditators, its legendary associations and sacred geography were gradually altered in consonance with the new religious tradition. The human occupation of Srin mo do nonetheless long predates Buddhism. The early occupation of the island is revealed in the remains of one or two rings of stones reportedly found on the island. The original function of these constructions is not known to the 'brog pa although they believe that they belong to a pre-Buddhist culture. We will examine the possible function of similar stone rings found at Lug do in the next chapter. Another ancient structure on Srin mo do was a three-storey stone building connected with the legendary ancestor of the local 'brog pa, Bra gu ngom ngan, which tragically was destroyed during the Cultural Revolution. It is likely that Srin mo do was the headquarters or refuge of the pre-Buddhist religious cults or establishments in the region. The location, sanctity and mythology of the island warrant such a view.

According to an informed local sngags pa, there is a circumambulatory trail around Srin mo do which is about the same length as the one found at bKra shis do chung (around five kilometers). Sacred caves located in the escarpment of the island are said to include the following: Karma pa phug, Ras chung pa phug, gLing ras pa padma rdo rje phug, Gwa lo rin po che phug, rGyal ba lo ras pa phug and the kLu khang. During Kishen Singh's exploration of gNam mtsho in 1872, he reported from Do skya dgon pa that a rDo rje phag mo temple existed on the summit of an unnamed island (Kishen Singh: 135), which could only be Srin mo do.

A gnas bshad (guide) for "Ma chags se mo do" is provided in the text, gNam mtsho gnas chen bshad dad pa'i chu rgyun published in 1991 (sTag lung rtse sprul: 22,23,24). According to this guide, Srin mo do was blessed by Gu ru rin po che and is a mind emanation of 'Od dpag med. Yogis are supposed to have much success here and the island has seen both Bon po and Buddhist practitioners. Gu ru rin po che purportedly gave initiations here to the lamas Dran pa nam mkha' and Khye'u chung mkha' Iding, which consisted of Padma zhi khro, the 6 root deities of rDo rje sems dpa' and He ru ka dpa'i bo gcig.

Gu ru rin po che instructed his disciples to practice at gNam mtsho do, and thus the island and lake have been an important gnas chen for Buddhists since the period of the first diffusion (bstanpa snga dar). Mi la ras pa (1040-1143) is said to have meditated at gNam mtsho and to have achieved much here including the 8 attainments (yon tan brgyad) and the 10 signs (rtags bcu).

Ras chung pa (Ras chung rdo rje grags pa) is supposed to have met Mi la ras pa at Srin mo do and to have requested teachings from him. Mi la ras pa agreed and bestowed teachings and initiations on Ras chung pa. Other great religious personages who graced Srin mo do include Ye shes mtsho rgyal, 'Bri gung pa chen po (1143-1217), gNam mtsho ba chen po (disciple of the second Karma pa), Pha dam pa sangs rgyas, rGwa lo tsa ba rin po che and Nor dpal bzhad pa rdo rje. The lama Karma gling pa is said to have had a black stone with a white clockwise hand spiral in it which was bestowed on him at the dGa' ba tshal cemetery at Srin mo do (Ka' tog si tu: no. 492).

According to sTag lung rtse sprul's guide, Srin mo do is where Gu ru rin po che subdued kLu bdud rdo rje, who is most probably the Bön deity kLu bdud thang lha. On the east side of the island is the kLu khang phug pa, which consists of 2 chambers, one large and one small. On the right side of the large chamber is a self-formed image of a crow, where the 11th century saint rGwa lo tsa ba locally called rGwa lo rin po che) invoked mGon po. mGon po vividly appeared to the lama here and, from that time, the cave has been known as mGon po phug.

South of this cave is rGwa lo'i gzim phug, where rGwa lo rin po che fashioned a gold vase. There are many rang byung images in this cave and a special platform where mandalas were made. This cave is also the site from which dPal bzhad pa rdo rje's disciple Ras chung pa went to the realm of the dakinis.

Near rGwa lo gzim phug is another cave called 'Od gsal phug (Shining Cave), where Gu ru rin po che is said to have meditated. Subsequently, the yogi Ye shes chas 'byung meditated here, generating a brilliant light, which explains how the cave got its name. Inside the cave the fingernails and hair of the great gter ston Chos kyi dbang phyug (Gu ru chos dbang—1212-1273) were enshrined and there is also a small reliquary mchod rten containing relics of the ninth Karma pa dBang phyug rdo rje (1556-1603). In the corner of 'Od gsal phug is a self-formed image of bDe mchog yab yum. Above 'Od gsal phug is a natural stone throne of Gu ru rin po che and nectar which is reputedly a panacea. Some people claim that this nectar is a gift of the klu. West of 'Od gsal phug is rDzong dmar, the cave of Do pa dar she. It has three levels and is said to resemble a handsome elephant. Nearby are black stone stupas, the smallest of which are the size of barley grains and the largest three times this size.4 In the vicinity, rGwa lo rin po che cut his hair, causing a thicket of shrubs to appear.
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