(Ugyen Dorje Gur with Khandro Yeshey Tshogyal and Khandro Manderawa)
Bay Yul Langdra one of the most sacred Guru Rinpoche’s Nye in
the country was one of my top lists to visit. Happily on 18th February
2018 I have accomplished my mission.
(The road to Bey Langdra Ney)
late from Wangdue around 12:30 pm, I proceeded to the
place of great reverence with my travelling small Guru Rinpoche statue. My
statue made a visit to Paro Taktsang and all Buddha’s holy sites in India. His
Holiness Kathok Situ Rinpoche consecrated it recently along with the
consecration of Karma Feeds Plant in Pasakha.
(My traveling Guru Statue connected with Bay Langdra Ney)
Bey Yul Langdra lies at the end of a clustered valley, 22
kilometers from Chuzzomsa (Wangdue Trashigang Highway) in Wangduephordang. The
whole stretch of road is very rough. At the end of the feeder road, Kathok
Yoesel Samtenling Monastery (ཀཿཐོག་འོད་གསལ་བསམ་གཏན་གླིང་དགོན་སྡེ) is located. The monastery is under the care of His Holiness
Khatok Situ Rinpoche.
(Kathok Yoesel Samtenling Monastery (ཀཿཐོག་འོད་གསལ་བསམ་གཏན་གླི ང་དགོན་སྡེ)
Before reaching at Kathok Yoesel Samtenling Monastery there is a
huge cypress tree by the site of the road believed to have grown from the
walking stick of Guru Rinpoche. The tree is also believed to house relics and
confer blessings equivalent to five monasteries. Every year the tree is revered
on the 15th day of 8th month of the Bhutanese calendar, a day known as ‘Tsenden
tsechu’ in homage to Guru Rinpoche. It is said that people of Bey Langdra
celebrate the day with fun fare over a strict vegetarian diet. I made round,
offered Nyenda and picked few leaves.
(The holy cypress planted by Guru Rinpoche)
(At the base of holy cypress tree)
From the monastery it takes around one and half hour’s steep
heart punishing hike up to the Monastery. Bit tougher than hiking Paro
Taktsang. I mean for me. It is located at 2500 m.
Nevertheless the following statement encourages every devotee to
climb up through declivity Rocky Mountains and reach the sacred Nye:
Guru Rinpoche instructed to Terton Dorje Lingpa on 10th day of
the 8th month during his retreat at Bay Yul Langdra that,
⁃ If one merely sees Bey Yul Langdra, one will
be freed from samsara.
⁃ If one visits it, all defilements will be
purified.
⁃ If one practices Dharma there, one will find
spiritual fulfillment and realize all the Yidam practices.
⁃ If one makes offerings here, all aspirations
for all lifetimes will be fulfilled.
Slowly negotiating the steep climb I accompanied by my brother
move through dense forest time and again looking at the Bay Langdra Monastery
that is seen up in the rock. On the way one can see many small-concealed huts
where monks undergoing three years solitary retreat under the guidance of His
Holiness Kathok Situ Rinpoche.
Finally we grasped at the foot of the Monastery. As we step up
the staircase a group of monkey run and jump misidentifying us to be monkeys
chaser. It was a bit frightful looking at the way they wildly dispersed away.
Am worried that Lam may be outstation. As we move up the staircase we found all
houses locked that further worried us. But I am extremely happy to find finally
the main Monastery without lock. We entered and the blessings began.
The Monastery is a three storied building built hanging on the
cliff using Guru Rinpoche’s main meditation cave as its one of the wall. The
basement houses Guru Rinpoche’s statue. The first floor was installed with
Chenrizig in Yidam position (First of its kind in the country), five tertons,
Ugyen Dorje Gur with Khandro Yeshey Tshogyal and Khandro Manderawa. All this
statues was made based on the narration of Terton Dorje Lingpa. We can also see
statue of Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyal.
(The 4 tertons that visited Bay Langdra)
(Terton Sherab Mebar and Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyal)
The top floor houses a Sangay Yopami statue. We prayed,
prostrated and received blessing from all the statues. Received Sho and got 13.
Bay Langdra Guru Sho is 11 and Langdra deity is 7.
(Sangay Youpaymey)
I requested Lam to explain the significance of the Bay Langdra
Ney, which he gladly agreed.
The Lam explained “Bey Langdra Nye evolved from nyeyeg (tantric
mythology) as Guru Rinpoche chose to visit the place to envision some hidden
treasures for propagation of Buddhism in future”.
(With Bay Langdra Lam)
According to sacred texts, Guru Rinpoche returned from
Zangdokpalri for a seven-day sojourn in Bey Langdra. This is the exact place
where Guru Rinpoche meditated taking layman’s look, he said. On his arrival,
Terdak Langdrapa, a local deity manifested himself into a wild Red Bull and
attacked Guru Rinpoche. At the spec of second Guru Rinpoche from a layman
immediately manifested to Urgyen Dorje Gur and cut the red bull into two
pieces. One part of the cut piece and a bull tongue are seen at the cave. The lam
said the other part is located in another place. Later on reacting to the merci
pleading of the deity Guru Rinpoche appointed him as the protector of the
treasure-teachings and named the site as Langdra Nye. The Nye is also known as
the holy site of the red bull.
(Langdra bull)
This highly blissful cave wall is the key to the
"hidden" reference in the monastery's name ('bey'). Lam took us
behind the altar and shown us the main key of the Landra Nye. The black cliff
face (dra means rock, as in Bey-lang-dra) has a round wedge inserted impression
believed to be a sealed chamber in which are sacred terma--treasures hidden by
Guru Rinpoche.
The Lam explained that Guru Rinpoche has hidden terdrom that
possess Guru Rinpoche's sixty different types of concealed Dharma treasures
known as Ters. This form the inner most sanctum of Langdra nye. It is believed
that this Ters are destined to be discovered later by Tertons (treasure
discoverers). Ters are discovered as per holy timing fixed by Guru Rinpoche
depending on the need of additional Buddhist teachings.
(The main Terdrom Key is the Key Hole to 60 numbers of sacred relics hidden behind this rock face. Situated at the very place where Guru Meditated for seven days to subdue the devilish deity Lang dragpa)
On the cliff face lam has shown us many signs, Path route to heaven, Path route to hell. Guru Rinpoche’s right foot print on a rock, divine sword, genitalia of a khandro Yeshey Tshogyal, foot prints of 100,000 dakinis. Outside the monastery on the other side there is long life vase firmly located from where holy water in droplet falls down. It is believed that if you take this holy water with great reverence, you will live 100 years. I got a bottle of this holy water.
On the cliff face lam has shown us many signs, Path route to heaven, Path route to hell. Guru Rinpoche’s right foot print on a rock, divine sword, genitalia of a khandro Yeshey Tshogyal, foot prints of 100,000 dakinis. Outside the monastery on the other side there is long life vase firmly located from where holy water in droplet falls down. It is believed that if you take this holy water with great reverence, you will live 100 years. I got a bottle of this holy water.
(Dabraza, Scorpion protecting Terma Keys)
(Guru Rinpoche's foot print)
Guru Rimpoche left this footprint on the eve of His departure from Langdrag Neyey after hiding many sacred relics
(Long life Vase)
(Cut piece of a bull)
(The flaming sword above the monastery)
Guru Rimpoche left this solid dagger after he subdued the Langdrapa by cutting into many pieces with this dagger.
(Path to heaven)
(Path to Hell)
(Holy scriptures)
(Tongue of a bull)
The Lama explained that Terton Pema Lingpa is believed to have
visited the nye.
According to scared text, the lama explained that Kunkhyen
Longchen Rabjampa visited Bey Langdra in 1356 followed by his son Tersay Drakpo
Ozer.
Later in Shar Kunzaling, the seat of Kunkhen Longchen Rabjampa,
Terdak Langdrakpa instructed Terton Dorje Lingpa to visit Bey Langdra. After
visiting the place and staying there for seven days, Terton Dorje Lingpa was
disappointed after finding no spiritual indications. However, when just about
to leave, a Dakini appeared before him and instructed him to look at the cliff.
The cliff is located below the monastery.
On the cliff, he saw Guru Rinpoche as an eight-year-old boy
emanating from a rainbow. The Guru thus instructed him: “My son, do not leave.
You are the destined treasure revealer.” The Terton then entered into a
retreat. On the 10th day of the eighth month in retreat, the Guru again
appeared to him.
The Guru instructed him that, if one merely sees Bey Langdra,
one would be freed from samsara. If one visits it, all defilements will be
purified. If one practices Dharma there, one will find spiritual fulfillment
and realize all the Yidam practices. If one makes offerings here, all
aspirations for all lifetimes will be fulfilled.
(At Terton Dorjee Lingpa’s Cave where he met Guru Rinpoche and took out TER (Holy Scriptures )
The Lam explained despite Guru Rinpoche and pointing at the
series of Terton statues many great Tertons like Pema Lingpa and Sherab Mebar
consecrating Bey Langdra, it remained hidden even to we Bhutanese for many
centuries.
(Kyabje Chatral Rinpoche)
In 1988, Kyabje Chatral Rinpoche visited Bey Langdra and
petitioned His Majesty about the spiritual discovery. Chatral Rinpoche then
stated that, although there are many sacred spiritual places in the world, the
discovery of Bey Langdra is very significant. First, it has a very sacred
legacy, and second, it has not been defiled over time. Chatral Rinpoche also
remarked that all Bhutanese who could now visit the site had more merit than
those who had passed away.
On Chatral Rinpoche’s instructions, a retreat center named
Drubdra Ozer Samtenling was constructed at the foot of the valley and is now
the seat of His Holiness Kathok Situ Rinpoche. We visited the monastery in the
night literally prostrating in the dark, as there was no light at that time.
The Monastery is of two storied. The lower houses Guru Rinpoche’s Statue and
the upper Kuentuzanpo Statue.
(His Holiness Kathok Situ Rinpoche)
Bey Landra nye is considered to be sacred and at par with Goen
Tshaphu in Punakha, Kurjee in Bumthang, Taktshang in Paro , and Singye Dzong in
Lhuntse.
Our country is truly blessed by Ugyen Guru Rinpoche.
VISIT BEY LANGDRA AND
CONNECT YOURSELF WITH GURU RINPOCHE.