The Tantric land of Trita Puri
At the sacred land of Trita
Puri,
I pay homage to Gyal Yum Dorjee Pegmo.
Trita Puri is mainly a Buddhist
site to pay homage to Dorjee Pegmo (Vajrayogini): the divine consort
of Chakrasamvara (Tib. Dechog). Buddhists claim that Trita Puri
is the origin of Tantric tradition of Tibetan Buddhism because it
is believed where the most furious devil Mata Ruta was tvanquished.
Says that without visiting Trita
Puri, no merit can be earned in pilgrimage to Mt Kailash and Manasarovar".
It explains how important the land is. Practically all Buddhist
pilgrims visiting Mount Kailash and Manasarovar go to Trita Puri
and get blessed by the mystical sights to be viewed and studied
about tantric traditions of Buddhism.
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A Tradition Tibetan Painting of
Dorjee Pagmo |
According to the theory of the
twenty four sacred palaces of Chakrasamvara. Trita Puri was one
of the eight lands, which were occupied by the Nagas.
The great Indian master Pedmasambhava
said, "this is the land, which is consecrated by Dorjee Pegmo,
where all goddesses gather. This is where echoes the sacredness
of tantric sound. Pilgrims visiting this land are able to achieve
liberation in a life-time".
Trita Puri is located a days journey south of Mt Kailash and Manasarovar lake. Where the
white and red hot springs are counted as the center of the sacred
land. In the surrounding environment, the east is a tiger, it refers
the mountain, which has yellowish colour with black lines. The west
is a turquoise dragon, which means Sutlej (Tib. Langchen Khabab)
the river. The south is a red bird, it refers to the mountain, which
has a sharp beak and is red in colour. The north is a yellow tortoise
, which refers to the yellow mountain.
Trita Puri Monasteries
and sacred sites
There are three main retreat
caves in position, one above another. The bottom one is the cave
of Dorjee Pegmo. The middle one belonged to Gyalwa Godtsang pa,
the one who established the walking path around Mt Kailash. The
top one was used by the great Indian master Guru Rinpoche.
Guru cave is in the Trita Puri
Monastery. It has un-man-made images of the eight manifestations
of Guru Rinpoche and a hole in the side of the cave. At the time
of Guru Rinpoche, there was a female demon who claimed ownership
of Trita Puri. Guru Rinpoche vanquished the female demon, transmitting
her soul to the land of Amitabha. Through that process, the hole
was created from the world of Nagas to the earth. Now, to everyone's
wonder, the hole brings air from the Naga's world.
Trita
Puri Monastery contents an large statue of Guru Rinpoche in the
center. A Buddha Amitabha statue on the right. A Buddha Shakyamuni
on the left. Additionally, there are footprints of Guru Rinpoche,
dakini Yeshi Tsogyal, Dorjee Pegmo, and others, in separate places
of the rocks. Behind the Monastery, there is a mountain made out
of multi-coloured soils, which is known
as the Palace of The Nine Thousands Buddhas. Around the Monastery
there are 13 special shaped rocks. Many of which have natural images,
including Mt Kailash. Avalokitesvara with eleven heads and a thousands
hands. Vajrapani Buddha. An eagle. Each of them have their own significance.
The cave of Gyalwa Godtsang
pa is located on the other side of the Tripuri Monastery. There
is another monastery which is connnected to the cave, and was founded
by a Nyingpa lama called Choe Nyid Sang Po. Some generations ago,
the cave was converted into a room of guardians (Tib. Gon Khang).
Since then, only ordained monks are allowed to go into the cave.
In the cave, there are statues of a four armed Gonpo, Dorjee Pegmo
and Buddha Shakyamuni. In the main hall of the monastery, there
is an statue of Buddha Shakyamuni, produced out of sandal wood.
A beautiful stupa, other statues, beautiful paintings and other
religous objects. There is a stone in the shape of an egg, it is
an important object. The stone was brought by Gyalwa Godtsang pa
from the depths of Manasarovar lake as a treasure. Gyal Godtsang
promised that the stone will fulfil anyone's wishes.
In the cave of Dorjee Pegma,
pilgrims collect a type of soil called Jang-Sem-Karpo, which is
used as a blessing from the sacred land of Trita Puri. Traditionally,
people offer a Kateg (a white scarf) and eight Tam Ka Karpo, (old
Tibetan currency) as payment for the soil.
The hotspring of Trita Puri
is believed to cure sickness and many pilgrims go there to take
bath and wash of their negative karmas. It is simply nice to sit
in the hot water and get relaxed.
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