The Magical Play of Illusion by Trijang Rinpoche

Author:Trijang Rinpoche
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Wisdom Publications

LONG TREK THROUGH THE MOUNTAINS

The following day, traveling by way of the main road, we reached perhaps the most outstanding Nyingma monastery in Central Tibet, Mindröling Monastery in Drachi. This monastery was founded by the great treasure revealer Gyurmé Dorjé, a tantric yogi without rival. The monks of Mindröling upheld pure monastic discipline, beginning with practice of the three foundations,269 and, between the Nyingma school’s traditions of scripture and treasure, focused principally on the oral tradition of the scriptures. They also preserved the practice of pure revelations of the great treasure revealer himself. The monks who peacefully greeted us were wearing the yellow monastic robes and holding religious banners in their hands, but all of us, master and servant alike, were wearing chubas as if combining the taste of nirvana and samsara, and therefore I felt slightly uncomfortable.

The Mindröling regent, Chung Rinpoché, offered us lunch and an excellent reception. After we toured the monastery’s group of sacred chapels, including a very magnificent protector chapel, Tutor Kyabjé Ling Rinpoché and I had a leisurely private meeting with Chung Rinpoché in his quarters on the upper floor. Since we had already been very close with Chung Rinpoché and thought well of him, we told him in detail about the situation in Lhasa, insisting that it was unsafe for him to remain in the monastery and urging him to leave. Chung Rinpoché, however, said that his departure would leave the monastery more vulnerable to harm, and so he had no wish to leave. There was nothing we could do.

We left Mindröling late in the afternoon and spent the night at the Möndro estate in the upper region of the southern district. From there we took an incredibly long path over Duchi Pass to reach Chenyé Monastery in Upper Chongyé. We made offerings and prayed before their beautiful central image of the Medicine Buddha Ratnacandra. The next morning we went to Riwo Dechen Monastery in Chongyé.

We had planned to stay the night there, as His Holiness and his entourage had arrived at the monastery a day ahead of us and had planned to spend an extra day there to rest and recuperate. However, the Red Chinese had opened fire with heavy artillery in Lhasa on the tenth of the Tibetan month, and the Norbulingka, the Potala Palace, and areas all over Lhasa had been heavily damaged, and many were lives lost. The Tibetan army was unable to hold their positions, so civilians both lay and ordained had no other choice but to run for their lives, fleeing to outlying regions in any way they could. Upon hearing of the grave situation in Lhasa, fearing for His Holiness’s safety, the party set out again immediately.

Traveling by way of Dönkar Pass in Upper Chongyé, they went to Thösam Dargyé Ling Monastery in the Upper Chödegong of Yarlung. We also pushed on to reach there. All the horses and people in our group were absolutely exhausted when we finally arrived, having just made the two-day journey from Chenyé in a single day.

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