|
|
Lubra |
|
|
Lubra village was founded by Trashi Gyaltsen in the late 12th century AD. In the events leading up to this, the central figure is Trashi Gyaltsen's father, Sherab Gyaltsen. Sherab Gyaltsen was a Bon-Po lama born in 1077 AD. As a young man he was a scholarly monk whose debating abilities enabled him to outwit the Buddhist monks. He followed his studies with a period of meditation in the mountains. Here a beautiful young woman appeared to him. She enquired about his knowledge of Bon-Po. When he proudly told her that he knew everything about it, she went away, weeping at his arrogance. The next day she returned and asked him the same question again. This time, realising his error, he humbly asked her to teach him everything she knew. She advised him, rather, to seek the lama Rongom Togme Shigpo. Sherab Gyaltsen set out to look for the lama Rongom Togme Shigpo. After 9 years of fruitless search throughout Tibet, Sherab Gyaltsen visited Lo Mustang, at the very edge of Tibet. (It is not surprising that a Bon-Po teacher could not be found in Tibet because Padmasmapa had defeated the Bon-Po and excluded them from Tibet during his visit in 747AD.) There, Sherab Gyaltsen met two men gambling with dice. One of the dice calls was 'The one who sees neither the sun nor the moon, Rongom Togme Shigpo knows'. Overjoyed at the thought of at last finding his teacher, he asked the dice player if he really knew where Rongon Togme Shigpo was living. Sherab Gyaltsen was directed to the Lubra valley, and received the teaching he desired. Now Sherab Gyaltsen eventually had 3 sons and a daughter by his third marriage. The youngest son, Trashi Gylatsen appears to have been his spiritual heir, and even by some accounts, his reincarnation. Trashi Gylatsen became an itinerant lama who travelled around the Kagbeni and Lubra region on horseback. This area was plagued by dreadful demons. One day the demon Kyerang Dragme attacked Trashi Gyaltsen and threw him from his horse. Trashi (we know him well enough by now, I think, to call him by his first name) was rather annoyed by this and set out to conquer the demon using his magical lama powers. In time the demon and his wife were rendered helpless, and even promised that from now on they would be the protectors of Kagbeni and Lubra. Despite this promise, Trashi sealed each of them under cairns on the plateau. These cairns may still be seen. Trashi planted a walnut tree at the site of present day Lubra, and founded a monastery. Although the tree is still there, the original monastery has gone, eroded away by the Panda Khola. It has been replaced by the new Phuntsholing gompa.
|
|