THE SACRED SIDE OF THE CAPITAL BY SHENPHEN ZANGPO Often only a pit stop on the way from Paro Airport to the main tourist destinations of Punakha, Jakar and Phobjikha, the capital is often given scant attention by travellers. Yet, despite its modern veneer, Thimphu has an ancient heart and the city boasts several major sacred sites and important monasteries. Semtokha Dzong is especially accorded a high, almost patriarchal status, in the city. Built in 1629 by Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyal, the dzong was the first such structure to be constructed in Bhutan. Located on a hill top at the entrance to the Thimphu Valley, the dzong initially served as a monastery and was built in order to subdue negative forces that had been troubling local residents and traders who passed through the area. In deference to this purpose, the name ‘Atop a Demon’ (Semtokha) was given to the dzong. A unique feature of the structure is its twelve-sided tower, which contains a statue of Mahakala, the chief protective deity of Bhutan. Today, the dzong houses a Dzongkha language school. At the opposite end of the valley, Tango Monastery traces its origins back to the 8th century when Guru Rinpoche recognised the site as representing the deity Hayagriva. Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyal also meditated in the caves concealed in the rock face, but it was only in 1688 that a monastery was finally constructed at the site. Today, Tango functions as one of the most important and influential monastic schools in the kingdom. As we pass through the Thimphu Valley taking mental notes of the scenes and filling our camera memory card with images of Bhutanese life, we can let our minds drift to earlier centuries and mentally picture the pilgrims of old who travelled the same route. Undoubtedly, they would have arrived on foot, carrying their meagre possessions on their backs. As we think of the sacrifices that our predecessors made to visit sacred sites, it might be pertinent to consider the benefit of pilgrimages and reflect on why the practice has endured for two millennium and more. Actually, the custom of visiting scared sites is common to all major religions, but the reason for doing so in Buddhism is quite different to that in theistic religions. A Buddhist pilgrimage is not, for example, considered a gateway to heaven nor is it a way to find God. Instead, it is an expedient means to remind us of our own innate, basic goodness. In this way, a Buddhist is taught to familiarise himself with the idea that the beauty and sacredness that we perceive is actually a reflection of the splendour of our own mind when free of defilements. That said, it is important to understand that a sacred site is not a magic wand that immediately banishes our defilements, allowing our basic goodness to suddenly burst through. Instead, a sacred site provides strong support for our aspirations and so infuses our practice with vigour and purpose. Actually, the power of a sacred site is such that even a casual encounter will produce future benefits. If this claim sounds unreasonable, then we should consider how the mind works. Think of a powerful image or incident, as an example. Even if experienced in early childhood, it has the potential to shape our entire lives and even exert influence on us in old age. In a similar way, interaction with sacred relics plants positive seeds in the mind stream that remain dormant until they meet conducive circumstances that causes them to ripen, which may occur in this life or future lives. To use a Buddhist term, we can say that a karmic link has been established. If even a casual visit to a sacred site can produce powerful results, then consider how much greater the effect when the encounter is purposely used to generate merit and accumulate wisdom. There are obviously many ways to accrue merit and develop wisdom, but in a Bhutanese context offering a butter lamp is perhaps the most practical option. When we light the lamp, it is important to remind ourselves that the sole aim of practice is to attain enlightenment for the benefit of all sentient beings. In this respect, it is helpful to recite the following lines (or similar) as we light the lamp. ‘In the same way that the light from this lamp dispels the darkness in this room, so may the light of wisdom eliminate the darkness of ignorance in the world’. Next, we focus on the light and consider that in the same way that the flame only exists contingent on the gathering together of many causes and conditions, such as butter, wick, oxygen and fire, I and all phenomena likewise only exist due to a number of factors temporarily joining together. Finally, we can reflect that as the flame will be exhausted once these factors dissipate, our form will also end with the cessation of the forces that bind together the body’s elements. After the flame has been lit, we should dedicate the merit from the act to the liberation of all beings from the darkness of ignorance and confusion. We can further pray that they are guided by the light of wisdom and will ultimately gain freedom from suffering and the causes of suffering. Furthermore, in order to infuse our practice with renewed vigour, we can contemplate ‘The Four Thoughts that Turn the Mind Towards Dharma’. These can be contemplated together. Otherwise, we can perhaps selectively consider the ‘Thoughts’ individually as we visit the sacred sites. As we gaze over the Thimphu Valley from Semtokha Dzong, for example, we can consider how fortunate we are to have been born as a human endowed with the freedoms and conditions necessary for practising the Dharma and cultivating our spiritual development - the first ‘Thought’. We can stop for a moment and experience the fresh air in our nostrils and feel the warm sunlight on our skin. We can listen to the sound of the breeze passing through the trees. When we consider all the forms of beings that exist in the universe, we appreciate how wonderful it is that we have been born as a human, where we can fully experience our environment and have the all the freedoms to develop our spiritual lives. When we deeply understand this to the core of our being, we will feel great joy and never want to waste a single moment indulging in trivial matters. As an ancient site of meditation and an esteemed place of learning, Tango offers a perfect environment to contemplate the second ‘Thought’ - impermanence. Generally, any word associated with change and termination has a negative connotation. It conjures up ideas of relationships going sour or vacations coming to an end. However, we need to deeply understand that everything in the universe is in a constant state of flux – dying and being reborn moment after moment. Without understanding this fact, we tend to act as though we are immortal, and so fritter away our time gathering useless objects only to watch them later disintegrate before our eyes. Understanding impermanence will naturally bring peace to our lives, but most importantly it will help us focus our minds on Dharma practice and allow us to abandon any hope of finding satisfaction in worldly existence. This brings us to the next ‘Thought’ – karma, which we can perhaps contemplate at the ancient monastery of Changangkha. Founded by Lama Phajo Drugom Zhipo in the 12th century, Changangkha Monastery is popular with parents appealing for blessings for their newborn children and also with the aged who gather there each day to chant mantras and turn prayer wheels. Consequently, the monastery offers a suitable environment to ponder the course of life. First, we should consider that nothing appears from no-where and at random. If we plant an apple seed, for example, we will get an apple tree. While it is the seed that decides the kind of tree that will develop, it is the environment that determines whether it grows strong or weak or crooked or straight. This is similar to the way karma functions. Our present situation did not arrive at random, but developed through a chain of linked causes that were influenced by other causes and conditions. In the same way that the health of a tree can be changed by modifying its environment, so the course of our life can be changed by creating new conditions. In short, any thought, word or deed that perpetuates the wrong view of an independent and permanent self creates negative karma, while thoughts, words or deeds that counter this mistaken view create positive karma. Simply explained, negative karma arises from ignorance, desire and anger, while positive karma is created by wisdom, non-attachment and loving kindness. Before he gained enlightenment under the bodhi tree in Bodh Gaya and became known as the Buddha, Prince Siddhartha realized that worldly existence could not bring lasting peace. He renounced his princely life and left his father’s palace to seek enlightenment. In this respect, the 51.5 metre statue of the Buddha Sakyamuni on Buddha Point is an appropriate site to contemplate the final ‘Thought’ – the Shortcomings of Samsara. Rainbows and mirages only come into being through the temporarily joining of light and moisture. They have no substance and exist merely as an illusion. In reality, all phenomena and ourselves are the same. We exist only as the result of many causes and conditions temporarily joining together. In this way, everything we perceive is void of substance and so ultimately no more than an illusion. Why is knowing this important? Well, generally we invest all our efforts and time in seeking happiness in the material world. Yet, as it is nothing more than a temporary illusion, it can never quench our desires and bring us lasting peace. Like a rainbow, the universe that we perceive has no substance and will disappear once the factors that create the illusion dissipate. Not realizing this fact, we are like a man who crawls from one mirage to the next with the hope that he will find water and quench his thirst. As a result our lives are marked with disappointment and suffering. Still, even though our encounters with the material world have not provided us with anything more than temporary happiness and peace, we do not investigate the nature of phenomena and self. Instead, we continue to seek peace and contentment in the world of illusion. In Buddhism this failure to understand the nature of reality is called ignorance. In turn, it creates desire and leads to aggression. Therefore, rather than merely following old habits, it would be best to investigate the shortcomings of samsara and so turn our minds towards Dharma practice. And, so as we sit in a corner of the ancient compound of Changangkha, we can repeatedly ponder the deficiencies of samsara and in this way develop at least a small amount of renunciation mind. Finally, as our vehicle speeds out of the Thimphu Valley and we head to our next destination, our contemplations will have provided us with something infinitely more valuable and precious than photographs and memories. We will have wisdom. SHENPHEN ZANGPO WAS BORN IN SWANSEA, UK, BUT SPENT MORE THAN 28 YEARS PRACTISING AND STUDYING BUDDHISM IN TAIWAN AND JAPAN. CURRENTLY, HE WORKS WITH THE YOUTH AND SUBSTANCE ABUSERS IN BHUTAN, TEACHING MEDITATION AND ORGANISING DRUG OUTREACH PROGRAMMES.
Posted on: Mon, 01 Dec 2014 08:36:43 +0000
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