Pema Lingpa-A Spiritual and Cultural Luminary of the Soil

 Strand: Spirituality, Identity and Culture

Chapter 4: Pema Lingpa — A Spiritual and Cultural Luminary of the Soil

Topic: Peling Tradition and it’s spiritual impacts on the lives of the Bhutanese

 

Early Life of Pema Lingpa

ü  Born in 1450, at Baribrang of Tang valley in Bumthang.

ü  He grew up with his grandfather Yonten Jangchub, a blacksmith.

ü  At the age of nine, young Pema Lingpa began to apprentice as a blacksmith. 

ü   He spent much of his young adulthood working as a blacksmith.

ü  His previous immediate rebirth was Longchenpa/Longchen Rabjam

ü  Pema Lingpa’s  discoveries belongs to the class of earth treasure i. e. treasure buried in and rediscovered from physical world

ü  The treasures discovered by him are religious treasures as it consists of religious rituals and meditation instructions.

ü  At the age of twenty-seven, he experienced a prophetic dream and later revealed many treasures teachings.

ü  He gave his first teachings at Dunkhabi in Bumthang.

ü  All his profound teachings were compiled in twenty-one volumes of Peling Choekhor Chuksum.

ü  These texts contain empowerment and practice manuals associated with the three most important cycles of teachings and practices:

            i. The cycle of Guru,

            ii. The cycle of the deity of compassion,

            iii. The cycle on Great Perfection – Dzogchen.

ü  Pema Lingpa’s lineage is passed down through three primary lines of incarnations,

1. direct line of his own reincarnations (Peling Sungtruel),
2. Two stemming from his son and grandson: Peling Thukse, and Peling Gyalse, popularly known as the Gangteng Trulku.

ü  The main seats of Peling lineage at Gangteng, Tamshing and Drametse currently provide all kinds of amenities for any individual wishing to pursue scholarly education in Peling tradition.

Peling Tradition

ü  The set of spiritual culture introduced by Pema Lingpa and inherited by his disciples and followers which has now become tradition is known as Peling tradition.

ü  The teachings founded by Pema Lingpa based on treasures revealed and empowerment received from Guru Rinmpoche is commonly known as Peling.

Why is Peling teaching sacred and extremely powerful?

1. Peling teachings are revealed from treasures hidden by Guru Rinmpoche and Khandro Yeshey Tshogyal).
2. The teachings are transmitted directly from Guru Rinmpoche to Pema Lingpa and then to his followers; with no loss of essence and blessings.
3. We are blessed with unbroken and uninterrupted reincarnations of Pema Lingpa himself and his emanation lineages.

Spiritual impacts of Peling tradition on the lives of Bhutanese

        i.            Blessed many sacred places by discovering treasures which has now become a pilgrimage sites for Bhutanese thus ensuring spiritual wellbeing of the people since many people visits sacred places to get blessings.

Example:

ü  Membar Tsho,

ü  Lion-Faced Cliff at Mendo in Lhodrak,

ü  Tharpaling

      ii.            Established monasteries and temples which has become seat and center to spread and learn Buddhism thus ensuring continuity

Example:

ü  Pema Ling monastery

ü  Tamzhing monastery,

ü  Gantey monastery

ü  Koncho Sum Lhakhang

ü  Drametse monastery

    iii.            Composed sacred treasure dances contributing in the spiritual wellbeing of the people through mask dances as it clines the defilements and sins accumulated. 

Examples:

ü  Phagcham,

ü  Pedling Gingsum,

ü  Khandro Dhey Nga

    iv.            Composed the religious text and the entire teaching is compiled in twenty-one volumes of Peling Choekhor Chuksum.

      v.            Discovered treasures which helped in reviving the Buddha Dharma eventually contributing in propagating Dharma through various seats such in Tamzhing, Kuencho Sum, Drameytse, Gangtey.

 

Treasures discovered by Tertoen Pema Lingpa

The treasure and Treasure revealer

ü  Terma means the treasure

ü  As per the account of Peling tradition Padmasambhava’s prophecy listed 108 treasures to be discovered by Pema Lingpa

ü  But due to karmic exhaustion of sentient being Pema Lingpa discovered only 32 treasures

ü  Nevertheless the tradition believes that entire core essence of the 108 treasures are summarized in 32 treasures. 

ü  Pema Lingpa’s teaching, including both his revelations and writing are compiled in 21 volumes of Pema Lingpa Cycle of teachings པད་གླིང་ཆོས་སྐོར།

ü  Pema Lingpa’s discoveries generally belongs to class of earth treasure ས་གཏེར།

Treasures Discovered by Pema Lingpa

 

Spiritual dances of Bhutan

Phag Cham

Before the consecration of the temple, Pema Lingpa is said to have had a visionary dream in which Vajravarahi again appeared, performing a dance and telling him to learn it for the temple consecration ceremony.

Upon awakening, he wrote down the steps, taught the dance to his disciples, and introduced Phag Cham (Dance of the Pig) at the temple’s consecration

ü  The sacred mask dances such as peling tercham such as Three Ging Dances (པད་གླིང་གིང་གསུབམ), Gingtsholing (གིང་ཚོགས་ལིང་), are performed throughout Bhutan during festivals and ceremonial occasions

Pema Linpa’s Contribution in Political culture

• Most of the ruler in eastern regions at Tsakaling, Drophu and Drametse in Mongar regions were the descendants of Pema Lingpa.
• Most of the religious nobilities were started by Pema Lingpa’s sons and grandsons such as Tamzhing Choeje, Khochung & Bidug Choje and Chhumey Zhalngo in Bumthnag and Kurtoe regions from where our Royal grandmothers originated from
• Most importantly, our Wangcuck Dynasty originated from Dungkar Choeje started by Pema Lingpa’s grandsons where today we live in peace and prosperity.