A Glimpse of True Heaven

I stayed for two years in Kanglung but when my friends made a trip to Rangshikhar, I could not. I lived with regret for nine years. But today, I was to erase my regret forever. I woke up early. I said prayers and this morning, I could visualize my lama so well, so well that I even started to fear if it was a bad omen. I prayed that the Rangshikhar Rinpoche be there at the gonpa but he wasn’t. We were informed that he was returning from his neykor only today. Maybe this was the bad omen. But I have no regret. I had his audience many years back in Tashigang Pam, where I attended a tshechu.

The rough road from Tashigang Pam seems to stretch for more than 11 kilometers. You don’t see any single house until you really plunge into the village. Then, as you go up again, there isn’t any sign of what you will see as you reach the hill top. Really, what greets you as you reach there is nothing like you would imagine. I felt as though thousands of sins were washed off – as if an old skin of sins peeled off and I was reborn as I stood in front of a true heaven.

In the centre is a big statue of Lord Buddha in meditation posture. He is said to have put on a little weight after he was offered milk by a woman named Sujata(in six years of meditation). Around this huge statue are different statues of Buddha depicting the stories of his life.

 

Sangye lhum su zhug pa: The Lord Buddha’s mother, Yum Juma Lhazey had a vision of a six tusked elephant descending from heaven and entering her womb. She was conceived that night.

 As soon as he was born, he took seven steps, and for each step he took, a lotus WAS bloomed. 

 

For six years, Lord Buddha meditated without eating anything but a grain of rice in a day. 

 

A devil wanted to disturb Buddha in his path to enlightenment. So he turned into a very beautiful girl and went to Buddha. But Buddha, with his unwavering mind, focused on the path, turned the beautiful girl into an ugly 108 year old woman. The devil did not give up yet. He told the Buddha that, there must be a witness to see that he won. On this, the deity (lhamo) of the Earth appeared in front of the Buddha, saying, ‘Here, I’m the witness.”

 

Then, in shame and regret, the devil begged for forgiveness. 

I really wondered at the hard work the rinpoche has undergone in creating such a heaven like place on earth. I have heard so much about him and despite my inability to see him or get blessing from him in person, I have always revered him. I thought, this is a place that everyone should visit. If it will not give you anything, it will really take you to heaven for that moment you are there. And I think, it is worth it, for, how many such moments do we have in the fleeting life lost in materialistic world?