Milarepa, in order to accomplish realization through the power of his meditation, heeded the advice of his teacher, the incomparable Marpa Lotsawa:
“Take refuge in the solitude of the barren mountains, the snows, or the forests … There is the Riwo Palbar of Mangyül and the Yolmo Gangra of Nepal, which are holy places prophesied in the Mahayana Sutras. Go there to meditate.” (The Life of Milarepa, p. 94)
Following his master’s wishes, Jetsun Milarepa traveled to the Yolmo range on the southern slopes of the Himalayas. There, in the Tapuk Senge Dzong (Tiger Cave Fortress), he sang “The Song of a Yogi’s Joy,” one of the one hundred thousand songs of Milarepa. He sang:
Milarepa’s Meditation Cave
Today one reaches Tapuk Senge Dzong after a long day’s bus ride out of the Kathmandu Valley, up into the foothills below the Lantang Himal, a sub-range of the Himalayas that borders Tibet. The driver hugs the left side as a stream of Nepal’s buses, trucks, taxis, and motorbikes closely passes to the right. From the relatively smooth paved surface leaving Kathmandu, the road noticeably transitions to dirt, then to rock. Closely packed passengers, seated or standing, tightly cling to seats or sway into each other as the bus rocks and vibrates into the foothills. No one appears disturbed by the movement, the crowd, the dust, the heat, or the bus’ slow progress; this is simply daily life in Nepal.
From the road, one descends a sometimes-elusive path into the sleepy Sherpa village of Karchung. Dwellings here, as throughout most of mountainous Nepal, are constructed of stone with tin roofs. Well-tended, generously fed cows raise inquisitive eyes as strangers pass. Already one feels the stark contrast to the city—the relief of clean air, a sense of spaciousness, the wonder of nature, and the profound gratitude of being here. How often in life is one granted such an adventure?
Navigating the trail through terraced fields, passing tenuously constructed homes, and entering the forest, the traveler is gradually transported back to the time of Milarepa, approximately one thousand years ago. The path steeply climbs and drops. Below is the Melamchi River, roaring down the valley, swollen with melted glacial snow from the peaks standing over sixteen thousand feet above. The trail descends the rocky hillside and around a final bend where the forest suddenly opens to a picturesque view. A small gompa is surrounded by several low stone buildings, all perched on an outcropping of the sloping hill. There are an old and a new chorten (Skt. stupa) in the foreground. Brilliant green, yellow, red, blue, and white prayer flags flutter energetically, heralding the historic site and seducing approaching pilgrims. Crowning the scene are the snow-capped peaks rising in the background.
As one advances, the silent power of the sacred place deeply touches the mind and the heart. The trail passes the chortens where steps then lead between the stone structures into a courtyard. On the right is a huge boulder with a mural of Milarepa turning the mind of an angry hunter toward the dharma. On the left the hillside drops abruptly. A fall of several hundred feet is only interrupted by a rough-hewn guardrail. Tall poles vibrate with the ever-present flapping of prayer flags. Birds passively glide on air currents, above and below.
Directly ahead is a small gompa. Behind it is the cave itself, formed by the rocky mountainside and enclosed with walls added over the years. Entering beneath a mural of Loving Eyes (Tib. Chenrezig), the visitor can stand at first. Approaching the low altar to make offerings requires—both physically and spiritually—a bowing posture to avoid the low-hanging rock above. Statues of Milarepa, Buddha Shakyamuni, Gampopa, and Karmapa, along with photos of lamas from all lineages, adorn the altar. Offering scarves, garlands of fresh, dried, and artificial flowers, multicolored strings of lights, butter lamps, rolls of rupee bills, sweet biscuits, fruit, and water bowls all enhance the sensual experience and express the devotion of those who have come to receive the blessing of this venerated place.
Caves provide the ideal environment for the yogi meditator. They are secluded, warm in winter, cool in summer, silent, and insulated, yet surrounded by nature. The voice of the wind in the trees and the call of the cuckoos outside are easily surrendered distractions. From this cave, Milarepa sang:
Entering the cave, the traveler is inspired to sit down and actively engage in the energy field that feels almost overwhelming and, at the same time, as sweet as the outside air. The place is empowered by practice and devotion. Externally, time and space play freely; inside, the mind experiences itself.
From Milarepa’s cave, the trail leads over a precipitous edge down a treacherous footpath to the raging Melamchi River below. The rough walkway parallels the water until a simple narrow suspension bridge offers safe passage across the canyon. From there, the track gradually progresses upward, sometimes through terraced fields and, other times, through crimson flowering rhododendrons. Small shrubs and trekkers alike cling to the rocky incline. The air smells of earth and dry leaves. A challenging half-day trek culminates in a final hour of concentrated clambering up a vertical pitch so steep that focus is limited to the few feet ahead.
Guru Rinpoche’s Meditation Cave
At the crest, the panting traveler steps up over the edge to a view of a large sloping plateau, home to the village of Melamchi Goan and the mandala of Guru Rinpoche (Padmasambhava) power places. A group of old stone chortens welcomes the visitor. They surround a newer one, which was more recently built in Yolmo style with brightly painted ornaments. Ahead on higher ground stands a temple dedicated to Buddha Amitabha with a clay statue of its namesake and Guru Rinpoche’s jewel millstone displayed inside. From this vantage point, the whole village is visible. There are stone houses, grouped together or standing alone, with blue, red, and green tin roofs. Low rock walls outline the fields, some terraced, others in their natural state. Prayer flags strung on vertical poles embellish most homes. Along a walled pathway into the forest above, the trail approaches Guru Rinpoche’s meditation cave, Dru Phug Nyinda Rangon, or “practice cave of the self-arisen sun and moon.” A primal stately forest grips Chati Gang, the towering mountain above, abode of the protector Chati Lhatsen.
A low stone enclosure and some small outbuildings encircle the cave compound. A gigantic rock shelf juts out horizontally from the mountainside, supported by an angular vertical boulder of equal proportion. This forms the original cave entrance. One can only imagine the view from inside the cave before the enclosing walls were added—the picturesque village with dales on both sides and an expansive view of the Yolmo Kangra (valley) toward Timbu.
With one step into the cave entrance, attention is drawn overhead to the nyinda rangjung (the otherworldly self-arisen golden moon and blood-red sun). They are close enough to the crown of one’s head to feel the blessing directly. In front is the impressive altar with its multisensory offerings of colors, lights, incense, water, fruits, and butter sculptures. Kataks (offering scarves) are draped over the photos of lamas and statues, all positioned in an alcove. At the center, in the place of honor, sits Guru Rinpoche, flanked by his two main consorts, Yeshe Tsogyal and Princess Mandarava. When facing the altar, on the far left is Chenrezig. On the far right is a protector covered with so many offering scarves that identification is impossible.
Cushions and low tables line the cave walls, inviting visitors to sit down and practice, as devotees have done for centuries. Although the cave has been walled in, natural light still shines in from the spacious entrance, illuminating the interior. Meditating in this power place, the practitioner experiences the intense blessing of Guru Rinpoche and his transmission lineage. The blessing is intensified by the power of nature inherent in the sacred mandala within the greater Yolmo sanctuary.
Yolmo, the Hidden Land
This hidden land is documented in The Hundred Thousand Songs of Milarepa, the Guide to Padma Tsal, the Crucial Guide to the Yolmo Snow Enclosure, and others (Dondrup, p. 12). The first Nyingmapa temple was founded here in the fourteenth century. The 6th Shamar Rinpoche, Choki Wangchuk, was born in Yolmo and makes references to the area in his writings.
More recently, Chatral Sangye Rinpoche, a renowned Dzogchen master,composed a song of praise to the Yolmo sanctuary and established retreat centers in the area in the 1980s. He is reportedly 102 years of age and has chosen to live as a wandering lay yogi. Chatral Rinpoche wrote:
The Yolmo Kangra has a rich Buddhist history and remains a vibrant, inspiring destination for pilgrimage and retreat today.
Chang, Garma C.C., trans. The Hundred Thousand Songs of Milarepa, Vol. I (New York: University Books, 1962).
Dondrup, Khenpo Nyima, Guide to the Hidden Land of the Yolmo Snow Enclosure and its History, (Kathmandu: Vajra Publications, 2010).
Lhalungpa, Lobsang P., trans. The Life of Milarepa (Boston: Shambhala Publications, Inc., 1977).
