THE 30 SEC VIDEO

11)closing culmination of 2nd day of Kharchu Tenda festival, Lhodrak Karchu Monastery, Bumthang Valley, Central Bhutan, 6/30/04 3:09pm.
Lhodrak is an area of Southern Tibet/Northern Bhutan. The temple was relocated here after the Chinese rule began. The temple belongs to the renowned Lam Namkhe Nyingpo, the reincarnation of one of Guru Rinpoche’s disciples.

1)Chimithang-Thangkha Temple, Gidakom Valley, 6/20/2004
Myself, a fellow therapist and the jeep ambulance driver made a day trip over to the old leprosy hospital, next valley south of Thimphu Valley, drove as far up the dirt road as the old ambulance would make it. There were no monks in this old temple/lhakhang(god-house).

2)remote Gantey Valley near Gantey Goenpa, Wangdi Dzongkhag, 6/25/2004.
This is the famous valley where the black neck cranes make their winter rousts. This photo has the rosy cheeks, the hand-woven plastic bag, the butter-lamp door motif and the “gum” boots.

3)Gantey Monastery near Pele La, Black Mountains, 6/25/2004
Gantey Goenpa(monastery) is being restored; it is the only Nyingma monastery West of the Black Mountains, the Kargyu Branch of Vajrayana Buddhists being the majority in the West. The current abbot is Kunzang Pema Namgyal, the 9th reincarnation of the ‘mind reincarnation’ of the famous Terton(treasure finder) Pema Lingpa of Bhumthang.

THE 30SEC VIDEO

4)Chumey Valley, Bhumthang, Central Bhutan, 6/26/2004.
In this particular religious dance(Cham), called Shana, the monks assume the appearance of yogis who have the power of killing and recreating life. It is believed that the gestures of the dancer’s hands are transformed into ‘mudras’(sacred mystic gestures) and their feet, which pound the earth, form a mandala.

Nyimalung is a renowned monastery for the quality of its teaching and the virtuosity of its musicians and for the discipline which prevails there.

THE 30 SEC VIDEO

5)Guru Tshengye Thondrol, ‘, Kur-jey Lhakhang, Bumthang Valley, Central Bhutan., 6/27/2004.
This large thangka is a made with appliqué technique. It is called a Thondrol. It depicts the 8 manifestations of Guru Rimpoche. As with the dances, it is believed that one gains merit by viewing them in order to secure a better rebirth. It is sometimes said that one can attain Nirvana/liberation by viewing such monastery thondrols.

6)Kur-jey Lhakhang, Bumthang Valley, Central Bhutan, 6/27/2004
Kurjey is a very important temple-monastery. Built in 1652.

In 746 Padmasambhava(‘Guru’) came here at the request of 1 or 2 feuding Indian kings. King Sindhu Raja’s son was killed by the Naochhe King, the Raja then desecrated the abode of the chief Bhumthang deity, Shelging Karpo, who then angrily took revenge by stealing the king’s life force bringing him near to death. The story gets more complicated, but by soon after changing himself into a Garuda bird he scolded the misbehaving deity and saved the king. By this action the kings were converted to Buddhism, the country restored to peace and Shelging Karpo became guardian deity of Kurjey.

Guru meditated in a cave, now inside the temple, leaving his body impression(Kur-Jey)

7)Kur-jey Lhakhang, Bumthang Valley, Central Bhutan., 6/27/2004
One of Guru Rinpoche's eight manifestations.
"In the experience of great bliss fiercely blazing with wrathful power, maroon in colour, holding a vajra and kila, the two feet dancing expressively atop a tigress; homage to Dorje Drollo." (Nyingma Liturgical verse)."
http://www.himalayanart.org/image.cfm/261.html

10)unusual cham on 1st day of Kharchu Tenda festival, Lhodrak Karchu Monastery, Bumthang Valley, Central Bhutan, 6/29/04 11:44am

9)Karchu Tenda Ceremony, Lhodrak Karchu, Bumthang Valley, Central Bhutan, 6/29/04 2:23pm
‘A Spectacular dance in which dancers representing Tantrists with supernatural powers take possession of the dancing area to drive out evil spirits and purify the ground with their footsteps. It also tells the story of the assassination of the anti-Buddhist Tibetan king, Langdarma, in the year AD 842 by a monk, Pelkyi Dorje, who had hidden his bow and arrows in the voluminous sleeves of this garment.’ – Francoise Pommaret.

8)Lhodrak-Karchu Lhakhang, Bumthang Valley, Central Bhutan, 6/27/2004
Watching their fellow monks preparing their wardrobe for the Cham…………

12) Drukpa Kinley’s Chimey Lhakhang, Punakha/Wangdi Valley, Western Bhutan, 07/01/2004
Toward the upper distance of the rice paddies, there is a hillock, on top of it one can see the temple built in 1499. It is a fertility temple, in keeping with the ‘mad monk’s’ M.O..
Infrared exposure.

13)Zangro Pelri Caretaker and Dechencholing novice, Thimphu, 07/10/2004.

14)Paro Dzong, Paro, Bhutan 7/18/2004 12:24pm.
Infrared exposure.

15)Elegant prayer flags, hillside above Thimphu, West Bhutan, 08/08/2004
Infrared exposure.

16)Paro-Town, 09/04/2004.
Chilies(ema) are an essential vegetable in the Bhutanese Diet. Hence, a common site in the valleys.

17)Taksang Pelphug above Upper Paro Valley, 09/05/2004
Taktsang Lhakhang is one of the most venerated pilgrim sites of the Himalayan world and it contains 13 holy places. Tradition states Guru flew here on the back of a flaming Tigress from East Bhutan/Bhumthang. Meditating in a cave for 3 months, he is said to transmorphed to ‘his terrifying form of Dorji Drolo and used the religious cycle of the Kagye/Kagyu to subjugate the Eight Categories of Evil Spirits’ during his stay! ‘Many Tibetan Saints have come to this intensely spiritual place, notably Milarepa(1040-1123)
Infrared exposure.

18)Lingshi Valley, near Tibetan Border, West Bhutan, Jomolhari Trek, 09/23/2004
Heading towards the 15,000 foot pass, up the Lingshi Valley, 3 days walk from a road, we passed the Yak herder(Brokpa) encampment, whence this young girl offered me a haunting look and we exchanged no words. These are ‘Brokpa’, in the sense of being semi-nomadic herders of yak. Surviving via the by-products of the animal, yak-cheese, milk, butter and high-altitude farming.

19)Ridge near Tapsha Peak above Thimphu, 10/09/2004
Phajoding is a 3-hour climb straight-up from Thimphu to 12,140 feet, built in the 1700s. My friends and went to Tapsha the high point on the ridge, about 14,000feet.

21)10/22/2004
"Every morning, every evening, I will come for the salvation of all sentient beings. I will come as a rider mounted on the crown of rays of the rising sun" -Guru Rinpoche, The Landmark National Memorial Chorten can be seen here.

20)Thimpu, Bhutan 10/22/04 7:25am
‘The Fortress of the Auspicious Religion’, it dates back to 13th century. The capital city dzong is said to ‘delight the eye with balanced proportions and an air of majesty’ – Francoise Pommaret.

22) Above Thimphu 10/23/04 6:00am

The lovely peak forming part of the border with Southern Tibet/Northern Bhutan. The 108 chortens were just completed during my stay with one of the queen’s patronage.