21/07/2023
Pangbisa Ugyen Guru Lhakhang had the Kudung's head of Terton Sherab Mebar.
Terton Sherab Mebar came to Bhutan from Kham (Tibet) in the 15th century.
Terton Sherab Mebar approached Bhutan through the Jomolhari, where he discovered his first treasure. He continued to Bumthang through Baylangdra in Wangdue. Once in Bumthang he had to look for a girl called Pema Chuki of certain age to accompany him in discovering certain treasure but that triggered suspicion in the region. The ruler in Bumthang too had his eye on the same girl.
The suspicious ruler demanded Terton to prove himself to the people Bumthang by discovering treasure from Mebar Tsho. Terton resisted, saying that the time hadnโt come for the Mebar Tsho treasures to be discovered. He told them that three generations later his own reincarnation would come to discover treasures from the lake. This added more suspicion and he had to prove himself by going to the Mebar Tsho with burning lamp in his hand. He came out with two chests of treasures only to be returned back to the lake to be rediscovered generations later by rightful Terton, Pema Lingpa.
He, however couldnโt marry Pema Chuki and therefore couldnโt discovered the treasure he was destined to do in the company of the prophesied khandro. This was the beginning of many events that were going to go wrong in his life, and ultimately cost him his life.
The next failure happened in Pasakha where he was prophesied to discover cave of gold, silver and salt. When he meditated near the area a landslide occurred and open the cave door to endless resources but on his way to the cave he met three people carrying empty baskets, which was considered very ominous. Everything in the cave turned into rock and sand.
He finally reached Pangpisa, through Sombaykha and Jabana Haa valley, the ultimate destination to which he was directed. It was here that he had to wait till the age of 25 to be able to head to Nub Tshonaparta to reveal the world of treasure wealth that could sustain our country throughout times to come. It was prophesied that he would visit the lake seven times in his lifetime. But as restless as he was, and because of the growing suspicion even in Pangpisa he had to leave for Nub Tshonapatra earlier than prophesized to reestablish himself.
Above Ha valley there is a lake called Nuptshonapatra. From the bed of that lake Terton Sherab Mebar took out a trumpet, a drum, and a pair of cymbals by putting entire water of the lake into his mouth through his miraculous powers.
Along with those items he also found a golden pillar which Terton wants to offer to Paro Dzong when the time of building the dzong by Zhabdrung. He asked some carpenters to cut out for him and as a reward the carpenters were asked to take the shavings of the pillar.
The carpenters became very greedy and started cutting the pillar in such a way that whole chunks dropped off from it. Watching their greediness Terton signaled with his head and warned them to stop as he could not talk but the carpenter paid no heed and took out more shavings of gold from the Pillar.
The Terton ultimately could not hold anymore, so he opened his mouth and said not to do that.
Instantly, the lake flowed down from his mouth into its rightful place and drowned the carpenters.
The lake then ran after Terton. He threw away the drum while he tried to escape from it. But the lake followed in hot pursuit. Like he did with the drum, the Terton slowed down the onward rush of the lake by flinging before it, the drumstick, the trumpet, and a part of cymbal; and as he kept running, he eventually reached the Labdza of Tshellutsho.
There, Chungdue appeared in person, and negotiated an agreement of peace whereby, it is said, the Terton and his followers should never set foot in Ha Shogona. In return, the deity of the lake was forbidden from crossing Labdza. Thus the followers of Terton of Paro Pangmisa do not have any relationship with the people of Ha Shogona.
After reaching Pangbisa, the Terton sat down on a stone and meditated. The main statue of Guru Rinpoche in the Ugyen Guru lhakhang at Pangbisa was built on the very same stone where he meditated.
This Guru Rinpoche statue is also a very special statue since it talked once during construction.
Legend has it that the sculptor finished making the Guru Rinpoche's body but failed to come with head despite countless attempt.
They felt defeated when there was a knock on the gate. The chief sculptor sent his assistant to open the door who informed him about three women with a clay Guruโs head. The chief wanted to see if the head fitted their statue, so asked his assistant to bring the head.
He put the clay head on the statue and it perfectly fitted. So he again asked his assistant to bring the women in so that he can pay but the women were nowhere to be found. The three women were believed to the Khadroms.
But the chief sculptor found out that the head was bended while trying, so he tried to take the head out and fix it well. No matter how hard he tried, he failed. At that time, the Guru statue spoke and told him that he is comfortable in that position.
The Terton Sherab Mebar went against the prophecy one too many times and compromised the whole divine mission he had been assigned, his mission on earth seemed to have been terminated prematurely. He died in his thirties leaving behind many unfinished works. He was supposed to visit Nub Tshonapatra seven times and discover treasures that will make our country rich in all times to come, but his first untimely attempt jeopardized everything.
Terton Sherab Mebar was living in Pangpisa after that life-threatening mission to Nub Tshonapatra, when he called to attend a big event in Baylangdra, Wangdue. As usual he summoned the nine households in Pangpisa and asked them to bring him a stone that could fit in his palm. He was presented with a broken piece of stone. He asked if the stone was already in that shape or did the people break it into that shape. When he was told that the stone was a freshly broken piece he took it as a bad sign. He told his nine patrons that the signs told him that he might not return alive from Wangdue and therefore instructed them to bring his body back to Pangpisa.
He squeezed the stone with his bare hands like it were wet clay and left his handprint on the stone as blessing to the people there. This stone with his handprint was one among many such stones he left behind from different occasions. In fact, every household in Pangpisa owned one each besides the six that were in the temple. One was a chunk of gold he took from Pasakha, during his failed mission of unearthing endless supply of gold, silver and salt.
As foreseen, Terton Sherab Mebar died in Baylangdra, Wangude and message reached Pangpisa. Group of men went there to claim Lamโs kudung (body) as wished by lam himself but people in Baylangdra refused to give away. They said, it was lamโs wish to die in their village and therefore the body must rest there.
Disappointed patrons of Pangpisa ever since spied on Baylangdra. It was during the harvest season that year that every able man from the village went on their annual alms seeking event. The temple in which the kudung was preserved was guarded by a lame gomchen who couldnโt go with the rest. Men from Pangpisa waited for this moment and without wasting any time they barged into the temple and tied the lone gomchen onto the pillar, and to keep him from starving they kept a huge pot of porridge at his reach to last through until the village returned. Thus, the kudung( Terton death body) was stolen and brought to Pangpisa and kept as their main relic in the Lhakhang.
Once, the Paro Penlop aka Penlop Haap visited the lhakhang and found out the kudung. Sensing its importance and danger of being stolen, ordered the people of Pangbisa to donate it to Paro Dzong. The people refused, so the penlop negotiated. The people of Pangbisa will be waved off any form of tax for three years and will be given preference to sit in the VIP cabin during the Paro Tshechu.
After few years the kudung was taken to the Dzong, the people of Pangbisa realized that their precious relic which they bartered with the tax waiver was not justifiable. They wanted to have the kudung back but could not go against the Penlop.
They planned a secret act to steal it. The people of Pangbisa had a very good relation with the people of Woochu who were and are still known for their iron works (presently opposite Paro airport). They ordered precise iron rods with hooks at the end.
Meanwhile the kudung was kept in a wooden box in the Marchey Lhakhang of the Dzong which was at the ground floor of the Dema Lhakhang.
There was a monk from Pangbisa who garnered much admiration of the Dzong administration that he was appointed the caretaker of the Dema Lhakhang.
Every year the entire monastic body of the Dzong visited Kitchu lhakhang for a religious ritual (which is still practiced, thatโs what I heard but I am not very sure what it is and when it is done)
The people of Pangbisa informed the caretaker of Dema lhakhang to refrain from going to Kitchu Lhakhang that day. The people came with the iron rods and a co**se made from clay so that they can steal the kudung and replace it with the co**se.
Once in the Dema Lhakhang, they made hole, the size of the kudung, and pulled up the kudung with the iron rod but realized that only the head would come out and not the whole body.
They were running out of time, so they cut the head of the kudung and replaced it with the clay heard from the co**se. They then put down the kudung with the clay head and sealed the floor of the Dema Lhakhang.
Nobody knew about the act.
During the time, the kudung was offered new Namzha (clothes) every three years. When the Penlop opened the box to offer new Namzha, they were shocked to find the Kudung with a clay head. The penlop tried to take out the clay head but failed. So he kept as it is thinking that it was a lungten (prophecy)
The Dzong administration people became very furious with the people of Pangbisa as no other would have done the ridiculous act than the people of Pangbisa. A war was planned against the people of Pangbisa.
The wise Penlop ordered his people to refrain from war against people of Pangbisa as the Kudung originally belonged to them. He advised them to get a special thing from Pangbisa as a return for the head of the kudung.
The special thing was a golden Reim (Cymbal) that the Terton brought from Lake Gunapata. (it is believed that the Terton threw the other one to save himself when people chased him and the Reim Tsho or the cymbal lake can be seen still today. It is shaped like a cymbal with a slight miraculous bulge in the center)
The Penlop had so much faith in the kudung that he tried to jump into the fire to save the kudung when Paro Dzong was raised by a major fire. The Penlop was knocked unconscious. When he regained his consciousness, the first thing that he asked was whether the kudung could be saved.
It is also said the Penlop did not eat for days as the kudung was lost.
That is how the Golden cymbal came to the Paro Dzong and the kudungโs head remained at Pangbisa. The golden cymbal is used in a special mask dance on the first day of the Paro tshechu which is conducted inside the paro dzong. The head of the kudung can still be found in Pangbisa Ugyen Guru Lhakhang.
I am very fortunate to see the Kudung's head and many Ters revealed by Terton Sherab Mebar at Ugyen Guru Lhakhang. As the Pangbi Lhakhang Lam showed us the Ters one by one, we saw precipitation (Dutsi) of water coming out from the Ters. The Lam concluded that it is good omen and we are lucky to witness. We receives the ribul. In olden days one Pangbi Rilbu was equal to one jersey Ox.
The Ters are exhibited for public viewing during 4th day of 6th Lunar month coinciding with Lord Buddha Turning of Dharma Wheel.
Please visit.
Story courtesy:
1. The Center for Bhutanese Studies
2. Mural of Terton Sherab Membar in Paro Rinpung Dzong by Bhutan Majestic Travel
3. Terton Sherab Mebar and the Golden Cymbal by Gyeltshen U.L. Dorji
Courtesy: Phub Dorjj Wang
