Illustration of the Supreme Deity Sangpo Bumtri from an old Yungdrung Bon text
Sipa Sangpo Bumtri, Deity of Phenomenal Existence, is one of the Four Transcendent Lords of the Yungdrung Bön. The other three are The Great Deity Shenlha Ökar, The Great Mother of Space Satrik Ersang and Lord Tönpa Shenrap Miwoche. These Four Deities are traditionally displayed together in every Yungdrung Bön temple and are often surrounded by the 1,000 Enlightened Beings.
This mountain hermitage was founded by the great master Shardza Tashi Gyaltsen in 1890 at the age of 33. It is located in the Kham region of Tibet on the Northeast bank of the Dzachu river and is inaccessible by vehicle. The place where Shardza lived and meditated is located further up the mountain and referred to as the ‘upper hermitage’, or Dechen Ritro, the mountain hermitage of great bliss. Below, is the ‘lower hermitage’ consisting of the temple where he taught his disciples as well as a small printing house.
(The temple at Shardza Hermitage)
During Shardza’s lifetime, the hermitage only housed a few of his disciples. Now, however, it is a famous pilgrimage place for both Bönpo and for Buddhist. It is also a place for personal retreat, especially long-term. Because it is a hermitage rather than a monastery, retreatants provide for their own food and necessities although laypeople do offer some donations of meat and roasted barley flour, or tsampa, a traditional Tibetan food.
(Statue of the famous yogi, scholar, and lama, Shardza Tashi Gyaltsen)
In 1934 at the age of 76, Shardza Tashi Gyaltsen attained the rainbow body as a sign of his great realization. Rainbow light was seen coming from the tent where he had retreated, and upon entering the space, his disciples discovered that his body had shrunk to the proportional size of a 1 year old and that it was levitating above his meditation seat. His remains were placed in a reliquary chorten which has been seen to emit rays of clear or rainbow colored light.
(The actual holy place at Shardza Hermitage where Shardza Tashi Gyaltsen attained the rainbow body of light.)
The current successor of Shardza Tashi Gyaltsen at the hermitage is Gyaltsab Thutop Namgyal.
One of the Four Immeasurable Qualities is ‘Joy‘. In the Tibetan language, it is ‘Gawa‘. Gawa is the practice and aspiration that all beings have the experience of joy and happiness and have the causes for joy and happiness. This includes the practice of feeling joy for the success of others rather than jealousy or competition. The practitioner feels for their success and cultivates the wish that the success and accomplishments of others will continually increase. The practitioner also practices the intention that all actions arising from one’s body, speech and mind will support the joy and happiness of all beings that one encounters either directly or indirectly.
Stones carved with the mantra OM MA TRI MU YE SA LE DU bless the landscape in Dolpo, Nepal.
In the Tibetan language, the word “Lama” is a compound of the words “La” and “Ma”. The word “La” in Tibetan is spelled bla. This word refers to something that is higher, in position and/or in virtue and spirituality and generally refers to someone who has taken on the responsibility of guiding others. This is also the term that is used for the equivalent of “soul” in English, although the meanings are slightly different. The word “Ma” means mother. Therefore, “Lama” refers to someone that is higher in spiritual development who guides followers.
Nine Ways 