KURJE LHAKHANG
The most sacred temple in the kingdom of Bhutan, containing admirable paintings that provide a better understanding of Buddhist iconography
This is one of the holiest temples in the kingdom of Bhutan. Guru Rinpoche meditated there for so long that he left the imprint of his body on the wall of a cave.
According to the legend, Sindhu Raja, reigning over the Bhumthang Valley in the 8th century, called upon Padmasambhava because the gods had taken away his vital principle. Once cured, the king converted to Buddhism, which spread throughout the valley. The present complex is very important because the Queen Mother had a new temple built there as well as a surrounding wall made of 108 white chörtens.
The first temple on the right would be the oldest. It contains images of the Buddhas of the three times. The second, the most venerated, contains the imprint of Padmasambhava. To the right of the altar, the wall is covered with stucco sculptures illustrating the life of the precious master. A second room houses a monumental statue of Guru Rinpoche, facing north as if to protect the country from possible Tibetan incursions. The third temple, the most recent, houses a very imposing image of Padmasambhava.
On the other side of the bridge, opposite Kuje Lhakhang, halfway up the hill, it is possible to reach the small Padmasambhava Lhakhang, built on one of Padmasambhava's meditation places.
It is then necessary to go along the torrent again, to reach Tamshing Gompa. This temple would have been founded in the 16th century by the saint Pemalingpa, famous terton. The tertons, discoverers of hidden manuscripts, are very important figures in the history of Lamaism because it is on them, as it were, that the evolution of the doctrine rests. Indeed, Padmasambhava himself, judging that his time was not favourable to the disclosure of certain texts, would have concealed them so that they could be discovered over the centuries. Thus Pemalingpa, born in the 15th century in central Bhutan, was one of the most important figures in the quest for these treasures. This temple contains admirable paintings that allow a better understanding of Buddhist iconography. Outside the enclosure are the cells of the monks who follow the teachings of Pemalingpa. The paintings on the ground floor, like those on the first floor, belong to the lineage of Pemalingpa's teachings.
The last temple in the valley, Konchogsum Lhakhang, is dedicated to Vairocana Buddha. It is known to house the remains of a bell stolen in Tibet in the 8th century, in which had been hidden from the Terma, the famous manuscripts hidden by Padmasambhava.