Pharping: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 10:01, 25 February 2012

Home to the Rigpa Shedra: the Palyul Retreat Centre

Pharping, a town south of Kathmandu in Nepal, is identified with the sacred site of Yangleshö (Wyl. yang le shod), where Guru Padmasambhava attained the level of a Mahamudra vidyadhara. Yangleshö is thus, according to Katok Rigdzin Tsewang Norbu, considered to be for Vajrayana practitioners as important as Bodhgaya because it is where the second buddha Guru Padmasambhava attained the state of enlightenment.

There are two major practice caves in Pharping blessed by Guru Rinpoche: the Asura cave and the Yangleshö cave. At the bottom of the flight of stairs climbing up to the Asura cave is an old and important Vajrayogini temple, the Pharping Vajravarahi temple. Other stairs also lead up to the cave. They start towards the end of the village, at Ralo Rinpoche's monastery and start by a shrine containing a self-arisen Tara on the side of an image of Ganesha. To the south of the village is the temple of Dakshinkali, one of the four Kalis surrounding the Kathmandu valley. Pharping also has several monasteries, temples and retreat centres, including Chatral Rinpoche's monastery, and the Palyul Retreat Centre, which is the residence of Khenpo Namdrol Rinpoche and home to the Rigpa Shedra.

Pharping is known to the Tibetans as Yanglseshö, and to the Nepali as Pharping (pronouce "farping"). It was also known as Phamting because it is the birthplace of the Phamtingpa, the heart-son of Naropa, and his brothers.

Pharping has not only been blessed by the master of Oddiyana's practice with his consort Shakyadevi, the daughter of the king of Phamting, and his attainment of the vidyadhara level of Mahamudra, it has been also visited by many great beings, like long term resident Marpa Lotsawa, who practised, made offerings, ganachakra feasts, aspiration prayers and so on.

Teachings Given to the Rigpa Sangha

Orgyen Tobgyal Rinpoche, Berkeley, 15 September 1996 (Rinpoche briefly discusses the exact location of Guru Rinpoche's attainment of the mahamudra vidyadhara stage)

External Links

OpenStreetMap

The map of Pharping shows the location of the Rigpa Shedra.

Google Earth

Use Google Earth for a view on the retreat centre: Shedra East at Palyul Retreat Centre.

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 [[image:Palyul.jpg|right|thumb|400px|Home to the [[Rigpa Shedra]]: the [[Palyul Retreat Centre]]]]
-'''Pharping''', a town south of Kathmandu in Nepal, is identified with the sacred site of '''Yangleshö''' ([[Wyl.]] ''yang le shod''), where Guru [[Padmasambhava]] attained the level of a [[Mahamudra vidyadhara]]. Yangleshö is thus considered to be the second [[Bodhgaya]] because it is where Guru Padmasambhava attained the state of [[enlightenment]].
+'''Pharping''', a town south of Kathmandu in Nepal, is identified with the sacred site of '''Yangleshö''' ([[Wyl.]] ''yang le shod''), where Guru [[Padmasambhava]] attained the level of a [[Mahamudra vidyadhara]]. Yangleshö is thus, according to [[Katok Rigdzin Tsewang Norbu]], considered to be for [[Vajrayana]] practitioners as important as [[Bodhgaya]] because it is where the second [[buddha]] Guru Padmasambhava attained the state of [[enlightenment]].
+There are two major practice caves in Pharping blessed by Guru Rinpoche: the [[Asura cave]] and the [[Yangleshö cave]]. At the bottom of the flight of stairs climbing up to the Asura cave is an old and important [[Vajrayogini]] temple, the [[Pharping Vajravarahi temple]]. Other stairs also lead up to the cave. They start towards the end of the village, at [[Ralo Rinpoche]]'s monastery and start by a shrine containing a [[Pharping self-arisen Tara|self-arisen Tara]] on the side of an image of [[Ganapati|Ganesha]]. To the south of the village is the temple of [[Dakshinkali]], one of the four Kalis surrounding the Kathmandu valley. Pharping also has several monasteries, temples and retreat centres, including [[Chatral Rinpoche]]'s monastery, and the [[Palyul Retreat Centre]], which is the residence of [[Khenpo Namdrol]] Rinpoche and home to the [[Rigpa Shedra]].
+Pharping is known to the Tibetans as Yanglseshö, and to the Nepali as Pharping (pronouce "farping"). It was also known as Phamting because it is the birthplace of the [[Phamtingpa]], the  heart-son of [[Naropa]], and his brothers.
+Pharping has not only been blessed by the master of Oddiyana's practice with his consort [[Shakyadevi]], the daughter of the king of Phamting, and his attainment of the [[Mahamudra vidyadhara|vidyadhara level of Mahamudra]], it has been also visited by many great beings, like long term resident [[Marpa Lotsawa]], who practised, made offerings, [[tsok|ganachakra feasts]], aspiration prayers and so on.
-There are two major practice caves in Pharping blessed by Guru Rinpoche: the [[Asura cave]] and the [[Yangleshö cave]]. Pharping also has several monasteries, temples and retreat centres, including an important [[Vajrayogini]] temple, [[Chatral Rinpoche]]'s monastery, and the [[Palyul Retreat Centre]], which is the residence of [[Khenpo Namdrol]] Rinpoche and home to the [[Rigpa Shedra]].
 ==Teachings Given to the Rigpa Sangha==
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 *{{LH|topics/pilgrimage/praise-yanglesh%C3%B6|Praise of Yangleshö by Jamyang Khyentse Chökyi Lodrö}}
 *[http://shedratalk.blogspot.com/2011/03/buddhist-holy-sites-of-nepal-pharping.html Buddhist Holy Sites of Nepal - Pharping by Stefan Mang]
+*[http://www.nekorpa.org Nekorpa]
 ===OpenStreetMap===
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 [[Category:Places]]
 [[Category:Nepal]]
+[[Category:Pilgrimage]]
 [[Category:Google-Earth]]