Short history behind the Maratika Cave

Loden Chogsey (Padmasambhava) then contemplated, “By Secret Mantra, I will now accomplish the vidyadhara level of longevity beyond birth and death. I must cause all the people of Uddiyana and India to enter the Buddhadharma.”

In order to practice the Secret Mantra, one must have a genuine spiritual consort, so he went to the country of Zahor. Here Vihardhara, the king of Zahor, had a daughter called Mandarava Flower, a sixteen-year-old maiden endowed with the qualifying marks. Master Padma magnetized her and took her along as his mudra, a spiritual consort and support in practice.
South of Mount Potala, the palace of noble Avalokiteshvara, lies the cave known as Maratika. It faces south and a rain of flowers constantly falls. Enveloped in a dome of rainbows, the scent of incense permeates the air. It has a grove of sandalwood trees and is blessed by the Lords of the Three Families. The master and his consort went to this place and, disclosing the mandalas of Buddha Amitayus, they performed the practice of vidyadhara longevity.

After three months, they had the vision of Amitayus. He placed the nectar-filled vase of immortal life upon the heads of Master Padma and his consort, and by pouring the nectar into their mouths, their bodies became vajra-bodies beyond birth and death. He blessed Master Padma to be the daka Hayagriva and the consort to be Vajra Varahi. Thus, they reached the attainment of vidyadhara life.

From the introduction to The Lotus-Born: The Sanglingma Life Story of Padmasambhava.

More information

More pictures

General statement by Tsele Natsok Rangdrol

The Great Master expressed the real essence of this in his advice named the Precious Garland of Gold:

I, Padmakara, came to benefit Tibet.

By miraculous displays, I have tamed the vicious spirits

And established many destined people on the path of ripening and liberation.

The profound terma teachings shall fill Tibet and Kham with siddhas.

Pass and valley, mountain and cave, everywhere down to the size of a hoof,

I have consecrated to be a place of sadhana.

Creating the auspicious coincidence for lasting peace in Tibet and Kham,

I shall nurture beings with an unceasing stream of emanations.

My kindness to Tibet is great but it will not be appreciated.

From the introduction to The Lotus-Born: The Sanglingma Life Story of Padmasambhava-

The five principal caves of Guru Rinpoche

     The principal meditation caves of Guru Rinpoche are known as The Five Power Places of the Guru. Together with three additional power places they are Eight Solitary Places of Realization, located in Central Tibet, Lhodrak and Bhutan.
     All these cave-hermitages are all places where Guru Rinpoche concealed important terma treasure troves). They all have prophecies associated with treasure that predict the coming of tertons (treasure-finders) who would meditate there and discover the treasures that the Guru concealed. Also, they are power-places that induce dream and vision, and to that extent they are places where Guru Rimpoche had prophecies revealed to him and where he asserted that yogins would attain realization. 

      The Guru's consort , Yeshe Tsogyal, stayed for some time in all of these caves and concealed treasure-texts therein. Some of the Guru's Twenty Five Disciples meditated in these caves after their final initiation, and attained siddhi there. Since the 8th century these caves have been the residence of many important Dzogchen practitioners. 

The Five Guru Rinpoche Power Places:

1. Drak Yongdzong, Power-place of the Guru's Body
2. Samye Chimpu, Power-place of the Guru's Speech
3. Lhodrak Karchu, Power-place of the Guru's Mind
4. Yarlung Shetak , Power-place of the Guru's Qualities
5. Monka Nering Senge Dzong, Power-place of the Guru's Action 

The Eight Solitary Places of Realization:

• above five power-places

     6.  Drakmar Yamalung 
     7.  Monka Sridzong 
     8.  Paro Taktsang Puk

(Based on "The Power-places of Central Tibet" by Keith Dowman)

Welcome!

The blog will be updated soon.