The mountain with tiger strips and hidden treasures

Tang Rimochen is a unique and sacred mountain of Bhutan. Located in Bumthang dzongkhag (district) it is a treasure-trove of interesting tales from the yesteryears. It is also unique owing to an image that adorns some parts of the mountain similar to the strips of a tiger.

Tang Rimochen’s historical account is connected to the 8th century saint Guru Padmasambhava from India and the great master Pema Lingpa from Bhutan of the 14th century. Bhutanese believe that Guru Padmasambhava has hid Dharma treasures inside this sacred mountain. And it has been prophesied that all the holy treasures will be extracted by the Buddhist masters in the years to come. Pema Lingpa was one of the Buddhist masters who was prophesied by Guru Padmasambhava as the extractor of the Dharma treasures.

An interesting tales associated with Tang Rimochen is the night when the holy treasures were extracted by Pema Lingpa from the mountain cliff. Pema Lingpa was accompanied by three of his disciples. He was to rest for the night in a tent which they pitched outside a monastery on the mountain. As the night dawned, the three disciples sewn Pema Lingpa’s tent from outside. They were afraid that their master would extract the treasure without their knowledge and they wanted to witness the event. However, as faith would have it, Pema Lingpa mysteriously came out of the tent and reached the mountain cliff of Tang Rimochen. He then took out a glass vase, shaped like two peacocks’ head intertwined, and pronounced the six-syllable mantra om mani padme hun. The sound of the mantra echoed so loudly waking up Pema Lingpa’s disciples who then saw him descending from the cliff onto a tree top near the tent. The disciples are left astounded. Pema Lingpa is then believed to have walked into the tent through the entrance which was still stitched and comes out of trance. The disciples hurriedly went and cut the ropes. Despite their ill deed, Pema Lingpa had forgiven his disciples. He touched the crowns of their heads with the vase and gave each of them a drop of the holy water. The vase is believed to have been filled with the Water of Long Life, which increased the lifespan and cured the diseases of the ill. It is believed that the mountain of Tang Rimochen is still home to many more treasures which will be unearthed by the great Buddhist masters in the years to come.

An interesting tales associated with Tang Rimochen is the night when the holy treasures were extracted by Pema Lingpa from the mountain cliff. Pema Lingpa was accompanied by three of his disciples.

This mountain is also full of amazing figures of Buddhist deities and many holy caves are visible where great masters meditated. An imprint of an entrance is also visible on a rock which is said to have opened once for a shepherd who entered and disappeared for many decades. It is believed that the shepherd enjoyed the heavenly wealth for many years. When he came out of the entrance he found that his cattle and village had disappeared. What seemed to him to be a few minutes turned out to be many years.

Tang Rimochen is a hidden heavenly realm that has been blessed by Lord Buddha. The mountain also carries the imprint of a seal which Guru Padmasambhava used on many Dharma treasures. These anecdotes and many more strengthens the sacred belief associated with the Tang Rimochen mountain in Bhutan.