Sense of God in Ladakh's Monasteries,in Indian Army and in BRO’s Heroic Service
Spituk Monastery
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| Spituk Monastery (Photo: commons.wikimedia.org) |
Spituk Monastery is on a hill and is located about 8 km away from Leh. It is situated at a height of 3,307 meters (10,852 feet) above sea level. It is also known as Spituk or Pethup Gompa (Gonpa). If you look above, you see the snow-capped peaks of the Himalayas and if you look below you’ll get a breathtakingly beautiful view of the Indus valley. The river Indus flows behind the monastery. The monastery was built in the 11th century.
As we climbed up the rectangular stone steps
we came across prayer wheels frequently at each landing. There are shaded
seating arrangements at the commencement of the climb for those not preferring
the ascent. The climbing up is indeed steep because of the high steps. The
ascent is organized in such a way that there is a series of irregular levels
with short flight of steps. Though it was very arduous we climbed to the top
but some of us had to frequently sit on the steps for some time to catch our
breaths. While climbing down we could enjoy the white, pink and mauve cosmos flowers
bordering the steps.
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| Display Board Highlighting the History |
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| Architectural Beauty |
On the pinnacle of the
monastery is the Kalika Mandir/Kali Temple which is dedicated to Vajrabhairava Deity.
The faces of the idols were covered and they would be opened only during
festivities. Many monasteries had such Kalika Mandirs on the highest peak, as a
tutelary deity guarding the premises, a protector. Since the puja was done by tantric, so the faces of the idols were
covered as our guide told us and they would be unveiled only during festivals.
There is a huge terrace attached to this section. And the view is stupendous. On one side are
the snowy mountains against an ultramarine sky and the Indus River flowing
silently. On the other side is the Indus valley resplendent with greenery and
human habitation.
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| The Indus Valley |
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| Plantation and Human habitation in the Valley |
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| The Indus River |
Hemis Monastery
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Hemis Monastery Hidden in the Himalayas (Photo: Kmohankar) |
On the way back from Pangong Lake, we went to Hemis Monastery. It is located 45 km from Leh. It is situated on the highlands of Ladakh Himalayas, along the west bank of Indus River. The road leading towards it is enchanting through hills and green valleys. As you proceed towards Hemis you will come across River Indus flowing as a narrow strip along the side of the road .There are forests of juniper, birch and poplar trees and small villages in valleys.
History
The history of the monastery is elaborately inscribed in
display boards in the complex in which it is said that Gyalwa Gotsanpa Gonpo
Dorje came to Ladakh in the 13th century and established the Drukpa
lineage here. According to historians, this monastery existed before the 11th
century. Naropa is associated with Hemis Monastery. He was an ancient Buddhist scholar who also
presided over the operations of Bihar’s Nalanda University’s monastery as a
chancellor (abbot). He left the place when Nalanda University was destroyed by
Turkish and Afghan forces. It is said that he travelled far and wide to
find a secluded place to build the monastery so that it would be hidden from
public view and would not be invaded by foreign aggressors. This might be the
reason why he went to Hemis where he met yogi Tilopa, the tantric master, considered to be the founding father of Kagyu
lineage of the Himalayan esoteric Buddhism. Hence Hemis is the main seat of the
Kagyu lineage of Tibetan Buddhism. The monastery was re-established in 1672 by
the Ladakhi king, Sengge Namgyal.Hemis monastery is of the Drukpa lineage or
Dugpa or Red Hat sect.
Description
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| Entrance of Hemis Monastery (Photo:Bernard Gagnon) |
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| Courtyard of Hemis Monastery (Photo:rajendranathbanerjee.com) |
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| Statue of Buddha (Photo:Reflectionsbyprajakta) |
Since the monastery was mostly invisible to the outside world, hidden by the tall, barren mountains, it was never plundered by the invaders. Therefore, it is the wealthiest one in Ladakh and the largest Monastic Institution in Ladakh.
The monastery is large. From the courtyard a flight of steps
lead to the main prayer Hall where there is a huge, golden statue of Lord
Buddha.
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| Lord Buddha inside the Monastery (Photo:Reflectionsbyprajakta) |
The museum on one side of the courtyard is wonderful with a lot of exhibits. It contains historical and religious paintings (Thangkas), weapons, large collections of Buddhist relics, historical scrolls, precious idols and ancient items. Outside the museum there is a shop selling souvenirs.
Hemis Monastery is famous for the two-day Hemis festival which
falls in June-July according to the 5th month of the Tibetan
calendar. It is dedicated to the birth anniversary celebration of Lord
Padmasambhava (Guru Rinpoche) who was an 8th century Buddhist master
from the Indian subcontinent. According to legend he defeated the dark forces
with the help of Vajrayana Buddhism.
The ceremonies begin early morning in the sprawling courtyard
with the playing of musical instruments. The portrait of ‘Rygyalsras Rinpoche’
is displayed so that the assembled gathering can worship Him. The mask dances
are the highlight of the festival. They are known as Cham performance and this
is essentially a Tantric tradition. These dances are performed only in those
gompas which follow the tantric Vajrayana
teachings and where the monks perform tantric
worship. It is believed that celebrating the Hemis festival bestows good
health and spiritual strength.
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| Guru Rinpoche (Photo: John Hill) |
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| Amphitheatre-like Structure on the Mountain |
BRO -- Border Road Organization
Himank or Project Himank is a project of BRO in the Ladakh
region that started in August 1985. Its main role is "constructing
operational road infrastructure for the armed forces in inhospitable far flung
border areas including the world’s highest motorable roads across the Khardung La,
Tanglang La and Chang La.…”It is only due to Himank that the Indian army could
get access to Siachen Glacier (the world’s highest battle ground), and Pangong
Tso. In BRO’s signboards we could see the mention of Himank and on some
signboards it was written ‘Mountain Tamers’ which is a nickname for BRO.
BRO has done a wonderful job by making roads through the
uninhabitable parts of the country; so remote that for great stretches no living
being could be seen; neither human beings not cattle. All the roads are good, much,
much better than potholed roads in cities. The working season for BRO is only
four months because for the rest of the year the roads are blocked due to snowfall
and extreme cold climate. Between 1987 and 2002 at least 124 Himank personnel
were killed on duty in Ladakh which included 5 officers.
They are not only content in building roads in such hazardous
conditions but also caution us to safeguard ourselves. With superb witticism
BRO has analyzed SPEED: Stupid People Ending Everyone’s Days.
The signboards of BRO also speak volumes about their poetic
bent and their sense of humor:
Speed is a
knife
Which cuts
through life.
*
Better to
be Mr.Late
Than to be late Mr.
*
Safety on
Road is
‘Safe tea’
at home.
*
After
whisky
Driving
risky.
*
Indian Army
While travelling through desolate, curly roads with hairpin
bends or climbing up the challenging passes, nearly at every dangerous juncture
we encountered the Indian army. It was very reassuring to see the army
providing free tea in the chilling climate of Chang La or standing guard in
Godforsaken places. In some remote areas there were tea stalls of the basic
type and the facilities attached to them were dismal. In one halt, the bathroom
was behind a makeshift tin shed with a pit dug in the ground and covered with a
tin can. This showed that development was very far away in some places in
Ladakh. But the army personnel were doing their duty in spite of such
challenging conditions. When the journey through the unending, risky road
was tiresome and fearful then it was inspiring to see an army check post in a
barren tract and two soldiers standing on either side of the road with the
national flag held aloft.
Lord Buddha had said, “Every morning we are born again. What we do today is what matters most.” The monks in the monasteries have the bare minimum of
material possessions needed to live their life. They have given up
their families and society and embraced God. They do selfless meditation for the betterment of the whole world. They attain enlightenment to help others, they
meditate for world peace. According to Lord Buddha's teachings, Buddhist monks are taught to focus on one thing at a
time peacefully and with sustained
concentration. “Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future,
concentrate the mind on the present moment.”
If the monks have an appointment with God everyday, BRO and
Indian army have an appointment with life every single moment. They are doing noble service to the country of not only safeguarding the
integrity and security of the nation but also uniting India. They live in
isolation, without their families. Danger is their companion. They work hard,
without impressing or distracting people with their showiness. 'There is nowhere else to be, nothing else to
do, except the work at hand'. They also follow Lord Buddha’s teachings through
their work, “What you’ll be is what you do now.”
The monks, the army and BRO personnel exemplify Buddha’s
teaching to the fullest, “Be where you are; otherwise you will miss your life.”
Photographs: Bulbul Sur
