-Written by Rinchen Angmo
It’s been two years since my visit to Tashiding in Sikkim. Everytime I look back to that day, I feel grateful. And every now and then it’s important to reflect on all that one is grateful for.
Tashiding hill was visited and blessed by Guru Rinpoche in the 8th century A.D. The monastery itself was built on the site around the 17th century A.D. according to a few sources. Perched on a hilltop, Tashiding monastery is a blessed treasure. The road goes upto a certain extent, after which one has to walk on a beautiful stepped path leading to the monastery. On the day I visited, the sky was clear and beautiful. We made our prayers at the various lakhangs. Then, one of the monks conducted prayers for us and then we made kora (circumambulations) around the monastery premises. We also paid our respects to the rock where Yeshe Tsogyal, one of Guru Rinpoche’s primary students, had meditated.
This visit to Tashiding was somehow for me like the beginning of a new chapter. And going there brought a renewed sense of hope in my heart.
According to Tibetan Buddhist beliefs, getting to visit a holy Buddhist site is a consequence of merit accumulated across lifetimes and a chance to not only renew that merit but also to reflect on one’s journey. When I visited Tashiding, I was compelled to reflect on the message that Guru Rinpoche’s teachings convey. This reflection automatically inspired me to focus on what is important. What is important.. well, isn’t that a journey each one of us must embark on?
Through my experiences, I feel that pilgrimages become opportunities for self reflection and introspection. The very process of journeying to and getting to visit a Buddhist pilgrimage site, compels you to reflect on tenets that you don’t usually reflect on in day to day life and it fills your mind with a sense of peace. After all, we cannot but accept that many things are intangible and those can only be understood through experiences. My visit to Tashiding monastery was definitely one such blessed opportunity.
Sikkim as a whole has been blessed by Guru Rinpoche beyond measure. Many termas have been hidden in Sikkim by Guru Rinpoche. Termas are intangible treasures like prayers and teachings that are revealed at right moments by tertons (treasure revealers, who are highly learned Buddhist practitioners). As someone who has always revered Guru Rinpoche, visiting Sikkim was indeed a calling. For Buddhists, Tashiding monastery is a gem blessed by Guru Rinpoche. For non-Buddhists it is a beautiful place replete with history and heritage. Either way, I assure you that a visit to Tashiding monastery is a must; for me, it was definitely a most blessed visit.
