Dzichen
Located in Serta, Golok. Dzichen is a valley adjacent to the Ser Chu, not far from Larung Gar. In 1862, the Indian master Hungkara appeared to Düdjom Lingpa, who was then twenty-seven and residing around Dröpuk Khandro Düling. He said to him, ‘Go to Dzichen and do two one-month retreats.’, but it is not known if he went there at that time.
Later, in 1881, while Düdjom Lingpa had settled in Lama Rung, Dzichen Torchen Lhamo—the local protector of the Dzichen valley—started to create dangerous obstacles to his consorts, daughters and female helpers. To overcome the situation, Düdjom Lingpa sent a curse to Dzichen Torchen Lhamo, and expelled her from Serta through wrathful activity. In 1886, the Washul leader came back, Sönam Norbu, pleading to let her come back to their sacred land, which Düdjom Lingpa agreed.
At that time, Düdjom Lingpa wrote what happened,
“On the twenty-sixth day of the sixth month [1886], I went with a few friends to a mountain peak in the area where had I liberated the witch Dzichen Torchen Lhamo. When I called out, “Goddess of the tree of Dzichen, come up here!” three times, there was a loud sound accompanied by a dark whirlwind as a portent that she was coming. It swirled from the arena of the sky and descended down into the forest. Everyone witnessed that.”
Since the early 8th century, Tibetans and Himalayan people have treasured "Namtars" as written or spoken narratives that demonstrate the realization of the Buddhist path by exceptional practitioners. These namtars, or spiritual biographies, serve as inspirational guides on the path to enlightenment.
Today, Namtars Foundation aims to record, preserve, and freely offer the world a written and electronic treasury of the oral wisdom of Tibetan and Himalayan Buddhism.
