The Tibetan Myth of The Hidden Valley in The Visionary Geography of Nepal

The Tibetan Myth of the Hidden Valley in the Visionary Geography of Nepal
Author(s): Giacomella Orofino

Source: East and West, Vol. 41, No. 1/4 (December 1991), pp. 239-271
Published by: Istituto Italiano per l'Africa e l'Oriente (IsIAO)
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The Tibetan Myth of theHidden Valley
in the Visionary Geography of Nepal
by Giacomella Orofino
According to Tibetan legends referred to in the religious tradition of the rNying

ma-pa, the slopes of the Himalayas are scattered with 'hidden lands' {sbas-yul) which
have been rendered inaccessible by the magic of the Tantric yogin Padmasambhava,
so that the faithfulfollowersof dharmamight be able in the futureto findrefugethere
from the enemies of their religion and live a life of happiness, free of all earthly suffering.
Tradition has it that these are places of enchanting beauty which contain a special
energy, 'earthly paradises' inwhich the yogin can achieve complete spiritual fulfilment
and enjoy mystic visions (dag-snang) while those who have led a virtuous life can obtain
eternal youth, beauty, strength and fertility. It is said that contact with one of these
secret valleys eliminates negative thoughts and emotions which cause suffering, and
confers mental clarity and well-being.
representation of nature which emerges from thismyth derives from ancient
The
traditions of mystic geography to be found in many eastern countries (*) and has an
importantplace in the imaginativeworld of thepeoples of the civilizationof Tibet,
who have developed and adapted it to their habitat, according to their own sensibility.
The religious literature concerning the sbas-yul is a part of themuch wider religious
literature of the gter-ma (2) since, according to tradition, these lands were hidden
(*) This work presents the firstresults of a piece of research financedby the IsMEO, begun in
1989 in the Kathmandu where I gathered the oral and written sources studied here.
valley
I wish to expressmy great debt of gratitude to the President of IsMEO, Prof. Gherardo Gnoli,
a precious source of learning and inspiration. Besides I would like to
whose advice has always been
thank Prof. Luciano Petech for the kind assistance he has given me continuously and patiently throughout
my research.
(*) The theme of the hidden land is very close to that of the 'heaven-caves' (tung t'ien) of Chinese
Taoist literature. Esoteric places where the initiation of the adepts took place, places of retreat for the
a magic world,
Immortals, the 'heaven-caves' like the hidden lands, represent perfect and beyond the
ordinary reality of the senses. In the Tale of the Peach-Flowers (Tao-hua yuan-chi) by T'ao Yuan (365-427)
the site of the peach-trees is described as a world of Immortals, a place of a refuge which
happiness,
outside time, to be found in the Hu-nan. There is also another known as the Spring
gives long life, place
of the Peach-trees, to be found in the Ho-nan and which is also described as a place of retreat in times
of trouble. Cf. Stein 1987: 256.
(2) For a treatment of the meaning of gter-ma in Tibetan literature see Dargyay
general religious
1979: 62-81; Prats 1982: 9-20; Dhondup 1982: 57-71.
[1] 239
together with all the other 'treasures', and just as the sacred objects and texts of the
gter-macould only be discovered by thegter-ston(3), so thehidden lands could only
be revealed and made by those with the power to do it.
accessible
The political and social causes which determined the millenarist movement which
influenced Tibetan literature in the 14th century were thoroughly analysed by Giuseppe
Tucci (1949: 112) and more recentlybyM. Brauen-Dolma (1985: 245-56). These
tendencies form the basis of the prophetical texts attributed to Padmasambhava which
describe with great care the causes which will lead the virtuous to the discovery of
the sbas-yulduring the epoch of k?liyuga. In the sBas-yulspyii them-byang (4) it is
related that the timewill come forTibet when the templeswill be destroyed, the laws
will no longer be respected, and the servants will become masters. These will be times
of terrible calamity, when people will sacrifice their own animals, drink blood and
eat fleshof theirown fathers. The followersof Buddha will suffergreat hardship,
and the reign of peace will be at an end, while hatred and disorder will dominate
everywhere. These signs will indicate that the time has come to escape to one of the
hidden lands, hidden by Padmasambhava. These places may be 'opened' only by those
who enjoy the trust of numerous disciples and display greatness of heart. These few
elects will be able to turn aside the curses of the demons by the power of virtue,
abandoning all attachment to phenomenal reality and directing all their energy towards
spiritual advance.
The search for a Lost Paradise is, however, a theme present in many archaic
traditions, as has been pointed out by Mircea Eliade, who recognize it as the 'paradisiacal
syndromeof theGolden Age' (Eliade 1975: 103 ff.). In the analysisof themyth of
the 'Land-without-Evil' of the South American tribes of the Guarani Indians, studied
by theBrazilian ethnologistCurt Nimuendaju in 1912, and referredto by Eliade in
his discussion of the mythical geography and eschatology relating to Paradises and
Utopia (ibid.: 87-111), certain characteristics emerge, surprisingly similar to those of
the Tibetan tradition:
1)The considerableroleplayedby the shamansand prophetsof theGuarani tribes
is the same as that of the Tibetan gter-ston. Just as the gter-ston has the function of
re-discovering the hidden land, the Guarani shaman initiates and guides the expedition
to the Land-without-Evil, following his dreams and visions.
2) The impetus to seek the Secret Paradise is directly linked to the fearof an
imminent catastrophe. For the Guarani tribes the aggravating, but not determining,
(3) In Bon tradition,on the otherhand, thediscoveryof thegter-macould happen quite accidentally
by shepherds, hunters and travellers who just chanced to come across texts which were either abandoned
or just left as objects of worship or hidden in ancient temples, stupas, caves etc. Cf. Karmay 1972: XXXVI
XXXVII.
(4) A gter-ma attributed to Rig-'dzin rGod-ldem 'phru-can (1337-1408), in Byang-gter lugs-kyi rnam
thar dang ma-'ongs lung-bstan, Gangtok 1983: 464-96.
240 [2]
factor was the Portuguese conquest, while in the Tibetan guides to the Hidden Valley
there are references to the Mongol invasions, as we shall see later.
3) The Lost Paradise has a geographicalrealityand identitythoughit isverywell
hidden and can only be reached through an arduous journey of initiation. For both
the Guaranis and the Tibetans it represents a world which is at the same time tangible
and ideal, devoid of physical and mental distress, injustice, poverty, disease and death.
Furthermore in his conclusion on the presentation of Guarani messianism, Mircea
Eliade notes that the myth of the Land-without-Evil is native to the area and not
of Christian origin. It existed well before the arrival of the Portuguese and the first
Jesuit missions. According to him, the belief in the possibility of a periodic return
to an original splendour and perfection, such as it had been before the degeneration
brought about by Time and History, is to be found existing autonomously in many

primitive traditions.
The presence of this same theme in the Tibetan world, so far removed from possible
Christian influences supports this thesis.
The first information of real interest concerning the myth of the hidden lands
was provided in 1912 by J. Bacot (1912: 10-12) in a studyof Pad-ma khod, one of
the best known of the hidden lands of Tibet, situated in the southern part of the country.
He refersto thediscoveryof the land at the end of 19th centuryby a Tibetan lama,
Sang-rgyas rThogs-med, together with a group of monks belonging to his monastery
and their occupation of that site.
In 1975Michael Aris contributedto the studyof themyth of thehidden lands
with his account of an expedition to the region of northernNepal (1975: 45-87)
describing the finding of a sbas-yul in the region of Kutang known as sKyid-mo lung
or 'Valley of Happiness'. As a result of the American expedition itwas possible to
localize the temple of gSer-thang, the principal religious centre of the area, which until
then was unknown, as well as a small settlement of Tibetan culture which housed a
modest collection of Buddhist texts.
Four years later in 1979 Aris made a further notable contribution to the study
of the cult of thehidden land, analysingthe traditionwith regardto themyth of the
origins of the ancient historyof Bhutan (1979: 43-82).
In this important work Aris refers to the literature on mKhan-pa lung, to be found
in the 'corpus' of gter-ma discovered by Padma Gling-pa (1450-1521).
mKhan-pa lung is a high valley in Bhutan, just southof theTibetan border (5).
It is one of the most holy hermitages of Bhutan, famed for having been the retreat
of Me-long rDo-rje (1243-1303), master of the rDzogs-chen tradition and therefore
spiritual, forerunner of Pad-ma Gling-pa.
In 1978 an American anthropologist, Johan Reinhard, described the discovery
of a hidden valley in Nepal in an area in the vicinity of Mount Everest, deep in the
(3) Aris (1979: 308 fn.) refersto a journeyundertakenbyMichael Oppiz and Charlotte Hardman
in search of this valley in Bhutan.
[3] 241
subtropical forest, near the confluence of the Aruna and Chooyang rivers (Reinhard
1978: 5-35).
The name of the land mKhan-pa lung is the same as the one belonging to the
Bhutanese tradition. The territory explored was inhabited by a group of Sherpa families
who had migrated to that area from Solu, the region south of the Everest, and was
theobjectof pilgrimageby thepeoples ofTibetan culturewho dwelt in theneighbouring
areas. The research group, from their questioning of the local lamas, were able to
recount some oral traditions relating to the myth. The American expedition made
use of the discovery of two guides to the valley known as mKhan-pa lung written in
Tibetan, attributed to gter-ston Rig-dzin rGod-ldem (1377-1410) (6).
In 1980 Edwin Bernbaun, in a work on Sham-bha-la (1980: 53-77), the mythical
kingdom connected to the Tantric Cycle of Kdlacakra, related a journey of his toNepal
in searchof a hidden valley,which followed the direction of theTibetan text sBas
yul mkhan-pa lung-gi lam yig. On this expedition the author succeeded in penetrating
to a region bordering on the zone already discovered by J. Reinhard, and hitherto
unexplored by Westerners.In his works he cites some oral sources concerning the
myth of the hidden lands: according to the Tibetan Lamas questioned the perception
of the secret lands varies according to the individual level of understanding. Following
a scheme widespread in Tibetan esotericism three levels are envisaged: an external
one, an internal one, and a secret one. The external one can be perceived by ordinary
sensory experience and allows the vision of a peaceful and fertile valley, but does not
confer any spiritual power. The internal one can be enjoyed only by the yogin, who
can receive from the vision of the inner secret land a strengthening of his spiritual
powers as well as the possibility of finding secret treasures, hidden sacred texts and
everykind of tangiblegood, all ofwhich will make the initiationjourneyeasier. The
secret level can be perceived only by those who have reached a high level of spiritual
fulfilment, and who can enter a condition of intense mystic ecstasy and gain access
to highly esoteric teachings. At the deepest level the hidden valley corresponds to
the earth and mind of the yogin who will no longer differentiate in any way between
himself and the outside world: in thisway he will have reached the 'hidden valley
of suchness', the place of ultimate reality {ibid.: 62).
The secret land becomes a vision, and in the same way its geography becomes
a visionary geography, to use the formulation adopted by Henry Corbin in his work
on the traditional Iranian cosmology (Corbin 1979).
(6) sBas-yul mkhan-pa lung-gi gnas yig mthong-ba don-ldan bzhugs-so and sBas-yul mkhan-pa lung-gi nub
sgo Ide-mig. In her article Reinhard (1978: 15) quotes a rough translation of the texts to give a general
idea of their content for non-specialist readers: The translation provided here is not a labouriously exact
one, but is intended to provide the non-specialist reader with the gist of the text. It is hoped that eventually
a Tibetan will provide a more exact translation with detailed explanatory notes. This text
specialist
can thenbe comparedwith others and thiswill doubtless solve some of the translationdifficultieswe
encountered'.
242 [4]
An important contribution to knowledge of religious traditions still extant among
theethnicgroupof theKhumbo in theArun valley, isprovided by the anthropologist
Hildegard Diemberger in her forthcoming works, which came out of an extensive piece
of research (begun in 1982) carried out in eastern Nepal and southern Tibet with the
support of the Austrian Ministry of Science and research and with the support of the
Prof. Ardito Desio Ev-K2-CNR project (seeDiemberger 1991; forthcoming
A, B;
Diemberger & Schicklgruber forthcoming).
During my latest study trip to Nepal I had the opportunity of meeting various
Lamas, including sTeng-bo-che Rinpoche, Nga dbang bstan'dzin zhang-bu, the abbot
of the Sherpa monastery of sTeng-bo-che at the foot of Everest and the lama 'Khrul
zhig Rin-po-che one of the most distinguished exponents of the tradition of the rNying
ma-pa, now head of the monastery of Thub-bstan chos-gling in Solu. From them I
was able to gather interesting oral sources on the myth of mKhan-pa lung in Nepal.
In addition thanks to the work carried out by the Nepal German Manuscript
Preservation Project I had the opportunity of coming into possession of rare literary
material concerning the sbas-yul and, in particular, the Nepalese tradition relating to
mKhan-pa lung.
The aim of this study is to contribute to the knowledge of this theme,which
has such importance in the world of Himalayan religion, by describing the oral sources
gathered on the spot and analysing the guides to the hidden valley attributed to gter
ston Rig-'dzin rGod-ldem.
One of the versions of the myth relating to the genesis of the myth of mKhan-pa
lung, the 'Hidden valley of Artemisia' situated in the Khumbu region of Nepal, belongs
to a cycle of oral legends brought to my attention by the abbot of the monastery of
sTeng-bo-che.
According to the legend, Padmasambhava, having obtained the power of

immortality in the cave of Ma-ra-ti-ka (7), took flight to the cave known as A-dkar
phug in the Khumbu region, where he remained in meditation for three days. There
he subdued the spiritswho haunted theplace and foretoldthathe would hide a land
in that valley where future generations of the faithful would be able to find refuge.
(7) This cave, locallyknown as Halashe, is stillan object of pilgrimageby theTibetan faithful. It
region, a few kilometers
is situated in the Solu from Lamidanda, a small centre of habitation, linked
by air with Kathmandu. In 1985 I had the opportunity to visit the place: there are two large caverns,
in one of which the lightpours in froma huge gap overhead and which represents for the faithfulthe
point fromwhich Padmasambhava levitated in flighttogetherwith thed?kiniMand?rava afterachieving
the siddhiof immortality;in theother, according topopular tradition,is preserved thevessel of longevity
(rtse-bum) of Padmasambhava. In this cave the pilgrims perform a ritual circuambulation a
along path
difficult of access, marked out by stalactites and stalagmites. It is considered a place in which those
who have led a virtuous life can have their wishes fulfilled. It is a centre of pilgrimage well-known to
Tibetans who to thisday make the journeythereon foot to obtain long life,health and fertility.During
my journey I was accompanied by the Lama dPal-spungs dBon-rgan Rin-po-che who was performing this
pilgrimage.
[5] 243
In themeantime the King of Tibet Khri-srong lde-btsan had taken towife bZa'-mkhar,
a young Tibetan girl, but for three years the King had no contact with his wife, leaving
her sad and lonely.
During thisperiod theQueen coupled by day with a dog and by nightwith a
goat: ten months later she gave birth to a child with the face of a dog and the horns
of a goat, who was called rGyal-po Khi-kha Ra-dza. At first the Queen succeeded
inhiding the child fromtheKing, but when the child grewup to become a youthof
a base and cruel disposition, Padmasambhava suggested to the Queen that she remove
him fromtheCourt and had theyouth flyto the landofmKhan-pa lung: in thisvalley
he constructed a palace for rGyal-po Khi-kha Ra-dza where the youth could live for
a certain period. After a few years Padmasambhava returned to the castle inmKhan
pa lung and decided to remove the animal-prince and his people from the palace.
To this end he called rGyal-po Khi-kha Ra-dza out of his palace, but on his return
had ithidden by clouds so that the youngprincewas unable to find it. In thisway
the valley of mKhan-pa lung was hidden as a sbas-yul for the future. rGyal-po Khi
kha Ra-dza was forced to live the lifeof a vagabond in thevalleys ofNepal until he
met his death at Dolal
ghat near Kathmandu. From then on, according to the oral
tradition, mKhan-pa lung remained hidden as a sbas-yul in theHimalayas, at the hearth
a
of mystic mandala made up of other hidden lands, still unexplored and closed toman.
This story, although well-known to oral tradition, does not appear in the gter-ma
cycle relating to mKhan-pa lung of the Nepalese tradition, attributed to Rig-'dzin

rGod-ldem. In the third chapter of sBas yul mkhan-pa lung-gis lam-yig sa-dpyad dang
bcas-pa bzhugs (fols. 10b ff.) on the Iho'i rgyal-yulmkhan-pa lung (the southern entrance)
there are references to King Khi-kha Ra-thod, but the origins of the sbas-yul is not
told. There is on the other hand a very detailed account of it in the Bhutanese version
of Pad-ma Gling-pa studied by Aris (1979: 60-81). Pad-ma Gling-pa was the first to
recount this myth, using material belonging to the popular tradition of Bhutan.
However as Aris draws to our attention, the basis of the myth of Khi-kha Ra-thod
can be found in the legend of Vairocana, one of the disciples of Padmasambhava, as
we can see from the two gter-ma of O-rgyan Gling-pa (b.1323), the literary cycle of
bTsun-mo bka-thang and the Pad-ma thang-yig (8).
This legend spread from Bhutan towards the East among the Sherdukpen
peoples who live in the Kameng territory of Arunachal Pradesh, who have handed
down a much modified version, containing elements deriving from other myths
(Sharma 1961: 50).
In Aris's opinion the legend also spread to theWest towards Nepal, as is confirmed
by the oral sources cited above.

Aris (1979: 60 ff.) attributesto Padma Gling-pa (1450-1521), an exponent of
the Bhutanese religious life (9), the origin of the literature relating to mKhan-pa lung.
(8) On this subject see Blondeau 1976: 109-19.

(9)On Padma Gling-pa see also the recent studyby Aris 1988: 15-106.
244 [6]
Although the texts of the Nepalese tradition of the myth are attributed to Rig-'dzin
rGod-ldem, who precedes Padma Gling-pa by seventy-three years, Aris suggests that
these are late revisions of the material of Pad-ma Gling-pa (ibid.: 81).
An analysis of the first chapter of the text, sBas-yul mkhan-pa lung-gi gnas-yig
sa-dpyad dang bcas-pa bzhugs (fols. lb ff.), in another version called sBas-yul mkhan-pa
lung-gi gnas-yig mthong-ba don-ldan bzhugs, on the other hand, could suggest a different
hypothesis viz that the Nepalese version might be autonomous and chronologically
anterior to the Bhutanese version.
In this text, a translation of which is given below, is to be found a version of
differentfromthatof theBhutanese
theoriginof themythofmKhan-pa lungcompletely
tradition.
The text recounts how one day Sakro-devendrah offered five hundred lotus flowers
to Avalokitesvara and his consort who dwelt in the Paradise of dGal-ldan. One of
these flowers rose from the bunch and settled on the heart of the Bodhisattva, while
all the others were scattered into space towards the South. Then Avalokitesvara foretold
that wherever the flowers which were scattered through the universe should settle
on the Earth, there would be born centres of Buddhist doctrines, one for each flower,
inhabitedby theBodhisattva and by practisingBuddhists.Wherever the flower
which
had settled on his heart should come to earth, however, there would arise a hidden
valley, an undefiled places of pure prayer, surrounded by high snow-capped mountains,
which would be known as mKhan-pa lung. When the Bodhisattva had pronounced
his prophecy the lotus flower rose from his heart and came to earth on the border
between India, Nepal and Tibet.
As Aris himself acknowledges (1979: 82) (10) the figureofRig-'dzin rGod-ldem
and his work need to be analysed before we can reach any historical conclusions on
the origins of the myth of mKhan-pa lung in Nepal.
Rig-'dzin chen-po dNgos-grub rgGyal-mtshan, alias Rig-'dzin rGod-ldem, is
celebrated in theTibetan world as one of theprinciple figuresof the traditionof the
rNying-ma-pa, the discoverer of a vast literature of gter-ma known as byang-gter or the
Northern tradition. He was born in 1337 in the Tho-gyor nag-po region in the village
of Ri-bo bkra-bzang (n), of the sNa-mo lung family.
According to the biographical traditionhanded down by one of his disciples,
S?ryabhadra (Nyi-ma-bzang-po)(12) and by bDud'joms Rin-po-che (1910-1987) (13)
(10)The key probably lies in the figureofRig-'dzin rGod-ldem and, if theyexist, inhis biography
and the corpus of discoveries properly attributed to him [...]. If they [i.e. the guides to Nepalese mKhan
?
pa-lung Ed.] can be shown to be authentic finds of rGod-ldem then there must be a different explanation
for their diffusion'.
(n) See Ferrari& Petech 1958: 65, 153 fn. 539.

(12) Cf. sPrul-sku rig-'dzin rgod-lkyi Idem 'phru-can-gyi mam-thar gsal-byed nyi-ma 'od-zer, Paro
(Bhutan) and Delhi 1985, fols. 83 ff.
(13) In Dargyay 1977: 129-32.
[7] 245
in 1366 rGod-ldem received crucial information for discovering three important gter
ma and a hundred minor gter-ma. In the same year he 'rediscovered' in the cave of
Zang-zang lha brag in Lho-brag (14) the important literary collection known as mDzod
Inga (the five treasures), concerning the Tantric cycle Vajrakila, the doctrine of cause
and effect (las-rgyu-'bras), the Tantric practice bsnyen-sgrub, the evaluation of auspicious
omens (rten-'brel), the treatise bgegs-thal-bar-rlog-pa'i-chos and the important collection
of texts Kun-bzang dgongs-pa zang-thal (S?ryabhadra: fols. 41-42).
In the above-mentioned hagiographies it is also related that he obtained the 'key'
to bring to light the seven most important hidden lands, including rGyal-kyi mkhan
pa lung, the valley studied here.
The same informationis also to be found inhis biography,writtenby the fifth
Dalai Lama were the seven sbas-yul are thus listed:
? 'Bras-mo ljongs (in Sikkim),
?
bDe-ldan skyid-mo lung (in the region of Kutang, in northern Nepal, cf. supra p. 3),
?
sBas-pa padma'i tshal,
? to local Tibetans, westward the
Rol-pa mkha'-'gro'i gling (a holy place, wellknown
Everest region, it is mentioned in the first page of the text here studied).
?
rGyal-kyi mkhan-pa lung,
?
lHa'i pho-brang dings,
? Gro-mo khud (in the Chumbi valley). (Cf. Schwieger 1985: XXXVII).
Some of these hidden lands belong to the border area between Nepal and Tibet,
they demonstrate how familiar rGod-kyi Idem 'phru-can was with the regions.
In the second half of his lifehe went to the thenunknown valley of Sikkim,
sources confirm
'opening' the hidden land known as sbas-yul 'Bras-mo ljongs. Local
this information related by S?ryabhadra and bDud-'joms Rin-po-che. In the great stupa
are preserved the bones of the
near Gangtok, according to the lamas who live there,
saint, Rig-'dzin rGod-ldem, the first man to 'open' the hidden land of Sikkim.
Even earlier than Padma Rig-'dzin rGod-ldem was one of the first in
Gling-pa,
the religioushistoryof Tibet to have brought to the cult of thehidden valleys that
messianic character which has since then made the lands seem a more
than ideal refuge
to be sought in times of political troubles. The opening of the sbas-yul 'Bras-mo ljongs
can certainly be thought in such term as Schwieger {ibid.) also suggests. As far as
I am concerned one cannot ignore the hypothesis that the guide to the valley of mKhan
pa lung in Nepal, which is examined here, be at least in part, in its original nucleus,
a text related to the 'corpus' of his gter-ma, just as is reported in the colophon.
The Bhutanese version of the guide 'found' by Pad-ma Gling-pa, in which the
of Khi-kha Ra-thod appears, could be a later version, enriched with elements
myth
of legends taken from the substratum of local traditions.
Various versions of the Nepalese guide to the 'Hidden Valley of Artemisia' exists,
(14) S?ryabhadra, f. 36. This episode is related also in Ferrari& Petech 1958: 66, 155 fn. The
site is also known in Bonpo tradition as one of the thirty-seven sacred places of Tibet.
246 [8]
all of which are attributed to Rig-'dzin rGod-ldem. Those known to me at present
are as follows:
?
sBas-yul mkhan-pa lung-gis lam-yig sa-dpyad dang-bcas-pa bzhugs-so;
?
sBas-yul mkhan-pa lung-gi gnas-yig mthong-ba don-ldan bzhugs\
?
sBas-yul mkhan-pa lung-gi nub-sgo'i sde-mig;
?
sBas-yul mkhan-pa lung-gi Ide-mig mthong-thos reg-pa;
?
sBas-yul mkhan-pa lung-gi gnas-kyi lam-yig dang-po.
The firstone, which is divided in threedifferentparts,will be studied in this
article. It has been microfilmed by the Nepal-German Manuscript Preservation Project,
on 11thAugust 1985, as Reel no. E1856/18 froma badly damagedmanuscript, found
at Baudha in a private collection (Tashi Dorje). A copy of thismicrofilm is now stored
in the IsMEO's Archives.
The second and the third versions correspond to the first text and have been
published by Reinhard (1978: 29-35).

I have so far not been able to study the fourth and fifth versions, one of which
is preserved in the private library of Prof. Alexander Macdonald, and the other in
theToyo Bunko Library of Tokyo, as Aris notes (1979: 82). It is, however, highly
probable that they do not diverge significantly from the one examined here.
In my view, however, the texts are not in all parts authentic 'findings' of Rig
'dzin rGod-ldem. In particular the third chapter of the first text, on the Southern
khi-kha ra-thodkyi Iho
Door of theHidden Valley ofKing Khi-kha Ra-thod (rgyal-po
spyogs rgyal-gyimkhan-pa lung), (fols. 10b ff.), reveals many similarities, above all in
the geographical names (i.e. the valley of Bum-thang, the fortress of Yang-rtse Dzong,
the village of sTag-tshang) with the Bhutanese version by Pad-ma Gling-pa. Without
doubt, as often happens with gter-ma literature, we are dealing with material which
is in part apocryphal, these works having been in part modified by unknown hands
with the passage of time.
In any case they represent an important testimony to the religious beliefs and
rituals, still very widespread, which regulate the relationship between Man and Nature
among the Himalayan peoples of Tibetan civilization.
(*)While I was concluding this note I received the very interestingarticle by F.K. Ehrhard
(forthcoming)concerning a hidden land in themKhan-pa lung vicinity.
In his work the author, quoting the sources relating to mKhan-pa lung, as contained in the works
ofNgag-dbang bstan-'dzin norbu (1867-1940) relates the 'openingof thegate' of the land firstlybyRig
}dzinrGod-ldem and the subsequent 'reopening'of the land by Rig-'dzin Nyi-zla Klong-gsal (t 1695).
In his analysis of the development of themyth of the hidden land in the 16th and 17th centuries in
southwestern Tibet the scholar concludes: 'The text material on which the myth [of sbas-yul mKhan-pa
lung] is based is part of a literature that passed in various versions through the hands of various authors
and commentators. In the process it was easy for overlapping traditions and differing ways of defining
geographical reality to arise'.
[9] 247
2a
SS
2b
^r^ftMffiuHfin^cMus 3a
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au un<
t tuen tcT<4(?Frcr?<><
<^*Mnfcft<^k ^(Mfcr)î(c5i? (^^t^cr) tcrug (unwell (uttynccfffi^
248 [10]
jcMtaVlfa(a(ci*aj; ai ai t^t (oi eiq hfccrwffm^(amta 1<u 1% a^(x?4<gri(ânamru{ain (uiaivTj ^f<^<i9?<u^toiîa|cn{fVH?HCM
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<âi<ua g t iHu? "~f<pun^ <nuii?n<uru
[11] 249
^nta^ruîvqn-Hqus cu^cm-aHniugfcUiqu;. aitjai(ntaÛrt(Q<<aou'; ?ic^cTOif^wyr^fMfmr, o^(?c
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250 [12]
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'
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i^n*tfrâ*4?c5fcmg\?iii*V n^^1"! <tymi
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[13] 251
; .tia5 Sief(îrutptncTT^f<. ta^cw^r.2t^tntcT^ô4Kô<r?'^<u$<?*^(ac" ?'V
;*maflqq\'^K?<. a?qi" i
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*> 1n 3^T^(^q?m^(Ofr(<McuctA^(a^s s^fa'
jjir^ffanirg-
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Kit] |;i T
To __ ^ ^_
^faf^(ra(0<ûm^,M(^: c?HSa(cM(5(a<ru?5n(u?{! î^faû^tarttfuqaitcutq?- a(

aiiam(^?(<M<Sq(uu^
oi7(fô)g u a ien(at icn~m

cmia t?~a cmi trq?cm tM u jruâi\
j /qT^q(iS^*lt51<Mi9K5 ^ ~^ ?q^V^ <a ^ iu041 c<r
^ ^ fjq cu_g $
252 [14]
4*
ifM?^r; ?f?*???f*****,
(?f ersten?i3?a^q<un*
y Mai <<mcputu lait?ai n aTu m <m(?niu ?ju/< atru ifarfu

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:t3|tli ^mri*(ai(^fqtiiMiu$cM(m<^fH(cu<j(Ui^r^ S
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umtost
Qgnt^^tlSî* miî%%twm^w<î<x<uspi ^ct(uj|<u?t
(\^<cf>tt?n
[15] 253
'-< ^Ka^cttwv?^
îgiflHfyg^ ^t^^ûqgjtngt^ Î^t5to$jf3ti ^1W<m4?clt^c*^
18b
*Ja>J(Miaa (?tffe04(u? q (cn(itau j^qii^tij^n
~qq(c^<?4l^(cq><i^ ^^^^^^^p^14!
' ' " ' "

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~
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^f^fû^tn^Mi^cîa^ta^^ ^<qw^cufTwl?mtqr?iu?qui*? ?^(fuiaiq^ru^tci^cqiuinjjag <n0m((?*m"^(<$7fota$ ^

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20b
21a
254 [16]
CRITERIA USED IN THE ENGLISH TRANSLATION
As is true formost of the gter-ma literature, a complete understanding of the text presents
various problems. In many parts the language is cryptic and the understanding of the text
has been made very often difficult by the numerous spelling errors of the manuscript. The
referents of topographical terms have often been impossible to identify. In only a few cases
have I managed to localize the sites, for the rest I have limitedmyself to giving the toponyms
as they appear in the Tibetan text. Obviously the geographical terms referring towell known
Tibetan sites have not been commented on.
TRANSLATION
sBas-yul mkhan-pa lung-gis lam-yig sa-dpyad dang-bcas-pa bzhugs-so
(la) Guide to the hidden land of the valley of Artemisia and examination of
the sites.
(lb) I pay homage to the Master.
In the period when theMaster Padmasambhava was sitting inmeditation at bSam
yas, the King dreamt that on the tenth day of the lunar calendar at the beginning
of the ritual offering, in the cave of 'Chin-phu (16) he had knelt down in devotion
before the son of Uddiyana, and had spoken as follows: The supports formeditation
have been raised, but in a dream (I have learnt) (2a) that these supports will be quickly
destroyed. O compassionate Master, explain these signs to me\
The Master replied: 'In the future there will be great changes: as for the Buddhist
teachings, we shall not succeed in subduing the enemies who will appear on the earth.
The Buddhist doctrine will enjoy good fortune, and then go into decline, in direct
relation to the virtues and merits of sentient beings'.
(2b) After saying this the King gave him a turquoise garuda and an initiate's
garment. He then asked for clarifications regarding the rise and fall of the Buddhist
doctrine. The Master replied in three different ways: with a detailed explanation,
an explanation of moderate length and a brief one on the armed suppression of Tibet
and on the happiness and unhappiness of men: 'When the happiness of the people
is almost at an end and the time of invasion from neighbouring countries has come
for Tibet, the Tibetans must escape to a hidden land towards the south on the border
of theMon territory (17). The people of Tibet will have to renounce their native land,
(15) In the rNying-ma-pa tradition every tenth day of the lunar calendar is celebrated as the day
dedicated to Guru Padmasambhava.
(16) A very famous site of pilgrimage and retreat center located up a small valley to the north-east
of bSam-yas. Cf. Ferrari & Petech 1958: 45, 47, 115, 116.
(w) The termMon is found inTibetan textsof the eighth and ninth centuries in the formofMon
and Mong. Thereafter it has become a term for Indo Mongoloid ethnic groups as distinguished
generic
[17] 255
their fields, their wealth, their servants and everything, as one does with a stone that
has crumbled to pieces. He who makes a serious effort to reach this wild place will
succeed'.
The King asked: Teach us the signs of when the time has come to open a hidden
land and of how to recognise when that time is at hand'.
To understand when the moment has arrived three conditions are necessary: (3a)
itmust be the year of the male water-horse, itmust be during the second rme-ba (18)
and the troops of the tribes of the Gar-log and the Hor (19) must have just arrived
from the North; the secret land of mKhan-pa lung is southwest from bSam-yas. It
is like the Paradise of bDe-ba-can blessed by Avalokitesvara, like Po-ta-la,in the steppes
to the west of mount Grab, and east of Mount Khum-bu. End of the first chapter
on the position of the secret valley'.
Onceagain the King asked theMaster to speak, and he replied thus: These are
the signs to open the door: when the great and the small mountain of Ti-se (Mt. Kailash)
are destroyed, that will be the signs to open the door. When the temple of bSam-yas
is destroyed, when offerings are no longer made to the three divinities, the moment
to open it will have really come'.
(3b) The moment to open it will have really come when the conflict becomes
enflamed in the Shri territory, the moment to open itwill have really come when the
laws in the province of gTsang are destroyed and the administration of the province
falls.When the descendents of theKings ofMang-yul (20)are killed, themoment
to open itwill have come. If there are conflicts on the border of 'Brin mtshams (21),
from the Bhotias, and it came to signify little more than 'southern or western mountain-dwelling, non
Indian, non Tibetan, barbarian'. In the Tibetan section of the 'Dzam-gling rgyas-bshad, the area of northern
Assam, just east of Bhutan is designated as the land of theMonpa. Cf. Wylie 1962: 119, 1970: 34;
Aris 1979: XVI and 1980: 9-20.
(18) In the astrological systemofNag rtsisnine sme-baare analysedwhich derive fromtheChinese
tradition of numerology and from Yi-king. They make up a magical square divided in nine parts. Each
year hasits own sme-ba number, class of beings, colour, element and direction which is taken into
consideration in order to give horoscope and geomantic interpretation. The nine sme-ba are: gcig-dkar
sman-gyi me-long, gnyis-nag bdud-kyi me-long, gsum-mthing mtsho-yi me-long, bzhi-ljang klu-yi me-long, Inga-gser
dgra-lha'i me-long, drug dkar rgyal-po'i me-long, bdun-dmar btsan-gyi me-long, brgyad-dkar yul-lhai me-long,
dgu-smug g.yang-gi me-long. Colour white corresponds to the element iron, black and blue to water, green
to wood, yellow to earth and red to fire. Cf. Schuh 1972, 1973; Cornu 1990: 108-14.
(19) Gar-log is the name of the rapacious Tibetan mountain tribes belonging to the north-east of
Tibet. See Hoffmann 1950: 190-208. Hor was the name the Tibetans gave to the Uighurs, subsequently
itwas used for theMongols ofGen-ghis Khan. Given the visionarynature of the text it is not possible
to give to this reference any historical validity. It reflects the danger the neighbouring countries have
for the Tibetans ever since the 13th century.
always represented
(20)Old name of a district inUpper Tibet borderingNepal, in the Tsang region, its chief town
being sKyid-grong. Cf. Ferrari& Petech 1958: 66, 86, 91, 154.
(21) 'Brinmtshan is on the upper part of theChumbi valley. Cf. Tucci 1941: I 83, II 153, 157,
160, 170.
256 [18]
the moment to open it will have come. If a fortress is built on Mount Bri and Bri
chung the moment to open itwill have come. These are the external signs indicating
the moment to open it'.
'During the last five hundred years of the spread of the Doctrine, when the teeth
of all those who have passed the age of fifty fall out, the moment to open itwill have
come. In Tibet theKing will be no more and his dependentswill struggleamong
themselves, in the country the monks will not keep their vows, the practitioners of
Tantrawill not keep theirsamayabut wander likewild dogs, thepeople will eat flesh
and blood without shame, the women who have no children will couple promiscuously,
thepeople will be carelessof theirlives and struggleto acquire food andwealth with
minds filledwith vanityand falsity.And so therewill no longerbe happiness inTibet,
for thevirtuous (4a) thiswill be the sign to journeyto one of thehidden lands. The
people of gTsang in particular should leave. They should leave in the summer during
harvest time'. The Master then spoke again: 'Listen carefully, o King: the people who
journey to this hidden place must practise the rite of rDo-rje rNal-'joms on themountain
of Kham-chung for a month. To the south they will see a mountain called sMan-tshun
g.yu'i dril-bu; to the west of that mountain there is another rocky mountain; beyond
that there is a springlike a lake of turquoise;beyond that there is a forestin a deep
and narrow valley. In the Mon territory there is a cave known as Ba-phug like the
mouth of a mouse, facing south-east. There they should practise the s?dhana of
Vajrap?ni forhalf a month. They shouldperformthemdos (22)ritualsto balance the
action of the sde-brgyad (23).
(4b) They should offer food to the sman-tshun (24), construct seventeen red rgyan
bu (25), offer seven black birds, as a ndgd lives in that cave, make a gtor-ma (26) for
the ndgd and an offering of water {chab-gtor) (27),make an offering of a ybrang-rgyas(28)
(22)Magic ritualof protection against thosedangers and obstacleswhose origin is attributedto the
evil powers. The ceremony is a way of overcoming the hostile forces through a kind of expiatory offerings.
In this ritual a thread cross is used made up of two sticks connected with coloured threads or else a
structure made of sticks and threads which is called mdos or nam-mkha . The
complicated geometrical
use of such thread crossed inTibet dates frompre-Buddhist timesbut it is nowadays practised in all
the traditions. Cf. Tucci 1980: 176-82; Nebesky-Wojkowitz 1975: 369-97.
(23) Sub-division of dharmap?la frequentlyinvoked in the course of magic ceremonies, belonging
to the class of the dregs-pa. For an accurate of the thread cross ceremony dedicated to the
description
sde-brgyad see Nebesky-Wojkowitz 1975: 394.
(24) Class of feminine beings, subdivision of the bstan-ma. This term ismostly used as an alternative
name for sman-mo, in some cases sman-btshun appears to be not merely a title but the name of
though
as young a In
particular class of sman-mo, described girl of bright white colour, with beautiful faces.
most Tibetan text the word sman is used to indicate a group of aboriginal Tibetan deities, who must
stand in some relation to medicine as it is clear from the gtor-ma offered to them (sman-gtor and sman-rag)
which are prepared mixing various kind of medicines. Cf. Nebesky-Wojkowitz 1975: 184, 198-99.
(25)Wooden tabletscoveredwith pictures of thedeities theyrepresent,Nebesky-Wojkowitz 1975:
359, 377, 378, 386-89, 391; see also Tucci 1966: 118 fn., and Snellgrove 1967: 294 where is reported
[19] 257
and a support of a black sheep and recite this prayer: 'Do not create obstacles to the
yogin in search of the hidden land'. Let a libation (gser-skyems) be offered, then
invoking Padmasambhava, they should follow the current of the stream, there is a
stream which flows along the rock; proceeding further they will meet three brothers
of the brag-btsan (29). They should offer red food and red rgyan-bu and make an
offering of the support of a red sheep, when the moment to open this place has come,
that rock will fall and create a bridge to cross the river. Crossing the river the first
door in the rock that they reach is three arms high. When they arrive there they should
invoke the gods of the place and offer libation and ask that every obstacles be removed.
(5a) Then continuing through a narrow rocky pass, theywill arrive in a large valley,
richlyforested.This valley is inhabitedby sa-bdag,klu, and snyan (30)forwhom they
are to perform the mdos rite of the divinity Srid-pa kha-snyoms then they should practise
the guru sddhana for seven days and gtor-ma are to be offered to the klu and the
ma-mo (31). In the middle of the valley there is a group of rocks like an offering to
the divinities, there is a tree laden with a thousand lotus flowers, and a cypress covered
with a thousand lotus flowers. Then to the south-west theywill find a forest of medicinal
plants like a place for dancing, then further to the west they will come up against
a mountain and a waterfall which will make any further advance impossible. There
theywill find a rock in the formof a lion hurlinghimselfat the sky. There reside
the phra-men, the gza-bdud (32), the guardian of the door Zu-rwa-rwa-skyes (33), there
the opinion of slob-dpon Tenzin Namdak who describes the rgyang-bu or rgyang-'phan as a tree symbol
divided in three parts each of them constituted by three leaves made of threads.
(26) Sacrificial cakes used in most ceremonies. They differ in shape, colour and size according to
the rite inwhich theyare used and towhich particulardeity theyare offered. In theBonpo tradition
are mentioned eighty-one kinds of gtor-ma offered to the water spirit (klu-gtor). Cf. Nebesky-Wojkowitz
1975: 354 (see also Snellgrove 1967: 279, 284; Tucci 1980: 115-16, 122, 206) where the author points
out the indigenousorigin of such ritualobjects, notwithstandingthe correspondencewith the Sanskrit
bali of the Tantric Indian rituals which have however a mere exterior meaning. See also Snellgrove
1987: 165-67.
(27)Chab gtor (also chu-gtor). For a description of such ritualofferingsseeOrofino 1990: 102 fn.
(28)Ritual offeringsof meal in the shape of bowl. Cf. Snellgrove 1967: 304. In Prof. Namkhai
Norbu's opinion these offerings have the shape of a heart, or sometimes of a paw.
(29) Class of demons mostly as ferocious red riders wearing armour, and red horses who
represented
live in rocky environments. For a description of the brag btsan according to a ritual text of the rNnying
ma tradition see Nebesky-Wojkowitz 1975: 175-76; Tucci 1980: 166-67.
(30) These three classes of ancient Tibetan are closely related to each other. The gnyan are
gods
usually assigned a position in space,while the klu (n?ga)are considered as inhabitingthewater and the
sa-bdag the soil. Cf. Nebesky-Wojkowitz 1975: 288-98.
(31)Goddess, in some cases armedwith a magic ball threadwhile several gods and goddesses who
are believed to send illnesses wield a leash causing diseases. Nebesky-Wojkowitz 1975: 18.
(32)Dark red spirit,who has the appearance of a r?ksasa, see Nebesky-Wojkowitz 1975: 54.
(33) Zu-rwa-rwa-skyes isworshipped by the Sherpa people as the local protector of theKhumbu
region. He appears as a human being riding a white horse, armedwith a javelin in theMani Rimdu
258 [20]
theyshouldpractise for threedays thepuja ofDregs-padbang bdus(34), thenholding
a stone consecrated to the divinities (bla-rdo) in their hands, they should offer gtor-ma
to thema-mo. (5b)They shouldofferred sacrificalcakes (shos-bu)(35),threered and
threeblack, then offerup a libation and make the followingappeal to Padma: 'Do
not create obstacles forme in my journey towards the sacred places of power'. Then
they will receive instructions from the guardians of the place. It is not possible to
cross the rocks and rivers directly. The way must be studied very carefully. The way
is blocked by a rock spread out like a tent. Retracing their steps from those rocks
theywill come upon tamarisksplants; in seeking the path theywill find a rock in
the formof a stairway. If theyclimb up thatpath theywill find a rock like a died
tree-trunk. They will be able to see a distance of three feet beyond this. At the summit
therewill be a grove of birch-trees. Beyond this theywill find a rock like a spread
cloth and another which is long and flat, a cord's length, when they reach this point
they will see a series of valleys and pathways (6a) and hear the sound of a waterfall.
The valley faces south-west and is dark in colour. The lower part of the valley faces
north-east and is like the bottom of a frying-pan. The bottom of the valley is slender
as a root of Utpalam. In the upper part of the valley there is a mountain like a King
a
in his residence. The mountain behind is like three-pointed vajra standing out against
the sky. The mountain to the south seems to be bowing its head. The mountain to
the north is like a tent. The mountain to the east is like a King seated on his throne.
The rocks are like a tent. The bottom of the valley is like a blue lake of vaidurya
stone. The pasture is fertile and the wild animals come there to feed. The plant of
molasses grows there with a great variety of plants, the plant of Artemisia, rich in
essence, grows there and the five precious medicinal plants grow there. Arriving there
is like arriving in the three hundred places of bDe-ba-can. (6b) Everyone who reaches
this place will have the reward of long life and be free of disease, will have his desires
fulfilled,as one who has inhis hands the jewelwhich grantseverywish. All who live
there will then go to bDe-ba-can. In addition they will reach the dimension of bliss.
(Ma-ni ril-sgrub), the well known Sherpa Dance Drama performed every year at sTeng-po-che monastery
(see Jerstad 1969). It could be the conflation intoone deity of theZur-ra-skyes-druggroup,which are
to be found in the retinue of rDo-rje Legs-pa, as a group of serfs who are said to have the appearance
of warriors (cf.Nebesky-Wojkowitz 1975: 156). This group of deities could be connected with the
as one of the group to the series of divine rulers of Tibet who
Za-ra-skyes drug, mentioned belonging
precedes the arrivalof the firstking of theYar-lungDinasty, gNya-khribTsan-po (cf.Haarh 1969: 298).
As Aris points out the same deity, whose name is spelled in a different way: Zo-ra-ra-skyes is known
inBhutan as theguardian of certaingter-maand also as the local spiritof the sTang valley (cf.Aris 1979:
301). In the text studied here the name appears in four different spellings: Zu-rwa-rwa-skyes (fol. 11a),
Zu-rwa-skyes (fol. 13a), Zu-ra (fol. 15a) and Zu-ra-rwa-skyes (fol. 17b). As regard the workship of this
guardian deity among the ethnic group of theKhunbo, see Diemberger 1991 and forthcoming A, B.
a a
(34)Dregs-pa is general appellation of multitude of gods and goddesses, most of themoriginally
part of the Bonpo pantheon. Cf. Nebesky-Wojkowitz 1975: 251-317.
(35)Cf. Snellgrove 1967: 278 (fig.X, v), 311.
[21] 259
This valleyhas been blessedbeforeby compassionand so ispurified.There is abundant
wild vegetation there of fruit trees and medicinal plants. The interior of the valley
is spacious and flat, at its centre a river flows north-east as straight as a cord. He
who arrives there will reach the level of Bodhisattva. He who remains there three
years will go to bDe-ba-can. In the future he will be born inside a lotus flower. Let
he who has doubts hear this: In thepast in theparadisal kingdomof dGal-ldan were
the Arya Avalokitesvara and Tara Vajra-bhrkuti (Khro-gnyer-can). Then the most
powerful of the gods, Sakro Devendrah (Lha'i dbang-po rgya-byin) offered five hundred
Utpalam flowersto them. (7a)One of the flowersfromhis bunch settledon theheart
of the Arya, the others were scattered in the heavens towards the south. Then Sakro
Devendrah asked: 'Why, o Arya, have the flowers I offered you been scattered into
space?'. The Arya replied: 'Hear me, most powerful of the divinities: These flowers
will fall to earth towards the south, and wherever they settle there my presence will
be manifest and there will be Buddhist disciples. In addition, wherever the flower
of Utpalam which rises frommy heart should fall, itwill be possible to enter the
dimension of bDe-ba-can and to overcome the conflicts which arise from the condition
of the life and death of the six realms of transmigration'. These were his words. The
flowerfellon the face of a great rock on theborder of India, Nepal and Tibet and
vanishing into the rock, gave the rock the form of an Utpalam flower. At that moment
theArya made a prophecy: (7b) 'Emaho! In the future,during theepoch of conflicts
and disputes the land of snows, where live those who follow the way of the great
compassion, will be conquered by the demons of ignorance. At that time all the
followers of the Arya, to flee from the demons, will take refuge in the place which
has sprung up from the Utpalam flowers offered by Sakro Devendrah. It is the castle
of the divinities, is the place of the purest prayers, is the natural site of the Vajra
(rDo-rje gdan). It is surrounded by rocks and snowy mountains, and is known as mKhan
pa lung, the valley of Artemisia. Everyone who arrives there will go to the Paradise
ofAkanisthah ('Og-min). Then themost powerfulof theGods made thisappeal: O
great Arya, I ask you to free all beings from suffering through your compassion and
these prayers'.
(8a)During the intermediateperiod of thekalpa Tara Vajra-bhrkutiblessed him
andmade thisprophecy: 'Nothingis false in theprophecyof theArya. The Tibetans
shouldgo therewhen thedoctrinesofBuddha disappear. Then 40,000 Tibetans should
undertake the search for this land. Thesepeople must keep their vows pure. In the
north they must refrain from hunting, in the south from fishing, in the centre they
must build temples, make offerings to the white protectors, and offer gtor-ma with
fleshand blood to the red and black protectors. They shouldmake offeringsto the
protectors Zu-rwa-rwa-skyes and rDo-rje Legs-pa. In the south there is a female n?g?
whose name is dKar-lcam. gTor-ma and klu-sman (36) should be offered to her. If
(36)Medicine of thewater spirits:cups containing the three sweet substances and the threewhite
substances, cf. Nebesky-Wojkowitz 1975: 522.
260 [22]
a vessel filledup with precious thingsis offered (8b) theirwealth will increase. This
valley is the dwelling place of Avalokitesvara, and therefore they should practise white
dharma. The spiritswho live in the forest should not be provoked. They should
perform the ritual of Pad-ma dbang-dus, construct a st?pa in the shape of a heap of
lotus flowers. If this is done the person's wisdom will be developed. He will be
able to reach in life the level of "he who will be reincarnated no more". This is my
secret lesson. If the departure is put off through idleness, happiness will be lost. Because
will startbecoming
of thisfewwill be able to reach thisplace. The Buddhist faithfuls
attached to the samsdra, while for those few who have positive karma and will be able
to hear the teachingofmy heart (9a) thisguidemust be compiled and maintained'.
When Gu-ru Rin-po-che returned to his country, he hid the text in the rock of
Zang-zang lha-brag (37). Kig-dzin rGod-ldem discovered it.
"k "k -k
The Key toOpen theWesternDoor of theHidden Valley ofArtemisia
O perfect and immutable one, destroyer of obstacles, act to free the beings of
the six world through your spontaneous compassion, your spiritual power, which is
like the jewelwhich fulfilsall desires, comesdown like the rain,I greet theemanation
of rDo-rjedrag-po. The key to open thewesterndoor of thehiddenvalleyofArtemisia,
the place half a month away from Las-stod (38) rGyal-gyi-sri in western Tibet, called
Khum-bu glacier ridge (39) a sitewhich is shaped like a horse, the part shaped like
a head faceswest, thepart shaped like a tail faces east. The valley is divided in two
or three parts. To the west there is a zone called mKhro' rol-pa kling. The valley
of Khum-bu has the shape of a horse. (9b) Beyond it,within the valley dwells the
Queen of the sMan-mo called Mi-g.yo gLang bzang-ma (40) to the east there is a river.
On leaving that place, rituals should be performed for the five Tshe-ring-mchod (41)
(37) See supra, fn. 14.
(38) Also and more common La stod. Region inWestern Tibet south of the Tsang-po river. Cf.
Ferrari& Petech 1958: 153-54;Wylie 1962: 64.
(39) Khum-bu gangs-kyi ra-ba. It corresponds with the Khumbu glacier ridge, an impressive high
mountain range on theWest side of Mount Everest (27,5? N, 86? E). Cf. Mount Everest. High Himalaya,
a ComputerGenerated Landscape Portrait,compiled by theNational Geographic Society,Washington
DC, 1988.
(40)One of theTshe ringmched Inga, goddesses who according to the rNying-ma-paand bKa'
tradition dwell outside the worldly They are considered mountain-goddesses. As reported
rgyud-pa sphere.
by Nebesky-Wojkowitz: Tibetan works onlymention that the residence of these five goddesses, lies
on the border of Nepal and Tibet'. Cf. Nebesky-Wojkowitz 1975: 177-80.
[23] 261
and for the 'foundation owner' {bzhi-bdag) (42). Perfume of burnt cypress should be
offered to the eight classes sde-brgyad and the Guru invoked. The western part of
the valley is of rock and slate: there is a snow-capped mountain to the north-east of
thevalley, shaped like the saddle of a horse. At the summitthereis a redpeak. They
should offer gtor-ma on it to the dharmapdla and to the 'foundation owner'. A special
offering should be made to rDo-rje legs-pa (43). The way lies along the snowy pass.
This valley is like theouter curtainof a door. (10a)Going fromtheother side north?
east there is a mountain of black slate like untied hair. It is covered in snow. This
snowy pass is very important. From there the hidden valley of Artemisia can bee clearly
seen. Guru Rinpoche should be invoked and an offering of white gtor-ma made to the
d?kiniand another offering made to the protective deities of the place, before continuing
towards mKhan-pa lung. It is in the upper part of the valley Mon-sku. The contours
of the valley shouldbe examined carefully.The directions shouldbe followedwith
care. This valley is protected by the twelve bsTan-ma (44) by gNyan-chen Thang
lha (45) and by rDo-rje Legs-pa, and it is thus very important to make offerings to
these divinities. Beyond the western door of the hidden valley of Artemisia there
is a very uneven path which continues beyond the clayey soil up into the high mountains.
The way now lies inmist and haze. While traversing the snow covered path the form
of thevalley shouldbe examined carefully.This valley ofmKhan-pa lung isdifficult
to open but after it is easy to dwell in. (10b)All the lower terracesof thevalley face
towards Mon. It is very important to know the direction to the valley. The guide
to the western door of the hidden valley of Artemisia has come to an end.
-k -k "k
The SouthernDoor of theHidden Valley ofArtemisia ofKing Khyi-khaRa-thod
'Greeting to theMaster. I Pad-ma 'Byung-gnas have hidden like a treasure the

southerndoor of thehidden valley ofArtemisia of kingKhyi-khaRa-thod and all his
relatives and friends. This land is like a jewelwhich fulfilsall one's desires. This
is the most important of the valleys. When the decline begins, the troops of the Hor
will invadeTibet and destroyeverything.May thisguidebe foundthen'. Thus spoke
theGuru, displayingthisguide. The plan of thevalley is like the skinof a bear spread
(42)Epithet oftenused inTibetan sects for theguardian divinities. See Nebesky-Wojkowitz 1975:
115, 210-11.
(43) One of the most important protector of the teachings according to the rNying-ma tradition.
For a complete description of its origin and iconography see Nebesky-Wojkowitz 1975: 154-59.
(44) The twelve bstan-ma are believed to be subordinates of the tshe-ring mched-lnga. See
goddesses
Nebesky-Wojkowitz 1975: 181-98.
(45) In the rNying-ma tradition he is the most important of all the numerous mountain-gods
worshipped in Tibet. See Nebesky-Wojkowitz 1975: 94, 205-10.
262 [24]
on the ground. The eastern side is like an iron chain, (11a) near an iron house. The
southern side is shaped like a cruel Mongol, like a pile of raised'metallic arms. The
north is shaped like a King seated on his throne. The west is like a mantle ofwhite
curtainsmade thightby thenorthernwind. The centre is like a bowl fullofmelted
butter. The four doors are very narrow and difficult to access. The four corners are
like a golden mandala. The protector of the place is Zu-rwa-rwa-skyes with the seven
blood-thirsty ma-mo sisters, like ferocious wolfs. The bottom is like a 'brang-rgyas.
The higher ground is like a peacock's face. The lower terrace is like the Horn vessel
of the practitioners of 7"antra. The course of the river is circular. The centre of the
valley is like a cup placed on earth. Here there is room for a settlement of five hundred
people. There are the previous traces of the Buddhas of the three times. At the
northeastern border of this land there is a triangular valley shaped like a scapula,
surrounded by rocky borders; there are the walls of the royal castle and the ruins of
the old walls. Among them there is a boulder of white clay shaped like a tortoise,
(lib) Behind this there is a boulder like a square die. At the centreof this there is
my imprint, of O-rgyan. The pilgrims should ask a blessing and prostrate themselves,
thinking of the blessing to be received. Around this boulder in the four directions
there is a liquidmud, if theydig with an iron chisel theywill findprecious textsof
mine, O-rgyan: The Six Teachings which bring Benefit to the Sovereign (mNga'-phan
drug-gi gdams-ngag), a method necessary in Tibet: the four mystic letters which indicate
the material treasures and the mystic letter in which are included the instructions for
discovering the cycle of sNying-gter and Yang-gter. Use them! Outside the palace there
is a field of three hundred varieties of seeds. [The four material treasures are there:]
There is a golden dog with a coat like silk,a femaleof theyakmade of a glossy silk
cloath, a golden trough for feeding horses, a blue box similar to a pond. These are
on a field which used to belong to the King. Here you can grow barley, millet, wheat,
Indian bean, sesame seed, rice and soyabean, as well as other kinds of seed, both great
and small. (12a) The sowing of the seed can be performed at the same time of the
year in Bum-thang. The vegetables will grow on the mountain and in the valley. On
the eastern side of the palace there rises a mountain of crystal. The waterfall which
flows from this mountain freeze in winter and has medicinal powers in summer.
Drinking this water gives a youthful appearance and confers long life, improves child
growth, improves physical health and eliminates all disease. To the west there is the
valley Za-bu. In this valley there are many hot springs and springs of medicinal water.
These lands are well-adapted to the female of the yak, oxen, she-goats, hen, mDzo
(cross-breeds of common cow and yak-bull) and rTol-mo (a cross back to the yak by
breeding an animal three parts of Indian parentage with a pure-bred yak). In that
region there is a royal place called Yang-rtse. The inhabitants of that land are in the
valley of Bum-thang. They are the King and ministers of that place. In that region
thereare threehundred villageswith fivehundred inhabitants.The higher ground
is in Bum-thang choskhor. To the north-east there is a small valley (12b), in the
upper part of the valley there is an imprint of Padmasambhava. The village of sTag
[25] 263
tshang (46) is known as the land of Ban-mdzod in sTag-tshan. Here live three hundred
familieswith five thousandshead of cattle. This valley is surroundedby rocks and
slate and snow-capped mountains. Bordering on the valley there is a rocky peak. He
who looks in that direction will see two caves. At the end of the village there is a
place called Ma-thing. There too rice grows. To the southwest there is a black summit
like an offering to the gods. From the summit of that cave can be seen Mon-tshe
ku-lung. Beyond that rock, after crossing two rocky mountains, will be found the
path towards Mon-nya. (13a) Across those rocks Bum-thang lies in that direction.
That is the door towards the territory ofMon. Those territories are called mKhan-pa
lung. The protector of the place is calles Zu-rwa-skyes. A lake called Le-mtsho bar-ba
can be reached througha narrow passage. By day it is likeboiling blood, by night
like a burning fire. In addition they should make a gser-skyems offering and make
one offeringfor thedemons (bdud-shos),in thebamboo theyshouldplace littleflags,
a mirror, a hair of a black he-goat, of a black bird, of a black dog, of a balck yak,
of a black horse and make offerings, invoking the seven blood-thirsty Ma-mo sisters.
Further south there are mountains with snow-capped summits. It is certain that in
that place there is a red spring of sMan-mo. Vapour rises from it both day and night.
They should make offerings of sbrang-rgyas and plant a support of a white sheep in
theground. (13b)They shouldmake the threewhite offerings(milk,curd and butter)
and the three sweet offerings (molasses, honey and sugar) to the d?kini. This valley
is on the road which leads to Tibet. In the southwestern part there are hot-water
springs. There are snow-capped mountains to left and right; following the road south
there is a valley calledmTsho lungchung. On the left-handside of thevalley there
is a hot-waterspring. There is a rocky path. They should continue onwards. South
from that place there is a rock like a treasure. Further south there is a rocky grass
covered road. At the end of this road there is a valley, where there is a river of snow.
(14a) The road goes toward a lake of melted snow. They should continue towards
the eastern face of the valley. There is the throne and an imprint of me, Guru of
O-rgyan, there. Then there is a valley called Za-phu lung. There are many hot-water
springs and medicinal plants. In summer it is very cool and dark, in winter the road
cannot be found for the snow. They should continue onwards along the Tibet road
towards the south by the valley called Kla-ba-lung. There are many yaks and medicinal
plants there. In summer it is very cool and dark, in winter the road cannot be found
for the snow. They should continue onwards along the Tibet road towards the south
by the valley called Kla-ba-lung. There are many yaks and medicinal plants there,
treasures great and small, three mountains rise up and the road goes across the mountain
which lies beneath mount Jo-mo glang-ma (mount Everest). After reaching the summit
of themountain there is a clayeypath like a mirror to be climbed. (14b)Here there
is a clayeysoilwith plantsofGu-gul (Amyris Galloca). They shouldcontinueupwards
(46) sTag-tshan in Bhutan in the sPa-gro valley. See Aris 1979: 142-44.
264 [26]
between the lama and the minister. the right lies rDza-ri. Proceeding
To left, the
door rDza-ri is reached and then the snow-capped mountain of rDza. On the lower
slopes of rDza there is a river which flows south, and then one arrives at sPi khung.
It is thehighestpoint in all tendirections. They are the twodoors ofTibet andMon.
Crossing Bye-dka one arrives in the country of Mang-sting: these are the two doors
of Tibet. To the south the mountain ofMon-kha a
na-ri (47) is month's journey away.
After being twenty-one days there I hid three primary sources of gter-ma and in particular
I hid three lands like gter-ma. During the times of impurity, when the army of the
Hor invade the country those who have fortunate karma will meet a Bodhisattva. They
should perform the propitiatory ritual of the twelve bsTan-ma and of this guide. They
should perform the propitiatoryritualof the lifeof the principal (Jo-bo)and (15a)
of the demon Zu-ra and his entourage. The seven blood-thirsty sisters should be
invoked. All of these should be performed so that the way may be found. Here ends
the profound guide.
I, Padma 'byung gnas, will reveal the esoteric way to reach the secret country,
so that itmay then be set down in writing. This gter-ma was taught to the consort
mKhar-chen bza' and to theminister. May thewritten instruction gter-ma be understood
at the end of time, after five hundred epochs, so that the people may hear this teachings.
May they go to the hidden land without nurturing any attachment for their own land;
if that is not possible because of rain and landslide, then let a firebe made with the
excrement of a black dog and smoke with the Gu-gul plant. The recital of the mantra
of the ten terrifying divinities will remove any obstacles. They should burn incense
of sulphur and invoke me, Padmasambhava. This road is like that which leads to the
mountain of Yol-mo
(48).
(15b) I bow down before the infinite Kaya. I myself Padmasambhava, arrived
in the land of Tibet and built the temple of bSam-yas spontaneously through meditation,
and translated the Indian Buddhist teachings into Tibetan. The Tibetans received
these teachings with great enthusiasm, but this will lessen later, and when the Tibetans
behave badly the fruits of these actions will mature and their achievements will diminish.
Negative actions will accumulate like waves of water, the teaching of the nine vehicles
will set like the sun and themoon in thewest, the fruitof this teachingwill diminish
like a lamp without butter. When the moment comes they should perform the ritual
to purifytheirthoughts.The s?dhanaof thedivinities shouldbe performedand the
mantra 'mam recited as an antidote. Those who lead a wordly existence should carry
out the thought of Bodhicitta. This is the prophecy of Padmasambhava: in the four
secret places, may the practice be performed. May the minds of those who practice
(47) On Mon kha sna ring cf. rGyal-po Bka-thang, fol. 77.
(48) Yolmo is the Tibetan name of a small region on the southern part of the main east-west
Himalayan range in central Nepal. In Nepalese the region is known as Helambu. In Tibetan literature
Yol-mo gangs ra has been celebrated inMi-la ras-pa'i mgur 'bum. Cf. Chang 1977: 74; Clarke 1980: 79-86.
[27] 265
dharma (16a) reach an awareness of the nature of their mind. If those who continue
the transmission of the tradition of Padmasambhava and Mu-khri tsan-po wish to go
to mKhan-pa lung, they must complete the meditation and make invocations. Now
follow the preparation for the journey to the royal mKhan-pa lung: a guide of royal
lineage is necessary, someone tomaintain the lineage and meditation of Padmasambhava,
someone to maintain the Mah?mudr? tradition, someone who has obtained and
perfected the practices linkedwith the tantric cycle of Phur-ba (49); those who
undertake the journey cannot do without someone who has perfected the method of
overcoming the divinities and demons of the Bon tradition. Equally necessary are
a person to perform offerings to the local divinities of mKhan-pa lung, Lha srin (50),
someone to preserve the transmission of medical learning to overcome disease and
imbalance in the elements of the body, a wise man to preserve the lineage of learning,
a guide for the area, various utensils and seven sages, (16b) seven monks who have
maintaned their vows, seven m?ntrika, seven practical people, domestic objects,
objects for ritual ceremonies, tools for carpentry, agricultural tools and everything used
in ritual offerings. They should perform the ritual offering of the gser-skyem, and
accumulate merits, it is necessary to accumulate everything of use in conquest rituals.
The bla-ma should be invoked first of all. The journey can be undertaken in any year
during the winter months, on a Thursday, beneath the constellation mgo (Skr. Mrga
sirah). This is the best day. Following someone of royal descent, he who needs protection
should meditate on the guardian deities of the route. The upper road, the mule-path
shouldbe taken,or themiddle roadwhere there is a large rock. (17a) They should
make an offering of the chu-gtor (51) and three different types of gtor-ma, the gser
seven
skyems; with a mda'-dar (52) an offering of 'brang-rgyas (53) should be made to the
sman-btshun (54). They should offer a 'brang-rgyas and a bird decorated with five
colours. This offering wards off the rain and snow. Further ahead there is a cold
place called Sa-kyer med-pa grang-ba'i la, otherwise that mountain should be climbed.
Beyond it there are three valleys called sKo-thang, Lung-thang and Thya-thang: their
size is such that the eye can take in both of them together. Having passed these valleys
they should look towards the water. Then continuing towards the right-hand side
of the stream the road lies towards the valley Byes-dkar lung. Towards the left the
road lies towards a snow-covered mountain. They should look down from the left
hand side of the summitof thatmountain. (17b) There is a rock like a ritualobject
(49) Tantric mostly in the rNying-ma-pa and Bon-po tradition. Cf. Tucci 1980: 97.
cycle practised
(50)Cf. Nebesky-Wojkowitz 1975: 260, 515.

(52)Arrow with five coloured silken ribbons, symbolsof the fiveelements,used in divinatory and
propitiatory rituals. Cf. Tucci 1980: 236.
(53) Cf. supra, fn. 28.
(54) Cf. supra, fn. 24.
266 [28]
gter-ma. Continuing upwards they will reach a rock called Pho-rog-po. Further on,
upon the summit of that rock there is a rock in the shape of a horse. Climbing on
this horse-shaped rock a pass can bee seen. This pass is called the pass of Khro-men.
The road does not lie in this direction, but to the left at a distance of three arrows
there is a great rock like a grew yak bending down. Crossing these two and climbing
the distanceof eight arrows, there is a lake called bDud mtsho me 'bar-ba (the demon's
lake which blazes like fire). On arriving there an offering should be made to Zu-ra
rwa-skyes of beer (chang) and the images of a man, a dog, and a horse with a dough
of precious things, and another offering of three reddish she-goat adorned with coloured
scarves. Following the left-hand side of the lake, the road continues for a distance
of two arrows. It is necessary to descend because of a declivity of black earth; (18a)
further on there is a waterfall, made invisible by a spell, the people can walk in Indian
filealong the corridorbetween the rock and thewaterfall. After the lengthof three
cords the road divides in two: followingthe roadwhich goes uphill, the rivercomes
to a rock. The road is blocked by tamarisk bushes and cypresses; passing through
them theywill reach Phu-na of mKhan-pa lung, a great boulder as big as a yak. Beyond
them there is a forest of thousand branches. There is a mine there. The divinities
should be envoked. Then, lower down there is a lake. Further on to the left and
then to the right there is a secret mountain pass. There the five types of cereals can
grow. They can feed a thousand people for two years. To avoid diseases connected
with cereals, (18b) salt should be added. These cereals are full of essence and very
heavy. They provide long lifeand have many good qualities. On the right-handside
there seems to be a heap of jewels, in the centre of the upper part there is a rock
which seems like a yak. In the lower part there is a spring of water, almost as big
as a hand: drinking this water brings wealth. In particular it gives fertility to women
and cures all diseases. Then, following the course of the water as it descends, one
gets to the confluence of three rivers. Then, descending a valley the distance of seven
arrows on the left of the river towards the right of the valley there is a mountain like
a turquoise dragon. Further up the road there is a great blue boulder like an antelope
mud to a depth of threearms. If you dig
drinkingwater; beneath this there is filthy
under thisyouwill findblue clay. Beneath this thereis a yellow rock;diggingfurther
youwill findmiraculouswater. The body of theman who drinks itwill become strong
and able to performany task; (19a) thewoman who drinks itwill conceive a child.
Further down there are bushes of Artemisia plants. There is a valley
and of medicinal
to be crossed called Srin-mogNab-lung. Further this valley there are many
down
animals: sheep, yak, 'brietc. young sheep and goats, there iswealth, meat, fat,medicinal
herbs, no poison grow, there is no disease, there is the sign of the nape of the neck
of Remati (55) and of me, Padma and the promise made when I conquered her. He
who arrivesin thisvalleywill findhis wealth greatlyincreased;beyond it there is the
(55)Guardian goddess of the Tibetan Buddhist pantheon, see Tucci 1949: 332, 591; Nebesky
Wojkowitz 1975: 31-33.
[29] 267
bottom of the valley, there is a valley called Klu-sman ljong-tsal surrounded by bushes
ofmedicinal plants, at thebottom there is a valley calledmDog dmar klu-rigs. (19b)
If thisvalley is inhabitedby practisingBonpo theywill become rich; if it is inhabited
by m?ntrika theywill obtain the greatestpossible fulfilmentand great power, each
personwill have his desires fulfilled.There the sun shinesfor longperiods, thewater
of the rivers seems to flow upwards, on the plain at the centre there is a cave shaped
like a blue tiger.At the summitthereis a rockdivided into threesteps:on theupper
part there is a three-pointed rock, there are eighteen gter-ma there, complete with
commentaries, there are four objects with a turquoise in the centre, there are four
golden skulls,a sack fullof gzi (56). The guide is in theupper cave. In themiddle
cave there is a chapel inwhich aremy hat, my necklace,my vajra and thebell, my
bracelet, the necklace and the turquoise 'od-bar.
(20a) This is the guide ofMon-kha na ring (57)under the rock like a saddle of
a horse. In the upper cave are many special gter-ma of sacred and profound doctrines,
of the stateof Buddha in this
profound teachingswhich allows the actual fulfilment
life,with nine iron spears of the guardians of the teachings and with mantra to overthrow
the evil of theMongols. When the bordering troops destroy 'Khor-mthing, the gter
ma will be removedby someoneborn in the year of the sheep or of themonkey; to
remove the gter-ma of Mon-kha-na-ri it is necessary to dwell in the land. If the land
is dwelt in, the time will come to take out the two gter-ma, the one of Mon kha-na
ringand theone ofTibet. May theguides to thevalley ofmKhan-pa lungbe opened

continually. This is the end of the guides and the examination of the sites.
[Colophon]
The practice of purification should be practised one hundred and one times to
block distractingthoughts,the purificationand expiations forbroken vows should
be practised one hundred and one times. (20b) Eight mchod-rtenshouldbe built of
the same size as the body of the sinner, a practice of bsnyen-gnas (58) should be
(56)Etched agate beads of very ancientmanifacture,believed by theTibetans to be of supernatural

origins. They could be an offshootof the traditionof etched agate beads ranging from those of the
earlier times (before2000 A.D.) found atMesopotamian and Indus civilization sites, to those found
in Iran which date back to Sassanian times (224-642A.D.). However gZi are distinctlydifferentfrom
other etched agate beads and have been foundonly inTibet. They may have been products of the ancient
civilization but until now, as no extensive scientific archaeological work has been carried
Zhang-zhung
out inTibet, it is not possible to arrive to any definite conclusion about theirorigin and dating. Cf.
Ebbinghouse & Winsten 1988: 38-56.
(57) See supra, in. 50.
(58)Religious duty for laypeople of observingabstinence fromsex, stealing,tellinglies,killingother

sentientbeings, drinking any kind of alcohols, using perfumesor any kind of unguents and ornaments,
eating in the evening.
268 [30]
performed one hundred times, the mantra one hundred times, it is also good to perform
the ritual of purification through water one hundred times, and it is also good to do
the practice of fasting and silence {bsnyung-gnas) twenty-one times. May this place
be well protected from those who nurture evil thoughts and who are clever in destroying
friendship between people, like carnivorous animals without compassion. May it be
protected from those given to idle talk and those without shame, as foolish as monkeys,
from those who are slaves to their passions, proud, and sinful, cunning an deceitful,
like the sons of thieves, eager to kill. From those who like eating meat like wolves.
In the mountain Drag-dug sprul-spungs, may (21a) I, Rig-'dzin rGod-ldem, having
purifiedall thenegative aspects ofmyself and of others,be reborn in thedimension
of purity. He who says this text is not true affirm that all my words are not true.
He who affirms that my words are not true will go to hell.
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gTer-ston Rig-'dzin rGod-ldem, sBas-yul mkhan-pa lung-gis lam-yig sa- dpyad dang-bcas-pa bzbugs-so, ff. 21
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gTer-ston Rig-'dzin rGod-ldem, sBas-yut mkhan-pa lung-gi gnas yig mthong-ba don-ldan bzhug and sBas-yul
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[33] 271

The Tibetan Myth of The Hidden Valley in The Visionary Geography of Nepal

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The Tibetan Myth of The Hidden Valley in The Visionary Geography of Nepal

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The Tibetan Myth of the Hidden Valley in the Visionary Geography of Nepal

Author(s): Giacomella Orofino

According to Tibetan legends referred to in the religious tradition of the rNying

brought about by Time and History, is to be found existing autonomously in many

According to the legend, Padmasambhava, having obtained the power of

cycle relating to mKhan-pa lung of the Nepalese tradition, attributed to Rig-'dzin

by the oral sources cited above.

(8) On this subject see Blondeau 1976: 109-19.

(n) See Ferrari& Petech 1958: 65, 153 fn. 539.

published by Reinhard (1978: 29-35).

geographical reality to arise'.

9M(uni^Ati(xii^M(ViDn': uiwif{(nfffli|()5*; m f * foir !

"^???SK'VS au<qcu?(fMM(sau4na^(Cai?!aiu^ ^?tugtts ^cn?TvJTrs ?jti?*fn?i9(nf?yu??^*QP^rarnjroiujfj ^1^*^

îaiw|fa?muici' ^ru(3fcnvMr5tti^(n4^l4'l7<a^ r^t<u??^(?njytnjiais îCMtîci.aimin^qiuf, ^(aâi^fmca^^f

^V^liS*4^ ^fiw^îyiMHquinT^TTî; aM^cuiail5>nu(nt4<^((S flH#q(tfaq(MqrcM<nfu;(q/?îjuu^cvii^^M^

f^n?n^ta(Mmtct?5 ~^tq< ffcuta?(|?lfutaif? f^mni^f^iOT^utn^cj ^ta^<j<a?^qcM<nc?i ^r^*qe^s'^<?>w.i?ji'f

?a<(i^(n(on^{a(q^ ^<Mn<tfl(PU^V<u(fV' ^??^(^cuflj^fuiMiff, 5

ft^urtt??cf(ssut<ErrM(f; p^Mtui^a^g^ .^MtutmcMi*?* n^(<a^n>cji j4imVm? '"'f(nq430i(o<fq:?tuc^; '&'.&c(warft

|#ra(qc^q(^tcMcnqcu^<uii ^cr(t^^jta(^<^i^<^aaat!(5(aic^(^<5'? ~?f?(^^|t(tf^qf^f-U^^f?

cnq ta (<5i;i cu^o?Mcvwru? f<n^aiq (?4^<ngi ??m tvcq cmcm

^ta?t ^(^ciifc^f?^??(ua(?iai^ ^q<Mma?^ram<s ^?GHq^<#l3f

^faf^(ra(0<ûm^,M(^: c?HSa(cM(5(a<ru?5n(u?{! î^faû^tarttfuqaitcutq?- a(

oi7(f^o)g u a ien(at icn~m

y Mai <<mcputu lait?ai n aTu m <m(?niu ?ju/< atru ifarfu

^lpiww*?iMfVi<a^. 3ft?t(fU4(fg<< ?rr^it^fg ^^iMTaiSri^

^?m%*mtfzm**i ^??i(iai^i^<wm^s a^cuio^fuf^faim^

fcw?^5<a^a>ltL^^^Mlaft?1^ "tw? 3f(i?<r?n?4n^ pfeift*un^t84imia^?nmit4f$!

jyai(<r?ifr?<(**cMi^(uiU u at ai r < 1(m<n^"n chm(aq m * ont^ w'^ r

' ' " ' "

^f^f^u^tn^Mi^c^ia^ta^^ ^<qw^cufTwl?mtqr?iu?qui*? ?^(fuiaiq^ru^tci^cqiuinjjag <n0m((?*m"^(<$7fota$ ^

sBas-yul mkhan-pa lung-gis lam-yig sa-dpyad dang-bcas-pa bzhugs-so

The Key toOpen theWesternDoor of theHidden Valley ofArtemisia

(37) See supra, fn. 14.

The SouthernDoor of theHidden Valley ofArtemisia ofKing Khyi-khaRa-thod

'Greeting to theMaster. I Pad-ma 'Byung-gnas have hidden like a treasure the

(50)Cf. Nebesky-Wojkowitz 1975: 260, 515.

(53) Cf. supra, fn. 28.

(54) Cf. supra, fn. 24.

ringand theone ofTibet. May theguides to thevalley ofmKhan-pa lungbe opened

(56)Etched agate beads of very ancientmanifacture,believed by theTibetans to be of supernatural

(58)Religious duty for laypeople of observingabstinence fromsex, stealing,tellinglies,killingother

manuscript, Nepal-German Manuscript. Preservation Project, Reel No. E1856/18, Kathmandu

(deposited to IsMEO, Rome).

O-rgyan Gling-pa (b.1323) rGyal-po bka'-thang, in bKa'-thang sde-lnga, Paro 1976.

Aris, M. (1988) Hidden Treasuresand SecretLives. New Delhi.

Brauen-Dolma, M. (1985)Millenarism inTibet Religion. Soundings inTibetan Civilization, ed. by B.N.

Corbin, H. (1979) Corps spirituel et Terre celeste. Paris.

Cornu, P. (1990) UAstrologie Tibetaine. Millau.

mkhan-pa-lung).TibetanHistory and Language Studies inHonour ofGeza

Diemberger, H. & C. Schicklgruber (forthcoming)Beyul Khenbalung (sBas-yulmKhan-pa lung). The

Ehrhard, F.K. (forthcoming)Bibliographical Notes on a 'Hidden Land' in the Tibetan-Nepalese

Eliade, M. (1975) The Quest. History andMeaning inReligion. Chicago.

Karmay, S. (1972) The treasuryof good sayings:A TibetanHistory of Bon. London.

Orofino, G. (1990) SacredTibetanTeachingsonDeath andLiberation. Textsfrom the

Reinhard, J. (1978) Khembalung: The Hidden Valley. Kailash, VI 1. Kathmandu.

Thondup, T. (1986) Hidden Teachings of Tibet. An Explanation of theTerma Tradition of theNyingma

Tucci, G. (1949) Tibetan Painted Scrolls. Rome.

Wylie, T. (1962) The Geography of Tibet accordingto the 'Dzam-gling-rgyas-bshad.

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9M(uni^Ati(xii^M(ViDn': uiwif{(nfffli|()5; m f foir !

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