Thujeydrak and Dung Tso

Many sacred places remain intact in Bhutan not only because a number of great Buddhist saints and sages lived, meditated and transformed these places but also because they have left spiritual remnants such as foot or hand prints in the rock as spiritual gifts to visitors and pilgrims. Some were able to create a spring of water from sheer cliff wall in areas where water was needed and these sites then became known for their sacred water sources known as drubchu. One such place I visited few days back was Thujeydrak and the holy lakes above the temple.

Thujeydrak on the cliff

Group photo of my team

Thujeydrak was a temple on the cliff where Phajo Dugom and his consort Sonam Pelden meditated and have witnessed the real Chenrigzig on the cliff itself. We collected three drubchus of Phajo, Khando  Sonam Pelden and Gyalwa Shacha.

Pristine environment 

Close to the clouds

In Bhutan, pristine environment like unclimbed mountains, pollution free lakes, uncontaminated rivers, clean and fresh air, open blue sky, ancient trees are all known as outer sacred representations. The inner sacred dimension is associated with the mind of enlightenment that is free from obscurations such as ignorance, anger and attachment. Love and compassion are also considered part of inner sacred characteristics according to Buddhism. When we  go for pilgrimage to sacred sites, we are also supposed to generate the right set of motivations and should leave all our negative thoughts behind.

Because pilgrimage often requires strenuous effort and undergoing of physical hardships, the body burns off negative karma by walking for long distances and difficult or steep footpaths or trails and circumambulating or making prostrations before the sacred sites themselves. During our journey i was at the last being unable to walk equally with the rest of my friends. I was filling myself with positive thoughts and kept going. Our speech is believed to be purified through the chanting of sacred syllables of mantras and through the recitation of supplication prayers to the gurus or teacher while walking or travelling to the sacred location  and avoiding casual talk or idle gossip. The mind also becomes cleansed by remembering the quality of the fully enlightened ones and practising meditation at the sacred site just as the great masters did at the locations many years before.

Giant and beautiful Dung Tso 

Minor holy lakes on the way to Dung Tso 

From our one night halt at the temple, we made our journey to the gorgeous lakes the second day. If we can really do it, there are more than 100 lakes and we have to halt nights on the way. But we decided to visit the main lake called Dung Tso which is around 4 hours walk from Thujeydrak. On the way we viewed lots of other minor lakes and it was all stunning.


It is believed that the blessings received from the practising dharma at a scared location for one day is equal to one month of practice at an ordinary place. In the same way, offering one incense stick and a single butter lamp in the sacred place is equal to the merit of offering a thousand incense sticks or butter lamp in the ordinary place due to the positive energy left behind by the enlightened masters. This is why those undertaking a spiritual retreat will always try to select a location associated with sacred place and often these are located deep in the forest, in isolated spots in the high mountains or hidden away in a small rock out-cropping or cave.