JINKA DRADUK

Herbert Daniel Gebauer - 06/01/2018

A modified, natural, sacred cave dedicated to Padmasambhava, is reported from a situation in the mountains, two days' journey south of Gyangtse, near the unreformed monastery of Se-kar (Sekar, Drakyul / brag yul). CAVE DESCRIPTION 1895: Concerning the … celebrated rock-cut [sic! qua: natural] cave of St. Padma … We took lighted lamps, and after going 120 paces inside the cavern we reached an open flat space about twenty feet square, from which a rock cut ladder led us up to another open space about ten feet square; thirty paces further brought us to a stone seat, said to be the seat of Guru Padmasambhava. Behind the seat was a small hole drilled through the rock: through this hole a wooden spoon about two feet long was passed by the sister of the Lama who accompanied us, and a small amount of reddish dust was extracted which is said to be the refuse of the Guru's food. This we ate and found very sweet to the taste. Then after lighting some sacred lamps and asking for a blessing, w descended by another flight of steps to a place where a stream issues from the face of the rock. The total length of the cave from the entrance to the stream is about a quarter of a mile. There are ascents and descents, and many turns and twists through narrow passages where only one man can go at a time, and many people are afraid to risk exploring the place. If the lamp were to go out there would be no finding the way back again (WADDELL 1895 edited 1899b edited 1991: 320 after Lama UGYEN GYTSO 1883: 25). CAVE DESCRIPTION 1994: import CHAN (1994: 327-334). CAVE DESCRIPTION not seen: There might exist a publication by Kabir Mansingh Heimsath and Hubert Decleer (HEIMSATH & DECLEER ?) on –>Bar do'i Phrang noticing a dwar in the Jinka Caves.