La phyi: the beginning

Tshul khrims mthar phyin came to Chab sti in 1991, in order to meditate by himself in the mountains at this historical gnas, thus emulating of the lifestyle of Mi la ras pa. He settled here, because gSal byed rin po che praised the special qualities of the power place as especially suitable for solitary retreat. The gnas had not been cultivated as a hermitage, so only the historical caves, like the Golden Cave could provide shelter for the yogin. As his fame grew, he took the post of the travelling retreat master (sgrub dpon) at sKyo brag and Khang ne–associated three-year retreat enclaves; more individual practitioners also visited him at Chab sti to ask for meditation instructions.

La phyi sgom grwa was established in 2005, when Tshul khrims mthar phyin was given permission from the local government, comprised of mostly Khams pa Tibetans, to start his venture at Chab sti. The hermitage was registered as an “educational project.” Then Tshul khrims mthar phyin was offered support from gSal byed rin po che and some local sponsors.

With their help Tshul khrims mthar phyin was able to construct the ’du khang as well as some of the cave-cabins at the higher levels of the hermitage.

The construction was carried out by Kha cham families linked to the first meditator-disciples of Tshul khrims mthar phyin. The ras pa himself helped construct some of the cabins. This feat would be unthinkable for a reincarnate, raised in the custom of exemption from all ordinary tasks, but Tshul khrims mthar phyin is a “self-made” master, much like his own guru Karma nor bu and other Ris med activists. His engagement in the menial work at La phyi (i.e. overseeing the construction and acquisition of building material for the two sgrub khangs) emphasized his status as “the people’s hero.”

The condensation of the human content of La phyi sgom grwa followed a pattern similar to the distribution of spherical waves in nature. The impetus for the local hermitic movement at La phyi – or the source of a wave, the ras pa Tshul khrims thar phyin – first came to La phyi alone. After his hidden yogic period (sbas kyi rnal ’byor), some of his family members followed. They were his two daughters and one son; a niece; elder brother and two sisters, soon joined with their old mother. Everyone in this group accepted Tshul khrims mthar phyin

as a guru; everyone except for the mother and one sister took monastic vows and became the first meditators at La phyi.

As the wave of Tshul khrims mthar phyin’s influence spread, he inspired several Kha cham villagers to settle at his hermitage for a time, including the gNas mdo monk dPal ldan chos skyong who would soon become an accomplished ras pa himself and the latter’s aunt, a nun equally from the same gNas mdo monastic complex. Both of them had been experienced meditators and were allowed to settle immediately on the higher level.⁶⁸⁸ Another neighbor who became influential in La phyi, was ’Jigs med grags pa, the manager-monk (gnyer pa). He comes from Rab shis, a village close to Tshul khrims mthar phyin’s native Kha cham.

Subsequently, just as waves carry energy, Tshul khrims mthar phyin’s charisma radiated onwards and gradually attracted people from the vicinity of sKyo brag, then the sKye dgu mdo area, rDza stod, and even monks and nuns from the Tibetan regions of Sichuan or even Lha sa. Today, the community at La phyi encompasses practitioners and residents originating from all these phases of propagation – from Tshul khrims mthar phyin’s mother to several young nuns from the central regions of the TAR, who are quickly accommodated here in spite of the dialect differences.

The meditation school of La phyi was established as training facility principally for nuns.

Tshul khrims mthar phyin conceived this idea after he realized the number of his female disciples was growing disproportionately to the men; besides, before 2005, there had not been many nunneries or retreat facilities for women in the sKyo brag area. However, since the school adopted an open-door policy, it can also accommodate the needs of monks, or if need be, lay people of both genders.⁶⁸⁹

VIII.2.1. The name

Naming the meditation school at Chab sti after the favorite site of Mi la ras pa at La phyi gangs ra, where the yogin performed ascetic feats like enduring the cold and abstaining from food,⁶⁹⁰ similar to Tshul khrims mthar phyin at Chab sti, is obviously meant as a technique for legitimatization of the latter’s activity, but it is also linked to the training profile of the place, focusing on producing gtum mo specialists, like the master Tshul khrims mthar phyin himself.

On the other hand, it is also a conscious technique to revive to the past of Chab sti brag dkar gnas itself in order to underline the uniqueness of local tradition.

688 For the importance of topography, see below.

689 This does not mean that there are no rules for residents. For the regulations of the hermitage, see below.

690 Compare Tiso 1989: 215.

Associating the site with Mi la ras pa alludes to the figure central to the local sacred geography, that of Chos rje bSod nams bzang po, the sKyo brag siddha of the 14^th century and at the same time, a ’Ba’ rom lineage holder. I already introduced his person against the backdrop of the local legend extolling his yogic deeds, such as flying and performing miracles at The Golden Cave.

sKyo brag Chos rje is also quoted in the diaries of ’Bar ba’i rdo rje in the context of the 19^th-century ’Ba’ rom hermitic revival. As far as I have been able to establish, ’Bar ba’i rdor je was the first one to describe Chab sti brag dkar as corresponding to La phyi, Mi la ras pa’s beloved venue, where he performed samādhi and subjugated demonic forces, and which is located in south-western Tibet, today’s TAR.

’Bar ba’i rdo rje channeled all of these historical and ritual influences together into one venue. On the occasion of his visit to Chab sti, not only did he recognize the value of this sacred spot, but also recounted its special connection to Chos rje and his former lifetime as Mi la ras pa:

[Situated] at this site, [i.e. at Chab sti] the very meditation venue [i.e. Golden Cave]

of [sKyo brag] Chos rje is the substitute of the power place of La phyi; he was Lord Mi la ras pa in an earlier lifetime.⁶⁹¹

Both Tshul khrims mthar phyin’s son and the second tutor in charge of the training also emphasized the similarity between the original La phyi and Chab sti. La phyi is known as the place where Mi la ras pa had many accomplishments in meditation and in supernatural feats.⁶⁹² By naming the meditation school after La phyi, Tshul khrims mthar phyin consciously drew on many traditional local and pan-Tibetan themes at the same time. Firstly, he reawakened the gnas by indicating its link with the favorite abode of Mi la ras pa, of whom he is thought to be a modern embodiment.⁶⁹³ Through the connection with this established sacred spot, Tshul khrims mthar phyin also legitimizes the founding of his hermitage, much like the Ris med masters did to authorize their expansion.

Secondly, by re-evoking the sKyo brag Chos rje, Tshul khrims mthar phyin pays tribute to the great ’Ba’ rom yogins and ras pas of the past. Moreover, by alluding to a wave of past restoration of ’Ba’ rom pa doctrines and hermitic practices, Tshul khrims mthar phyin is

691 gnas ’dir chos rje’i sgrub gnas yod pa’i nyid la phyi’i gnas tshab yin shing/ khong gi skye ba snga ma rje btsun mi la yin [...]/ Bold type mine. Source: gTer chen ’Bar ba’i rdo rje, et al. 1984: f. 448. Compare Yeshe Gyamtso 2005: 181.

692 Mi la ras pa, et al. 1997: 567-569.

693 For the original La phyi, see Huber 1997 a and 1997 b.

legitimizing his present revivalist activity with the link to the Ris med movement, which has become the indicator of tradition for many Khams pa lamas of the sgrub brgyud today.