The legacy of Toeb Chandana

27 October 2008

A journey into the spiritual significance of an idyllic village revealed the vibrant and inexhaustible legacy of an illustrious lineage. Phuntsok Rabten reports.
The legacy of Toeb Chandana village is firmly rooted in the arrival and activities of Lama Drukpa Kuenley and intertwined with the flourishing of the Drukpa lineage in Bhutan.

At about a few minutes drive from Thinleygang village near Lobesa, the hour-long walk to Toeb Chandana village began in an adrupt descent right below the highway.

The idylic jungle path plunged through lush fields, golden paddy fields and a smattering of lazy hamlets. At the base of the valley, we crossed a quaint steel pedestrain bridge and after a gentle ten-minute walk, we arrived at the village.

The arrival of Lama in the village was prophesied in a divine revelation. Palden Lhamo appeared in a dream, dressed in a yellow skirt and holding a flaming sword, when Lama was in Nangkatse in the province of Yamdrok, Tibet. In the dream, the diety instructed Lama to shoot an arrow to the south early in the morning as a harbringer of his spiritual activities in Bhutan.

According to the divination, Lama shot an arrow southwards with the auspicious intonement to benefit many beings. The arrow landed upon the ladder of the house belonging to the wealthy highlander, Toeb Tshewang.

When the arrow was discovered, the devout Tshewang instructed his wife to wash her hands, wrap the arrow in silk and place it in the altar of the shrine room.

Meanwhile, Lama arrived at Toeb Tshewang’s house, where his arrow had landed. Lama immediately accosted Toeb Tshewang’s wife, the prophesied Palzang Buti who is sometimes referred to as Rigden Norbu Dzomma. This shocked the husband into a rage and he attacked Lama by throwing his sword.

The Lama caught the sword in his right hand, folded it and threw it away. This astounded Tshewang who then realized that Lama was no ordinary being. Once his doubts were cleared, he helped Lama fulfill his spiritual prophecy.

Subsequently, Lama constructed the present lhakhang in one night and changed the name of the village to Chandana – chanda being a respectful term for arrow. According to local legend, the lama’s spiritual sojourn resulted in Phajoisay Sangdak Garton emanating in Palzang Buti’s womb, born as Ngawang Tenzin. The descendants of Ngawang Tenzin such as Tsewang Tenzin and Gyalsey Tenzin Rabgye went on to be lineage holders and influenced Bhutanese history irreversibly.

Khandu, the caretaker of Toeb Chandana lhakhang is a direct descendent of the household of Palzang Buti. Khandu remarked that very few people visited the lhakhang. Those who did were mostly people well versed in the legend and life of Lama Drukpa Kuenley. This comprised an assortment of tourists, some people from east Bhutan and also a western scholar with an impecabble command of Chokey who was an unfailing visitor every year.

The relic of the folded sword is now preserved in Tango monastery, founded by Desi Tenzin Rabgey, a descedent of the union of Lama Drukpa Kuenley and Plazang Buti. Khandu then led us into his well-built three-storeyed traditional house. In his shrine room, we were graced by the presence of the eleven-step ladder where the arrow shot by Lama had landed. The mark made by the arrow is still visibly etched.

For many generations since, the lhakhang has been looked after by the descendents of Palzang Buti. Khandu recounted that the first King had exempted his household from all taxes for their contributions to the spiritual history of Bhutan.

Upon enquiry, Khandu revealed that he was a very advanced bachelor. His only goal in life now was to fulfill the wishes of his late parents to fully dedicate his life to the Dharma. He revealed that he would go away to live with his teacher in a few years time as he felt that village life was not conducive to achieving his spiritual goals. In the steely resolve of his far-away gaze, the legacy of an auspicious lineage lives on.

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