Many visitors visit Dechenphu Lhakhang but they actually visit only the Neykhang, and forgo or forget to visit the real Lhakhang (the one in the picture).

Lhakhang, which means, Place of Gods, is where divinities are believed to reside, and it is where you seek blessing for you to get a step closer to enlightenment.

In Dechenphu, the tall red structure is not a Lhakhang but a Neykhang, which literally means Place of Spirit, and the spirit here being the Genyen, Jakpa Melen.

Spirits, those tamed by Buddhist masters, help devotees to clear their obstacles that may stand on their paths to enlightenment. They fall under the class of worldly deities and are of not much use as far as your journey towards enlightenment is concerned.

The ultimate goal of Buddhism is enlightenment, and so one must always visit the Lhakhang, when you visit the Neykhang.

In the Lhakhang in the picture, the centerpiece is a speaking statue of Guru Padmasambhava.

May all be blessed

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