I felt really blessed to be able to see for the first time a Guru Kuthsab. This is one of the Five-Envoy-Statues known as kutshab (སྐུ་ཚབ་), which, according to the scriptures, were commissioned by Guru Padmasmbhava before he left the human world. Kutsab means “physical representative” and the sight of it is believed to be like seeing Guru Rimpoche in person.

This statue, probably the only one in Bhutan (besides the one held by Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse Rimpoche), is in the possession of, and the main nangten of Neyphu Gonpa. It was on its annual display today as per the tradition – on the Birth Anniversary of Guru Padmasambhava.

A popular belief within the Tibetan Buddhism is that in the Eighth Century, when Guru Rinpoche was leaving for the southwestern land of the Rakshas, King Muthri Tsenpo (reign 797-799) of Tibet requested Guru to leave something in the human world to represent him. It is said that Guru instructed Acharya Shantarakshita to make five statues with five different costumes – of Zahor, Nepal, India, Tibet and China. The statues were then buried into the earth as termas, to be revealed by tertons at a later period.

The one in Neyphu is with the costume from China. It was retrieved from the large Jowo Shakyamuni statue at Kyichu temple in Paro in the 16th Century. Terton Pemalingpa (1450-1521) is believed to have seen it in his vision, and revealed it to his son, Thugsey Dawa Gyeltshen, who then later instructed Terton Ngawang Drakpa (1525-1599) to retrieve it.

Terton Ngawang Drakpa is the founder-lama of Neyphu Gonpa. He is considered as the first Neyphu trulku.

For all those who could not make it, I share it with a prayer for all sentient beings.

I spent the whole day and yes, it feels very powerful to be in its presence. I prayed that as long as I live I will make at least one visit every year, if not more.

P.S – A more detailed account of Neyphu Gonpa, and Guru Kutsab is in this blog post of mine.

https://dorji-wangchuk.com/2023/06/04/the-wish-granting-tree-and-guru-kutsab-of-neyphu-gonpa/