Sengye Drak (translated as Lion’s Cave) is located in Doteng gewog and is considered as the second Taktshang. The name, Sengye, is derived from khandro Seng Dhong Ma, a manifestation that the Guru turned into when he meditated here.

Thus the main temple has Guru as the central figure. According to the caretaker monk, Pema Dorji, there’re two legends surrounding this statue. First, when it was being made in Tibet and when the sculptor was preparing the clay, the head appeared on its own – and is believed that Guru placed his own head on the statue. Second, it was brought to Bhutan as one of the main relics for the newly-built Rinpung Dzong. However, the statue refused to be placed in Rinpung and instead directed the people to take it to Sengye Drak. The statue is, therefore, a very sacred piece. The smaller temple, glued to the cliff, has Seng Dhongma as the statue.

I closed my 6-day Tshering Che Nga pilgrimage/research trip, for this time, by paying gratitude to Guru Padmasambhava in Sengye Drak.

So, what remains of this journey for me?

Honestly, I am humbled. I am humbled by the fact that there is so much I don’t know of my own country. How many times have I not been to Paro. And I am humbled by the warmth of the caretakers, lamas, and ordinary people who are the true guardians of the sacred sites and relics.

One young monk offered to me, “Take my number. Call me if you’re in trouble. I’ll invoke the deity.” Aap Penjore in Ramna fed me and my friend as if we were a family. In Dongkala the abbot offered a place for me to stay there and write in peace. While still another lama blessed my research on nyes and deity-worship as a pure act of Dharma. All these people were people I was meeting for the first time.

From every place I visited I didn’t “leave with empty mouth” (a Bhutanese expression that I was offered free tea, snacks or a full meal). Everyone was kind and helpful and pulled out everything they had for us. 

I’d written before that we Bhutanese are basically king-loving, god-fearing and happy-go-lucky and hospitable people. In this trip I discovered another attribute. 

We are a deity-worshiping folks too.

😎😎😎