{"id":4350,"date":"2016-06-09T07:48:37","date_gmt":"2016-06-09T07:48:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mugwortborn.com\/project\/episode-four-hidden-lands\/"},"modified":"2026-09-08T18:34:06","modified_gmt":"2026-09-08T18:34:06","slug":"episode-four-hidden-lands","status":"publish","type":"project","link":"https:\/\/mugwortborn.com\/tr\/project\/episode-four-hidden-lands\/","title":{"rendered":"4. Kesit: Sakl\u0131 Diyarlar"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>[et_pb_section fb_built=&#8221;1&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.16&#8243; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_row _builder_version=&#8221;4.16&#8243; background_size=&#8221;initial&#8221; background_position=&#8221;top_left&#8221; background_repeat=&#8221;repeat&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_column type=&#8221;4_4&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.16&#8243; custom_padding=&#8221;|||&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221; custom_padding__hover=&#8221;|||&#8221;][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.27.6&#8243; background_size=&#8221;initial&#8221; background_position=&#8221;top_left&#8221; background_repeat=&#8221;repeat&#8221; hover_enabled=&#8221;0&#8243; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221; sticky_enabled=&#8221;0&#8243;]<\/p>\n<p>Haf\u0131zamda derin iz b\u0131rakan sahnelerden biri, toprak oca\u011f\u0131ndan dumanlar t\u00fcten, tavan kiri\u015flerinden sarkan tahta rafta yakacak odunlar\u0131n dizili oldu\u011fu aile mutfa\u011f\u0131m\u0131zd\u0131r. Sebzeler burada do\u011fran\u0131r, \u00e7ay burada yay\u0131klan\u0131rd\u0131. Oca\u011f\u0131n ate\u015fini, \u00e7am dallar\u0131ndan kopar\u0131lm\u0131\u015f \u00e7\u0131ral\u0131 budaklarla beslerken burun deliklerimiz isten kapkara olurdu. O budaklardan kandil de yap\u0131l\u0131rd\u0131. Ama hepsinden \u00f6nemlisi, yemek vakitlerinde ailecek burada toplan\u0131rd\u0131k. Ak\u015fam yeme\u011finden sonra b\u00fcy\u00fckler halk masallar\u0131 anlat\u0131r, <em>gomchen\u2019ler<\/em> ise hayaletler ve g\u00f6lgelerle ilgili \u00f6yk\u00fclerle bizi korkuturdu. Ayn\u0131 hikaye y\u00fcz kez anlat\u0131lsa da ne anlatan usan\u0131rd\u0131 ne de dinleyen. Baz\u0131 \u00f6zel gecelerde yak\u0131lan gaz lambas\u0131n\u0131n mekanizmas\u0131 biz \u00e7ocuklar\u0131 adeta b\u00fcy\u00fclerdi.<\/p>\n<p><div id=\"attachment_146\" style=\"width: 197px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-146\" class=\"wp-image-146\" src=\"https:\/\/mugwortborn.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/Ugyen_Wangchuk_1905-187x300.jpg\" alt=\"King Ugyen Wangchuk, 1905\" width=\"187\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/mugwortborn.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/Ugyen_Wangchuk_1905-187x300.jpg 187w, https:\/\/mugwortborn.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/Ugyen_Wangchuk_1905-768x1233.jpg 768w, https:\/\/mugwortborn.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/Ugyen_Wangchuk_1905-638x1024.jpg 638w, https:\/\/mugwortborn.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/Ugyen_Wangchuk_1905-1080x1734.jpg 1080w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 187px) 100vw, 187px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-146\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><em>Kral Ugyen Wangchuk, 1905<\/em><\/p><\/div><div id=\"attachment_147\" style=\"width: 236px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-147\" class=\"wp-image-147\" src=\"https:\/\/mugwortborn.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/reting.jpeg\" alt=\"Lhasa, Regent Gyeltshap Reting Rinpoche\" width=\"226\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/mugwortborn.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/reting.jpeg 602w, https:\/\/mugwortborn.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/reting-226x300.jpeg 226w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 226px) 100vw, 226px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-147\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><em>Naip Gyeltshap Reting Rinpoche <\/em><\/p><\/div><\/p>\n<p>Anne taraf\u0131ndan dedem Lama Sonam Zangpo ve anneannem Dendup Palmo\u2019yla ayn\u0131 sofray\u0131 payla\u015ft\u0131\u011f\u0131m\u0131z g\u00fcnleri \u00e7ok net hat\u0131rl\u0131yorum. Hik\u00e2ye anlatmakta dedemin \u00fcst\u00fcne yoktu. Foto\u011fraf gibi bir haf\u0131zas\u0131 vard\u0131; eski tarihleri ve efsaneleri en ince ayr\u0131nt\u0131s\u0131na kadar hat\u0131rlard\u0131. Bhutan\u2019\u0131n ilk kral\u0131 Sir Ugyen Wangchuck\u2019\u0131n sakal\u0131n\u0131 ya da gen\u00e7 Gyaltsab Reting Rinpoche\u2019nin<sup>[1]<\/sup>, 13. Dalai Lama\u2019n\u0131n yan\u0131nda Jokhang Manast\u0131r\u0131\u2019na girerken ne kadar yak\u0131\u015f\u0131kl\u0131 ve etkileyici g\u00f6r\u00fcnd\u00fc\u011f\u00fcn\u00fc \u00f6yle bir anlat\u0131rd\u0131 ki, hepsi g\u00f6z\u00fcm\u00fczde canlan\u0131rd\u0131.<\/p>\n<p>Dedem tam bir masal hazinesiydi. Bana anlatt\u0131\u011f\u0131 hik\u00e2yelerden birinde, Ye\u015fil Tara\u2019n\u0131n tezah\u00fcr\u00fc olan bir k\u00f6pek k\u00fc\u00e7\u00fck bir \u00e7ocu\u011fu kurtar\u0131yordu, ama hik\u00e2yenin tamam\u0131n\u0131 h\u00e2l\u00e2 hat\u0131rlamaya \u00e7al\u0131\u015f\u0131yorum. K\u00f6pe\u011fin a\u011fz\u0131nda g\u00fczel bir \u00e7i\u00e7ek ta\u015f\u0131yarak \u00e7ocu\u011fa yol g\u00f6sterdi\u011fini \u00e7ok net hat\u0131rl\u0131yorum. Ama hik\u00e2yenin geri kalan\u0131n\u0131, belki de ancak son nefesimi al\u0131rken ya da verirken hat\u0131rlayaca\u011f\u0131m gibi geliyor.<\/p>\n<p>Dedem neredeyse her g\u00fcn, bir zamanlar ya\u015fad\u0131\u011f\u0131 ve hala \u00f6zlemini \u00e7ekti\u011fi sakl\u0131 bir diyardan m\u0131r\u0131ldanarak s\u00f6z ederdi. Oraya \u00f6ylesine hasretti ki, sofraya e\u011frelti otu gelse, sakl\u0131 diyarda yeti\u015fenlerin daha ye\u015fil oldu\u011funu s\u00f6ylerdi. Hi\u00e7bir s\u00fct\u00fcn tad\u0131 ona oradakiler kadar lezzetli gelmezdi. Ba\u015fka yerlerde yeti\u015fen pelin otlar\u0131n\u0131n kokusu da oradakilerin yan\u0131nda s\u00f6n\u00fck kal\u0131rd\u0131. Ama en \u00e7ok da a\u011fa\u00e7lar\u0131n \u00fczerinde yeti\u015fen mantarlara \u00f6zlem duyard\u0131.<\/p>\n<p>O sakl\u0131 diyara dair haf\u0131zamda kalan tek \u015fey, parlak bir g\u00fcne\u015f \u0131\u015f\u0131\u011f\u0131, bir veranda ve belki de k\u00fc\u00e7\u00fck bir sebze bah\u00e7esinden ibaret.<\/p>\n<p>Tantrik Budizm\u2019de bilgeli\u011fe ula\u015fman\u0131n bir s\u00fcr\u00fc ak\u0131l almaz y\u00f6ntemi vard\u0131r, mesela tamamen ortadan kaybolmak gibi. Hocalar\u0131mdan biri bir g\u00fcn kayboldu ve onu bir daha hi\u00e7 g\u00f6rmedik. Bir ba\u015fka y\u00f6ntem ise delirmi\u015f gibi davran\u0131p toplumun b\u00fct\u00fcn kurallar\u0131n\u0131 terk etmektir. Hocalar\u0131mdan bir di\u011feri de bu yolu se\u00e7mi\u015fti. Bir ba\u015fka uygulamada, ard\u0131\u00e7 dallar\u0131na zarar vermeden tohumlar tek tek ay\u0131klan\u0131r, ard\u0131ndan da o tohumlar\u0131n \u00f6z\u00fc d\u0131\u015f\u0131nda hi\u00e7bir \u015fey yenilip i\u00e7ilmez. \u0130nsan b\u00f6ylece \u00e7i\u011fneme, t\u0131k\u0131nma ve sindirme al\u0131\u015fkanl\u0131klar\u0131n\u0131 yava\u015f yava\u015f geride b\u0131rak\u0131r. Bunun sonucunda bilgelik ve enerji a\u00e7\u0131\u011fa \u00e7\u0131kar, prana ile nadiler dengeye kavu\u015fur. Dedem Lama Sonam Zangpo, bu <em>chulen<\/em> uygulamas\u0131yla tan\u0131n\u0131rd\u0131. Elleri son derece maharetliydi. Seksenli ya\u015flar\u0131n\u0131n sonlar\u0131ndayken bile, iki k\u0131ldan yap\u0131lm\u0131\u015f k\u00fc\u00e7\u00fcc\u00fck bir f\u0131r\u00e7ayla bir pirin\u00e7 tanesinin \u00fczerine tohum hece \u00e7izerken neredeyse hafif\u00e7e g\u00f6steri\u015f yapt\u0131\u011f\u0131n\u0131 hat\u0131rl\u0131yorum.<\/p>\n<p>Ama dedemin as\u0131l \u00fcn\u00fc, sakl\u0131 diyarlara gitme prati\u011finden gelirdi. Vajrayana\u2019da d\u00fcnyan\u0131n her yan\u0131nda sakl\u0131 yerlerin oldu\u011funa inan\u0131l\u0131r. Hatta Bronx\u2019ta bile bir tane olabilir. San\u0131r\u0131m Amerikan yerlilerinin \u015famanlar\u0131 da bu sakl\u0131 diyarlara ve g\u00fc\u00e7 noktalar\u0131na ula\u015fman\u0131n yollar\u0131n\u0131 biliyordu. Don Juan\u2019\u0131n \u00f6\u011frencilerinden birinin kitab\u0131nda \u201csitio\u201d diye bir \u015fey okudu\u011fumu hayal meyal hat\u0131rl\u0131yorum.<\/p>\n<p>Sakl\u0131 bir diyara gitmek, samsarik d\u00fcnyaya kar\u015f\u0131 giri\u015filebilecek en b\u00fcy\u00fck ba\u015fkald\u0131r\u0131d\u0131r; toplumdan kopup bir kom\u00fcne kat\u0131lmaya benzer ama bundan \u00e7ok daha \u00f6te bir \u015feydir. Guru Rinpoche bu sakl\u0131 diyarlar\u0131 \u00f6\u011fretilerinde tarif eder. Baz\u0131lar\u0131na ula\u015f\u0131labilir, baz\u0131lar\u0131na asla; ama hi\u00e7birini bulmak kolay de\u011fildir. Ula\u015f\u0131labilenlerin bile belli bir \u00f6mr\u00fc olabilir. Kimi yer de\u011fi\u015ftirir, kimi ba\u015fka bir yere kayar, kimi de orada ya\u015fayan olsa da olmasa da, sakl\u0131 diyar olma enerjisini yitirir. E\u011fer bir sakl\u0131 diyar\u0131n kap\u0131s\u0131n\u0131 a\u00e7may\u0131 ba\u015far\u0131rsan\u0131z, amac\u0131 tamamlanana kadar orada kalman\u0131z gerekir; bu bazen birka\u00e7 g\u00fcn, bazen onlarca y\u0131l, bazen de birka\u00e7 nesil s\u00fcrebilir. B\u00f6yle bir yerde zaman\u0131n hesab\u0131 tutulmaz.<\/p>\n<p>Guru Rinpoche, baz\u0131 sakl\u0131 diyarlara ula\u015fabilmek i\u00e7in \u015fifreli rehberler ve haritalar b\u0131rakm\u0131\u015ft\u0131. Bu rehberlerde oraya giderken hangi y\u00f6ntemlerin kullan\u0131laca\u011f\u0131, yol boyunca nerelerde konaklanaca\u011f\u0131, ate\u015f yakman\u0131n yasak olup olmad\u0131\u011f\u0131, belirli bir ku\u015f sesinin iyiye mi yoksa k\u00f6t\u00fcye mi i\u015faret etti\u011fi, s\u0131n\u0131rdan bak\u0131r ya da kur\u015fun ge\u00e7irilip ge\u00e7irilemeyece\u011fi, koruyucu dakiniler gibi g\u00f6r\u00fclen s\u00fcl\u00fcklerin davran\u0131\u015flar\u0131n\u0131n nas\u0131l yorumlanaca\u011f\u0131 ve oraya vard\u0131ktan sonra ne yap\u0131lmas\u0131 gerekti\u011fine dair ayr\u0131nt\u0131l\u0131 talimatlar yer al\u0131yordu. Guru Rinpoche, sakl\u0131 diyarlara yolculuk etmenin \u00f6l\u00e7\u00fclemeyecek kadar \u00e7ok faydas\u0131 oldu\u011funu s\u00f6ylerdi. Orada eri\u015filebilecek bilgeli\u011fin yan\u0131 s\u0131ra, insan\u0131n art\u0131k yaln\u0131zca rasyonel d\u00fc\u015f\u00fcncenin s\u0131n\u0131rlar\u0131na hapsolmu\u015f bir d\u00fcnyada ya\u015famak zorunda kalmamas\u0131 da ba\u015fl\u0131 ba\u015f\u0131na b\u00fcy\u00fck bir nimetti. Bir sakl\u0131 diyar\u0131n kap\u0131s\u0131n\u0131 a\u00e7abilmek i\u00e7in bu \u015fifreleri \u00e7\u00f6zebilecek ve rehberleri okuyabilecek \u00e7ok \u00f6zel bir uygulay\u0131c\u0131ya ve \u00e7ok \u00f6zel ko\u015fullara ihtiya\u00e7 vard\u0131r. Bunlar\u0131n en \u00f6nemlisi motivasyon ve tutumdur. \u0130nsan fazla rasyonel ve ku\u015fkucu bir korkaksa, bildi\u011fi b\u00fct\u00fcn referans noktalar\u0131n\u0131 geride b\u0131rakacak cesareti yoksa, b\u00fcy\u00fck ihtimalle hi\u00e7bir zaman bir sakl\u0131 diyar bulamaz. Merak tek ba\u015f\u0131na yeterli bir motivasyon de\u011fildir.<\/p>\n<p>Yol boyunca say\u0131s\u0131z s\u0131nav ve \u00e7ileyle kar\u015f\u0131la\u015f\u0131l\u0131r; en b\u00fcy\u00fck uygulay\u0131c\u0131lar bile sakl\u0131 diyara \u00e7ok yakla\u015fmalar\u0131na ra\u011fmen ba\u015far\u0131s\u0131z olabilir. Kimi insanlar ise onca zorlu\u011fun ard\u0131ndan sonunda bir sakl\u0131 diyara g\u00f6zlerini dikmi\u015f, ama bir anl\u0131\u011f\u0131na bak\u0131\u015flar\u0131n\u0131 ba\u015fka y\u00f6ne \u00e7evirdiklerinde onun yok olup gitti\u011fini g\u00f6rm\u00fc\u015ft\u00fcr. Bunun ya\u015fand\u0131\u011f\u0131 s\u00f6ylenir.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_148\" style=\"width: 207px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-148\" class=\"wp-image-148 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/mugwortborn.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/Drubwang_Sonam_Zangpo-197x300.jpg\" alt=\"Lama Sonam Zangpo, my maternal grandfather\" width=\"197\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/mugwortborn.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/Drubwang_Sonam_Zangpo-197x300.jpg 197w, https:\/\/mugwortborn.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/Drubwang_Sonam_Zangpo-671x1024.jpg 671w, https:\/\/mugwortborn.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/Drubwang_Sonam_Zangpo.jpg 700w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 197px) 100vw, 197px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-148\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><em>Anne taraf\u0131ndan dedem olan <\/em><em>Lama Sonam Zangpo<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n<p>Dedem, bir sakl\u0131 diyar aray\u0131c\u0131s\u0131nda bulunmas\u0131 gereken niyet, tek bir amaca odaklanm\u0131\u015f bir kararl\u0131l\u0131k ve dayan\u0131kl\u0131l\u0131\u011fa b\u00fct\u00fcn\u00fcyle sahipti. 1951 y\u0131l\u0131nda, bir sakl\u0131 diyar\u0131n kap\u0131s\u0131n\u0131 a\u00e7mak i\u00e7in yola \u00e7\u0131kmaya cesaret etti. Padmasambhava\u2019n\u0131n 1,200 y\u0131l\u0131 a\u015fk\u0131n bir zaman \u00f6nce b\u0131rakt\u0131\u011f\u0131 kehanetler ve rehber e\u015fli\u011finde, buzlar\u0131n ve f\u0131rt\u0131nalar\u0131n i\u00e7inden, bambular\u0131n ve \u00e7amurun aras\u0131ndan, u\u00e7urum k\u0131y\u0131lar\u0131ndan ve vadilerden ge\u00e7tiler. Yakla\u015f\u0131k 100 ki\u015fi de onu takip etti. Ge\u00e7imlerini, evlerini, s\u0131\u011f\u0131rlar\u0131n\u0131, tarlalar\u0131n\u0131, sahip olduklar\u0131 her \u015feyi geride b\u0131rakt\u0131lar. Bir bak\u0131ma, tam anlam\u0131yla hippi olmaya karar vermi\u015flerdi.<\/p>\n<p>Dedemin bulup kap\u0131lar\u0131n\u0131 a\u00e7t\u0131\u011f\u0131 ve yerle\u015fti\u011fi yerin ad\u0131 Khenpajong\u2019du; Artemisa Vadisi yani \u201cPelin Otu Vadisi\u201d anlam\u0131na geliyordu ve dedem orada on y\u0131l ya\u015fad\u0131. Oradayken Tibet\u2019ten, burnu ve mizac\u0131yla dikkat \u00e7eken bir damat bulup onu sessiz ve tefekk\u00fcre meyilli k\u0131z\u0131yla evlendirdi. O birliktelikten de ben, bu sakl\u0131 diyarda d\u00fcnyaya geldim. Benden \u00f6nce annemle babam\u0131n bir \u00e7ocuklar\u0131n\u0131n daha oldu\u011fu, ama k\u0131sa s\u00fcre sonra \u00f6ld\u00fc\u011f\u00fc anlat\u0131l\u0131r. Bu y\u00fczden, Khenpajong\u2019da do\u011fup bug\u00fcn h\u00e2l\u00e2 d\u00fcnyan\u0131n d\u00f6rt bir yan\u0131nda dola\u015farak karbon ayak izi b\u0131rakan ve d\u00fcnyan\u0131n tahribine katk\u0131da bulunan tek \u00e7ocuk belki de benim. Ben do\u011fduktan k\u0131sa bir s\u00fcre sonra ise herkes birer birer Khenpajong\u2019dan ayr\u0131ld\u0131. Pelin Otu Vadisi b\u00fct\u00fcn\u00fcyle terk edildi.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_144\" style=\"width: 650px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-144\" class=\"wp-image-144 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/mugwortborn.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/face.jpg\" alt=\"face\" width=\"640\" height=\"478\" srcset=\"https:\/\/mugwortborn.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/face.jpg 640w, https:\/\/mugwortborn.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/face-300x224.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-144\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><em>Nicholas Roerich\u2019in tablosu<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><sup>[1]<\/sup> <em>Jamphel Yeshe Gyaltsen (Tibet\u00e7e: <\/em><em>\u0f56\u0fb3\u0f0b\u0f56\u0fb2\u0f44\u0f0b\u0f60\u0f47\u0f58\u0f0b\u0f51\u0f54\u0f63\u0f0b\u0f61\u0f7a\u0f0b\u0f64\u0f7a\u0f66\u0f0b\u0f62\u0f92\u0fb1\u0f63\u0f0b\u0f58\u0f5a\u0f53\u0f0b<\/em><em>; Dagpo, 1910 \u2013 Lhasa, 1947), Tibetli bir tulku ve be\u015finci Reting Rinpoche idi.<\/em><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>[et_pb_section fb_built=&#8221;1&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.16&#8243; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_row _builder_version=&#8221;4.16&#8243; background_size=&#8221;initial&#8221; background_position=&#8221;top_left&#8221; background_repeat=&#8221;repeat&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_column type=&#8221;4_4&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.16&#8243; custom_padding=&#8221;|||&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221; custom_padding__hover=&#8221;|||&#8221;][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.27.6&#8243; background_size=&#8221;initial&#8221; background_position=&#8221;top_left&#8221; background_repeat=&#8221;repeat&#8221; hover_enabled=&#8221;0&#8243; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221; sticky_enabled=&#8221;0&#8243;] Haf\u0131zamda derin iz b\u0131rakan sahnelerden biri, toprak oca\u011f\u0131ndan dumanlar t\u00fcten, tavan kiri\u015flerinden sarkan tahta rafta yakacak odunlar\u0131n dizili oldu\u011fu aile mutfa\u011f\u0131m\u0131zd\u0131r. Sebzeler burada do\u011fran\u0131r, \u00e7ay burada yay\u0131klan\u0131rd\u0131. Oca\u011f\u0131n ate\u015fini, \u00e7am dallar\u0131ndan kopar\u0131lm\u0131\u015f \u00e7\u0131ral\u0131 budaklarla [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":4351,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"off","_et_pb_old_content":"One of my strongest memories is of my family's smoky kitchen with its clay hearth and a platform hung from the rafters holding the firewood. Here, vegetables were chopped, tea was churned, and our nostrils turned black as we fed the fire with slow-burning knots from pine branches. The knots were also used to make lamps. But most importantly, this is where the family gathered for meals. After dinner, the adults told folk stories and the <em>gomchen<\/em> scared us with their tales of ghosts and shadows. The same story could be told a hundred times and neither the teller nor the listener would tire. Occasionally, on special days, we might light a kerosene lamp, whose workings fascinated us kids.\n\n[caption id=\"attachment_146\" align=\"alignleft\" width=\"187\"]<img class=\"wp-image-146\" src=\"https:\/\/mugwortborn.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/Ugyen_Wangchuk_1905-187x300.jpg\" alt=\"King Ugyen Wangchuk, 1905\" width=\"187\" height=\"300\"> <em>King Ugyen Wangchuk, 1905<\/em>[\/caption]\n\n[caption id=\"attachment_147\" align=\"alignleft\" width=\"226\"]<img class=\"wp-image-147\" src=\"https:\/\/mugwortborn.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/reting.jpeg\" alt=\"Lhasa, Regent Gyeltshap Reting Rinpoche\" width=\"226\" height=\"300\"> <em>Regent Gyeltshap Reting Rinpoche&nbsp;<\/em>[\/caption]\n\nI have clear memories of sharing meals with my maternal grandparents, Lama Sonam Zangpo and Dendup Palmo. Lama Sonam Zangpo could tell the best tales. He was known for his photographic memory and he remembered all the histories and legends. His descriptions of the beard of the first king of Bhutan, Sir Ugyen Wangchuck, or how handsome and striking the teenaged Gyaltsab Reting Rinpoche<a href=\"#_ftn1\" name=\"_ftnref\">[1]<\/a> was as the 13th Dalai Lama led him into the Jokhang Monastery, made his stories come alive.\n\nMy Grandfather was like a treasury of fairy tales. I am still desperately trying to remember one particular story he told me about a dog that was an emanation of Green Tara rescuing a small boy. I remember vividly that the dog lead the boy by carrying a beautiful flower in its mouth, but I have a distinct feeling I will not remember the rest of the story perhaps until the moment I breathe in or out my last breath.\n\nAlmost every day, my grandfather would mutter about a hidden land where he had once lived and which he still longed for. He was so nostalgic for this hidden place: If we were eating fern, it wasn't as green as it had been at the hidden place. No buttermilk was as delicious as it had been there. Artemisia found anywhere else was nowhere near as fragrant as it had been there. And he was especially nostalgic about the fungus that had grown on the trees.\n\nMy only memory of that hidden land is of some strong sunlight, a verandah, and maybe a small vegetable garden.\n\nThere are countless unimaginable methods to discover wisdom in Tantric Buddhism \u2014 for example, by vanishing completely. One of my own tutors disappeared one day and we never saw him again. There is a method of convincingly pretending to be crazy and abandoning all social norms. Another one of my tutors took that path. There is a method of delicately extracting juniper seeds without disturbing the branches, and then abstaining from all food and drink except the essence of those seeds; through fasting one lets go of the habits of munching, stuffing, and digesting, and through that, wisdom and energy are uncovered, prana and nadis are balanced. My grandfather Lama Sonam Zangpo was well known for this <em>chulan<\/em> practice; he had the steadiest hands. I remember him in his late 80s almost showing off by painting a seed syllable on a grain of rice using a brush made with two hairs.\n\nBut it is the practice of going into hidden lands that my grandfather was best known for. In the Vajrayana it is believed that there are hidden spots everywhere. There could even be one in the Bronx. I believe the Native American shamans also used to know how to access hidden lands and power spots. I vaguely remember reading about something called <em>sitio<\/em> in a book by one of Don Juan's disciples.\n\nGoing to a hidden land is the ultimate rebellion against the samsaric world, like dropping out of society and joining a commune, but much more than that. Guru Rinpoche described these hidden lands in his teachings. Some are reachable, some not, all are never easy to find. Those that are reachable may have expiration dates. Some shift or migrate or simply stop having the energy of being a hidden land, regardless of whether or not anyone has set foot there. If you manage to unlock a hidden land, you must stay there until its purpose is served, which could be a few days, a few decades, or a few generations. You can't care about your term.\n\nGuru Rinpoche left coded guides and maps to some hidden lands, including which methods to use to travel there, where to camp along the way, whether or not fires are allowed, how to read the signs, such as whether a certain birdcall is welcoming or not, whether copper or lead is allowed across the boundary, how to read the behavior of the leeches (who are like guardian dakinis), and detailed instructions about what to do once you reach there. He said there are immeasurable benefits to traveling to hidden lands. In addition to the wisdom one may access there, there is the amazing benefit of no longer having to abide in a world limited by rational thought. Deciphering the codes and reading the guides to unlock a hidden land takes a very special practitioner and very special conditions. The primary condition is motivation and attitude. If one is too much of a rational and critical coward, if one doesn't have the daringness to leave behind every known reference point, chances are one will never find a hidden land. Curiosity is not motivation enough at all.\n\nThere will be so many ordeals along the way; even the greatest practitioner can get quite close and still fail. And after much hardship, some have finally set eyes on a hidden land, but when glanced away for a moment, it vanished. This has happened.\n\n[caption id=\"attachment_148\" align=\"alignleft\" width=\"197\"]<img class=\"wp-image-148 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/mugwortborn.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/Drubwang_Sonam_Zangpo-197x300.jpg\" alt=\"Lama Sonam Zangpo, my maternal grandfather\" width=\"197\" height=\"300\"> <em>Lama Sonam Zangpo, my maternal grandfather<\/em>[\/caption]\n\nMy grandfather had all the necessary motivation, one-pointed determination, and strength necessary for a hidden land searcher. In 1951, he bravely decided to take a journey to unlock a hidden land, through ice and storms, through bamboo and slush, along cliffs and through valleys, using the prophecies and a guidebook that was left by Padmasambhava more than 1,200 years ago. About 100 people followed him, abandoning their livelihood, their homes, cattle, farms, everything. Basically they decided to be the ultimate hippies.\n\nThe place that my grandfather found, unlocked, and settled, was called Khenpajong, which means Valley of Artemisia or mugwort, and he stayed there for a decade. While he was there, he managed to find a groom with a distinctive nose and mood from Tibet and brought him to marry his quiet and meditative daughter. As a result of that pairing, I was born in the hidden land. People tell me that one child was born to my parents before me but died soon after, so I am perhaps the only child born in Khenpajong who is still going around the world leaving carbon footprints and contributing to the destruction of the world. Soon after I was born, every single human being left Khenpajong. The Valley of Artemisia was totally, utterly abandoned.\n\n[caption id=\"attachment_144\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"640\"]<img class=\"wp-image-144 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/mugwortborn.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/face.jpg\" alt=\"face\" width=\"640\" height=\"478\"> <em>Painting by Nicholas Roerich<\/em>[\/caption]\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<a href=\"#_ftnref\" name=\"_ftn1\">[1]<\/a> Jamphel Yeshe Gyaltsen <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Tibetan_alphabet\">Tibetan<\/a>:&nbsp;\u0f50\u0f74\u0f56\u0f0b\u0f56\u0f66\u0f9f\u0f53\u0f0b\u0f60\u0f47\u0f58\u0f0b\u0f51\u0f54\u0f63\u0f0b\u0f61\u0f7a\u0f0b\u0f64\u0f7a\u0f66\u0f0b\u0f62\u0f92\u0fb1\u0f63\u0f0b\u0f58\u0f5a\u0f53\u0f0b,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/w\/index.php?title=Dagpo&amp;action=edit&amp;redlink=1\">Dagpo<\/a>, 1910 -&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Lhasa\">Lhasa<\/a>, 1947) was a&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Tibet\">Tibetan<\/a>&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Tulku\">tulku<\/a>&nbsp;and the fifth&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Reting_Rinpoche\">Reting Rinpoche<\/a>.","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"project_category":[107],"project_tag":[],"class_list":["post-4350","project","type-project","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","project_category-episodes"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mugwortborn.com\/tr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/project\/4350","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mugwortborn.com\/tr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/project"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mugwortborn.com\/tr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/project"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mugwortborn.com\/tr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mugwortborn.com\/tr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4350"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/mugwortborn.com\/tr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/project\/4350\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4360,"href":"https:\/\/mugwortborn.com\/tr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/project\/4350\/revisions\/4360"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mugwortborn.com\/tr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4351"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mugwortborn.com\/tr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4350"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"project_category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mugwortborn.com\/tr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/project_category?post=4350"},{"taxonomy":"project_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mugwortborn.com\/tr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/project_tag?post=4350"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}