Mar 4 - The main event today is to visit Paro Taktsang, also called the Tiger’s Nest Monastery. It is located about 30 minutes north up the valley from Paro. Just Odette and I go with the guide, as Janet is unlikely to make it up the cliff with her bad knee.
This monastery is built around a cave in the cliff walls where Guru Rinpoche is said to have battled a demon (8th century CE). His attention was brought to this cave because the locals were being harassed by the resident demon, and he resolved to bring peace to the area. He changed into his most wrathful form (Dorje Drolo), mounted a flying tiger, and flew to the cave to subdue the demon. In the process, he converted it into a beneficial local deity. That done, he inhabited the cave for some years, meditating
The monastery is now a popular Buddhist pilgrimage site. On the way up the road, we see seven people making the hard-core pilgrimage by walking three steps and prostrating. Even their hands are fitted with cardboard and cloth to stop from completely ripping themselves up.
The hike starts from a parking lot in a pine forest at the base of the cliffs. There is an abundance of horses available for hire (they can get about halfway there). The trail goes up fairly steeply through pine and oak forests. Thankfully it is a cold morning so sweating is down to a minimum. There are a few other people on the trail. The amount of Spanish moss on the trees increases quite a lot by the time we are at the at the highest point on the trail. The monastery, however, is further along the cliff, requiring a steep descent to a stream and then back up the other side.
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The monastery is composed of a number of small temples, all linked together, some with caves behind them. The most historic cave, where Guru Rinpoche meditated, is locked and opens to the public only one day a year. Most of the people here are going temple to temple, praying. There is one monk here chanting and distributing blessings. Odette is thrilled when, while standing by ourselves in one temple, in runs a mongoose that jumps up on the alter and drinks from a donated goblet of milk. There is definitely a sense of peace here, helped mightily by the isolation of the monastery and hushed reverence of the worshippers present.
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Back to Paro, stopping in the middle downtown for lunch. The driver goes off to fetch Janet from the hotel.
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The other event today was a stone bath, but there is an extra charge for it. Not really wanting it that bad, we decline, and Gembo finds us a playground instead.
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