Bhutan’s Burning Lake, a Land of Legends and Pilgrimage

Bhutan’s sacred Burning Lake (also known as Membartsho or Mebar Tsho), located in the Don Valley, takes its name from a legend associated with Bhutan’s famous saint, Pema Lingpa. Today, Burning Lake not only has pilgrims, but also tourists. In previous years, there have been accidents at this location, resulting in the drowning of many unlucky people in Burning Lake.

According to legend, the Burning Lake is where Pema Lingpa made two of his most famous discoveries. Pema Lingpa is said to have been born in 1450 AD and, according to some, was the reincarnation of one of the Guru Rinpoche, also known as Guru Rinpoche (more on him later). As a child, Pema Lingpa was apprenticed to a blacksmith and subsequently spent most of his adult life in the trade. Despite having an interest in religion, Pema Lingpa at the time did not have the opportunity to pursue his interests. He didn’t start his religious journey until he was 25 years old. That year, Pema Lingpa had a prophetic dream, but he could not get any meaning from it.

The tranquil waters of the Burning Lake in Bhutan, a miraculous place that still attracts thousands of people today! Source: Brian Weed/ adobe

San Pema Limba and the Legend of the Burning Lake

Two years later, on the tenth day of February in the Year of the Monkey, Pema Lingpa fell asleep in the Mani Temple. He was awakened by a loud voice, and when he opened his eyes, he saw a monk in shabby clothes. The monk handed Pema Lingpa a scroll and asked him to read it. After Pema Lingpa took the scroll, the monk disappeared.

In a temple in Tsakaling Gewog, Bhutan, a statue of Bhutanese saint Pema Lingpa sanctifies the Burning Lake. (Christopher J. Finn / CC BY-SA 3.0 )

According to one version of the legend, the mysterious monk was none other than Guru Rinpoche, the legendary Buddhist master who lived in the eighth century. ^day Guru Rinpoche introduced Tantric Buddhism to Tibet in the first century AD and established the first monastery there. Padmasambhava is said to have hidden “termas” (secret teachings or treasures) at various locations. These teachings are to be found later so that they can be passed on to future generations. The first terma of Guru Rinpoche was discovered as early as 1125 AD. The Burning Lake is one of the places where Guru Rinpoche’s terma is stored.

How Pema Lingpa found the first two sacred termas

Going back to the story of Pema Lingpa, the scroll that was handed to him contained some instructions. The sage is told to take five friends to Naring Drak (formerly known as the Burning Lake) on the night of the full moon, where he will discover his destiny under a rock. In addition, the scroll contains a key to decode termas (108 in total according to some sources).

Pema Lingpa followed the instructions on the scroll and went to Narindak with his five friends at the appointed time. Suddenly, Pema Lingpa took off his clothes and jumped into the small lake under the cliff. According to legend, the sage discovered a huge underwater cave that contained a throne and a collection of scrolls. The guardian of the cave took one of the scrolls and gave it to Pema Lingpa to let him go. In one version of the legend, the guardian of the cave is an old woman with only one eye, and a life-size Buddha sits on a throne. At any rate, when the saint surfaced, he was propelled to the top of the cliff by a force that resembled a strong wind.

According to one legend, Pema Lingpa showed these scrolls to his parents and two Buddhist masters at Tabalin Monastery. However, none of them can read its text. However, using the key given to him by the monk, Pema Lingpa was able to decipher the terma, which is believed to be the first terma he discovered. Pema Lingpa found many other termas, and finally, he returned to Naringja or the Burning Lake in search of one more.

Ancient bridge spanning the Burning Lake Gorge in Bhutan. (David / adobe )

Despite all he has done, not everyone is convinced of Pema Lingpa’s authenticity, including the governor of the region. When Pema Lingpa reached the burning lake (Naring Drak), the governor gathered a large crowd by the lake and told the sage that he would support him if he brought termas from the lake. On the other hand, if Pema Lingpa did not do this, he would be punished as a liar. The sage Pema Lingpa took a burning butter lamp and raised the stakes, declaring that if he was true, he would return with treasures, and the lamp would still be lit. On the other hand, if he’s a liar, he’ll drown.

Needless to say, Pema Lingpa succeeded, and in addition to the lamp that was still on, he brought a small box made of joint skulls, and a small sculpture. Because of this miracle, the governor no longer doubted, and everyone present became his followers. It is also because of this incident that Naring Drak changed its name to Membartsho. Pema Lingpa went on to discover many other termas during his lifetime, although the two termas he revealed at the Burning Lake are arguably his most famous termas.

Tsha-tsha clay offerings left by Buddhist pilgrims at the Burning Lake. (YWL / adobe )

The Burning Lake Becomes a Holy Land

Due to the connection of Pema Lingpa to this place and the discovery of two termas there, Burning Lake became a holy place and still is today. Evidence of Burning Lake’s sacred status includes the many prayer flags scattered throughout the gorge, as well as numerous small clay offerings (called “tsha-tsha”) placed there by pilgrims in rocky niches. In addition to being sacred, Burning Lake is also favored by tourists for its natural beauty.

Unfortunately, in previous years, there have been accidents at the site, resulting in loss of life. For example, a 2015 article reported that a French tourist fell into a burning lake while taking pictures. Although a local guide jumped into the lake and managed to push the tourist ashore, the tourist died shortly after ingesting too much water. The guide was swept away by the current. The same report said plans to keep tourists safe failed to materialize and tourists themselves sometimes ignored hazard warnings. However, whether the situation has improved is unclear. . .

Above: The tranquil waters of the Burning Lake in Bhutan, a miraculous place that still attracts thousands of people today! Source: Brian Weed/ adobe

By Wu Mingren