Mebartsho (Burning Lake) - Treasures of PemaLingpa Traditional Cache
Mebartsho (Burning Lake) - Treasures of PemaLingpa
-
Difficulty:
-
-
Terrain:
-
Size: 
(micro)
Please note Use of geocaching.com services is subject to the terms and conditions
in our disclaimer.
This is the place where Pema Lingpa found treasures hidden by Guru Rinpoche and thus became a "Terton", a "Discoverer of religious treasures".
One day in 1475 Pema Lingpa was searching for mushrooms in the woods, when he met a stranger, who handed him a scripture roll and disappeared.
The scripture told Pema Lingpa to find the religious treasures hidden in a rock called Naring on the other side of the Tang river. So Pema Lingpa went there in the company of 5 friends.
Shortly before they reached the gorge, Pema Lingpa started to behave in a strange way as if in trance.
He threw himself into the river, swam to the rock, grabbed the scriptures hidden over there and returned. His friends were absolutely stunned.
In the same year, Pema Lingpa returned to the gorge. He stood with a burning butterlamp in his hand, facing a big crowd of people that had gathered at the river banks and declared: "If I am a demon, let me die here! But if I am the spiritual son of Guru Rinpoche, this flame will not die, but help me to find the hidden treasures!"
So he dived into the floods and brought back a statue of the Buddha and a sealed skull filled with miraculous substances.
And the flame was still burning!
So this place was called Mebartsho, "Burning Lake", according to a prophecy, although it is actually not a lake, but the Tang river passing through a narrow gorge.
***GPS reception might be limited in the gorge, so follow the description***
Coming down, you have to turn right and pass a wooden bridge to reach the rock where Pema Lingpa jumped into the river.
But if you proceed straightforward, you pass a wooden altar on your left hand side.
Go on and climb down a wooden staircase or ladder that leads down to the river bed.
A film canister sized black container wrapped in a transparent plastic bag for moisture protection is wedged into a crevice below a rock at the level of the 4th step of the ladder, counting from the top, on your right hand side , as seen from below.
***You don´t have to touch or remove any of the Tsatsas (ritual offerings made of clay in the shape of a little stupa - thousands of them are placed here in niches and on the rocks!***
The container is hidden behind some small stones - replace with care, for this place is much visited, and almost every stone placed here is of significance!
Small note on cache maintenance:
There is a local cache guardian who will assist.
Name and contact info on file with geocaching.com.
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
[If the container is gone, your replacement will be very appreciated - thank you!]
