Zangdok Palri
“South-west of here, in Ngayab Ling, on the peak of the Mountain of Glory,
You rule as sovereign among countless vidyadharas and dakinis,
Binding all the cannibal rakshasas under oath,
Ceaselessly you turn your compassionate gaze on Tibet and on the world:
To you, the nirmanakaya, and to your kindness, we pray!
To the Lotus-born Guru of Orgyen, we pray!”
at a glance
Zangdok Palri, the Glorious Copper-Colored Mountain, is the nirmanakaya pure land manifested by Guru Padmasambhava after his departure from Greater Tibet. It stands as the ultimate destination for Guru Rinpoche and all those who follow in his footsteps.
the story
Guru Rinpoche knew that the demonic rakshasa cannibals of Camaradvipa, at the edge of our world-system, posed a grave threat to humanity. Their impending invasion threatened to engulf the Earth and annihilate all human life. Thus, after firmly establishing Buddhism in Tibet, Guru Rinpoche embarked on a mission to avert the looming disaster.
On the tenth day of the Monkey month in the Wood Monkey Year of 864, Guru Rinpoche set out for Camaradvipa. There, he successfully subdued the leader of the rakshasas, a demon named Raksha Tötreng (Skull-Garland Rakshasa), and assumed his form. Transforming this perilous and hostile cannibal realm, Guru Rinpoche then manifested the extraordinary Palace of Lotus Light, Padma Ö, atop the central mountain known as Zangdok Palri (the Glorious Copper-Colored Mountain). With this, and through Guru Rinpoche’s blessings, this once treacherous domain was transformed into a sublime place for spiritual attainment, where the teachings of Tantra flourish and thrive without interruption.
The island of the rakshasas thus became Guru Rinpoche’s supreme nirmanakaya pure land within our world-system. Residing in the luminous body beyond the confines of birth and death, Guru Rinpoche continues to turn the wheel of the Dharma there, guiding and liberating sentient beings. Emanation after emanation is sent to the human realm, empowered by the blessings of Guru Rinpoche, to ensure the continued guidance and liberation of beings.
Words from the Masters
How to get there
Zangdok Palri, known as the Copper-colored Mountain of Glory, is outwardly situated on the desolate island referred to as Ngayab Ling in Tibetan and Camara in Sanskrit. According to Buddhist cosmology, Camara is one of the two outlying subcontinents that encircle our terrestrial plane of Jambudvipa and is positioned to the southwest.
Although Camara is sometimes referred to as ‘Lanka,’ it is important to note that the island-nation we currently know as Sri Lanka, where Sri Pada or Mount Malaya is located, should not be confused with the actual Camara. However, Chokgyur Dechen Lingpa, in his visionary journey, mentioned that Sri Lanka is one of thirteen islands encountered on the way to the true Camara. Furthermore, Chokgyur Lingpa revealed that Sri Lanka holds the same sacred essence as Camara. The dakinis affirmed in Chokgyur Lingpa’s vision that Sri Lanka represents Zangdok Palri, manifesting as an “associated site” within our human realm.