Ep369: Esoteric Pharping - Lama Glenn Mullin
Lama Glenn Mullin is a spiritual teacher, Tibetologist, and author of over 30 books on Buddhism.
Available on Youtube, iTunes, SoundCloud & Spotify – search ‘Guru Viking Podcast’.
Glenn was in Kathmandu to lead a group of pilgrims into tantric retreat and graciously agreed to film with me at various sacred sites before and after their retreat.
In this video, Glenn and I travel to Pharping where we explore sacred sites, temples, and meditation caves.
We meet a student of Glenn’s who performs a fire pūjā after a multi-year cycle of tantric retreat, enter the meditation cave of Padmasambhava, view a self arising Tara image, and encounter guard dogs at the Vajrayoginī temple.
Glenn converses with monks, explains the meaning of prayer flags, and traces the esoteric history of the region.
00:00 - Intro
00:57 - Pharping as a sacred site
01:32 - Pāṃthiṅpa brothers
02:21 - Fire pūjā footage
03:02 - Esoteric meaning of the fire puja
04:17 - Guru Rinpoche’s enlightenment place
04:43 - Other great masters who practiced in Pharping
06:05 - History of Tibetan monasteries in Pharping
09:27 - Ra Lotsawa Tulku’s monastery
10:17 - View of the developing valley
10:58 - Self-arisen (rangjung) Tara shrine
11:21 - Ganesh in Buddhism
11:51 - Entering the shrine and viewing the self-arisen Tara
12:26 - About the rangjung phenomenon
13:48 - Lighting the butter lamp
15:56 - Drupthob Rinpoche and persecutions
18:58 - 5 visions of Tsongkhapa
19:16 - Retreat huts
20:00 - About prayer flags
21:16 - Origin of the Dalai Lamas
23:00 - Prayer in Buddhism
24:52 - Evening vs morning kora advice
26:20 - About Thrangu Rinpoche
27:31 - Namo Buddha and the Buddha’s sacrifice
28:28 - Towards the Asura cave
30:12 - Guru Rinpoche cave
31:51 - Hand print of Guru Rinpoche
33:00 - Entering the cave
34:04 - Walking and conversations
37:11 - Vajrayoginī temple
38:31 - Kathmandu’s Buddhist past
40:25 - Remarks on religious conflict
Previous episodes with Lama Glenn Mullin:
To find out more about Lama Glenn Mullin, visit:
Music ‘Deva Dasi’ by Steve James.
Thanks to Norbu Samphel for checking my translation of the Tibetan language.