The Pema Thangyig (པདྨ་ཐང་ཡིག་) also known as the Pema Kathang (པདྨ་བཀའ་ཐང་) is one of Bhutan’s most cherished literary treasures. The term refers to the collected biographies and testaments of Guru Rinpoché (Padmasambhava), which he and his contemporaries are said to have hidden to be later revealed by the tertöns (གཏེར་སྟོན་), or treasure discoverers.
The life story of Guru Rinpoché is recorded in over two dozen biographies and chronicles, the most well known of which are known collectively as the Kathang. There are many versions of the Kathang including the earliest Kathang Zanglingma of Nyangrel Nyima Özer (1124-1192), Kathang Sertreng Tharlam Selje of Sanggyé Lingpa (1340-1396), Kathang Sertreng of Ratna Lingpa (1403-1478), Drölö Kathang of Nuden Dorjé, Kathang De-nga of Ogyen Lingpa (b.1323), Kathang Drima Mepai Gyen of Nuden Dorjé, Kathang Yidkyi Munsel of Sogdogpa (1552-1624) and Kathang Duepa of Ogyen Lingpa. Another, the Kathang Munsel Dronmé was extracted by Bumthang native Pema Lingpa (1450-1521). Arguably, the most well-known one is the 108 chapter long Pema Kathang of Ogyen Lingpa, which is also known as Kathang Sheldrakma.
The Kathang literature as hagiographies of Guru Rinpoché tell the story of his initial emanation from the heart of Buddha Amitābha in Sukhāvāti, his subsequent miraculous birth on an immaculate lotus in Dhanakośa lake, and follows him through his princely youth in the court of King Indrabodhi of Oḍḍiyāna. The tales include his mendicant life as a monk and later as a maverick ascetic, and include his spiritual achievements as a scholar and master of Buddhist systems, up through his development into a powerful tantric meditator and miracle man in India. The Kathang hagiographies elaborate his mission to Tibet and the Himalayas, where he is said to have tamed the wild landscape in order to help propagate the Buddha’s teachings. At its conclusion, he departs for the land of cannibals, where he is believed to live today.
The Kathang biographies are particularly important for Bhutan because Guru Rinpoché is not only the ‘precious teacher’ who introduced Buddhism to the region in the 8th century but he is also considered as a quintessential divinity. From the first prayers toddlers mumble to the chants of grand state festivals, from fleeting dreams of hermits to formidable public monuments, Guru Rinpoché forms the focus of Bhutanese spirituality and religious culture. Bhutanese pray to him for health, wealth, long life, safety, happy rebirth, success in business, war, exams, and virtually any affair of life. Above all, he is considered to be the unsurpassed guide to enlightenment, especially for people who reside in ‘hidden lands’ such as Bhutan. The Bhutanese world is imbued with Guru Rinpoché's presence and blessings and Bhutan is said to be the field of Guru Rinpoché's pacifying activities. He is considered by many to be the epitome of Bhutan's religious ideals and the spiritual father, if not patron saint, of the country.
It is, therefore, essential for Bhutanese to not only possess but read Kathang literature, remembering his life and works and live with the awareness of inner values such as non-violence, compassion, wisdom, and enlightenment, which Guru Rinpoché is believed to represent.
Karma Phuntsho is the Director of Shejun Agency for Bhutan’s Cultural Documentation and Research, the President of the Loden Foundation and the author of The History of Bhutan. The piece was initially published in Bhutan’s national newspaper Kuensel in a series called Why We Do What We Do.