“Om Ah Hung” Ney are the three sites blessed by Guru Rinpoche in the 8th century and considered the holiest since their names begin with the letters Om, Ah, and Hung, which form the Buddhist Mantra, “Om Ah Hung”. They are Omba Ney in Trashi Yangtse, Aja Ney in Monggar, and Hungrel Ney in Paro.
Mebar Tsho, the Burning Lake of Bhutan, is the most sacred in Bhutan, where Pema Lingpa, a disciple of Guru Rinpoche and the greatest Terton, discovered several terma in 1475. Tang Membartsho is located in a gorge in the southern part of the Tang Valley in Bumthang Dzongkhag.
Omba Ney, the “Taktsang of the East,” is the first of three sacred sites of Guru Rinpoche where the letter “OM” is seen on the rock face. The Omba Lhakhang is built on a cliff at an altitude of 2300 masl in Toedtsho Gewog under the Tashiyantse Dzongkhag, just like the famous Paro Taktsang.
Paro Taktsang is the most sacred cave in Bhutan, where Guru Rinpoche journeyed on the back of a flaming tigress in the 8th century. He meditated in the cave for 3 years, 3 months, 3 weeks, and 3 days before subjugating the malicious spirits and concealing profound treasures for the benefit of sentient beings.
Choedrak is one of the Four Cliffs (Dra Zhi) of Guru Rinpoche on the northern ridge dominating the whole Chumey valley of Bumthang Dzongkhag at an altitude of 3,800 meters. Guru Rimpoche is said to have arrived at the sacred Choedrak riding on a tigress and meditated there just like he did in Paro Taktsang.
Later, a monastery was built against the cliff by Gyalwa Lorepa, a Drukpa Kagyupa lama from Tibet, in the 12th century.
Tang Rimochen Lhakhang is the holy site where Guru Rinpoche meditated and hid many Treasures. It is located on the west bank of the Tang Chhu at Rimochen village under the Tang Gewog of Bumthang Dzongkhag at an altitude of 2,676 meters. This cliff has numerous marks that look like tiger stripes, and the Ney was named Tag Remochen, meaning “an impression of tiger’s stripes“.
Jagar Damkelsa Ney is the sacred cliff where Drubthob Nagi Rinchen meditated to rescue his mother from an ephemeral hell in Bjemina under Thimphu Dzongkhag. However, not many people know about this sacred site.
Singye Dzong is a sacred site of Guru Rinpoche’s enlightened activity located in Khoma Gewog under Lhuentse Dzongkhag at an altitude of more than 4482 meters above sea level. The Dzong is called Singye Dzong since the Dzong (rock) resembles a lion. Khandro Yeshey Tshogyal discovered Singye Dzong Ney in the 8th century.
Gomphu Kora is a meditative cave where Guru Rinpoche meditated and subdued a demon called Myongkhapa, locally known as Sewang Nagpo. The sacred cave is located in Tongzhang Gewog of Trashiyangtse Dzongkhag at an altitude of 1200 meters above sea level.
Zhabjethang is a sacred plain where Guru Rinpoche and his consort Tashi Khyidren meditated and left their footprints in Chhokhor Toed under Bumthang Dzongkhag. A Lhakhang was built later in the 14th century by Terton Dorji Lingpa at the sacred site known as Zhabjeythang Lhakhang.
