Lama Zopa Rinpoche standing on the ridge where the very large Padmasambhava statue will be built above the Maratika Caves, Nepal, September 2021. Photo by Ven. Lobsang Sherab.

By Ven. Sarah Thresher

Maratika, known locally as Halesi, is a sacred pilgrimage site with ancient meditation caves located in eastern Nepal where Guru Rinpoche achieved immortality. Ven. Sarah Thresher has undertaken the journey to Maratika annually since 2007 to make offerings and prayers for Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s long life, and shares here some of the history and features of this holy place, along with some details of Rinpoche’s recent visit and vast vision for its future.

According to the late head of the Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism, Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, Maratika is one of the six holiest places in this world, along with Bodhgaya in India, Manjushri’s Five-Peak Mountain and the Potala Mountain in China. The remaining two places have not been “opened” yet: Uddiyana and Shambhala. Some years ago, Lama Zopa Rinpoche wrote, “In the Maratika cave where Guru Rinpoche found immortal realization, all your prayers can succeed.”

Ancient scriptures record that long ago Maratika was blessed by the three Buddhas—Manjushri, Chenrezig, and Vajrapani—and that due to this blessing any practice performed on the three hills in Maratika that bear their names is a hundred times more powerful than practices done at other places. It is also said that Eighteen Long Life Tantras—along with other teachings taught by Buddha Amitabha in Sukhavati at the request of Chenrezig—were scribed by dakinis in symbolic script using pure gold and concealed in a jeweled casket in the caves of this holy place. This makes Maratika a particularly powerful place for any kind of practice and especially for those that dispel obstacles to life.

Padmasambhava (also known as Guru Rinpoche)

Since ancient times, generations of great Buddhist masters and practitioners have undertaken the sacred journey to Maratika to practice in its caves. Most famously, the legendary master himself, the second Buddha, Padmasmbhava (known also as Guru Rinpoche), sought the blessings of these caves for his practice of longevity with the Princess Mandarava. After engaging in long-life practice for three months, Buddha Amitayus appeared in front of the Guru and wisdom mother and placed a vase of long-life nectar on their crowns to grant empowerments. Upon drinking the nectar they accomplished the state of immortal life, free from birth and death, and then arose as Hayagriva and Vajravarahi.

The more one reads and learns about Maratika, the more devotion and faith arise that this is not an ordinary place. High lamas have composed praises of Maratika’s outer, inner, and secret qualities. His Holiness Trulshik Rinpoche writes that all twenty-four holy places are contained within Maratika:

Nowhere in India, Tibet, or elsewhere will such an exceptional pilgrimage place be found.
I, an ordinary being, could never finish expressing the qualities of Maratika
But since they are seen to be true, they cannot be denied.[1]

Maratika has long been a popular destination for pilgrims from all over the Himalayan regions—including high lamas from all traditions—but now more and more pilgrims are visiting from around the world. Many come to do long-life prayers and practice for their teachers or themselves.

The previous Trulshik Rinpoche would spend one month of his precious time each year in retreat at Maratika for His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s long life and would send nuns from his gompa at Thubten Choling to stay all year round in continuous long-life practice for His Holiness in the main cave.

Kopan nuns doing puja on Manjushri Hill in 2013. Photo courtesy of Ven. Sarah Thresher.

For many years, Rangjung Neljorma Khadro Namsel Drönme (Khadro-la) has also come annually to Maratika to do long-life retreat for His Holiness. She usually does retreat in the Guru Rinpoche Secret Save at Manjushri—a smaller cave located near the main cave of longevity—where His Holiness Sakya Trizin and His Holiness Drukchen Rinpoche spent time in retreat. On one occasion Khadro-la had a vision of Buddha Amitayus in this cave that lasted many days, and she made long-life pills, which she later offered to His Holiness.

Anyone can go to Maratika for a short or long retreat or simply for pilgrimage, and it’s still possible to practice in the caves. In the past Khadro-la has recommended that pilgrims stay for three days, three weeks, or three months. It is said that merely having the thought to go to Maratika is very powerful, and His Holiness Sakya Trizin said that on arriving in Maratika all of one’s life obstacles will be removed.

Maratika is situated on a ridge with distant views of the Himalayas to one side and river valleys and hills to the other. The journey to get there, through river valleys and rural Nepal, takes around eight hours by jeep from Kathmandu, so it is necessary to spend at least one or two nights there. Personally, I recommend at least a three-day, four-night stay as there is so much to see, and it’s important to have time for meditation and prayers also.

There are five main caves—the Long-life Cave, the Heruka Cave, the Secret Cave, the Garuda Cave, and the Naga Cave. There is also Mandarava’s Cave, which is in the jungle a half-day’s jeep trip away. Each cave has its own special character: some are very large and others are small, some are high up and others are deeper in the earth.

Both inside the caves and outside on the hills, there are many naturally arising rang jung, or special features—such as a natural conch in the Wrathful Cave, victory banners, umbrellas and pennants hanging from the roof of the caves, dakini script on the walls, a phurba, a treasure chest, a mandala, and so many more.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche praying at the Tsebum long life vase where all prayers are fulfilled. Photo by Ven. Sarah Thresher.

One small area of the main cave has many of these kinds of holy objects—the imprint of the holy body of Buddha Amitayus, the Buddha of Long Life; a naturally arising long-life arrow; a White Tara in the rock above; and next to that, Buddha Amitayus’ long-life vase (tse bum), where special nectar will sometimes flow on auspicious occasions. Many meditators like to practice here as these sacred objects make it the perfect place to recite long-life mantras or sutras. The long-life vase is considered the most holy object at Maratika, and it is said that any prayers made at the vase will definitely be fulfilled.[2] There are also four “pathways” inside the main cave—challenges in the rocks that a pilgrim must past through in order to purify the following: birth in the lower realms, the intermediate state, birth from an ordinary womb, and broken samaya with the guru.

There is a connection between FPMT and Maratika. The Lawudo Lama, Kunzang Yeshe, who is Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s previous incarnation, spent time at the pilgrimage site. His heart disciple, Ngawang Chophel, built the monastery at the mouth of the cave and became the first Maratika Lama.[3] On Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s first visit to Maratika in 2008, the young reincarnation of Ngawang Chophel (who passed away in 1997) was there to greet Rinpoche, and they have met since. (He is currently a teenager studying at Mindroling Monastery in India.) Rinpoche has been very generously supporting the small Nyingma monastery at Maratika for many years now. The most recent donations offered were to complete the new monastery building, which is currently underway.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche at Maratika Caves, Nepal, February 2016. Photo by Ven. Losang Sherab.

Over the past fourteen years, the small hamlet that was Maratika has developed rapidly due to the completion of a road from Kathmandu. The cost of land has skyrocketed, and it has become harder and harder to find and purchase suitable property. Like many places that expand quickly, Maratika’s growth has been somewhat chaotic and unplanned. Hotels and guesthouses have sprung up all over what used to be an idyllic landscape of fields. Whereas in the past it was necessary to trek several days to reach the caves and stay in conditions of hardship, it is now a relatively easy journey with quite luxurious new hotels in which to stay. 

There is no doubt that Maratika will continue to develop, bringing with it a constant influx of many thousands of pilgrims, similar to Bodhgaya. Most of these pilgrims will not be Buddhist and with this growth, there is the danger that some of the pilgrimage site’s rich Buddhist heritage could be lost.

With this in mind, Rinpoche has envisioned the construction of a huge Padmasambhava statue on Manjushri Hill above the Guru’s Secret Cave. People will be able to visit the statue and practice there. A plot of public land has been secured, plans have been drawn up, and the construction team and statue maker have been appointed.

The statue of Padmasambhava, which is planned to be 45 feet (14 meters) tall with a 15-foot (4.5-meter) throne, will be in the aspect of Padma Gyalpo, Padmasambhava’s magnetizing form. It will be made of bronze and plated with gold. The statue will take around five years to complete.

Having seen how rapidly Maratika has developed over the past five years, I can only guess at how important this project is and how it will affect the town that grows around it. It is an awe-inspiring vision. There is also a wish to have a place for our gurus and some students to stay and do retreat nearby the statue.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche and Khadro-la doing the bhumi puja on the ground where a 66-foot tall Padmasambhava statue will be built, Maratika, Nepal, April 2021. Photo by Ven. Lobsang Sherab.

In April 2021, Rinpoche and Khadro-la traveled to Maratika to see the land and do a preliminary blessing. In September 2021, Rinpoche returned to Maratika along with the Kopan lama gyupas and nuns to do the actual blessing of the land on the most auspicious day. This was meant to be just a short trip of two days, but since all the conditions for our visit were so idyllic—a smooth journey, perfect weather, peaceful and conducive accommodation—the trip was extended a further two days. This gave time for Rinpoche to interact with some of the local people. He taught two of the hotel owners, blessed the goats in Maratika liberated for his long life, gave two Zoom teachings, and also visited the main cave to make special prayers at the long life vase, which was opened only for Rinpoche. For those of us fortunate to accompany Rinpoche on the trip, it felt like a very auspicious time.

Kopan lama gyupas performing the bumi puja and ground consecration puja on the Guru Rinpoche statue land in Maratika, before the actual building begins of the statue, September 2021. Photo by Ven. Lobsang Sherab.

For pilgrims wishing to visit, Rinpoche translated The Requesting Prayer to Maratika, which is a concise guide to the holy places and holy objects of Maratika in the form of a prayer.[4]

I hope that everyone who reads this article will rejoice and aspire to visit Maratika and pray for the long lives of our precious teachers, the success of this holy object project, and for all our teachers wishes to be effortlessly fulfilled.

Ven Sarah Thresher is an English nun, currently living in Nepal. She first met Buddhism at Kopan in 1982 and ordained a few years later. In the past she has worked as an editor and taught at FPMT centers around the world.

Learn more about Rinpoche’s Vast Vision to build Padmasambhava statues around the world as part of the Padmasambhava Project for Peace.

Endnotes:

[1] Taken from The Vajra Song Melodiously Praising Maratika by Kyabje Trulshik Rinpoche.

[2] Good introduction to the sites of Maratika can be found on the websites Nekhor.org and Maratika.info.

[3] More information on this relationship past and present can be found in the book The Lawudo Lama.

[4] The prayer was composed by a Nyingma Khenpo while in retreat in Maratika and offered to Rinpoche in the cave while Rinpoche was doing practice.