Tibet: Yamdrok Lake, Apr 2024

Yamdrok Lake (羊卓雍湖), on the southern edge of Nyenchen Tanglha Mountains, is one of the three holy lakes in Tibet and the one closest to Lhasa.  It is said that Yamdrok Lake was once a set of nine lakes and the fairy, Dakini Yeshe Tsogyal, feared that they would dry up, so threw a handful of golden dust and channels formed where it landed joining the nine lakes.  It is believed that if Lake Yamdrok were to ever dry up, Tibet will no longer be inhabitable.  Just like mountains, lakes in Tibet are deemed to be sacred and homes of the many gods of Tibetab Buddhism.  Each lake has an ancient path called a “kora” where pilgrims perform their circular walk around it.  Performing the “kora” is a way to earn merits and performing it around the Three Holy Lakes can erase an entire lifetime of sins.  The Yamdrok kora will take 3 months to complete on foot and will take 6 months for those who perform prostrations around the lake.  On one of the peninsulas of Yamdrok Lake is Samding Monastery which was constructed by Guru Rinpoche in the 8th century.  The monastery has the only female abbot in Tibet and she is believed to be the reincarnation of Samding Dorje Phagmo, the most famous woman in Tibetan Buddhism.