The Legend of Muktinath

Muktinath is both a Hindu and Buddhist holy place.

There are countless Kalpa before many Buddhas appeared and gave teachings. Amongst all the teachings, tantra is a profound method that integrates the right views of the middle path teachings of the Buddha, resulting in a possibility of faster purification and accumulation towards enlightenment. So, due to that reason, Buddha Shakyamuni introduced Tantric method to fortunate Bodhisattva disciples that todate we can practice and progress onto the path of enlightenment. According to the Buddha, Tantra existed in infinite time before. It is like an instrument that allows one to practice and benefit by achieving the results as soon as possible. Not only Buddhist applies Tantra, Hindu also applies tantric methods to achieve their goal accordingly to attain the state of Gods at their realms. Tantra is earlier than both Hinduism and Buddhism of this Kalpa. Today, certain similarities can be seen in terms of ritual style and many places are regarded to be holy by both Buddhists and H!
 indus. This does not mean that Hindus and Buddhists share the same view.

It is simply a result of some similarities due to the nature of function. Just like in the manufacture of airplanes or a simple bicycle, there is need of factories to create wheels and screws as well as many other parts that require a certain device or machine to produce. Such machines can be similar because the nature of products is similar but that doesn’t mean they are the same. A machine for making an airplane wheel may be similar to a machine for making a bicycle wheel. However, the end products differ in its functions and capacity. They are different because the final products are for an airplane and a bicycle.

To Hindus, Muktinath is a holy place of Lord Shiva and Lord Vishnu. The Hindus have their own version of the story behind this place which is not our subject to describe. The Buddhist’s explanation of the story of this place is actually not published in great details as to what I known.

7 to 8 years before, someone from Mustang brought an old scripture that he found inside a statue. He came to Pokhara and showed the scripture to me. I examined it and found that it is the explanation of the holy place of Muktinath. So I typed out the contents of the old scripture onto a notebook but did not translate it into English.

Base on that script, I am telling you the story of Muktinath.

Besides the story of Guru Rinpoche who came and blessed this place, leaving behind his footprints and many blessed substances, 84 saints found this place as a Chakrasamvara’s mandala and blessed this place before the arrival of Guru Rinpoche. The 84 saints felt that this place could benefit a lot of people in the future. They had supernatural powers and took the Ralpochen mountain from India with their hands and place the mountain in Muktinath to protect it from evil forces as well as to put a stop to the overflow of the poisonous lake which is behind this mountain. Otherwise, the evil forces may be disastrous for future generations. The saints therefore placed the mountain upon the lake.

After this, they visited Mount Kailash and circumambulated and bathed in Lake Manasarovar. Each of the saints brought some water from that lake and poured the water down at the newly installed mountain. This became the spring water even till the current day. The 84 saints had a vision that the mandalas of the 74 tantric deities are surrounded the mountains of Muktinath. The mandala of Vajrayogini and Hevajra in union form at the western side, Maitreya Buddha’s mandala is at the golden mountain at the eastern side. In between the black and white mountains are colorful mountains which are the mandala of the 21 Taras. In the south, is the yellow mountain, that is the mandala of Buddha Shakyamuni. There are so many mountains representing the mandalas of different deities.

The mountain where the spring water flows is called Sons of Jewel. In front of the flow of spring water, Guru Rinpoche did a ganacakra. While doing this, many dakinis from the mountains came and enjoyed the tshog offerings. All the dakinis present received the offerings and they were visible to everyone at that time. During the 84 saints’ time, they came and gave blessings and their realization increased. Through that realization, they developed bliss and danced. They left many footprints in the rocks. 20 footprints were hidden and only two are visible for everybody to see. Only the fortunate ones are able to see these footprints.

At a small structure in Muktinath, one can hear the flow of the river where the King Nanda and Takshaka made offerings to the mandala of deities. You can find this place on the way from the spring water to the temple of natural flame. One should circumambulate it and listen to the sound.

If you walk for a while, you can find a place where there is a flame burning from the water. The flame of fire arising from water is the bliss developed by the union of Chakrasamvara and Vajrayogini, manifested as fire. This shows Chakrasamvara and Vajrayogini’s presence. There is also a place where fire comes from the earth. The significance is similar and the two places are nearby each other. In earlier times, there was also a flame from a rock, which was a lamp offering to the mandalas. If one is fortunate, one will receive blessings of realization at that place.

Due to the blessings by the 84 saints, if one drinks from or bathes in the spring water, this would purify lots of one’s karma. Even if there is karma left, this would manifest lighter. The water can cure many sicknesses because of the aspirations and blessings of the 84 saints. In that area, one can see many old trees. It is said that the trees are the walking sticks left behind by the 84 saints, which miraculously developed into trees. Now there are 108 trees scattered around the holy place.

There is also a rock which we can circumambulate, on which is imprinted scorpion which is a symbol representing the wrathful form of Guru Rinpoche, Guru Dragpo. If one walks further, there is a knee imprint of Guru Rinpoche which he made while making a wish that everyone has happiness. Somewhere around that area, there is a vajra-shaped stone which marks hidden treasures. There is another spring where the dakinis drink water. There is a naturally embossed Garuda somewhere in the vicinity. At a village below called Purang, is a rock with Buddha Shakyamuni’s footprint. If we walk further away, there is a stove-like stone with holes. This is said to be Guru Rinpoche’s cooking stove with the imprints of the utensils. These are the special places blessed by Guru Rinpoche and the 84 saints.

Whoever with full devotion meditates and does short recitations of mantra in front of the spring will be able to purify his/her karma and fulfill his/her aspirations and gain realization in his/her next life. Nearby the spring is a holy shrine which Hindus believe is the holy place of Lord Vishnu. Buddhists believe this is the place where Avalokiteshvara subdued the Nagas. Whoever prays there will have purification of sickness and unfavorable circumstances. This Avalokiteshvara statue is made by the king of a country called Zomla. It flew from Zomla to the current site. The Zumla king tried to find it and finally found the statue but it was too heavy to move. The king therefore left it behind and built a temple there. The people of Zomla came once a year to cry in front of the statue and ask why it had to fly there.

According to Tara’s prophecy, the 100 spring waters are the residence for Nagas and different types of spirits. It was also the palace of Chakrasamvara. If one tries to stay at least one day and practice there, one can purify lots of karma and achieve an irreversible stage of practice. If one practices diligently, one can gain the merits to achieve the state of the universal monarch. If one takes a bath in the spring water or drinks from the spring water, even the negative karma from committing the 5 heinous deeds can be purified. Pilgrims who visit it are thus protected from fears and sufferings and will not be born in places with famines and disasters. They will be born where there is wealth and prosperity.

圣地穆蒂纳

穆蒂纳是一个兴都教和佛教圣地。

在无量劫前，有很多佛出世并开示了佛法。在所有的教法中，密教是一个非常殊胜甚深的法门，它以佛陀所开示的中道为正见，造就了让行者能快速的净化和累积证悟资粮的可能性。因此之故，释迦牟尼佛为具福缘的菩萨弟子开示了密续的修法，让后世的我们在今天还可以修持并朝向证悟之道迈进。根据佛陀的开示，密续早在久远之前就已存在。它就像是一件工具，使人们得以实践和尽早从中受益而获取成果。不仅佛教运用密续的法门，兴都教也运用了密续的方法来实现其获得天神境界的目标 。 密续的存在比此劫的兴都教和佛教更加早。今天，我们可以在佛教和兴都教里看到一些相似的宗教仪式和许多认同的圣地。但这并不意味着兴都教徒和佛教徒持有相同的见解。

这仅仅只是因为它们的功能性质有一些相似之处而已。就如在制造飞机或一辆简单的脚车，工厂需要制造轮子，螺丝以及许多其它的部分，这些都需要一些设备或机器来生产。这些机器可以类似，因为该产品的性质类似，但并不代表它们是一样的。一个用于制造飞机轮子的机器设备，可能与制造脚车轮的机器设备类似。但是最终的所制造出来产品是不一样的，例如它们有不一样的功能。他们是不同的，因为出来的产品其中一样是飞机，而另一样则是脚车。

对兴都教徒而言，穆蒂纳是湿婆神和毗湿奴神的圣地。兴都教对这个地方所流传的故事不是我们所要讨论的主题。而据我所知，在佛教里并没有此圣地史迹的详细记载。

在七至八年前，有人从穆蒂纳带来了一本古老的经文。这是他在一尊塑像里找到的。他来到波卡拉并给我看此经文。我查阅后发现，它是穆蒂纳圣地的解说文。所以我将旧经文的内容输入在笔记电脑里，但并没有把它翻译成英文。

现在，我就根据此经文告诉你有关于穆蒂纳的史迹故事。

除了莲花生大士曾到过这圣地，以他的脚印加持这里及留下许多遗物的事迹之外。之前，八十位四位圣者发现这里既是胜乐金刚的曼陀罗（坛城）并加持了这地方。八十四位圣者觉得这个地方可在未来利益很多的人。他们都有神通力，他们用手从印度取走拉波千山（Ralpochen）并将此山放置在穆蒂纳以保护它回遮恶势力和制止在这山后毒湖的泛滥之流 。否则，这邪恶的力量可能对后代造成灾害。因此，圣者们用山挡住了这毒湖。

之后，他们朝拜了卡列神山（Mount Kailash），绕行圣山和在马纳萨若瓦尔神湖（Manasarovar）沐浴。每位圣者都从湖泊中取了一些的水并将水倒入在新安置的山中，成为了泉水。这泉水直到现在还存在着。 八十四圣者也观见了七十位本尊围绕着穆蒂纳山区。金刚亥母和喜金刚的双运坛城在西边；弥勒佛的坛城是在东侧的黄金山。在黑和白两山之间的彩山是廿一度母的坛城。在南部是黄色的山，它是释迦牟尼佛的坛城。这里有很多的山，都各别代表着不同本尊的坛城。

流出泉水的山称为“珍宝之子”。莲花生大士在泉水的前方做了荟供。在荟供进行时，很多山中的空行母都前来享用供品。到来的空行母都接受了供物，当时在场的每个人都能看见她们。在八十四位圣者的时期，他们来给加持和增上了证悟的境界。通过这证悟，他们生起大乐并起舞。他们在岩石上留下了许多脚印。 当中的二十个脚印是隐藏的，只有两个脚印是每个人都能清晰见到的。只有具福缘的人才能够看到这些隐藏的脚印。

在穆蒂纳山中有一很小的建筑物，人们可以在这里听到龙王南达（King Nanda）和达夏卡（Takshaka）在向坛城本尊做供养的的河流水声。从泉水往自燃火焰庙的途中即可看到这座小建筑物。我们应当绕行它并聆听河流的声音。

如果你再往前走一会儿，便可看到一个水中自然生出火焰的地方。这从水中所产生的火焰是由于胜乐金刚和金刚瑜伽母的双运大乐所化现的火焰。这也表示胜乐金刚和金刚瑜伽母的存在。还有一个地方是火焰自然从土地生出来。其意义是一样的，这两个地方距离很进。在较早的时候，也有火焰从岩石自然出来，它是一盏供养给曼陀罗（坛城）的灯。如果是一个具有福报的人，就会在该处获得证悟的加持。

由于八十四圣者的加持，若饮用泉水或在泉水中洗澡，将净化自身很多的业障。即使还有剩余的业障，它也会变轻。因为八十四圣者的愿力和加持之故，此泉水能治愈许多疾病。在这里，我们可以看到很多古树。据说，这些树是由八十四圣者所留下的手仗所神变而化成的。现在有108颗树分布围绕着这圣地。

这里还有一块岩石，我们可绕行它。它的上面印有一只表征愤怒莲师（达波古如）的蝎子标帜，。如果在走远一点，有一个莲师的膝盖印。当莲师留下这膝盖印时，他发愿希望每个人都得到快乐幸福。在这一地区的某个地方，有一个金刚杵形的石头，标志着宝藏的所在地；另外还有一个空行母饮用的山泉；在附近的某个地方，有一个自然浮雕的金翅鹏鸟（Garuda）。在下方有一个称为普让（Purang）的村子，有一块印有释迦牟尼佛足印的岩石。如果我们走更远一些，有一个像炉灶般的有洞石头。它被认为莲师所用过的煮食炉灶，上面还有器具的浮印。这些都是莲师和八十四位圣者所加持过的特别地方。

任何具有信心者在泉水前静坐或念诵简短的心咒，亦能净化其业力和圆满愿望并在未来世获得证悟。在泉水的附近是一间圣庙，印度教徒认为那是他们的主神毗湿奴的圣地。而佛教徒则相信它是观世音菩萨降服龙王的地方。任何在这里做祈祷的人将净化所有的疾病和违缘。这尊观音菩萨的塑像是由一个称为忠拉（Zomla）国的国王所制造的。它从忠拉国飞越到现今的地点。忠拉的国王试图找回塑像，终于找到了塑像，但却因为太沉重而不能搬动它。因此，国王将它留在当地和在这里建起了庙宇。忠拉国的人民每年都会回来这里一趟并在塑像前哭问为什么它要飞到这里来。

根据度母的授记，这100个清泉是龙王和各不同类精灵的住所。它也是胜乐金刚的宫殿。若有人在那里留宿修行佛法至少一天的话，他可以净化很多的业障并获得修法上的不退转境界。而如果能精进的修持则可获得转轮圣王果位的善根。如果在泉水中沐浴或饮用清泉的水，就算是五无间罪的恶业也能净化。任何到此圣地的朝拜的朝圣者可获得免受恐惧和痛苦的护佑，不会投生在具有饥荒和灾难的地方。他们将出生在有具财富和富贵昌盛的地方。 善哉！