Lion Cave and Tiger's Nest Traditional Geocache
Lion Cave and Tiger's Nest
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Difficulty:
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Terrain:
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Size: 
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Singye Pha Lhakhang, or: even a Guru needs female support...
The Taktsang Lhakhang or Tiger's Nest, perched in a spectecular way on the cliffs at 3000m in the upper Paro valley, is one of the most venerated sites in the whole Himalayan region.
According to legend, Guru Rinpoche came here in the 8th century from Tibet flying on the back of a Tigress.
He meditated for three months in the cave that is now hidden by the monastery before he reappeared in his wrathful manifestation as Dorje Droloe, subdued the local demons and converted the Paro valley to Buddhism.
Later many Tibetan Yogis came to this highly spiritual place for meditation, first of all the renowned Milarepa (1040-1123).
Today, the site is well visited and well guarded - impossible to hide a cache here...
After you visited the Tiger's Nest and before you cross the bridge, you see a tiny temple above you, wedged between sheer rock faces, and a sign that reads:
Lion Cave. This is the cave where Khado Yeshi Tsogyal practised Vajrakilaya.
Vajrakilaya is a wrathful deity representing compassion and wisdom that is used to concentrate the mind in meditation.
Yeshe Tsogyal was the consort of Guru Rinpoche and after many years of diligent study she achieved a level of enlightenment equal to his.
It was she who took the shape of a tigress and carried the Guru to this high place. She was the main compiler of Guru Rinpoches teachings, wrote his biography, and it was she who concealed most of the termas or religous treasures later to be found after a period when Buddhism had been persecuted in Bhutan.
Some schools of Tibetan Buddhism recognize Yeshe Tsogyal as a female Buddha, who after many years emerged from an isolated meditation retreat in a state of full enlightenment.
The Singye Pha Lhakhang or Lion Cave where she meditated is much less visited than the Tiger's Nest - and it is much more intimate, only one small room with an altar on one side and the unpainted and uncovered rock on the other. The monk who takes care of the places sleeps and prepares his meals in between.
On the right of the little temple, hidden by a wooden wall, holy water that runs from the rock is collected in a bucket.
You can imagine why this place is still used for meditation at times - but the cache is hidden outside the building at the end of the steep stairs, so nobody should be disturbed.
***The GPS signal is very inaccurate between this steep rocks, so follow the description***
Walk up the stairs straight to the Lion Cave.
Before you reach the building, a sharp turn to the left leads you to the wall at its base.
Please look at spoiler picture.
If the container is gone, your replacement will be very appreciated - thank you!
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Frr Fcbvyre - qrrc vafvqr!
[If the container is gone, your replacement will be very appreciated - thank you!]
