Taktsang Monastery

Taktsang Monastery

Paro Taktsang, otherwise also known as Taktsang Palphug Monastery and Tiger's Nest, is a sacred Vajrayana Himalayan Buddhist site situated on the cliffs of the Upper Paro Valley in Bhutan. This is one of the thirteen Tiger's Nest caves in ancient Tibet where Padmasambhava practiced and taught Vajrayana. The later monastery complex was constructed in 1692 around the Taktsang Senge Samdup cave, where Guru Padmasambhava meditated and practiced with his disciples, including Yeshe Tsogyal, before leaving the Tibetan kingdom in the early 9th century. Padmasambhava is said to have introduced Vajrayana Buddhism to Bhutan, which was part of Tibet at the time. Today, the Taktsang Monastery is the best known of the thirteen taktsangs, in which he and his disciples meditated. The monastery is about 10 kilometers north of Paro and is perched on a precarious cliff at an altitude of 3120 meters, some 900 meters above the Paro Valley. The rock faces are very steep and the monastery buildings are constructed into the rock face. Although it looks intimidating, the monastery complex can be approached from several directions, including the northwest path through the forest, the path used by worshippers from the south, and from the north. The mule track leading to it runs through a pine forest, colorfully decorated with moss and praying flags. On many days, the clouds cover the monastery, creating an eerie sense of the remote countryside.