248 HISTORY OF LAMAISM. 



Introduction of Lamaism into Sikhim. 



Legendary account , ^^ '^^ believed in Sikhim that Guru Rimbochhe 

 of the Guru's visit to visited Sikhim during his travels ia Tibet and its 

 S''''^™- western border lands. 



The introduction of Lamaism into Sikhim dates from the time of 



Lhatsiin Chhembo Lhatsim Clihemho's arrival there about the middle of 



first introduced Lama- the 17th conturj A.D. By tliis time Lamaism had 



ism to Sikhim. become a most powerful hierarchy in Tibet, and was 



extending its creed among the Himalayan and Central Asian tribes. 



Lhatsim Chhembo was a native of Kongbu in the lower valley of 



the Tsangpo, which has a climate and physical 



Lhatsun Chhemlio appearance very similar to Sikhim. His name 



"discovered theholy ^>- „,, J j /-i i i) tt- t • 



sites of Sikhim. means " 1 he great reverend God." His religious 



. name is Kun-sanc/ nam-gye^ or " The entirely vic- 



torious Essence of Goodness." He is also known 

 by the title of Lhatsun nam-kha Jig-mcd^^ or "The Reverend God who 

 fears not the sky," with reference to his alleged power of flying. He 

 is also sometimes called Etisho Dsog-chhen Chhcmho, or "The great 

 Honourable Dsog-chhen" — Dsoji-chhcn, literally "The Great End," 

 being the technical name for the system of mystical insight of the 

 Nyingmapa, and Eusho means "the honourable." 



He was born in the fire-bird year of the tenth of the sixty-year cycles, 

 „. J jjj^j.^^ corresjDondingtol59oA.D.,iu the district of Kongbu 

 in South-Eastern Tibet. Having .spent many 

 years in various monasteries and in travelling throughout Tibet and 

 Sikhim, he ultimately in the year 1648 arrived in Lhassa and obtained 

 such great repute by his learning as to attract tlie favourable notice 

 of Gyalwa Ngak-Wang, the greatest of the Grand Lamas, who shortly 

 afterwards became the first Dalai Lama. 



At this time another lama of the Kartok-pa sub-sect came by 

 Kangla nangma searching for a path into Sikhim, and also tried 

 without success the sPrcii-gyab-tak [I.e., " Monkey-back rock," with 

 reference to its semblance to a monkey sitting with hands behind its 

 back) and Dsong-ri, and the western shoulder of sKam-pa Khah-rag — 

 a ridge of '■'• Eulru " which runs down to the Rathong river. He then 

 arrived at the cave of "the very pleasant grove," and met the saint, 

 who told him that as he was not destined to open the northern gate, 

 he should go round and try the western. 



Then Lhatsiin Chhembo, traversing the Kangla nangma and 



finding no road beyond the cave oiSkam-pa Elmbruk. 



«a!!rcfand en'tT' ^^w miraculously to the upper part of "Kabru" 



(24,000 feet), and there blew his kangling, and after 



' Kun-izang mam-rgyal. | ' Iha-irtsun nam mkhab Ajigs med. 



