Sacred Lake Baiku Co

By+FAN+JIUHUI

ANYONE traveling between Xigaze City and Gyirong County， or between Xigaze City and Saga County via the corridor in front of Mt. Xixabangma， would en route be unable to miss Baiku Co， a large undisturbed crystal blue body of water that stands out in the drab flat terrain of a great wilderness. Sprawling over 300 square kilometers and standing at 4，590 meters above sea level， it is the largest lake in Xigaze Prefecture， in southern Tibet. Yet in Tibet as a whole it ranks low on the list of spectacular lakes， being less renowned than Nam Co， Mapam Yumco and Yamzhog Yumco.

Baiku Co is a hidden treasure whose beauty is preserved for the discerning eye of travellers to Tibet Autonomous Region. With towering Xixabangma on the horizon， its sapphire waters gleam like a lovers teardrop on the blossoms of the Himal range， sharing its timeless solitude and serenity. Travelers who manage to make their way here are rare. Most of the time the only signs of life in this secluded region are Asiatic wild donkeys （Equus kiang） and black-necked cranes （Grus nigricollis）， both rare species.

A Sanctuary of Two Religions

Some Tibetan documents and Tibetan Buddhist texts include Baiku Co among the four sacred lakes of Tibet， the other three being Nam Co， Mapam Yumco and Yamzhog Yumco.

Seen from above， Baiku Co has the shape of a gourd， comprised of three bodies of water – Xin Co to the north， Lham Co to the southeast， and Minor Baiku Co in the southwest.

In local legends， desolate Xin Co is the haunt of female ghosts. The fact is its salty water cannot support any vegetation or aquatic life， so it is shunned by animals. Even the presence of waterfowl is rare.

Lham Co stands in stark contrast to the fertile land on its shores， dotted with barley， potato and oilseed rape fields. The lake is worshipped by residents of nearby Norbu Village， who are all followers of the ancient indigenous Bon faith. The dilapidated lamasery in the community houses the oldest and best preserved Bon murals.

Beside Minor Baiku Co sits Karmainba Village， whose residents are Tibetan Buddhists. Herding is their main source of livelihood. The shrine in the village is said to have been built by Yuthok Yonten Gonpo the Younger （1126-1201）， the legendary practitioner of Tibetan medicine. Each day， locals circumambulate clockwise around the wood-structured complex to perform their Tibetan Buddhist rituals. Meanwhile， at Norbu Village across the lake， Bon devotees circle their monastery counterclockwise as decreed by tradition. For centuries people of different tribes and faiths have lived in peace by this tranquil lake.

Norbu Village

“Norbu” means a place between mountains and waters. This aptly describes the surroundings of the village， which faces Lham Co， flanked by bare rocky hills. The mountain shields it from strong winds， while the lake moistens the soil and air， creating a rare benign sub-climate good for both farming and herding. These favorable natural conditions allow for economic self-reliance， while poor transporta-tion has cut it off the rest of the world – two factors contributing to the survival of Bon in its truest form here.

There are only about 30 households in this small community. Hewn rock steps at the village entrance lead to Lhapu Deqen Temple， a castle-like structure perched on a monolith with precipices on three sides. The village formerly lay next to the temple until 2009 when it was moved to the foot of the mountain.

On the roof of the temple people can enjoy the fine panoramas of the village， the lake and the snowy mountains nearby， composing breathtaking views of vibrant colors.

Lhapu Deqen， built in the 13th century， is also known as the shrine for lamas surnamed Ba. Ba is one of the six largest clans of Bon followers， and from generation to generation their reincarnations are revered by people in Norbu Village as Grand Master Basang. Portraits of generations of Basang are depicted in the murals of the temple， and regular celebrations are held to commemorate them.

The main hall of the 700-year-old temple is a double-quadrangle structure， with a larger room in front for meditation and chanting sutras， and the smaller room behind for circumambulation. The two spaces are divided by bookshelves and a niche.

The delicate frescos at the site are dated to the late 15th century or perhaps earlier – the oldest extant Bon art. They were among the most significant findings of the third national survey of cultural relics in 2009.

With the help of a villager， I found portraits of some Basangs – 13 generations of whom are said to have lived here. Though the Grand Master has not returned to this land in later reincarnations， the people of Norbu firmly adhere to the religion he preached， and venerate him faithfully in their hearts. Bon has become a distant memory in many other parts of Tibet.

Karmainba Village

Despite its reclusive locale， Karmainba is associated with two luminaries in Tibetan history– Milarepa， a major figure of the Kagyu School of Tibetan Buddhism， and his contemporary， Yuthok Yonten Gonpo the Younger， the great Tibetan physician. The former spent a long time meditating in the lake region including Norbu， while the latter left behind a lasting legacy in the village – a temple he built with health services fees from his clinic.

Yuthok Yonten Gonpo the Younger was a native of Karmainba Village， and began to show an aptitude for medical science at an early age. After diligent study， he became an excellent doctor seeking neither fame nor fortune.

Herding is the leading means of livelihood for the people of Karmainba. Young adults spend the whole summer in the pastures of the mountains with their livestock； the community was therefore almost deserted in May when I visited.

Kelsang Doje， 77， was among those elders left behind， and is said to know local history better than anyone else. He volunteered to show me around the temple， which sits at the heart of the community. Squeezed by houses compactly aligned along narrow labyrinthine flagstone paths， it is an understated construction that could easily be overlooked by uninformed tourists. The multistory building is badly damaged， with only the first floor still standing， which includes a worship chamber， two storehouses and a kitchen. A major attraction of the temple is the lavishly carved wooden adornments in the worship room. Archeologists confirm the building was erected between the 12th and the 13th centuries， when the great Tibetan physician lived， strong evidence for the truth of the tale that he sponsored the construction with his own wealth.

Wogyan Beylung， Eden on Earth

At the northern edge of Karmainba a road leads to Xin Co. The first stretch is lined with hundreds of piles of Mani rocks， on top of which white Khata scarves flutter in the wind. Driving on， you come to the peninsula of Baiku Co， at the highest point of which stands a three-tier stone pagoda， topped by a yak skeleton and surrounded by Mani stones inscribed with sutras or Buddhist figures.

From the summit of the peninsula one overlooks Xin Co to the north and Lham Co and Minor Baiku Co to the south， against a backdrop of snow-topped mountains. The water is a collage of a myriad hues of blues and greens， which shift at the slightest change in the environment， whether it be a hint of wind or a puff of cloud.

In Tibetan myth， Xin Co is where Padmasambhava， or “Lotus Born，” one of the most important deities in Tibetan Buddhism， confronts female ghosts. Many sites around the lake are therefore associated with the sage guru. Most prominent among them is a white monolith halfway up a nearby mountain with a V-shape groove in the middle. It is believed to be the gate to the utopia of Wogyan Beylung that Padmasambhava described in his writings. An Eden tucked away in a mysterious valley， Wogyan Beylung is said to be accessible only to those of pure mind and kind heart. The gate is said to automatically open for such people， and close once they step inside， wiping away clues of the places location to those not eligible.

Down the road is the Danglaomula Pass， which in the Tibetan language means “Return of the Guru.” It is said that Padmasambhava crossed Mt. Danglaomula after his defeat of the ghosts at Baiku Co. The mountain is not impressive in size or altitude， but is one of a kind with its millions of oddly shaped rocks that form it. Rising out of the ocean billions of years ago， they were sculpted by the forces of water， wind and sunlight in the magic hands of Mother Nature， who surpasses the most gifted artists of humankind.

This mega-size stone carving， along with the mirror-like water of crystalline clarity at its foot， conjures up the illusion of time travel， transporting visitors to a time before history. The truth is， for Baiku Co the world has barely changed for the past thousands， if not millions， of years.