Tuesday, August 31, 2021

Paro Taktsang-The Tiger's Nest

 
Paro Taktsang-The Tigers Nest


Tigers nest  is one of the most auspicious monastery in Bhutan which is located in Paro. It is one of thirteen Tiger's Nest caves in historical Tibet in which Padmasambhava(Guru Rinpoche) practiced and taught Vajrayana. A later monastery complex was built in 1692, around the Taktsang Senge Samdup cave, where Guru Padmasambhava meditated and practiced with students including Yeshe Tsogyal before departing the kingdom of Tibet in the early 9th century. Padmasambhava is credited with introducing Vajrayana Buddhism to Bhutan, which was then part of Tibet, and is the tutelary deity of the country. Today, Paro Taktsang is the best known of the thirteen taktsang or "tiger lair" caves in which he and his students meditated. The shrine dedicated to Padmasambhava, also known as Gu-ru mTshan-brgyad Lhakhang or "the Shrine of the Guru with Eight Names", refers to Padmasambhava's Eight Manifestations and is an elegant structure built around the cave in 1692 by Gyalse Tenzin Rabgye. It has become the cultural icon of Bhutan. A popular festival, known as the Tsechu, held in honor of Padmasambhava, is celebrated in the Paro valley sometime during March or April.


Guru Rinpoche(Padmasambhava)

 Guru Padmasambhava, which translates to ‘Lotus born’, is believed to have appeared in a blossoming lotus as an eight-year-old in the kingdom of Oddiyana. While Gautam Buddha attained enlightenment at a later stage in his life, legend has it that Padmasambhava was incarnated as Buddha—the awakened one; and at the moment of his birth, he announced that he had incarnated to ‘accomplish the actions of Buddhas of the past, present and future’. Interestingly, Gautam Buddha predicted his birth in the Mahayana Mahaparinirvana Sutra. One day before attaining the state of nirvana, he announced to his disciples that 12 years after his death, ‘a remarkable being with the name Padmasambhava will appear in the centre of a lotus’. Often called the second Buddha, Padmasambhava is revered by followers of Vajrayana Buddhism as both Amitabha (he who is infinite) and Avalokiteshvara (the embodiment of all buddhas/Chenreyzig).


Avalokiteshvara (The buddha of compassion/Chenreyzig).


Amitabha Buddha.

 Amitābha , also known as Amida or Amitāyus, is a celestial buddha according to the scriptures of Mahayana Buddhism. Amitābha is the principal buddha in Pure Land Buddhism, a branch of East Asian Buddhism.

Wednesday, August 25, 2021

Rising Popularity Of Online Games In Bhutan.-Mobile Legends Bang Bang

 


Recently there has been a rise in the popularity of online games in Bhutan and kuensel has posted some information about the game.

Phuntsho Zangpo, considered the best player of Mobile Legends: Bang Bang in Bhutan, started playing MOBA games (multiplayer online battle arena) when he was in Class III. After playing many MOBA games, he came across Mobile Legends in 2018. He was in Class XI then.

“I saw my brothers and friends playing Mobile Legends and I started to play as well. I loved the game because of its similar concept to DOTA,” says Phuntsho. He used to spend six hours playing Mobile Legends when in school and more than 11 hours during vacations.

It has now been two years after he completed his high school.

He goes by the name ICY 1LASTSEC while playing Mobile Legends and his squad ICY has nine members. His squad played almost 12 big Mobile Legends tournaments inside Bhutan, which included good teams from Bhutan and other countries.

With six wins (squad) and four tournaments Most Valuable Player (MVP), Phuntsho Zangpo is very happy with his achievements so far.

Many Bhutanese Mobile Legends streamers and players say that Phuntsho Zangpo is the best Mobile Legends player in Bhutan. MAYNIA, a well-known Mobile Legends streamer with almost 50 thousand followers on his page and a great ML player in Bhutan told Phuntsho: “You have a potential to be one of the best players in the world if you play with the best ping (MS). Bhutan does not have a good ping.” Ping is the network latency between a player’s computer and the game’s server.

Phuntsho Zangpo is considered not only a good Mobile Legends player in Bhutan but also in some other countries by Mobile Legends players.

A very great player from Indonesia, who once was a holder of world rank 1 for Mobile Legends (Alucard), once invited him to play in his squad. Phuntsho Zangpo could not leave his own squad and refused the invitation.

Some spend a huge amount of money on the games without receiving anything in return. In his case, Phuntsho Zangpo has not spent any money in the game but has received a lot of gifts worth Nu 110,000 for the game so far.

Despite being a good player, Phuntsho Zangpo talks about the bad sides of e-sports such as health issues; youth’s heavy engagement in e-sports and the problems they give to their parents and education. But then, there are good sides to e-sports, he concedes.

 “Once you become successful with e-sports, you can make easy money,” says Phuntsho Zangpo.

Phuntsho had even decided to go to Thailand in the hope of becoming a successful Mobile Legends player. He wasn’t able to go to Bangkok, of course, because of the pandemic and the many restrictions.

But the plan remains. His parents support his decision.

“I am confident that I can become a successful Mobile Legends player in the future. I can make a living from it,” says Phuntsho.

Paro Taktsang-The Tiger's Nest

  Paro Taktsang-The Tigers Nest Tigers nest  is one of the most auspicious monastery in Bhutan which is located in Paro.  It is one of thirt...