Drak Yerpa

Drak Yerpa's significance rests on the extraordinary roster of masters who practiced in its caves across twelve centuries, from Tibet's first Buddhist king through the founders of its major schools.

The earliest Buddhist use of Drak Yerpa is attributed to King Songtsen Gampo in the seventh century. The king who unified Tibet and brought Buddhism to the plateau — through his marriages to Chinese and Nepali princesses — is said to have retreated to these caves for meditation. His Nepali consort Bhrikuti also meditated here. Their practice consecrated the site as a place where temporal power was set aside.

A century later, Guru Rinpoche chose Drak Yerpa as one of his key meditation sites during his campaign to establish Buddhism against the resistance of local spirits and competing traditions. In his cave, he performed wrathful practices to subdue the spirits and bind them as dharma protectors. The tradition holds that he left his handprint and footprint in the rock as signs of his realization.

When Atisha Dipankara arrived in Tibet from India in 1042, he was drawn to Drak Yerpa by the accumulated blessings of previous masters. He spent years here, establishing the Jampa Lhakhang and composing teachings that became foundational to the Kadampa tradition, which later evolved into the Gelug school. He reportedly declared that Drak Yerpa was comparable to the greatest meditation sites of India — a remarkable statement from a master who had seen them all.