River of the heaven

The source of the Yangtze River

The River of Heaven is a famous section of the Yangtze River that flows through the Yushu Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in Qinghai, with a length of over 800 kilometers. It gets its name from its origin in the "Roof of the World" — the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, known for its high and rugged terrain. Many people first learned about the River of Heaven through descriptions in "Journey to the West," where Tang Seng and his disciples traveled through this area. In the novel, the River of Heaven swallows Mount and connects with hundreds of rivers, vast like the sea and magnificent in its grandeur. However, the real River of Heaven is even more turbulent and majestic than depicted in the book. The rushing waters seem to carry all the sediments of the snowy plateau, surging downwards.

According to records, when the third Buddha of the Fortunate Eon, Kashyapa Tathagata, was born, a precious crystal stupa was consecrated by the Tathagata. Later, it was taken by the dragon lineage to the Dragon Palace and enshrined at the center of the underground Sky Mandala. After the fourth Buddha of the Fortunate Eon began teaching the Dharma, Master Padmasambhava came to this region in the middle of the 8th century. The dragon lineage offered the precious crystal stupa to Padmasambhava, who, following the example of King Songtsen Gampo’s construction of the Zhenzhi Monastery and Zhenjie Monastery in Ü-Tsang, built the Ga White Stupa here, using the precious crystal stupa as the stupa’s core. From that point on, the Buddhist culture in this area gradually flourished. The Ga White Stupa, along with Yushu’s Ganamani and the Princess Wencheng Temple, is known as the “Three Jewels of Yushu.” The Ga White Stupa has always been regarded as the pure land of the 100,000 sky-dancing dakini and the sacred land where the dragon kings gather. According to the Tibetan treasure-records of the great treasure master Tertön Chöying Dorje, the Ga White Stupa in the Kangduo region is home to the gathering of 100,000 sky-dancing dakinis, known as the “Treasure of 100,000 Sky-Dancers.” It possesses the majestic virtues of the 24 sacred dakini sites and is considered the natural gathering place of all dakinis.

“At the summit of the Ga White Stupa in Gā Yù,

It trembles, unable to bear the sorrow and suffering of the world.

The Yangtze River flows upstream, and the echoes of grief cannot be stilled.

With your wisdom, Rinpoche, can you perceive it?

— The Offering of Tears”

Ga White Stupa and the Ancient Ferry

Following the winding mountain road along the River of Heaven, we visit a thousand-year-old ancient tower, an old ferry, and a towering temple.

It has a history of over a thousand years and is regularly repaired and preserved. The Ga White Stupa is located on the banks of the River of the heaven (the source of the Yangtze River) in Landa Village, Labu Township, Chengduo County, Yushu Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Qinghai Province. With a history of more than 1,300 years, a wooden plaque nearby marks the site as “Ga White Stupa and the Ancient Ferry,” which has been listed as a cultural heritage site for protection.

According to historical records, in the 7th century, during the reign of the Tibetan king Songtsen Gampo, who built many monasteries along the borders of the Snowy Plateau, a purification ceremony was also held at this location. It is said that when Princess Wencheng of the Tang Dynasty traveled to Tibet, she crossed the river here on her way to Lhasa. The Ga White Stupa ferry not only became the oldest ferry in Chengduo County, but also one of the important crossings along the ancient Tang-Tibet Road.

(Note: “Enlightenment” refers to the Enlightenment Buddha statue in the Jokhang Temple in Lhasa; “Chief steward” refers to the oldest person of the Qingling Kingdom during the Gesar King era, who once served as the king of Qingling. It is said that he achieved a life of longevity. The Chala Mountain within Chengduo County is considered the homeland of the chief steward, and it is rumored that people have seen this immortal elder on Chala Mountain.)

“The blessing of the White Stupa is the most supreme,

The fame of enlightenment is the loudest,

The protection of Padmasambhava is the most reliable,

The Ga White Stupa will never fall,

The chief steward will never die.”

— Excerpt from Overview of the Ga White Stupa Culture

The Stele Inscription of the Ga White Stupa also records: Beneath the site of the White Stupa, there is a palace of dakinis supported by 500 pillars. The palace is adorned with numerous treasures, wish-fulfilling trees, and pools of Amrita, all consecrated by Vajra Dakini. The palace is surrounded by the Five Buddha Mothers of the Dakini family and a host of other dakinis.

When Padmasambhava opened the sacred gates of the Dakini Mandala Palace here, a spring of water naturally flowed out from beneath the White Stupa. This water, blessed by all the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, is considered Amrita given to the beings of the degenerate age. It is known as the “Self-Springing Amrita of Accomplishment” and is also called the “Dakini Accomplishment Water.”

This holy water possesses the eight qualities of purification as recorded in Buddhist scriptures: it is clear, cool, sweet, soft, refreshing, odorless, harmless to the throat, and gentle on the stomach. If one drinks this water while praying to Padmasambhava, it can cure all types of illnesses, particularly those of the stomach, and also eliminate karmic obstacles. The water has been formally tested and meets the standards of natural mineral water.

Next to the cave from which the Dakini Accomplishment Water flows, there is an informational sign, above which is an inscription by Venerable Chöying Dorje Rinpoche:

“The holy water of Ga White Stupa, like Amrita, can cleanse all karmic obstacles; it is also like a wondrous medicine, capable of dispelling the sickness of demons.”