Phallus paintings in Bhutan
Encyclopedia
Phallus paintings in Bhutan
are esoteric symbols, which have their origins in the Chimi Lhakhang
monastery near Punakha
, the former capital of Bhutan. The village monastery was built in honour of Lama Drukpa Kunley
who lived in the 15-16th century and who was popularly known as the "Mad Saint" or “Divine Madman” for his unorthodox ways of teaching, which amounted to being bizarre and shocking. These explicit paintings, though embarrassing to many urbanites now (this folk culture is now informally discouraged in urban centres), can be seen painted on the walls of houses and buildings throughout Bhutan, particularly in villages, and are credited as Kunley's creations. Traditionally symbols of an erect penis in Bhutan have been intended to drive away the evil eye and malicious gossip.
While the history of use of phallus symbols is traced to Drukpa Kunley, the studies carried out at the Center of Bhutan Studies (CBS) have inferred that the phallus was an integral part of Bön tradition (an unorthodox form of religion), an animistic and shamanistic religion, which existed in Bhutan before Buddhism
became the state religion. In Bonism, phallus was integral to all Bon rituals. Dasho Lam Sanga, a former principal of the Institute of Language and Culture Studies (ILCS), while stating that there are no written documents on it, elaborates: “But the worship of the phallus was believed to be in practice even before the arrival of Guru Rimpoche and Shabdrung Ngawang Namgyal …What we know about it is what we heard from our forefathers.
The phallic symbols are, however, generally not depicted in community temples and dzongs, which are most revered places of worship where lamas or Buddhist monks reside and who have adopted celibate lifestyle and pursue divine ideals. However, rural and ordinary houses continue to display them.
in Tibet
, and belonged to the period of Pema Lingpa
and was his disciple. He was a crazy saint who extensively travelled in Bhutan, who was fond of women and wine, and adopted blasphemous and unorthodox ways of teaching Buddhism. His sexual exploits included his hosts and promoters. He was utterly devoid of all social conventions and called himself the "Madman from Kyishodruk." His intention was to shock the clergy who were uppity and prudish in their behaviour and teachings of Buddhism. However, his ways appealed to the common man. It was he who propagated the legend of painting phalluses on walls and flying hanging phalluses from roof tops of houses to drive away evil spirits and subdue demonesses. He is, therefore, also called the "fertility saint", as the Chime Lakhang monastery he built is visited by not only Bhutan
ese women but also people from the United States
and Japan. Kunley's organ, as painted, is called the "Thunderbolt of Flaming Wisdom" as it unnerved demons and demonesses and subdued them. It is also said that he is "perhaps the only saint in the religions of the world who is almost exclusively identified with phallus and its creative power". It is for this reason that his phallus, as a symbol, is depicted in paintings on the walls of the houses, and he is shown in thangka
paintings holding a "wooden stick with penis head".
The mad saint lived in a place known as Lobesa, close to the present day Chimi Lhakhang monastery, to drive away demonesses and protect the local people. According to the legend, he used to hit the evil forces with his penis (or cohabited with them) and turn them into protective deities. The Chimi Lhakhang monastery was built in the mad saint's honour by his cousin on a hillock (this hillock was called by Kunley as woman's breast) in a valley for the good deeds done to his people by subduing the evil forces and demonesses with his "magic thunderbolt of wisdom". It was built in 1499 with a square plan and a golden spire. It is approached from the Yowakha village, and all the houses on the way are painted with phallic symbols. As a witness, the monastery now houses several wooden phalluses including a silver handled phallus (the Lama's Thunderbolt) which the mad saint is supposed to have brought from Tibet. This is now frequently used by the current Lama of the monastery to hit women on the head, as a blessing to beget children. The monastery is also enshrined with a statue of Lama Kunley with his pet dog Sachi. Images of Zhabdrung, Sakyamuni Buddha and Chenresig are also deified in the monastery. Women who come to the monastery seeking blessings of children by getting hit on the head by the presiding Lama with wooden and bone phalluses, also get the name of the child to be born chosen by picking bamboo slips placed in the altar inscribed with names of boys and girls. It is also said that the small chorten at the altar was made by Kunley himself.
It is also argued by social science researchers that the phallus is a representation of "Worldly illusion of desires", and it is said that as a symbol of power and fertility of the animists of the Bön religion, the phallus's representation got enmeshed with Buddhism in Bhutan.
Anecdotes and strange practices
Several anecdotes are told of the zany ways of Drukpa Kunley. It is said that on a particular occasion he was gifted a sacred thread to put around his neck. However, he shocked the people by saying that he would tie the thread around his penis with the fond hope that it would bring him "luck with the ladies".
Among some communities in eastern Bhutan, every year during a particular period, phalluses are worshipped with flowers, ara
(hooch in red colour) and milk seeking protection from the evil spirits. In central Bhutan, a wooden phallus is immersed in the cups before the drinks are offered to the guests. Some phalluses, especially in rural Bhutan, are endowed with comic eyes.
The phallus painting is also termed as an institutionalised graffiti
. It is seen painted in different designs, and an unusual design seen is one with a dragon riding the phallus. One common feature noticed is that the phallus is always seen ejaculating.
held every year in different monasteries throughout Bhutan. These clowns also dance with their holy whips and wooden phalluses. On a road drive from Paro airport
to Thimpu these explicit paintings of phalluses are a common sight on “white-washed walls of homes, shops and eateries.”
In the Chimi Lhakhang monastery, the shrine dedicated to Drupka Kinley, several wooden penises are seen being used to bless people who visit the monastery on pilgrimage seeking blessings to bear a child or for welfare of their children. The glaringly displayed phallus in the monastery is a brown wooden piece with a silver handle, a religious relic considered to possess divine powers and hence used for blessing the spiritually oriented people. It is also said to prevent quarrels among family members in the houses which are painted with these symbols.
Bhutan
Bhutan , officially the Kingdom of Bhutan, is a landlocked state in South Asia, located at the eastern end of the Himalayas and bordered to the south, east and west by the Republic of India and to the north by the People's Republic of China...
are esoteric symbols, which have their origins in the Chimi Lhakhang
Chimi Lhakhang
Chimi Lhakhang, also known as Chime Lhakhang or Monastery or temple, is a Buddhist monastery in Punakha District, Bhutan. Located near Lobesa, it stands on a round hillock and was built in 1499 by the 14th Drukpa hierarch, Ngawang Choegyel, after the site was blessed by the "Divine Madman" the...
monastery near Punakha
Punakha
thumb|right|Punakha Dzong and the [[Mo Chhu]]Punakha is the administrative centre of Punakha dzongkhag, one of the 20 districts of Bhutan. Punakha was the capital of Bhutan and the seat of government until 1955, when the capital was moved to Thimphu. It is about 72 km away from Thimphu and it...
, the former capital of Bhutan. The village monastery was built in honour of Lama Drukpa Kunley
Drukpa Kunley
Kunga Legpai Zangpo , was also known by other names such as Drukpa Kunley, Drukpa Kunleg , and "The Divine Madman of the Dragon Lineage" Kunga Legpa...
who lived in the 15-16th century and who was popularly known as the "Mad Saint" or “Divine Madman” for his unorthodox ways of teaching, which amounted to being bizarre and shocking. These explicit paintings, though embarrassing to many urbanites now (this folk culture is now informally discouraged in urban centres), can be seen painted on the walls of houses and buildings throughout Bhutan, particularly in villages, and are credited as Kunley's creations. Traditionally symbols of an erect penis in Bhutan have been intended to drive away the evil eye and malicious gossip.
While the history of use of phallus symbols is traced to Drukpa Kunley, the studies carried out at the Center of Bhutan Studies (CBS) have inferred that the phallus was an integral part of Bön tradition (an unorthodox form of religion), an animistic and shamanistic religion, which existed in Bhutan before Buddhism
Buddhism
Buddhism is a religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha . The Buddha lived and taught in the northeastern Indian subcontinent some time between the 6th and 4th...
became the state religion. In Bonism, phallus was integral to all Bon rituals. Dasho Lam Sanga, a former principal of the Institute of Language and Culture Studies (ILCS), while stating that there are no written documents on it, elaborates: “But the worship of the phallus was believed to be in practice even before the arrival of Guru Rimpoche and Shabdrung Ngawang Namgyal …What we know about it is what we heard from our forefathers.
The phallic symbols are, however, generally not depicted in community temples and dzongs, which are most revered places of worship where lamas or Buddhist monks reside and who have adopted celibate lifestyle and pursue divine ideals. However, rural and ordinary houses continue to display them.
History
The often mentioned origin of the symbolic phallus is as a legacy of the popular Bhutanese saint Lama Drukpa Kunley (1455–1529). Kunley migrated from Tibet, was trained in Ralung MonasteryRalung Monastery
Ralung Monastery , located in the Tsang region of western Tibet, south of the Karo La , is the traditional seat of the Drukpa order of Tibetan Buddhism...
in Tibet
Tibet
Tibet is a plateau region in Asia, north-east of the Himalayas. It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people as well as some other ethnic groups such as Monpas, Qiang, and Lhobas, and is now also inhabited by considerable numbers of Han and Hui people...
, and belonged to the period of Pema Lingpa
Pema Lingpa
Pema Lingpa or Padma Lingpa was a famous saint and siddha of the Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism. He was a preeminent terton , and is considered to be foremost of the Five Terton Kings...
and was his disciple. He was a crazy saint who extensively travelled in Bhutan, who was fond of women and wine, and adopted blasphemous and unorthodox ways of teaching Buddhism. His sexual exploits included his hosts and promoters. He was utterly devoid of all social conventions and called himself the "Madman from Kyishodruk." His intention was to shock the clergy who were uppity and prudish in their behaviour and teachings of Buddhism. However, his ways appealed to the common man. It was he who propagated the legend of painting phalluses on walls and flying hanging phalluses from roof tops of houses to drive away evil spirits and subdue demonesses. He is, therefore, also called the "fertility saint", as the Chime Lakhang monastery he built is visited by not only Bhutan
Bhutan
Bhutan , officially the Kingdom of Bhutan, is a landlocked state in South Asia, located at the eastern end of the Himalayas and bordered to the south, east and west by the Republic of India and to the north by the People's Republic of China...
ese women but also people from the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and Japan. Kunley's organ, as painted, is called the "Thunderbolt of Flaming Wisdom" as it unnerved demons and demonesses and subdued them. It is also said that he is "perhaps the only saint in the religions of the world who is almost exclusively identified with phallus and its creative power". It is for this reason that his phallus, as a symbol, is depicted in paintings on the walls of the houses, and he is shown in thangka
Thangka
A "Thangka," also known as "Tangka", "Thanka" or "Tanka" is a Tibetan silk painting with embroidery, usually depicting a Buddhist deity, famous scene, or mandala of some sort. The thankga is not a flat creation like an oil painting or acrylic painting...
paintings holding a "wooden stick with penis head".
The mad saint lived in a place known as Lobesa, close to the present day Chimi Lhakhang monastery, to drive away demonesses and protect the local people. According to the legend, he used to hit the evil forces with his penis (or cohabited with them) and turn them into protective deities. The Chimi Lhakhang monastery was built in the mad saint's honour by his cousin on a hillock (this hillock was called by Kunley as woman's breast) in a valley for the good deeds done to his people by subduing the evil forces and demonesses with his "magic thunderbolt of wisdom". It was built in 1499 with a square plan and a golden spire. It is approached from the Yowakha village, and all the houses on the way are painted with phallic symbols. As a witness, the monastery now houses several wooden phalluses including a silver handled phallus (the Lama's Thunderbolt) which the mad saint is supposed to have brought from Tibet. This is now frequently used by the current Lama of the monastery to hit women on the head, as a blessing to beget children. The monastery is also enshrined with a statue of Lama Kunley with his pet dog Sachi. Images of Zhabdrung, Sakyamuni Buddha and Chenresig are also deified in the monastery. Women who come to the monastery seeking blessings of children by getting hit on the head by the presiding Lama with wooden and bone phalluses, also get the name of the child to be born chosen by picking bamboo slips placed in the altar inscribed with names of boys and girls. It is also said that the small chorten at the altar was made by Kunley himself.
It is also argued by social science researchers that the phallus is a representation of "Worldly illusion of desires", and it is said that as a symbol of power and fertility of the animists of the Bön religion, the phallus's representation got enmeshed with Buddhism in Bhutan.
Anecdotes and strange practices
Several anecdotes are told of the zany ways of Drukpa Kunley. It is said that on a particular occasion he was gifted a sacred thread to put around his neck. However, he shocked the people by saying that he would tie the thread around his penis with the fond hope that it would bring him "luck with the ladies".
Among some communities in eastern Bhutan, every year during a particular period, phalluses are worshipped with flowers, ara
Ara (drink)
Ara, or Arag, is a traditional alcoholic beverage consumed in Bhutan. Ara is made from rice, maize, millet, or wheat, and may be either fermented or distilled. The beverage is usually a clear, creamy, or white color.-Production:Ara is most commonly made from rice or maize at private homes or farms...
(hooch in red colour) and milk seeking protection from the evil spirits. In central Bhutan, a wooden phallus is immersed in the cups before the drinks are offered to the guests. Some phalluses, especially in rural Bhutan, are endowed with comic eyes.
The phallus painting is also termed as an institutionalised graffiti
Graffiti
Graffiti is the name for images or lettering scratched, scrawled, painted or marked in any manner on property....
. It is seen painted in different designs, and an unusual design seen is one with a dragon riding the phallus. One common feature noticed is that the phallus is always seen ejaculating.
Symbolism
The belief that such a symbol brings good luck and drives away evil spirits is so much ingrained in the psyche of the common populace in Bhutan that the symbols are routinely painted outside walls of the new houses and even painted on number plates of trucks. The carved wooden phalluses are hung (sometimes crossed by a design of sword or dagger) outside, on the eves of the new homes, at the four corners. The wooden phalluses are also driven in the agricultural fields as a kind of scarecrow, when the crops start sprouting. The Atsaras (masked clowns) also decorate their headgear with phallus painted cloth, during the popular Tsechu festivalTsechu
Tsechu are annual religious Bhutanese festivals held in each district or dzongkhag of Bhutan on the tenth day of a month of the lunar Tibetan calendar. The month depends on the place, but usually is around the time of October. Tsechus are religious festivals of Drukpa Buddhism...
held every year in different monasteries throughout Bhutan. These clowns also dance with their holy whips and wooden phalluses. On a road drive from Paro airport
Paro Airport
Paro Airport is the only international airport of Bhutan. The airport is located from Paro in a deep valley on the bank of the Paro river at an elevation of ....
to Thimpu these explicit paintings of phalluses are a common sight on “white-washed walls of homes, shops and eateries.”
In the Chimi Lhakhang monastery, the shrine dedicated to Drupka Kinley, several wooden penises are seen being used to bless people who visit the monastery on pilgrimage seeking blessings to bear a child or for welfare of their children. The glaringly displayed phallus in the monastery is a brown wooden piece with a silver handle, a religious relic considered to possess divine powers and hence used for blessing the spiritually oriented people. It is also said to prevent quarrels among family members in the houses which are painted with these symbols.
