Lhasa - Tibet - page 100

the eight fears - hence the eight statues. There are some fine door carvings here. As you
exit the chapel look for the unexpected statues of the Hindu gods Indra and Brahma.
In the Chapel of Chenresig Riding a Lion (9) , the statue of Chenresig on the back of a
sengye (snow lion) is first on the left (it's not the largest of the icons within). Most of the
other statues are aspects of Chenresig.
Some pilgrims exit this chapel and then follow a flight of stairs up to the next floor,
while others complete the circuit on the ground floor. Unless you're chapelled out (you've
seen the important ones already), continue on upstairs, but look out first for a small hole in
the wall on the left as you exit the chapel, against which pilgrims place their ear to hear
either the beating wings of a mythical bird or the lapping waters of the Lake Wothang on
which the Jokhang was built.
The Guru Rinpoche Shrine (10) contains two statues of Guru Rinpoche and one of
King Trisong Detsen next to the stairs. Beside the shrine is a self-arising golden rock
painting of the medicine buddha protected by a glass plate. Inside the Chapel of Tsepame
(11) are nine statues of Tsepame (Amitayus), the red Buddha of Longevity, in yabyum
(sexual and spiritual union) pose.
The Chapel of Jampa (12) holds the Jampa statue that was traditionally borne around
the Barkhor on the 25th day of the first lunar month for the Mönlam festival. This yearly
excursion was designed to hasten the arrival of the Future Buddha. Jampelyang and Chen-
resig flank the Buddha.
The chapel is also named Ramo Gyalmo (Chapel of the Sacred Goat), after the rough
'self-arisen' (ie not human-made) image of the goat emerging from the wall in the first
corner, beside the god of wealth Zhambhala.
The Chapel of the Hidden Jowo (13) is where Princess Wencheng is said to have hid-
den the Jowo Sakyamuni for safe keeping after the death of her husband and the ensuing
anti-Buddhism backlash. You can see the cavity on the eastern wall. Inside is a statue of
Öpagme (Amitabha) and the eight medicine buddhas with characteristic blue hair.
The last of the ground-floor chapels is the Chapel of the Kings (14) , with some original
statues of Tibet's earliest kings. The central figure is Songtsen Gampo, flanked by images
of King Trisong Detsen and King Ralpachen. Pilgrims touch their head to the central pillar.
On the wall outside the chapel is a fine mural depicting the original construction of the
Jokhang and the Potala, alongside performances of Tibetan opera, yak dances, wrestling,
stone weightlifting and horse racing.