Tapi Hritsa

Tapi Hritsa was born as son of Rasang Lugyal at Dharog in Zhangzhung in the 17th century. From his childhood he bore a special interest in the virtuous deeds. At the age of eleven, he received complete ordination relating to Dzogchen from his master by the name of Tsepung Dawa Gyaltsen.

For nine entire years he remained fully committed in conducting retreat in a place known as Mamig, which is located toward the north of Mt. Kailash. It is believed that after accomplishing his intensive and systematic practice on Dzögchen teaching, he obtained the state of Buddhahood by dissolving his physical body into rainbow color.

Attaining the rainbow body means the body disappears from sight, leaving no trace of where it has gone. It is believed that practitioners of the great perfection, Dzögchen practice, may accomplish the rainbow body by total purification of the body, mind and spirit through devotion to the Dzögchen meditations. A practitioner who works hard and realizes the original self with no attachment can ultimately disappear from this planet, leaving only bits of hair and nails on the meditation cushion from which the practitioner has departed.

As a result of Tapi Hritsa’s marvelous teaching as many as twenty-five disciples have attained the Rainbow Body Accomplishment.