I recently came to know the story of the phallus and how it came to be widespread in Bhutanese society. The story is different and probably older than that of Lam Drukpa Kinley’s. It involves two gods.
The Story of the Phallus
There were two gods: Lha Uma and Lha Wangchu. At the time, Lha Uma had been deeply concerned because there were more women than men, and the imbalance was driving the women into a frenzy. As a result, Lha Uma pleaded with Lha Wangchu to visit the human world. Once there, the situation worsened—women became even more frenzied, desperate to touch his penis, which had grown more erect and longer, as long as an elephant’s tusk. Overwhelmed, Lha Wangchu, left the human world. Later, upon his return, he sent countless penises to the human world, solving the male population crisis.
As I’ve gotten older, I’ve started questioning these stories and believe that the men created them. In most of these stories, the woman is usually the villain, who needs to be “subdued” for peace to exist.
Lam Drukpa Kinley and Chimi Lhakhang
A widespread story of the existence of phallus is related to the 14th century Buddhist monk called Lam Drukpa Kinley. Drukpa Kinley had travelled from Tibet to Punakha in Bhutan, near the site of Chimi Lhakhang. He planned to spread his teachings. After meeting a girl who believed in his cause, he slept with her, “blessing” her with an off-spring.
©Josef Polleross
Another time, using his phallic super powers, he subdued a demoness called Loro Duem. Loro Duem resided at the present day Dochula pass, where she had been causing havoc for the travellers. Drukpa Kinley chased her all the way to the site of Chimi Lhakhang, where he built a chorten (stupa). That chorten eventually became the present-day Chimi Lhakhang. Couples from all around the world visit this Lhakhang to seek blessings for fertility purposes.
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