The face of Dang ra is resplendently white and beautiful. In her right hand, she holds an arrow symbolizing the collecting of life and good fortune.
In her left hand, she holds a jeweled vase containing life-giving nectar."

Publisher's Note

The Library of Tibetan Works and Archives is pleased to be publishing, Divine Dyads; Ancient Civilization of Tibet by author and explorer John V. Bellezza. The Divine Dyads, the lake and mountain pairs of gNyan chen thang lha and gNam mtsho, and rTa rgo rin po che and Dang ra g.yu mtsho, are analyzed in terms of prehistoric significance, cultural and religious history, and in relation to the civilization of the Byang thang region of Tibet, specifically during the Zhang Zhung period.

The author traces the significance of each of the Dyad personalities, individually and collectively, from their nature-based origins, through their incorporation in Bon and Buddhist tenets, into the contemporary vision of the deities in popular and literary culture. The deities are compasses along which the cultural, social, environmental and religious development of the region can be ascertained.

This research provides important insights into ancient Byang thang civilization, and is a stepping stone towards further discoveries concerning the origins and development of Tibetan culture. We hope that, with some of the new interpretations presented here by the author, readers will find this book interesting and that it will expand the unfortunately scant knowledge of ancient Tibetan civilization.

Gyatsho Tshering, Director
Library of Tibetan Works and Archives
July 1997

Published by the Library of Tibetan Works and Archives, Dharamsala, H.P. and printed at Indraprashtha Press (CBT), 4, Bahadurshah Zafar Marg, New Delhi - 110 002    ISBN: 81-86470-19-0