Terton Pema Lingpa is considered as the cultural hero and secular progenitor of Bhutan.

The Pema Lingpa lineage dates back during the time of Padmasambhava also known Guru Rinpoche who visited Bhutan three times where he was able to subdue negative forces in order to spread Vajrayana Buddhism, Guru Rinpoche also forethought the obstacles that would hinder the spread of Buddhism in near generations. Thus to overcome these problems, he blessed the region with hidden treasure texts known as terma to be revealed at the appropriate times for the benefit for sentient beings in the future. It was Pema Lingpa who was destined to reveal many of these treasures who was born in our own land and was knownto have existed in 1450-1521 AD as per Phuntsho, 2013.As per this book he was born above Chel village in Tang to Pema Drolma and father Dondup Zangpo. Pema Lingpa was hailed as the fourth of the five kingly tertons, or treasure-finders. He was the last of the five pure incarnations of King Trisong Deutsen’s daughter, the royal princess Pemasel.He is known for his contribution in many aspects of development leading towards the origination of our cultural heritage such as of mask dances, hymns, religious textsand also led to the evolution of the ruling dynasty of our country, the Wangchuck Dynasty who is the ultimate head of all in Bhutan. Bhutan’s nobility is tightly interwoven with sacred prophecies, revealed treasures, and Guru Rinpoche’s blessings. Both his family lineage and his spiritual legacy have maintained a positigenitor of Bhutan.

Orgyen Pema Lingpa was a Buddhist saint who lived in Bhutan in the fifteenth century. He is a well-respected, prominent figure in the history of the Himalayan region, but it is especially in Bhutan that he is loved as a folk hero and spiritual master, a source of national pride and inspiration.The innumerable holy sites where he displayed spiritual wonders, and the drama of his extraordinary life is constantly presented in school plays and performances by monks throughout Bhutan. The teachings and religious practices are retained in good health through his current incarnations, such as Gangteng Tulku Rinpoche , (Harding.S,2001-2015).The legacy of Pema Lingpa  in the cultural aspects is undeniable. Not only did he establish monasteries and three incarnation lineages that still thrive today, but he also introduced an immense extent of literature. The ritual practices were disseminated throughout Tibetan and Himalayan regions and continue to serve as the primary basis of religious life for thousands of Buddhists.Today Pedling choekhor, the twenty one volumes of pema lingpa’s cycle of teaching includes his revelations and writings which is said to be authored by himself adds up to the culture of bhutanese literature.Then the important mask dances founded and instiuted by him such as the  Padling Tercham and Padling Ging sum(Gyug ging,Dri ging,Nga ging) also adds onto the type of bhutanese religious dances.Padling Tercham is the treasure dance performed throughout Bhutan during festivals and  ceremonial occasions while Padling ging Sum is the dakini dance and it is further collaborated with Ging Tsholing cham which is danced inorder to commenmorate the victory of goods over evil.The construction of important religious sites such as Pema Ling in his native village and the most significant of all was the construction of Tamzhing monastery in 1505.Apart from the construction of manastries he also renovated religious sites such as Mani Goenpa,Chel Lhakhang, Choekhor Lhakhang, Langmathil lhakhang in Bumtang and erected number of stupas in Kurelung and Mangdue, (Phuntsho, 2013).So all these contributions of Pema Lingpa had attributed him with the title cultural hero of Bhutan.

Pema Lingpa’s hereditary base have set a long line of lineages which today has established our political leader, the royal family is the proud product of his inheritance.Yeshe Khorlo,2015 had rightly said that pema Lingpa’s desendants had established  many lineages such as Tamzhing by his youngeast son Sadag,Khochung choeje by Kuenga Wangpo and later his desendants established Dungkar choeje which was known for producing  individuals of extraordinary  character.Among them Pila Gonpo Wangyel and Pala Gyaltshen are the most strongest and have accomplished martial art. Then from Pila Gonpo We have Jigme Namgyal who have contributed towards the  national unity.His acts of violence with regional lords, the British Indian government and the consolidation of central authority  was intended to lay the foundation of a united Bhutanese nation.Then from Jigme Namgyal we have Ugyen Wangchuck  who established the Wangchuck dynasty and he became the ultimate head of the country in 1907.He gave bhutan a strong government and national identity the foremost dream of Zhabdrung.So the uprising of Wangchuck dynasty today have created our royal famillies, (The History Of Bhutan, 1996). Pema Lingpa’s discovery sites stretched from Bumthang to Samye in central Tibet. Two sites in particular mark this geographic spectrum: Kurje in Bumthang and Samye in central Tibet. Pema Lingpa also discovered a number of treasures in Lhodrak, just north of Bumthang in southeastern Tibet, reflecting his regional involvement. Indeed,The discovery sites for Pema Lingpa’s treasures across the Himalayan landscape,showed the extent to which Pema Lingpa’s career had local, regional and trans-Himalayan aspects, thus he had the aim of unifying the those region through his influences. Moreover, Pema Lingpa’s legacy helped to shape the emergence of Bhutan as an independent nation that survives today as the only Buddhist kingdom in the Himalayas.Thus we can verify that he is the secular progenitor of Bhutan.

According to Phuntsho (2013 )Pema Lingpa is a man who we should remember for being the important cultural hero while referring  to the mask dances, the literature he authored  and the religious discourse. Then he also wrote that he has constructed many temples and shrines in our country which further contributed in the culture of arts and architecture of our country.To further analyse on the contribution of Pema Lingpa Batholomew sumed up that the royal families descendent from him whereby holding a key position in political life of every bhutanese. So carefully gauging on the above writings he can be referred to as both cultural hero and secular progenitor as he holds an important position in todays mask dances, religion, origin of royal family and the person to think of  setting political boundary and regional unity in Bhutan.

Pema Lingpa was hailed as the fourth of the five kingly tertons, or treasure-finders. He was the last of the five pure incarnations of King Trisong Deutsen’s daughter, the royal princess Pemasel. Pema Lingpa is the living vehicle to spread and continue Buddhism in Bhutan and beyond for the wellbeing and awakening of all sentient beings. Pema Lingpa not only revealed and spread the profound teachings of Buddha and Guru Padmasambhava, and left a continuing legacy of outstanding students and masters including his own ancestral lineage. The royal family of our country is the proud product ofhis hereditary base in our country.Who today rules our nation and are playing great role in the development of the nation interms of political,economic and social life of the Bhutanese.