The Five Nyingtik Monasteries of Dzachuka & Sershul
The area of Dzachuka, the valley of the Dzachu (or Yalong) River in Sershul County, is home to five great monasteries of the Longchen Nyingtik. They have produced many famous scholars and yogis and have played a vital role in the transmissions of the Nyingma lineage in general and the Longchen Nyingtik in particular.
Map of Kham, Tibet, showing the locations of many of the great Nyingma Monasteries. Courtesy of the Treasury of Lives maps & places.
Map showing Dzagyal, Gekong, Gemang and Kilung monasteries. Courtesy of the Treasury of Lives maps & places.
Kilung Monastery. Courtesy of Kilung Foundation.
(33.128509, 98.133099)
Kilung Womin Rigdzin Pelgye Ling Monastery
Kilung Monastery in Sershul County was founded in the late 1780s by Jigme Ngotsar Gyatso, the First Kilung Rinpoche, with the support of Derge queen Tsewang Lhamo. After attending Jigme Lingpa for many years, at the end of the 1780s Jigme Lingpa sent him back to Kham, instructing him to establish a monastery and spread the Nyingtik teachings. He blessed him with a prediction that he "would be like a great doctor for the teachings and for sentient beings." An elaborate account of how the monastery was established can be found in the biography of Jigme Ngotsar Gyatso. The monastery has been administered by the successive incarnations of Kilung Rinpoches and Mura Tulkus (an incarnation line starting with Ritro Rigzin Gyatso, a student of Jigme Ngotsar).
Dzagyal Monastery
Dzagyal Monastery
Dzagyal Monastery was founded by the First Dodrupchen Jikme Trinle Özer and Jikme Gyalwe Nyugu in the Dzachukha area. It became the main seat of Jikme Gyalwe Nyugu and his famous disciple Patrul Rinpoche. Later, it became the home of their incarnations, Tsamtrul Rinpoche Kunzang Dechen Dorje (Pema Kunzang) and Patrul Namkha Jigme, a son of Dudjom Lingpa, who visited the place twice. In recent times, Dzagyal Khenpo Bumthar has been an important master.
The daughter of Patrul Namkha Jigme, Khandroma Kunzang Wangmo, spearheaded the renovation and development of the monastery.
Khandroma considered that her life’s work to be renovating the buildings, including the main temple. However, her main focus was to add to the monastery a monastic college, or shedra, where monks could pursue higher education. A documentary was made in 2010 about Khandroma called Sky Dancer.
Khandroma Kunzang Wangmo
Dzagyal Monastery on Google Maps
(33.213512, 97.956107)
Gemang Monastery
Gemang Monastery
Possibly the most renowned is Gemang, a branch of Dzogchen Monastery in the Trama Valley, Dzachukha, Kham, established by Gyelse Zhenpen Taye Ozer in the nineteenth century. It produced some of the greatest scholars, such as Khenchen Yönten Gyatso, whose commentary on Jigme Lingpa’s Treasury of Precious Qualities became most popular. The Second Gemang incarnation was Tupwang Tenpe Nyima and the third was Garwang Lerab Lingpa.
Gekong Monastery
Gekong Monastery
Gekong or Gegong Monastery is situated near Gemang and was part of Patrul Rinpoche's Dharma encampments in Dzachukha. In his youth and in the final phase of his life, it was the main center of Khenpo Kunzang Palden. Other great scholars who studied and taught at Gekong were Pöpa Tulku Dongak Tenpé Nyima, Khenpo Chökhyap and Khenchen Thubten Chöpel
Khenchen Thubten Chöpel
Changma Hermitage Samten Dargye Ling
Changma Gar is a monastic college of Dzato Changmai Monastery, near Jyekundo. It was originally founded by Patrul Rinpoche, yet it was abandoned after Patrul Rinpoche’s passing. It was revived by Changma Khenchen Thubten Chöpel, who was a student of some of Patrul Rinpoche’s most important disciples, such as Khenchen Yönten Gyatso and Orgyen Tendzin Norbu, in the year 1932. Khenchen Thubten Chöpel became the teacher of some of the greatest masters of the 20th century, such as Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, Khenpo Jikmé Phuntsok, Gonpo Tseten Rinpoche, and Chagdud Tulku Rinpoche.
Bibliography
Histories of the Monasteries of Kardzé Prefecture (khams phyogs dkar mdzes khul gyi dgon sde so so'i lo rgyus gsal bar bshad pa nang bstan gsal ba'i me long). 3 vols. Lhasa: krung go'i bod kyi shes rig dpe skrun khang, 1995.