Tatopani Monastery - www.rinpoche.com

How this monastery become the branch of Thrangu Monastery?

On October 3, 1978, after the completion of the rainy season retreat, I traveled with Lama Sönam Chödar, Lama Dargye, and others to the hot springs in Tatopani. Lama Sangak came there and said that he was offering the Geshing Gang monastery to Thrangu Monastery, and asked me to accept it. I did, and later the monastery was renamed Thrangu Tashi Choephel Ling.

How the Monastery has been overseen?

I asked a monk from our monastery, Karma Jorden, to oversee the monastery and to help the faithful laypeople of that area. He established the tradition of teaching the children of the area Tibetan language and writing and the other preliminary topics. When they passed a test, they were sent to the main monastery of Thrangu Tashi Choling in Boudhanath to engage in their main studies. Since then, there has been a steady stream of young people taking monastic ordination and engaging in studies. In 2003, Karma Jorden went into retreat, and Nyima Wangchuk, also known as Dzendhare, was appointed his replacement. He has continued to oversee the monastery to the present day.

Thrangu Monasery Tatopani

A Brief History of Thrangu Monastery Tatopani

The Founding of the Monastery

When times changed in Tibet, Jangpa Jamyang Drakpa—a direct disciple of Tokden Shakya Shri’s foremost disciple Tripön Pema Chögyal Rinpoche and the guru of the Fifth Kyabje Sengdrak Rinpoche—went via Shar Gang to Shar Khumbu, where he stayed and performed dharma activity for a long time. Later, he went to Geshing Gang in Tatopani in the Sindhupalchok District on the northern border between Nepal and Tibet, a place near the hermitage Nyanang Dzong that had been blessed by Gyalwa Götsangpa and other early Kagyu masters. He came with his retinue this place surrounded by the natural beauty of mountains in 1974 and founded a monastery. He stayed their in retreat, while also occasionally giving empowerments, dharma teachings, and so forth to the local people. In the end, he passed to nirvana at that place, and Kyabje Sengdrak Rinpoche performed the funerary rites.

Pujas at The Monastery

Each year during the seventh Nepali month, members of the sangha from our monastery travel to Tatopani to give the local people introductions to Buddhism and to read the Prajnaparamita in 100,000 Lines. In particular to benefit deceased beings, they perform the puja “An Ocean of Lamp Oil,” an Amitabha puja connected with a lamp offering prayer.

The Destruction and Reconstruction of
Thrangu Monastery Tatopani.

On April 25, 2015, the old monastery was completely destroyed by the great earthquake.In order to be able to offer some service to Buddhism and to gather the accumulation of pure virtue, the monastery is being rebuilt. Lama Rigzin and Gen Tenzin have been appointed to oversee the reconstruction, and I would like to ask the directors of our dharma centers abroad as well as the faithful sponsors to offer their prayers and support.

Written by the one called the Thrangu Tulku at Thrangu Tashi Yangtse Monastery in Namo Buddha, near one of the three great stupas of Nepal on Tuesday, the 10th day of the 11th month of the Earth Pig year of the seventeenth cycle, or January 5, 2020. May this be a cause for the teachings to remain long!