Mindrolling Monastery facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Mindrolling Monastery |
|
|---|---|
|
སྨིན་གྲོལ་གླིང་དགོན་པ་
|
|
Mindrolling Monastery, Tibet Autonomous Region
|
|
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Tibetan Buddhism |
| Location | |
| Location | Lhasa Prefecture, Tibet Autonomous Region, China |
 Location in Tibet
|
|
Mindrolling Monastery (Tibetan: སྨིན་གྲོལ་གླིང་དགོན་པ་, Wylie: min-dröl-ling gön-pa, THL: smin-grol-gling dgon-pa) is a very important Buddhist monastery. It is one of the "Six Mother Monasteries" of the Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism. The name "Mindrolling" means "Place of Perfect Emancipation" in Tibetan.
The monastery was founded in 1676 by a person named Rigzin Terdak Lingpa. It is located in Zhanang County, Tibet Autonomous Region, China. This area is about 43 kilometers east of the Lhasa airport, near the Tsangpo River.
Contents
History of Mindrolling Monastery
Mindrolling Monastery has a long history. In 1718, it was badly damaged by the Dzungar Mongols. These were a group of people from a region called East Turkestan.
The monastery was rebuilt later, during the time of the Seventh Dalai Lama. His son, Dungsay Rinchen-namgyel, and daughter, Jetsunma Mingyur Paldron, helped with the rebuilding.
For almost 300 years, Mindrolling was a major learning center. It taught many Nyingma scholars and yogis from all over Tibet.
What Monks Studied
At Mindrolling, monks learned many subjects. They studied Buddhist scriptures, which are important religious texts. They also learned about astronomy, the Tibetan lunar calendar, and beautiful writing (calligraphy). Other subjects included public speaking (rhetoric) and Traditional Tibetan medicine.
Monks also studied thirteen main texts of the Nyingma tradition. They practiced special methods that came from different spiritual teachings called terma. The monastery was very influential, with over one hundred smaller monasteries connected to it. Its leader was highly respected.
Challenges and Rebuilding
In 1959, there was a revolt against Chinese rule in Tibet. At that time, about 300 monks lived at Mindrolling. The monastery's buildings were damaged during this period. However, the damage was not as bad as at some other monasteries. Today, Mindrolling Monastery in Tibet is still being rebuilt and restored.
Mindrolling in India
After the events in Tibet, a new Mindrolling Monastery was started in India. In 1965, Khochhen Rinpoche and a small group of monks began this work. The new monastery is located near Clement Town, in Dehradun, Uttarakhand state, India.
This new Mindrolling Monastery in India now has a large Buddhist school. It is called Ngagyur Nyingma College. It is one of the biggest Buddhist institutes in India.
Kyabje Khochhen Rinpoche's Contributions
Khotrul Jurme Dogyud Gyatso Rinpoche, also known as Khochhen Rinpoche, was born in 1937 in Eastern Tibet. From a young age, he was believed to be the reincarnation of another important lama.
Rinpoche studied many subjects at Mindrolling in Tibet. He learned Buddhist philosophy, calligraphy, and rituals from great masters. He stayed at Mindrolling for over ten years until 1959.
Establishing Mindrolling in India
After 1959, Rinpoche, at age 22, went to India. In 1965, he and another lama, Kyabje Paltrul Jampel Lodoe Rinpoche, chose the land for the new Mindrolling Monastery in India. They built it near Dehradun.
In 1991, Rinpoche started the Ngagyur Nyingma College. This institute teaches a nine-year course on Buddhist studies to about one hundred monks. Many monks have graduated from this college and become khenpos, which means they are highly learned teachers.
Building for Peace
Near the Mindrolling Monastery in India, Rinpoche built a very tall stupa. A stupa is a special Buddhist monument. This one is 190 feet high and was opened in 2002. It was dedicated to world peace.
Rinpoche also built other monasteries and centers. In 2007, he opened a new Mindrolling monastery in Kalimpong, India. He also built a school for local children and a clinic there. In 2005, a new Mindrolling branch monastery was opened in Delhi.
He also founded several Mindrolling Dharma centers in Taiwan. These centers help spread Buddhist teachings. Rinpoche has also been the director of Mindrolling Monastery in Clement Town for many years.
More recently, Rinpoche started another Mindrolling center in Sikkim, India. He also established a special temple called Zangdokpalri Temple in Sikkim. This temple is dedicated to Guru Rinpoche, a very important figure in Tibetan Buddhism.
For many decades, Kyabje Rinpoche has also been a leader for the Annual Nyingma Monlam Chenmo International Foundation. This foundation organizes important Buddhist prayer festivals.
Images for kids
-
Mindrolling Monastery, Tibet Autonomous Region
-
The stupa at the Mindrolling Monastery in Tibet.
-
The stupa of the re-established Mindrolling Monastery, in Clement Town, Dehradun.
