Mindrolling Monastery facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Mindrolling Monastery |
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སྨིན་གྲོལ་གླིང་དགོན་པ་
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Mindrolling Monastery, Tibet Autonomous Region
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| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Tibetan Buddhism |
| Location | |
| Location | Lhasa Prefecture, Tibet Autonomous Region, China |
 Location in Tibet
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| Date established | 1676 |
Mindrolling Monastery is a very important Buddhist monastery in Tibet. Its name means "Place of Perfect Emancipation" in Tibetan. It is one of the "Six Mother Monasteries" of the Nyingma school, which is one of the oldest types of Tibetan Buddhism.
A wise teacher named Rigzin Terdak Lingpa started the monastery in 1676. 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.
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History of Mindrolling Monastery
Mindrolling Monastery faced a lot of damage in 1718. This happened when a group called the Dzungar Mongols attacked it. But the monastery was rebuilt during the time of the Seventh Dalai Lama, who lived from 1708 to 1757.
Terdak Lingpa's son, Dungsay Rinchen-namgyel, and his daughter, Jetsunma Mingyur Paldron, helped manage the rebuilding.
For almost 300 years, Mindrolling was a major learning center. It taught many Nyingma scholars and spiritual practitioners from all over Tibet.
What Monks Studied
At Mindrolling, monks focused on many subjects. They learned about Buddhist scriptures and ancient texts. They also studied astronomy, the Tibetan calendar, and beautiful writing (calligraphy). Important skills like public speaking (rhetoric) and Traditional Tibetan medicine were also taught.
Monks learned about thirteen main sutra (Buddhist teachings) and tantra (spiritual practices) texts of the Nyingma school. They also practiced special teachings called terma, especially those from Terdak Lingpa's lineage.
At one point, Mindrolling Monastery had over a hundred smaller monasteries connected to it. Its main leader was one of the most respected figures in Tibet.
Challenges and Reconstruction
In 1959, there was a major event in Central Tibet. About 300 monks lived at Mindrolling at that time. After 1959, the monastery's buildings were damaged again. However, the damage was not as bad as at some other monasteries, like Ganden. Today, the monastery in Tibet is still being rebuilt and restored.
Mindrolling in India
In 1965, a wise teacher named Khochhen Rinpoche and a small group of monks started a new Mindrolling monastery. They built it near Clement Town, in Dehradun, Uttarakhand state, India.
This new monastery in India is now home to Ngagyur Nyingma College. This college is one of the largest Buddhist learning centers 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 recognized as a special reincarnation.
At Mindrolling in Tibet, Rinpoche studied many subjects. He learned Buddhist philosophy, Sutra, and Tantra. He also mastered calligraphy and religious rituals from great teachers. He stayed at Mindrolling for over ten years until 1959.
Establishing Mindrolling in India
After 1959, Rinpoche, at 22 years old, went to India. He was part of a group with Mindrolling Trichen Rinpoche. In 1965, Khochhen Rinpoche and another teacher, Kyabje Paltrul Jampel Lodoe Rinpoche, chose land near Dehradun. They then built the new Mindrolling Monastery in India.
In 1991, Rinpoche started the Ngagyur Nyingma College. This institute teaches a nine-year course on Sutra and Tantra to about one hundred monks. Many monks have graduated from this college and become "khenpo," which means a master of Buddhist studies.
Building for Peace and Education
Near the Mindrolling Monastery in India, Rinpoche built a very tall stupa (a Buddhist monument). It is 190 feet high and was opened in 2002. This stupa is dedicated to world peace.
Rinpoche also built new Mindrolling monasteries and centers in other places:
- In Kalimpong, West Bengal, India, he built a new monastery and a school for local children. He also built a much-needed clinic there in 2007.
- In Delhi, India, he opened a new Mindrolling branch monastery in 2005. As of 2017, 65 monks performed pujas (religious ceremonies) there.
- In Taiwan, Rinpoche started several Mindrolling Dharma centers. These are in Taipei, Changhua, Taichung City, and Kaohsiung. The Puli Mindrolling temple is a large area with several temples.
Besides leading Mindrolling Monastery, Rinpoche has also been the President of the Tibetan Community of Clement Town.
New Projects in Sikkim
Rinpoche also started a new Mindrolling center in Sikkim, called Denjong Mindrolling. It has a small temple and rooms for monks. Even at 81 years old, Rinpoche built a Zangdokpalri Temple in Sikkim. This temple is dedicated to Guru Rinpoche and is located in Tumlong, Phodong, North Sikkim.
For many years, Kyabje Rinpoche was also the General Secretary of the Annual Nyingma Monlam Chenmo International Foundation in Bodhgaya, India.
Images for kids
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Mindrolling Monastery, Tibet Autonomous Region
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The stupa at the Mindrolling Monastery in Tibet.
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The stupa of the re-established Mindrolling Monastery, in Clement Town, Dehradun.
