Ralung Monastery

Ralung Monastery (Wylie: ra lung dgon), located in the Tsang region of western Tibet south of Karo Pass, is the traditional seat of the Drukpa Lineage of Tibetan Buddhism. It was founded in 1180 by Tsangpa Gyare, 1st Gyalwang Drukpa, a disciple of Lingje Répa (Wylie: gling rje ras pa) who founded the Drukpa Lineage.^[1]^[2]

Ralung is one of the most sacred places in Tibet, for it is here that the great Dugpa school of red-hat monks originated, a school still influential with numerous adherents in Southern, Northern, and Eastern Tibet, and in Bhutan, which latter country is, in fact, called Dugpa owing to the preponderance of this sect. The Ralung-til, the head monastery of the Dugpa, is to the south-east of this village. This monastery owes its name to the fact that it is surrounded by mountains as the heart (mt'il) of a lotus is by the corolla.^[3]

Location

The monastery is located in present-day Gyantse County several kilometers south of the road connecting Nakartse and Lungmar, immediately north of the Gasa district of Bhutan. In previous times, trade could be conducted across the Yak La pass across the high Himalayas, extending the influence of Ralung to the south.

The monastery is surrounded by the towering peaks and glacier fields of Gyetong Soksum (6,244m), Jangzang Lhamo (6,324m) and Nojin Gangzang (7,191m). From the beginning the location was recognized as especially auspicious:

The eight auspicious symbols adorned the surrounding: The mountain in front of the monastery appeared in the form of a white conch turning clock-wise; the peak of Rala pass appeared like a precious open parasol; the peak behind Pokya appeared like a brimming vase; the Tsenchu peak appeared like a victory banner hoisted high; the Yangon hill appeared like a pair of golden fish; the ground at Gormo appeared like a golden wheel; the hill in the direction of Penthang appeared like an open lotus stem with the twin streams appearing like two birds facing each other; and Gyamo meadow appeared like an auspicious knot.^[4]

History

The founder of Bhutan, the first Zhabdrung Rinpoche, Ngawang Namgyal, was the 18th abbot of Ralung Monastery. In 1616, he fled Tibet when his recognition as the reincarnation of renowned scholar Kunkhyen Pema Karpo was challenged by the governor of Tsang province. Ngawang Namgyal unified the warring valleys of Bhutan, fending off attacks from Tibet, forming a national identity and establishing a dual system of government that continues to this day in modified form as the Royal Government of Bhutan.

Palden Drukpa lineage

Chart of the hereditary Palden Drukpa lineage (Wylie: དཔལ་ལྡན་འབྲུག་པའི་གདུང་བརྒྱུད་) of Ralung from the founder, Tsangpa Gyare, to the last hereditary throne holder, Ngawang Namgyal. Successive throne holders are numbered with their names in bold text.

Family of Ralung Monastery

Gya Zurpo Tsape

Kalden

Lhanyen

Lhabum

Mangtsen

Jotsul

Gomped

1. Tsangpa Gyare^{[c 1]}

2. Dharma Senggé^{[c 2]}

Lhatsen

Chogo

3. Zhönnu Senggé^{[c 3]}

Rinchen Pel

Lopon Ontag

4. Nyima Senggé^{[c 4]}

DL Senge Sherab

5. Senggé Rinchen^{[c 5]}

6. Senggé Gyelpo^{[c 6]}

7. Jamyang Künga Senggé^{[c 7]}

8. Lodrö Senggé^{[c 8]}

9. Shérap Senggé^{[c 9]}

10. Yeshe Rinchen^{[c 10]}

11. Namkha Pelzang^{[c 11]}

12. Shérap Zangpo^{[c 12]}

Dorje Gyalpo

13. Künga Penjor^{[c 13]}

Lhawang

Rinchen Zangpo

14. Ngawang Chögyel^{[c 14]}

Drukpa Kunleg

Ngawang Dragpa

15. Ngak gi Wangchuk^{[c 15]}

Ngawang Tenzin

16. Mipam Chögyel^{[c 16]}

Tsewang Tenzin

17. Mipam Tenpé Nyima^{[c 17]}

Tenzin Rabgye

18. Ngawang Namgyal^{[c 18]}

Jampal Dorje

^ Tsangpa Gyare (gtsang pa rgya ras ye shes rdo rje, b.1161-d.1211)
^ Dharma Senggé Sanggyé Wönré (dhar ma seng ge sangs rgyas dbon res, b.1177-d.1237)
^ Zhönnu Senggé (gzhon nu seng ge, b.1200-d.1266)
^ Nyima Senge (nyi ma seng ge, b.1251-d.1287)
^ Pökyapa Senggé Rinchen (spos skya pa seng ge rin chen) (b.1258- d. 1313)
^ Senggé Gyelpo (seng ge rgyal po, b.1289-d.1326)
^ Jamyang Künga Senggé ('jam dbyangs kun dga' seng ge, b.1289-d.1326)
^ Lodrö Senggé (blo gros seng ge, b.1345-d.1390) -
^ Shérap Senggé (shes rab seng ge, b.1371-d.1392)
^ Yeshe Rinchen (ye shes rin chen)
^ Namkha Pelzang (nam mkha' dpal bzang, b.1398-d.1425)
^ Sherab Zangpo (shes rab bzang po) (b.1400-d.1425)
^ Künga Penjor (kun dga' dpal 'byor, 1428–1476) – Drukchen II
^ Ngawang Chögyel (ngag dbang chos rgyal, b.1465-d.1540)
^ Ngak gi Wangchuk Drakpa Gyeltsen (ngag gi dbang phyug grags pa rgyal mtshan, b.1517-d.1554)
^ Mipam Chögyel (mi pham chos rgyal, b.1543-d.1604)
^ Mipam Tenpé Nyima (mi pham bstan pa'i nyi ma, b.1567-d.1619)
^ Ngawang Namgyal (zhabs drung ngag dbang rnam rgyal, b.1594-d.1651)

Footnotes

^ Gyurme Dorje (2004). Footprint Tibet. Bath: Footprint Handbooks. p. 266. ISBN 1903471303.
^ Dowman, Keith. 1988. The Power-places of Central Tibet: The Pilgrim's Guide, pp. 268–269. Routledge & Kegan Paul, London and New York. ISBN 0-7102-1370-0.
^ Lhasa and Central Tibet, p. 129. (1902). Sarat Chandra Das. Reprint 1988: Mehra Offset Press, Delhi.
^ "【送料そうりょう無料むりょう】【中古ちゅうこ】【全品ぜんぴん10倍ばい！12/25限定げんてい】幻まぼろし夏なつ / 太田おおた愛あい（脚本きゃくほん家か）本ほん・雑誌ざっし・コミック".

References

Dorje, Gyurme; (1999). Footprint Tibet Handbook with Bhutan (2nd Ed.) Footprint Handbooks. ISBN 0-8442-2190-2. p. 253.

External links

Ralung Monastery
rwa lung^{[permanent dead link]} TBRC G44
Ralung

28°50′05″N 90°05′59″E / 28.8347°N 90.0997°E / 28.8347; 90.0997

[5] Tsangpa Gyare (gtsang pa rgya ras ye shes rdo rje, b.1161-d.1211)

[6] Dharma Senggé Sanggyé Wönré (dhar ma seng ge sangs rgyas dbon res, b.1177-d.1237)

[7] Zhönnu Senggé (gzhon nu seng ge, b.1200-d.1266)

[8] Nyima Senge (nyi ma seng ge, b.1251-d.1287)

[9] Pökyapa Senggé Rinchen (spos skya pa seng ge rin chen) (b.1258- d. 1313)

[10] Senggé Gyelpo (seng ge rgyal po, b.1289-d.1326)

[11] Jamyang Künga Senggé ('jam dbyangs kun dga' seng ge, b.1289-d.1326)

[12] Lodrö Senggé (blo gros seng ge, b.1345-d.1390) -

[13] Shérap Senggé (shes rab seng ge, b.1371-d.1392)

[14] Yeshe Rinchen (ye shes rin chen)

[15] Namkha Pelzang (nam mkha' dpal bzang, b.1398-d.1425)

[16] Sherab Zangpo (shes rab bzang po) (b.1400-d.1425)

[17] Künga Penjor (kun dga' dpal 'byor, 1428–1476) – Drukchen II

[18] Ngawang Chögyel (ngag dbang chos rgyal, b.1465-d.1540)

[19] Ngak gi Wangchuk Drakpa Gyeltsen (ngag gi dbang phyug grags pa rgyal mtshan, b.1517-d.1554)

[20] Mipam Chögyel (mi pham chos rgyal, b.1543-d.1604)

[21] Mipam Tenpé Nyima (mi pham bstan pa'i nyi ma, b.1567-d.1619)

[22] Ngawang Namgyal (zhabs drung ngag dbang rnam rgyal, b.1594-d.1651)

[1] Gyurme Dorje (2004). Footprint Tibet. Bath: Footprint Handbooks. p. 266. ISBN 1903471303.

[2] Dowman, Keith. 1988. The Power-places of Central Tibet: The Pilgrim's Guide, pp. 268–269. Routledge & Kegan Paul, London and New York. ISBN 0-7102-1370-0.

[3] Lhasa and Central Tibet, p. 129. (1902). Sarat Chandra Das. Reprint 1988: Mehra Offset Press, Delhi.

[4] "【送料そうりょう無料むりょう】【中古ちゅうこ】【全品ぜんぴん10倍ばい！12/25限定げんてい】幻まぼろし夏なつ / 太田おおた愛あい（脚本きゃくほん家か）本ほん・雑誌ざっし・コミック".

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v t e Buddhist monasteries in Tibet
Lhasa	Ani Tsankhung Nunnery Drepung Monastery Drigung Monastery Ganden Monastery Jokhang Kundeling Monastery Muru Nyingba Monastery Namgyal Monastery Nechung Nyethang Drolma Lhakhang Temple Ramoche Temple Reting Monastery Sanga Monastery Taklung Monastery Tsomon Ling Tsurphu Monastery Yangpachen Monastery Yerpa Zhuowaqudeng Monastery Sera Monastery: Chupzang Nunnery Drakri Hermitage Garu Nunnery Keutsang Hermitage Keutsang East Hermitage Khardo Hermitage Negodong Nunnery Nenang Nunnery Pabonka Hermitage Panglung Hermitage Purbuchok Hermitage Rakhadrak Hermitage Sera Chöding Hermitage Sera Gönpasar Hermitage Sera Utsé Hermitage Takten Hermitage Trashi Chöling Hermitage
Lhoka Prefecture	Gongkar Chö Monastery Mindrolling Monastery Samye Tradruk Temple Yungbulakang Palace
Shigatse	Changmoche and Lhatse Chokorgyel Monastery Daklha Gampo Dorje Pakmo Drongtse Monastery Donggar Monastery Garju Monastery Manmogang Monastery Menri Monastery Milarepa's Cave Narthang Monastery Ngor Palcho Monastery Ralung Monastery Rongbuk Monastery Samding Monastery Sakya Monastery Shalu Monastery Shelkar Tashilhunpo Tsi Nesar Tsechen Monastery and Dzong
Ngari Prefecture	Khorzhak Monastery Mangnang Monastery Simbiling Monastery
Chamdo Prefecture and former Kham	Galden Jampaling Monastery Karma Gon Monastery Benchen Monastery Dorje Drak Dzogchen Monastery Dzongsar Monastery Kandze Monastery Katok Monastery Nanwu Si Monastery Palyul Monastery Riwoche Monastery Shechen Monastery Surmang Tongkor Monastery
Nyingchi Prefecture	Buchu Monastery Lamaling Monastery Tsozong Gongba Monastery

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