The Hagiographies of the Successive Abbotts of Menri is a collection of short biographical sketches of the thirty-four abbots of Tashi Menri Monastery that was published in 2021 by the Menri Monastery librarian, Menri Geshe Tri Yungdrung. Menri Monastery is the mother monastery for the Yungdrung Bön religious tradition and it is the seat of the head of the religious tradition, the holder of the golden throne, the Menri Trizin. Menri was originally established in Tsang, Tibet in 1405 by His Holiness Nyammé Sherap Gyaltsen Rinpoche following the destruction by flood of his monastery, Yeru Wensaka. Later due to political events in Tibet in the 1950’s and 1960’s, Menri was destroyed and Yungdrung Bön lamas fled to India and reestablished Menri Monastery in a remote area of Northern India. Subsequently, Tashi Menri Monastery in India has developed and flourished. Its colleges for both monks and nuns is greatly respected and held in high esteem.

His Holiness the 31st Menri Trizin Khen Chen Nyima Wangyal Rinpoche (1910-1954) was born in Gyalrong, Tibet. As Menri Trizin, he sanctioned the construction of a new college and reformed the curriculum. He passed away at the age of 45 in the Western calendar year of 1958.

“I supplicate to the unrivalled Nyima Wangyal

who upheld the system of the Nine Vehicles at the practice center of Menri!

You tamed whoever needed to be tamed.

Precious establisher of the path of bliss,

grant your blessings that we may be shaken from cyclic existence!

You are an all-illuminating sun, a non-sectarian protector of migrating beings.

You are a powerful king who has the brilliant light of a wish-fulfilling jewel.

You are incomparable in having opened hundreds of doors of happiness and well-being.

You accomplished great benefit for migrating beings through the four kinds of sacred activity!”

— Excerpt from The Hagiographies of the Successive Abbotts of Menri

Tibetan translations by Raven Cypress Wood

Raven Cypress Wood ©All Rights Reserved. No content, in part or in whole, is allowed to be used without direct permission from the author.

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