The 33rd Menri Trizen Lungtok Tenpe Nyima Rinpoche, prepares to give empowerments to the monks of Menri Monastery. Photo credit: Unknown
Category Archives: Yungdrung Bon Monasteries
The Field of Accumulation: Abbots of Menri Monastery
The Yungdrung Bon Merit Field of the Menri Tradition
In the Yungdrung Bön tradition, the place where the deities and objects of veneration are gathered is called the “Tsok Zhing”, the “Field of Accumulation”. It is also sometimes translated as the “Field of Merit” or the “Merit Field” because what is being accumulated by paying homage and making offerings to this place is merit, or virtue. The Merit Field consists of the images of the enlightened deities and protectors which represent Enlightened Body, chortens which represent Enlightened Mind, and scriptures and the sound of mantra which represent Enlightened Speech. The lower section of the Merit Field also contains unenlightened but powerful and worldly protectors that are oath bound to protect the Yungdrung Bön. There are many different depictions of the Merit Field according to different lineages. However, the most well-known image is the Merit Field according to the tradition of Menri Monastery. The Merit Field is depicted in a very specific way and this is the proper guide for a practitioner’s visualization.
Because this Merit Field is based upon the Menri tradition, the central figures are primarily associated with the Menri Monastery.
1. The glorious teacher who has blessings and who has the nature of all of the collective Victorious Ones, the all-good essence of the kind root lama, Shenlha Ökar. He has the 25 mudra of the Perfected Enjoyment Body. He wears the 13 peaceful ornaments and has the 9 ways of purity. He has the 32 major marks and the 80 minor marks. He has the 40 items of nobility and he radiates forth a million rays of light.
2-34 are the abbots of Menri Monastery. Beside each of the names is the year in which they became abbot of Menri Monastery.
2. The one who united the three transmissions, the Second Buddha, Nyammé Sherap Gyaltsen. He has the appearance of a fully ordained monk. He held the knowledge of the doors of Bön without any exceptions. He was the abbot of the prestigious Yeru Wensaka Monastery in Tsang, Tibet. It was destroyed by a flood and mudslide in 1386. In 1405, he established Tashi Menri Monastery according to the Bön Dru lineage with artifacts that he had recovered from the ruins of Yeru Wensaka. At its height, Tashi Menri Monastery could house over 300 monks and had four colleges. It was completely destroyed during the Chinese invasion in 1966.
3. The regent of the Guide who was the Second Buddha, Rinchen Gyaltsen. He became abbot in 1415.
4. The great abbot, Namkha Yeshé, 1446
5. Künzang Gyalten, 1464
6. Tenzin Rinchen Gyaltsen, 1485
7. Tsultrim Gyaltsen, 1511
8. Sonam Yeshé, 1532
9. Sonam Yundrung, 1575
10. Shétsu Drungmu, 1610
11. Shérab Özer, 1647
12. Yungdrung Gyaltsen, 1662
13. Shérab Lodro, 1677
14. Shérab Özer, 1686
15. Tsukpü Özer, 1697
16. Yungdrung Tsultrim, 1706
17. Rinchen Özer, 1722
18. Rinchen Lhundrup, 1735
19. Sherap Tenzin, 1760
20. Shérap Wangyal, 1776
21. Yungdrung Wangyal, 1789
22. Püntsok Namgyal, 1805
23. Sonam Lodro, also known as Sherap Gong Gyal, 1810
24. Nangton Dawa Gyaltsen, also known as Sonam Gyaltsen. In 1834, he founded the renowned Yungdrung Ling Monastery.
25. Nyima Tenzin, 1836. He was also one of the main teachers of Yungdrung Ling Monastery.
26. Sonam Püntsok,
27. Shérap Yungdrung
28. Sangye Tenzin
29. Tenzin Tsultrim
30. Püntsok Lodro
31. Gyalwa Lodro
32. Tenpa Lodro
33. Nyima Wangyal
34. Sherap Lodro. He is the first abbot of Menri Monastery in Dolanji, India. 1968. Upon ordination as the 33rd throne-holder of Menri Monastery, he was given the name Lungtok Tenpé Nyima.
The 33rd Holder of the Golden Throne of Menri Monastery, His Holiness Lungtok Tenpe Nyima Rinpoche
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Consecrating a Sacred image
On September 1, 2014 in Amdo, Tibet, an official consecration ceremony was held for the newly erected statue of the Lord of the teachings, the Great Lama Drenpa Namkha. The sacred image was erected at the Yungdrung Bön monastery of Gamal Gomchen which is the largest in the area. The consecration was performed by the great abbot Sherap Yungdrung Wangyal Rinpoche, Ponlop Menri Geshe Sherap Tharchin, the supreme tulku of Dangri Do Ngak Shedrup Gyaltsen and many other lamas and monks from the five main monasteries and the thirteen branch monasteries. Additionally, there were many well known and respected Yungdrung Bön practitioners present.
The supreme tulku of Dangri Do Ngak Shedrup Gyaltsen
The sacred statue was erected by the supreme tulku of Dangri, Do Ngak Shedrup Gyaltsen, for universal benefit and especially for the benefit of the Amdo region. This is the first time that such a statue of the Great Lama Drenpa Namkha has been erected in this area of Tibet.
Official Consecration Ceremony for the Sacred Image of Lachen Drenpa Namkha
The sacred image was empowered with countless sacred and blessed objects from knowledge holders and superior beings of the past from both Zhang Zhung and Tibet. In particular, these countless sacred objects included a collection of objects of support for enlightened Body, Speech, and Mind from the great masters of this area of Amdo.
Countless blessed and sacred items to be placed inside the sacred image
The original article appeared on the Tibetan language website Himalayan Bon. You can read the full article and see more photos by following the link:http://www.himalayabon.com/news/2014-09-05/451.html#jtss-fb
Shardza Hermitage
This mountain hermitage was founded by the great master Shardza Tashi Gyaltsen in 1890 at the age of 33. It is located in the Kham region of Tibet on the Northeast bank of the Dzachu river and is inaccessible by vehicle. The place where Shardza lived and meditated is located further up the mountain and referred to as the ‘upper hermitage’, or Dechen Ritro, the mountain hermitage of great bliss. Below, is the ‘lower hermitage’ consisting of the temple where he taught his disciples as well as a small printing house.
(The temple at Shardza Hermitage)
During Shardza’s lifetime, the hermitage only housed a few of his disciples. Now, however, it is a famous pilgrimage place for both Bönpo and for Buddhist. It is also a place for personal retreat, especially long-term. Because it is a hermitage rather than a monastery, retreatants provide for their own food and necessities although laypeople do offer some donations of meat and roasted barley flour, or tsampa, a traditional Tibetan food.
(Statue of the famous yogi, scholar, and lama, Shardza Tashi Gyaltsen)
In 1934 at the age of 76, Shardza Tashi Gyaltsen attained the rainbow body as a sign of his great realization. Rainbow light was seen coming from the tent where he had retreated, and upon entering the space, his disciples discovered that his body had shrunk to the proportional size of a 1 year old and that it was levitating above his meditation seat. His remains were placed in a reliquary chorten which has been seen to emit rays of clear or rainbow colored light.
(The actual holy place at Shardza Hermitage where Shardza Tashi Gyaltsen attained the rainbow body of light.)
The current successor of Shardza Tashi Gyaltsen at the hermitage is Gyaltsab Thutop Namgyal.
Religious Scholars
Photo credit: Unknown
Yungdrung Bon monks being tested at Menri Monastery
Nine Ways 