Category Archives: Yungdrung Bon Monasteries

Yungdrung Bön in Thailand

HH 34 Menri Trizin Rinpoche, Khen Tenpa Yungdrung Rinpoche and the founder of Himalaya Zhang Zhung Dzogchen Ling, Khen Akarpa Rinpoche. Photo credit: Unknown

On December 12, 2019, Himalaya Zhang Zhung Dzogchen Ling celebrated their 10 year anniversary with special guests His Holiness 34th Menri Trizin Lungtok Dawa Dargye Rinpoche and His Eminence Khenchen Lungtok Tenpa Yungdrung Rinpoche. This Yungdrung Bön center was founded in Bangkok, Thailand in 2009 by Khen Rinpoche Akarpa Chime Lozang. Some of the events to mark the special occasion included a talk on the subject of Mawé Sengé, performance of the Three-fold Practice of the Mother Tantra, the sacred dance of the enlightened protector Yeshé Walmo, and offering the body through the practice of chod. Khen Akarpa Rinpoche gave a talk on the view, meditation and conduct according to the unsurpassed vehicle of the great perfection.

HH 34th Menri Trizin Rinpoche presents Khen Akarpa Rinpoche with a thangkha of the successive Menri abbots. Photo credit: Unknown

Khen Rinpoche Lungtok Tenpa Yungdrung spoke about the history of the great perfection teachings of The Aural Transmission of Zhang Zhung including the five-fold advice of Lama Dawa Gyaltsen. His Holiness 34th Menri Trizin Lungtok Dawa Dargye Rinpoche presented Himalaya Zhang Zhung Dzogchen Ling with a thangkha of the successive abbots of Menri Monastery whose central figure is the saint His Holiness 33rd Menri Trizin Lungtok Tenpé Nyima Rinpoche.

Performance of the sacred dance of the protector Yeshe Walmo. Photo credit: Unknown

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Homage to the Spiritual Master

Monks at Menri Monastery welcome HH 34th Menri Trizin Rinpoche upon his return to the monastery. Photo credit: Unknown.

“Above the crown of my head upon a throne of a lotus, sun and moon is the essence of all victorious ones, my kind lama.

I pray to those who have the ability to lead beings out of cyclic existence. Grant your blessings so that I may effortlessly accomplish benefit to self and others!”

— Extract from Tsa Lung Sol Dep, Supplication Prayer for the Practice of the Channels and Winds written by Shardza Tashi Gyaltsen Rinpoche

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The Monastery of Blissful Meditation: Déden Samten Ling

Samling Temple complex. Photo credit: Unknown

The high altitude temple of Déden Samten Ling, or in its shortened form simply Samling, has been significant in the preservation of the Yungdrung Bön religious tradition. The main temple was established more than 900 years ago by Yangtön Gyaltsen Rinchen in a remote and mountainous region of Dolpo, Nepal near the Tibetan border. Since that time, this monastery, as well as others in Dolpo, has been maintained by a hereditary line of lamas within the Yangtön family. (For more information about the prestigious Yangtön family lineage, see previous post: https://ravencypresswood.com/2017/05/27/yangton-sherap-gyaltsen/)

map of dolpo copy

According to a text detailing the history of the Yangtön family lineage, some time during the 13th century Yangtön Gyaltsen Rinchen was staying near Mt. Tisé in Western Tibet [Mt. Kailash] when he was visited in a dream by the Bönpo sage and great lama Drenpa Namkha who instructed him to travel to Dolpo and build a temple. Having traveled the long distance to Dolpo and searched throughout its rugged terrain, Yangtön Gyaltsen Rinchen had a series of auspicious dreams while staying in the area of Bijer that convinced him that he had finally found the proper place to construct a Yungdrung Bön temple.

Chortens of Samling. Photo credit: Unknown.

He became the first of many Yangtön lamas at Samling to collect and preserve sacred Yungdrung Bön texts. Because of this, many volumes of scripture have been preserved throughout the course of many centuries. It was during a trip to Samling Monastery in 1961 C.E. that Dr. David Snellgrove discovered a copy of the Zi Ji, a hagiography of Buddha Tönpa Shenrap. He subsequently wrote and published extracts from this text as one of the first English language translations of a Yungdrung Bön text, The Nine Ways of Bön. The Zi Ji volume that he consulted for his translation was estimated to be approximately 400 years old.

Currently, Lama Sherap Tenzin Rinpoche is the head of the monastery.  He was born in 1953 C.E. and has received extensive religious training and has been trained in the science of Tibetan medicine.

Left: H.E. Menri Ponlop Yangtön Thrinley Nyima Rinpoche, Center: H.H. 33rd Menri Trizin Rinpoche, Right: Yangtön Lama Sherap Tenzin Rinpoche. Photo credit: Unknown.

Nine Ways has a new Shop! Click the tap at the top of this page to see what practice support items are available. Currently, the Nine Ways Shop is fundraising in support of a memorial chorten that will be built in Tsarka Dolpo, Nepal for Yangtön Lama Tashi Gyaltsen. For more information about this chorten, go to this article: https://ravencypresswood.com/2025/10/18/in-support-of-a-memorial-chorten-for-yangton-lama-tashi-gyaltsen-rinpoche/

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Nangzhig: Largest Yungdrung Bön Monastery in Tibet

Nangzhig Monastery edit

Nangzhig Monastery’s formal name is Nangzhig Gyaltsen Puntsok Ling, Marvelous Land of the Buddha’s Teachings which Destroys Appearances.  It is also known as Nangzhig Tashi Yungdrung Ling, Land of the Auspicious Yungdrung which Destroys Appearances.  It is located in the Amdo Ngawa region and is the largest Yungdrung Bön monastery in Tibet.  The monastery was founded by Yönten Gyaltsen in 1108.  Similar to many other monasteries, Nangzhig Monastery was destroyed during the cultural revolution that began in 1959 and many of its religious articles were hidden away.  In 1980 when the People’s Republic of China began to allow more religious practice, reconstruction and reinstallment of religious artifacts was organized by Gya ‘Ob Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche.

Nangzhig monastery complex cropped

The monastery complex is quite extensive and includes multiple temples, multiple dormitories for monks and living quarters for senior lamas, and three large chortens among other structures.   During large festivals, the monastery has the capacity to house two thousand monks.

Nangzhig students

Nangzhig Monastery has both a dialectic college and a meditation college.  There are approximately a thousand monks living there and more than two hundred new students arrive each year.  Being a major center for learning and educational exchange in Tibet, the monastery has multiple copies of the Bön canon and over two thousand blocks for printing the texts.  Monks attending the dialectic college must attend classes and debate every day except Sunday and during retreats.  Once the students of the dialectic college have completed ten years of study and successfully passed their final examinations, they receive the degree of Geshe, which is similar to a doctorate of philosophy and religion.  Monks attending the meditation college must complete a three-year retreat based upon the A Tri teachings.

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The Next Generation of Knowledge Holders

Young Yungdrung Bon monks in Sikkim preparing to receive HH 34th Menri Trizin Rinpoche. Photo credit: Unknown.

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