Misplaced Pages

#492507

162-555: The monastery is one of the main seats of the religious tradition based on Pema Lingpa's revelations and one of the two main centres of the Nyingmapa school of Buddhism in the country. A Nyingma monastic college or shedra, Do-ngag Tösam Rabgayling, has been established above the village. The descent of the first king of Bhutan, Gongsar Ugyen Wangchuck of the Wangchuck Dynasty of Bhutan, which continues to rule Bhutan

324-779: A 21-year engagement, following which (should he survive so long) he was discharged as a Pensioner. Pensioners were sometimes still employed on garrison duties, as were younger soldiers no longer deemed fit for expeditionary service who were generally organised in invalid units or returned to the regimental depot for home service. The cost of paying pensioners, and the obligation the government was under to continue to employ invalids as well as soldiers deemed by their commanding officers as detriments to their units were motivations to change this system. The long period of engagement also discouraged many potential recruits. The long service enlistments were consequently replaced with short service enlistments, with undesirable soldiers not permitted to re-engage on

486-577: A Catholic) during his brief controversial reign, off the throne and into exile. England then involved itself in the War of the Grand Alliance on the Continent, primarily to prevent a possible French Catholic monarch organizing invasion restoring the exiled James II (Queen Mary's father and still a Roman Catholic ). Later in 1689, William III to solidify his and Mary's hold on the monarchy, expanded

648-707: A deployment in Afghanistan as part of Operation Toral . Following an announcement by the US Government of the end of their operations in the Afghanistan, the Ministry of Defence announced in April 2021 that British forces would withdraw from the country by 11 September 2021. It was later reported that all UK troops would be out by early July. Following the collapse of the Afghan Army, and the completion of

810-525: A foundation for the mythology and philosophy of the Nyingma tradition. Rongzom Chokyi Zangpo was the most influential of the 11th century Nyingma authors, writing "extensive exoteric and esoteric commentaries." He upheld the view that sutra teachings such as Madhyamaka were ultimately inferior to the teachings found in the Buddhist Tantras and Dzogchen . Rongzom also wrote a commentary on

972-606: A large reserve of recently discharged soldiers, ready to be recalled on the outbreak of war to immediately bring the small peacetime regular army up to strength), the Regular Reserve of the British Army was originally created in 1859 by Secretary of State for War Sidney Herbert , and re-organised under the Reserve Force Act 1867 . Prior to this, a soldier was generally enlisted into the British Army for

1134-587: A legend is also stated that the local guardian deity, called the Delep, facilitated availability of stones by creating a landslide in the opposite hill. A renowned artisan of the Umze of Lhalung Monastery in Tibet was specially brought from Tibet to head as the zowpon to guide the team of local craftsmen. Voluntary labour force was organized from among the devotees of the local village of Gangten. The monastery underwent

1296-488: A major refurbishing from 2000, which lasted for eight years. It was a massive restoration work which was organized by the ninth Gangteng Trulku, Kunzang Rigzin Pema Namgyal (stated to be the reincarnation of the body of Pema Lingpa) at a project cost of Bhutanese ngultrum (Nu) 700 million "to preserve this remarkable legacy for the future." He engaged 'Landmarks Foundation' to mobilise the restoration and preservation of

1458-578: A multinational armoured battlegroup in Estonia under Operation Cabrit and contributes troops to another military battle group in Poland . As part of the NATO plans, Britain has committed a full mechanized infantry brigade to be on a high state of readiness to defend Estonia. Between 2015 and 2022, the British Army deployed Short Term Training Teams (STTTs) to Ukraine under Operation Orbital to help train

1620-881: A safe distance by aiding the Ottoman Empire ). Like the English Army , the British Army fought the kingdoms of Spain, France (including the First French Empire ) and the Netherlands ( Dutch Republic ) for supremacy in North America and the West Indies . With native and provincial and colonial assistance, the Army conquered New France in the French and Indian War (North American theatre) of

1782-512: A target strength of 82,000, and just over 30,000 Army Reservists , with a target strength of 30,000. All former Regular Army personnel may also be recalled to duty in exceptional circumstances during the 6-year period following completion of their Regular service, which creates an additional force known as the Regular Reserve . The table below illustrates British Army personnel figures from 1710 to 2024. The British Army's basic weapon

SECTION 10

#1732797561493

1944-660: A volunteer army and threatened to emulate the American colonists if their conditions were not met. Learning from their experience in America, the British government sought a political solution. The British Army fought Irish rebels—Protestant and Catholic—primarily in Ulster and Leinster ( Wolfe Tone's United Irishmen ) in the 1798 rebellion . In addition to battling the armies of other European empires (and its former colonies,

2106-843: A war against the Prussian -led German Empire and the Austro-Hungarian Empire ). When the First World War broke out in August 1914 the British Army sent the British Expeditionary Force (BEF), consisting mainly of regular army troops, to France and Belgium . The fighting bogged down into static trench warfare for the remainder of the war. In 1915 the army created the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force to invade

2268-400: Is Patrul Rinpoche (b. 1808), who wrote The Words of My Perfect Teacher , a key text on Nyingma preliminaries. Dzogchen ("Great Perfection") is the central distinctive practice and view which is the focus of Nyingma and it is seen by this school as the supreme practice. It is seen as the ultimate understanding of the nature of mind , which is known as rigpa . Dzogchen seeks to understand

2430-522: Is (rnal ma'i de kho na nyid). Rongzom held that the views of sutra such as Madhyamaka were inferior to that of tantra, as Koppl notes: By now we have seen that Rongzom regards the views of the Sutrayana as inferior to those of Mantra, and he underscores his commitment to the purity of all phenomena by criticizing the Madhyamaka objectification of the authentic relative truth. With the advent of

2592-594: Is a recurring theme in the exteriors of the monastery. The ancient gateway leading to the monastery was redone (see infobox). The detailed layout and the holy images and frescos contained in the various buildings of the Gangten Gonpa complex are elaborated, starting with the four directions of the Gönpa and the sacred and symbolic significance of the areas that surround the Gonpa. Located in the central region of Bhutan,

2754-810: Is also a feature of Nyingma. The foremost deities ( yidam ) practiced by the Nyingma masters are Vajrakīla (Tib. Dorje Phurba ) and Vajra Heruka (also Vishuddha Heruka ; Tib. Yangdak Tratung , Wylie : yang dag khrag 'thung ), the third of the Eight Herukas who closely resembles Śrī Heruka of the Chakrasamvara tantra. The three principle protectors of the Nyingma lineage are said to be Ekajaṭī ( Wylie : e ka dza ti ), Rāhula ( Wylie : gza' ra hu la ) and Dorje Legpa ( Wylie : rdo rje legs pa , Sanskrit: Vajrasādhu ). Other forms of practice like Lojong and subtle body practices such as Trul khor are also taught in Nyingma. The doxography employed by

2916-659: Is also held here from the 5th to 10th days of the eighth lunar month, as per the Bhutanese calendar. The festival attracts many foreign tourists. In addition, the Crane Festival which marks the arrival of Black-necked Cranes from the Tibetan plateau during the winter months and which are held as a religious blessing by the people, is also a big event not only in the Phobjika Valley but also in this monastery. It

3078-647: Is at an elevation of about 3,000 metres (9,800 ft) and which has marshy land. The Nake Chuu river runs through this valley. The monastery commands striking views of the Phubjika Valley below. The Black Mountain Region is inhabited by nomadic shepherds and yak-herders. Wangdue Phodrang , the district headquarters, is 45 kilometres (28 mi) from the Nobding village in the Phobjikha Valley on

3240-648: Is based on that of the earlier English army. Although technically the Scots Royal Regiment of Foot was raised in 1633 and is the oldest Regiment of the Line, Scottish and Irish regiments were only allowed to take a rank in the English army on the date of their arrival in England (or the date when they were first placed on the English establishment). In 1694, a board of general officers was convened to decide

3402-452: Is essential purity ( ka dag ) and spontaneity ( lhun grub ), and is associated with emptiness ( shunyata ). The second form of Dzogchen practice is referred to as "direct approach" ( thod rgal ) and involves making an effort at recognizing spontaneity through the use of visions or appearances. This is said to be associated with skillful means ( upaya ). Koppl notes that although later Nyingma authors such as Mipham attempted to harmonize

SECTION 20

#1732797561493

3564-468: Is further stated by Khenchen Palden Sherab Rinpoche that, From the time of Guru Padmasambhava and for at least three centuries afterwards, everyone who attained enlightenment in Tibet did so by practicing the kama lineage teachings of the Nyingma School. The Kama lineage remained predominant from the 8th to 11th century, and Kama masters taught from the lineage's teachings. The Terma lineage

3726-465: Is held on 12 November, every year, which is a day after the celebration of the King's birthday. The nine 'Successive Throne Holders of Gangteng Monastery' starting with Gyalsé Pema Thinley to the present Kunzang Rigdzin Pema Namgyal, are listed below. At the command of the fourth King, Jigme Singye Wangchuck , a Buddhist college and a meditation centre have been established at Gangteng Gönpa to propagate

3888-516: Is not to be rejected. They refer to as flawed that in which there is nothing to be purified, with a mind that desires purification. They have created division with respect to that which cannot be obtained by their hopes and fears that it can be obtained elsewhere. And they have obscured wisdom, which is naturally present, by their efforts in respect to that which is free from effort and free from needing to be accomplished. Therefore, they have had no chance to make contact with genuine, ultimate reality as it

4050-713: Is provided by L16 81mm mortars . Sniper rifles include the L118A1  7.62 mm, L115A3 and the AW50F , all manufactured by Accuracy International . The British Army utilises the Glock 17 as its side arm. Anti tank guided weapons include the Javelin , the medium range anti-tank guided weapon replacement for Milan , with overfly and direct attack modes of operation, and the NLAW . The Next-generation Light Anti-tank Weapon ( NLAW )

4212-514: Is the 5.56 mm L85A2 or L85A3 assault rifle, with some specialist personnel using the L22A2 carbine variant (pilots and some tank crew). The weapon was traditionally equipped with either iron sights or an optical SUSAT , although other optical sights have been subsequently purchased to supplement these. The weapon can be enhanced further utilising the Picatinny rail with attachments such as

4374-591: Is the first, non-expert, short-range, anti-tank missile that rapidly knocks out any main battle tank in just one shot by striking it from above. The army's main battle tank is the Challenger 2 , which is being upgraded to Challenger 3 . It is supported by the Warrior tracked armoured vehicle as the primary infantry fighting vehicle , (which will soon be replaced by the Boxer 8x8 armoured fighting vehicle ) and

4536-670: Is the official list of which bodies of the British Military (not to be confused with naval ) Forces were to be considered Corps of the British Army for the purposes of the Army Act , the Reserve Forces Act, 1882, and the Territorial and Reserve Forces Act, 1907, had not been updated since 1926 (Army Order 49 of 1926), although amendments had been made up to and including Army Order 67 of 1950. A new Corps Warrant

4698-718: Is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom , British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies , a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Naval Service and the Royal Air Force . As of 1 July 2024, the British Army comprises 74,296 regular full-time personnel, 4,244 Gurkhas , 25,934 volunteer reserve personnel and 4,612 "other personnel", for a total of 109,086. The British Army traces back to 1707 and

4860-452: Is the revealed transmission lineage where Tertons , or treasure revealers, realize the teachings. The arising of the Terma lineage began in the 11th century, and by the 14th century Tertons were more sought as teachers than Kama masters. The Terma lineage was established by Guru Padmasambhava and Yeshe Tsogyal , through the hiding of teachings for the purpose of future discovery. The Kama is

5022-425: Is the self-identifying term employed in the earliest literature. From this basis, Vajrayana was established in its entirety in Tibet. From the eighth until the eleventh century, this textual tradition (which was later identified as 'Nyingma') was the only form of Buddhism in Tibet. With the reign of King Langdarma (836–842), the brother of King Ralpachen, a time of political instability ensued which continued over

Gangteng Monastery - Misplaced Pages Continue

5184-566: Is traced to establishment of the Vajrayana tradition of Buddhism , by Guru Rinpoche , who was instrumental in making Bhutan a Buddhist nation. The Guru, during his visits to the country in the 8th and 9th centuries, had hidden many sacred treasures (called terma ) (images and scriptures), to avoid their desecration or destruction during troubled times, at various places in Bhutan to be retrieved in later years by treasure finders, to propagate

5346-608: Is traced to the clan of the Dungkhar Choje, a subsidiary of the clan of Khouchung Choje whose founder was Kunga Wangpo, the fourth son of Pema Lingpa. The Gangteng Monastery, also spelt Gantey Gonpa, bounded on the west side by the Black Mountains (Bhutan) (range above 5,000 metres (16,000 ft) elevation) is located on a spur amidst the Gantey village, overlooking the vast U-shaped glacial Phobjikha Valley , which

5508-931: The Nyingma Gyubum (the Hundred Thousand Tantras of the Ancient School, Wylie : rnying ma rgyud ‘bum ). Generally, the Gyubum contains Kahma ( Wylie : bka' ma ) and very little terma ( Wylie : gter ma ). The third class of Atiyoga, the Secret Oral Instructions (Menngagde), are mostly terma texts. Various editions of the Gyubum are extant, but one typical version is the thirty-six Tibetan-language folio volumes published by Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche in New Delhi, 1974. It contains: British Army The British Army

5670-729: The Americas , Africa , Asia , India and Australasia . British soldiers captured strategically important sites and territories, with the army involved in wars to secure the empire's borders, internal safety and support friendly governments and princes. Among these actions were the French and Indian War / Seven Years' War, the American Revolutionary War , the Napoleonic Wars , the First and Second Opium Wars ,

5832-683: The Anglo-Irish War . The increasing demands of imperial expansion and the inadequacy and inefficiency of the underfunded British Army, Militia , Ordnance Military Corps, Yeomanry and Volunteer Force after the Napoleonic Wars led to series of reforms following the failures of the Crimean War . Inspired by the successes of the Prussian Army (which relied on short-term conscription of all eligible young men to maintain

5994-457: The Armed Forces of Ukraine against further Russian aggression. This operation was succeeded by Operation Interflex in July 2022. The British Army has been a volunteer force since national service ended during the 1960s. Since the creation of the part-time, reserve Territorial Force in 1908 (renamed the Army Reserve in 2014), the full-time British Army has been known as the Regular Army. In July 2020 there were just over 78,800 Regulars, with

6156-411: The Boxer Rebellion , the New Zealand Wars , the Australian frontier wars , the Sepoy Rebellion of 1857 , the first and second Boer Wars , the Fenian raids , the Irish War of Independence , interventions in Afghanistan (intended to maintain a buffer state between British India and the Russian Empire ) and the Crimean War (to keep the Russian Empire to the north on the Black Sea at

6318-439: The Buddhist Dharma with support from the Royal Government of Bhutan, in 1985. During this time, Gyal Yum Phuntsho Choden supported this initiative by sponsoring the construction of three large statues of Buddha, Guru Rinpoche and Rigdzin Pema Lingpa and the temple housing many precious contents. In addition to this, the private secretary of the Gyal Yum, Lopen Phub Dorji was motivated to gift including many articles of offerings to

6480-416: The Bulldog armoured personnel carrier . Light armoured units often utilise the Supacat "Jackal" MWMIK and Coyote tactical support vehicle for reconnaissance and fire support. The army has three main artillery systems: the M270 multiple launch rocket system (MLRS), the AS-90 and the L118 light gun . The MLRS, first used in Operation Granby , has an 85-kilometre (53 mi) standard range, or with

6642-684: The Dharmakāya , the "truth body" of all buddhas. The Nyingma school sees the Dharmakaya as inseparable from both the Sambhogakaya and the Nirmanakaya . The Vajrayana or Tantra of the Nyingma school traces its origins to an emanation of Amitaba and of Avalokitesvara , Guru Padmasambhava , whose coming and activities are believed to have been predicted by Buddha Shakyamuni . Nyingma origins are also traced to Garab Dorje and to Yeshe Tsogyal . Nyingma also sees Vajradhara (an emanation of Samantabhadra) and other buddhas as teachers of their many doctrines. Samantabhadra's wisdom and compassion spontaneously radiates myriad teachings, all appropriate to

Gangteng Monastery - Misplaced Pages Continue

6804-477: The Far East , the British Army rallied against the Japanese in the Burma Campaign and regained the British Far Eastern colonial possessions. After the Second World War the British Army was significantly reduced in size, although National Service continued until 1960. This period saw decolonisation begin with the partition and independence of India and Pakistan, followed by the independence of British colonies in Africa and Asia. The Corps Warrant , which

6966-400: The Guhyagarbha tantra , which is the main tantra in the Nyingma tradition. The period of the new dissemination of Buddhism which saw the rise of the Sarma schools also saw the proliferation of fresh Nyingma Dzogchen texts with fresh doctrines and meditative practices, mainly the 'Space class' ( Longdé ) and the 'Instruction class' ( Menngagde ) (11th–14th century), particularly important were

7128-442: The Islamic State (ISIL). The British Army maintains a standing liability to support the civil authorities in certain circumstances, usually in either niche capabilities (e.g. explosive ordnance removal) or in general support of the civil authorities when their capacity is exceeded. In recent years this has been seen as army personnel supporting the civil authorities in the face of the 2001 United Kingdom foot-and-mouth outbreak ,

7290-445: The L17A2 under-barrel grenade launcher. In 2023, the Army Special Operations Brigade , which includes the Ranger Regiment , began using the L403A1 , an AR-pattern rifle also used by the Royal Marines . Some soldiers are equipped with the 7.62mm L129A1 sharpshooter rifle , which in 2018 formally replaced the L86A2 Light Support Weapon. Support fire is provided by the L7 general-purpose machine gun (GPMG), and indirect fire

7452-437: The Netherlands for the War of the Spanish Succession . Although all the regiments were now part of the new British military establishment, they remained under the old operational-command structure and retained much of the institutional ethos, customs and traditions of the standing armies created shortly after the Restoration of the Monarchy 47 years earlier. The order of seniority of the most-senior British Army line regiments

7614-424: The Ottoman Empire via Gallipoli , an unsuccessful attempt to capture Constantinople and secure a sea route to Russia . The First World War was the most devastating in British military history , with nearly 800,000 men killed and over two million wounded. Early in the war, the BEF was virtually destroyed and was replaced first by volunteers and then by a conscript force. Major battles included those at

7776-441: The PrSM , up to 500 km. The AS-90 is a 155 mm self-propelled armoured gun with a 24-kilometre (15 mi) range. The L118 light gun is a 105 mm towed gun, which is typically towed by a Pinzgauer all-terrain vehicle. To identify artillery targets, the army operates the TAIPAN artillery detection radar and utilises artillery sound ranging . For air defence it uses the new Sky Sabre system, which in 2021 replaced

7938-418: The Provisional Irish Republican Army (PIRA). Under the 1998 Good Friday Agreement , there was a gradual reduction in the number of soldiers deployed. In 2005, after the PIRA declared a ceasefire, the British Army dismantled posts, withdrew many troops and restored troop levels to those of a peacetime garrison. Operation Banner ended at midnight on 31 July 2007 after about 38 years of continuous deployment,

8100-422: The Rapier . It also deploys the Very Short-Range Air Defence (VSHORAD) Starstreak HVM (high-velocity missile) launched by a single soldier or from a Stormer HVM vehicle-mounted launcher. Where armour is not required or mobility and speed are favoured the British Army utilises protected patrol vehicles, such as the Panther variant of the Iveco LMV , the Foxhound , and variants of the Cougar family (such as

8262-437: The Territorial Force as the army's volunteer reserve component, merging and reorganising the Volunteer Force, Militia and Yeomanry. Great Britain was challenged by other powers, primarily the German Empire and Nazi Germany , during the 20th century. A century earlier it vied with Napoleonic France for global pre-eminence, and Hanoverian Britain's natural allies were the kingdoms and principalities of northern Germany . By

SECTION 50

#1732797561493

8424-445: The Trongsa road from where a short diversion road leads to the Gonpa. It is 75 kilometres (47 mi) to Thimphu , the capital of Bhutan. The Gonpa lies on the popular trekking route of the 'Gangte trail' which starts from the bottom of the Phobjika valley, passes through the Gangteng Valley, then climbs up to the Gangteng Gonpa, then goes through the Kumbu village on the east of the Gangteng Gonpa, passes through Gedachen, Khebaythang,

8586-502: The first Buddha Samantabhadra to Garab Dorje , and its other lineages from Indian mahasiddhas such as Sri Singha and Jnanasutra . The three primary founding figures of Tibetan Buddhism include Khenpo Shantarakshita , Lopon Padmasambhava , and Chopon Trisong Detsen , collectively referred to as Khen Lo Cho. Yeshe Tsogyal recorded the teachings, and many great masters from the founding period include Vimalamitra , Vairotsana , and Buddhaguhya among others. The Nyingma tradition

8748-439: The formation of the united Kingdom of Great Britain which joined the Kingdoms of England and Scotland into a single state and, with that, united the English Army and the Scots Army as the British Army . Members of the British Army swear allegiance to the monarch as their commander-in-chief , since both the English Bill of Rights of 1689 and Scottish Claim of Right Act 1689 require parliamentary consent for

8910-512: The gomchen ). The monks are also assisted by Buddhist devotees whose families reside in the village near the Gonpa. The restoration work has been done by craftsmen supported by gomchens , who are lay monks (not necessarily celibate). These monks supported themselves and offered their services free. The carpenters carved 50 feet (15 m) long wooden beams with lovely motifs out of blue-pine, by hand with set of wood-handled tools. Some used daggers to carve dorje (a diamond thunderbolt motif) which

9072-487: The seventeen tantras . To vitalize the legitimacy of these new texts against the criticism of the Sarma schools, the Nyingma school expanded the tradition of the " Terma ", which are said to be revealed treasure texts by ancient masters, usually Padmasambhava, which had been hidden away and then discovered by tertons (treasure revealers). The first tertons dating to the 11th century were Sangyé Lama and Drapa Ngönshé. Another important terton, Nyangrel Nyima Özer (1136–1204),

9234-453: The 2002 firefighters strike, widespread flooding in 2005, 2007, 2009, 2013 and 2014, Operation Temperer following the Manchester Arena bombing in 2017 and, most recently, Operation Rescript during the COVID-19 pandemic . Since 2016, the British Army has maintained a presence in the Baltic States in support of the NATO Enhanced Forward Presence strategy which responded to the 2014 Russian annexation of Crimea . The British Army leads

9396-608: The 2014 West African Ebola virus epidemic . In November 2001, as part of Operation Enduring Freedom with the United States, the United Kingdom deployed forces in Afghanistan to topple the Taliban in Operation Herrick . The 3rd Division were sent to Kabul to assist in the liberation of the capital and defeat Taliban forces in the mountains. In 2006 the British Army began concentrating on fighting Taliban forces and bringing security to Helmand Province , with about 9,500 British troops (including marines, airmen and sailors) deployed at its peak —the second-largest force after that of

9558-445: The 9–10th centuries also saw increasing popularity of a new class of texts which would later be classified as the Dzogchen "Mind series" ( Semde ). Some of these texts present themselves as translations of Indian works, though according to David Germano , most are original Tibetan compositions. These texts promote the view that true nature of the mind is empty and luminous and seem to reject traditional forms of practice. An emphasis on

9720-420: The American colonial rebels early in the war). Halifax, Nova Scotia and Bermuda were to become Imperial fortresses (although Bermuda, being safer from attack over water and impervious to attack overland, quickly became the most important in British North America), along with Malta and Gibraltar , providing bases in the eastern Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea for Royal Navy squadrons to control

9882-408: The British Army was deployed as a peacekeeping force from 1969 to 2007 in Operation Banner . Initially, this was (in the wake of unionist attacks on nationalist communities in Derry and Belfast ) to prevent further loyalist attacks on Catholic communities; it developed into support of the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) and its successor, the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) against

SECTION 60

#1732797561493

10044-486: The British and the First French Empire of Napoleon Bonaparte stretched around the world; at its peak in 1813, the regular army contained over 250,000 men. A coalition of Anglo-Dutch and Prussian armies under the Duke of Wellington and Field Marshal von Blücher finally defeated Napoleon at Waterloo in 1815. The English were involved politically and militarily in Ireland. The campaign of English republican Protector Oliver Cromwell involved uncompromising treatment of

10206-430: The British military officer that was severed in the battle have been "preserved in the sanctum sanctorum of the Gangteng Gonpa." The construction of the original Lakhang was done with full community effort. The local materials such as timber came from the nearby forest trees that were cut, shaped and used for construction of the pillars, beams and windows. Building stones were extracted from the local hills; in this context

10368-439: The British military, mostly civilians. An estimated 100 soldiers committed suicide during Operation Banner or soon afterwards and a similar number died in accidents. A total of 6,116 were wounded. Sierra Leone The British Army deployed to Sierra Leone for Operation Palliser in 1999, under United Nations resolutions, to aid the government in quelling violent uprisings by militiamen. British troops also provided support during

10530-454: The Buddhas of the 3 times similar to the ones in Magadha , Vajrasana and Yangpachen are deified. Next to these are the images of 4 other Buddhas, the 8 Noble Sons, the Great Teacher; wrathful form of Hayagriva , and Vajrapani flank them. The Assembly Hall has Jangchub Tungsha and offering goddesses. While at the sides of the entrance are the Kings of the 4 directions namely, "the Mandala of Cyclic Existence, layout of Mt. Meru according to

10692-405: The Buddhist Yanas, or vehicles to liberation, called the Nine Yanas . The Nyingma teachings on the Great Perfection or Dzogchen is considered the highest of all Buddhist teachings. As such, the Nyingmas consider the Dzogchen teachings to be the most direct and profound path to Buddhahood . The main Dzogchen sources like the Seventeen tantras are seen as communicating a path that goes beyond

10854-432: The Crown to maintain a peacetime standing army . The army is administered by the Ministry of Defence and commanded by the Chief of the General Staff . At its inception, being composed primarily of cavalry and infantry, the British Army was one of two Regular Forces (there were also separate Reserve Forces ) within the British military (those parts of the British Armed Forces tasked with land warfare, as opposed to

11016-446: The Dead". Lochen Dharmaśrī (1654–1717) wrote important commentaries on the Guhyagarbha tantra and his brother Terdak Lingpa (1646–1714) was the founder of the Mindrolling Monastery in 1670, one of the six major Nyingma monasteries. A later seminal figure in the development of the Nyingma system was Jigme Lingpa (1730–1798) "the greatest treasure finder of the eighteenth century", whose Longchen Nyingthig ("The Heart-essence of

11178-416: The Dzogchen textual tradition is a central feature of the Nyingma school. In a series of articles, Flavio Geisshuesler explores the persecution of the proponents of the Nyingma school from multiple perspectives, including trauma studies. In a monograph, he suggests that Dzogchen might actually be a pre-Buddhist tradition indigenous to Tibet. Exploring a series of motifs that are found pervasively throughout

11340-485: The English Long Parliament realised that the use of county militia organised into regional associations (such as the Eastern Association ), often commanded by local members of Parliament (both from the House of Commons and the House of Lords), while more than able to hold their own in the regions which Parliamentarians ('Roundheads") controlled, were unlikely to win the war. So Parliament initiated two actions. The Self-denying Ordinance forbade members of Parliament (with

11502-402: The Gangten (meaning top of the mountain) and make it famous as the seat of the Peling tradition. This prediction fructified when a monastery was built by his grandson Gyalse Pema Thinley in 1613, and the spur of the mountain was given the name, the Gangteng Sang Nga Choling (meaning: "summit for the teaching of the dharma"). He became the first Trulku (spiritual head of the monastery or gonpa) of

11664-792: The Gedachen and Khebayathang villages, leads to the Kilhorthang village and terminates in the Kungathang Lhakhang. A short trek of about 90 minutes, known as the Gangte Nature Trail, starts from the mani stone wall to the north of the Gangtey Gonpa and ends in Khewa Lhakhang. Tsechu , the popular Bhutanese festival that is held all over Bhutan in all major monasteries and in district towns in Bhutan,

11826-685: The Germans and Italians at the Second Battle of El Alamein in North Africa in 1942–1943 and helped drive them from Africa. It then fought through Italy and, with the help of American, Canadian, Australian, New Zealand, Indian and Free French forces, was the principal organiser and participant in the D-Day invasion of Normandy on 6 June 1944; nearly half the Allied soldiers were British. In

11988-492: The Gonpa. This was the first occasion for the Landmarks Foundation to engage in a project in which the sacred site was fully functional. The structural problems were first identified, particularly as the wooden parts which deteriorated and affected the structure. The refurbishing was planned in such a way as not to disturb "the original aura and grandeur of the monastery". The Royal Government of Bhutan supervised

12150-505: The Gurdag, dedicated to the wrathful form of Guru Rinpoche, were recited and the consecration rites performed in the four cardinal directions of the monastery. These rites were performed by monks, nuns and lay monks drawn from the 13 religious institutions that follow the Peling tradition. Local residents of the Phobjika Valley, and large number of students of the monastery under the tutelage of

12312-566: The Gönpa. Following this, 35 new and old subsidiary meditation and learning centres of the Gangteng Gönpa have been established in the country. Nyingma Samding Dorje Phagmo Nyingma ( Tibetan : རྙིང་མ་ , Wylie : rnying ma , Lhasa dialect : [ɲ̟iŋ˥˥.ma˥˥] , lit.   ' old school ' ) can be referred to as Ngangyur ( Tibetan : སྔ་འགྱུར་རྙིང་མ། , Wylie : snga 'gyur rnying ma , Lhasa dialect : [ŋa˥˥.ʈ͡ʂuɹ] , lit.   ' order of

12474-725: The Irish towns (most notably Drogheda and Wexford ) which supported the Royalists during the English Civil War . The English Army (and the subsequent British Army) remained in Ireland primarily to suppress Irish revolts or disorder. In addition to its conflict with Irish nationalists, it was faced with the prospect of battling Anglo-Irish and Ulster Scots in Ireland who were angered by unfavourable taxation of Irish produce imported into Britain. With other Irish groups, they raised

12636-717: The Kilkhorthang villages and finally touches the Kungathang Lhakhang . The Gangteng Monastery, also called the Gangteng Sangngak Chöling སྒང་སྟེང་གསང་སྔགས་ཆོས་གླིང་ , was established in 1613 by the first Peling Gyalsé Rinpoche or Gangteng Tulku, Rigdzin Pema Tinley (1564–1642), who was the grandson of the great Bhutanese "treasure revealer" Terchen Pema Lingpa (1450–1521). The earliest historical background relevant to this monastery

12798-482: The Nyingma school had traditionally "relied on non-ordained tantric practitioners to transmit its teachings through authorized lineages." The foundation of this monastic school was a major shift in the Nyingma tradition, and is seen as a response to the growth of the Gelug school's hegemony which was based on a well organized system of monastic scholasticism and education. The sort of study and learning in this monastery

12960-588: The Nyingma tradition to categorize the whole of the Buddhist path is unique. Nyingmapas divide the Buddhist path into nine yanas , as follows: In the later schools the inner tantric teachings are known as Anuttarayoga Tantra , which corresponds to Mahayoga in the Nyingma system, while the Mahamudra teachings of the later schools are said to lead to similar results as the Dzogchen teachings. The first two of

13122-423: The Nyingma tradition, writing extensively on Dzogchen and Madhyamaka . According to Karma Phuntsho, Mipham's work "completely revolutionised rNying ma pa scholasticism in the late nineteenth century, raising its status after many centuries as a comparative intellectual backwater, to arguably the most dynamic and expansive of philosophical traditions in all of Tibetan Buddhism, with an influence and impact far beyond

13284-874: The Ridgeback, Husky and Mastiff). For day-to-day utility work the army commonly uses the Land Rover Wolf , which is based on the Land Rover Defender . Specialist engineering vehicles include bomb-disposal robots such as the T7 Multi-Mission Robotic System and the modern variants of the Armoured Vehicle Royal Engineers , including the Titan bridge-layer, Trojan armoured engineer vehicle, Terrier armoured digger . Day-to-day utility work uses

13446-637: The Sarma traditions. This means that while Nyingma accept the Tengyur scriptures they also include writings that other schools reject as not being authentic for having no Indic sources—though Sanskrit originals of some have been discovered in Nepal. The Nyingma school has a Kama or oral lineage and a Terma lineage. The Kama lineage is the oral transmission lineage, and is called the "source of Nyingma tradition" by Nyingma scholar Khenchen Palden Sherab Rinpoche . It

13608-476: The Scots Greys was reassessed and based on their June 1685 entry into England. At that time there was only one English regiment of dragoons, and the Scots Greys eventually received the British Army rank of 2nd Dragoons. After 1700, British continental policy was to contain expansion by competing powers such as France and Spain. Although Spain was the dominant global power during the previous two centuries and

13770-720: The Somme and Passchendaele . Advances in technology saw the advent of the tank (and the creation of the Royal Tank Regiment ) and advances in aircraft design (and the creation of the Royal Flying Corps ) which would be decisive in future battles. Trench warfare dominated Western Front strategy for most of the war, and the use of chemical weapons (disabling and poison gases) added to the devastation. The Second World War broke out in September 1939 with

13932-745: The Soviet and German Army 's invasion of Poland . British assurances to the Poles led the British Empire to declare war on Germany . As in the First World War, a relatively small BEF was sent to France but then hastily evacuated from Dunkirk as the German forces swept through the Low Countries and across France in May 1940. After the British Army recovered from its earlier defeats, it defeated

14094-571: The Troubles . Following the 1994–1996 IRA ceasefires and since 1997, demilitarisation has been part of the peace process and the military presence has been reduced. On 25 June 2007 the 2nd Battalion of the Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment left the army complex in Bessbrook , County Armagh , ending the longest operation in British Army history. The British Army contributed 50,000 troops to

14256-595: The US. In December 2012 Prime Minister David Cameron announced that the combat mission would end in 2014, and troop numbers gradually fell as the Afghan National Army took over the brunt of the fighting. Between 2001 and 26 April 2014 a total of 453 British military personnel died in Afghan operations. Operation Herrick ended with the handover of Camp Bastion on 26 October 2014, but the British Army maintained

14418-1026: The United States, in the American War of 1812 ), the British Army fought the Chinese in the First and Second Opium Wars and the Boxer Rebellion , Māori tribes in the first of the New Zealand Wars, Nawab Shiraj-ud-Daula's forces and British East India Company mutineers in the Sepoy Rebellion of 1857 , the Boers in the first and second Boer Wars, Irish Fenians in Canada during the Fenian raids and Irish separatists in

14580-529: The Vast Expanse") is a systematization of the path which is one of the most widely used Nyingma Dzogchen teachings today. In 1848, the Nyingma monastic college of Dzogchen Shri Sengha (rdzogs chen srwi sengha), was founded in Kham by a charismatic teacher, Zhanphan Thaye (gzhan phan mtha' yas, 1800–), in association with the active participation of Do Kyentse (rndo mkhyen rtse). According to Georges Dreyfus,

14742-525: The adoption of a writing system and promotion of Buddhism. Around 760, Trisong Detsen invited Padmasambhava and the Nalanda abbot Śāntarakṣita to Tibet to introduce Buddhism to the "Land of Snows." Trisong Detsen ordered the translation of all Buddhist texts into Tibetan. Padmasambhava, Śāntarakṣita, 108 translators, and 25 of Padmasambhava's nearest disciples worked for many years in a gigantic translation-project. The translations from this period formed

14904-631: The ancient translations ' ), is the oldest of the four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism . The Nyingma school was founded by Padmasambhava as the first translations of Buddhist scriptures from Pali and Sanskrit into Tibetan occurred in the eighth century. The establishment of the Tibetan Buddhism and the Nyingma tradition is collectively ascribed to Khenpo Shantarakshita , Guru Padmasambhava , and King Trisong Detsen , known as Khen Lop Chos Sum (The Three: Khenpo, Lopon, Chosgyal). The Nyingma tradition traces its Dzogchen lineage from

15066-578: The army saw the introduction of new weapons systems. Despite the decline of the British Empire, the army was engaged in Aden , Indonesia , Cyprus , Kenya and Malaya . In 1982, the British Army and the Royal Marines helped liberate the Falkland Islands during the conflict with Argentina after that country's invasion of the British territory. In the three decades following 1969,

15228-699: The army was heavily deployed in Northern Ireland 's Operation Banner to support the Royal Ulster Constabulary (later the Police Service of Northern Ireland ) in their conflict with republican paramilitary groups. The locally recruited Ulster Defence Regiment was formed, becoming home-service battalions of the Royal Irish Regiment in 1992 before it was disbanded in 2006. Over 700 soldiers were killed during

15390-504: The base for the large scriptural transmission of Dharma teachings into Tibet and are known as the "Old Translations" and as the "Early Translation School". Padmasambhava supervised mainly the translation of tantras; Śāntarakṣita concentrated on the sutras . Padmasambhava and Śāntarakṣita also founded the first Buddhist monastery in Tibet: Samye . However, this situation would not last: The explosive developments were interrupted in

15552-441: The base is intertwined with nine large mountain peaks, symbolising the ninth "yana". It has no problem of wild animals, which is indicative of lack of sufferings. The sky above appears in the form of the eight-spiked wheel, which is symbolic of the yogic practitioners of Dzogchen . The land where the Gonpa is located is an "equanimity and altruistic intention of Bodhicitta." It has eight auspicious signs indicative of an assembly of

15714-412: The basis of the Terma. The Nyingma Kama lineage begins with Padmasambhava, Shantarakshita , Vimalamitra , and Vairochana . The Nyingma Dzogchen lineage was transmitted directly from Garab Dorje to Padmasambhava. The Nyingmapas organized their esoteric corpus, comprising mostly Mahayoga , Atiyoga (Dzogchen) Mind class Semde and Space Class ( Longdé ) texts, into an alternate collection, called

15876-451: The beginning of the Buddhist dissemination are called "transmitted precepts" ( bka' ma ), the hidden "treasures" are called gter ma and lastly there are those collected works ( gsung 'bum ) of individual Tibetan authors. Longchen Rabjampa, Drimé Özer (Longchenpa, 1308–1364, possibly 1369) is a central thinker and poet in Nyingma thought and Tibetan Buddhist philosophy . He is mainly known for his systematized integration and exposition of

16038-415: The capacities of different beings and entrusts them to "knowledge holders" ( vidyadharas ), the chief of which is Dorjé Chörap, who gives them to Vajrasattva and the dakini Légi Wangmoché, who in turn disseminate them among human siddhas. The first human teacher of the tradition was said to be Garab Dorje (b. 55 c.e.), who had visions of Vajrasattva. Padmasambhava is the most famous and revered figure of

16200-666: The chief threat to England's early trans-Atlantic colonial ambitions, its influence was now waning. The territorial ambitions of the French, however, led to the War of the Spanish Succession and the later Napoleonic Wars . Although the Royal Navy is widely regarded as vital to the rise of the British Empire , the British Army played an important role in the formation of colonies, protectorates and dominions in

16362-788: The coalition which fought Iraq in the Persian Gulf War , and British forces controlled Kuwait after its liberation. Forty-seven British military personnel died during the war. The army was deployed to former Yugoslavia in 1992. Initially part of the United Nations Protection Force , in 1995 its command was transferred to the Implementation Force (IFOR) and then to the Stabilisation Force in Bosnia and Herzegovina (SFOR);

16524-545: The colours and the remainder in the Regular Reserve, remaining liable for recall to the colours if required. Among the other benefits, this thereby enabled the British Army to have a ready pool of recently trained men to draw upon in an emergency. The name of the Regular Reserve (which for a time was divided into a First Class and a Second Class ) has resulted in confusion with the Reserve Forces , which were

16686-470: The commitment rose to over 10,000 troops. In 1999, British forces under SFOR command were sent to Kosovo and the contingent increased to 19,000 troops. Between early 1993 and June 2010, 72 British military personnel died during operations in the former Yugoslavian countries of Bosnia, Kosovo and Macedonia. Although there have been permanent garrisons in Northern Ireland throughout its history,

16848-438: The completion of their first engagement. The size of the army also fluctuated greatly, increasing in war time, and drastically shrinking with peace. Battalions posted on garrison duty overseas were allowed an increase on their normal peacetime establishment, which resulted in their having surplus men on their return to a Home station. Consequently, soldiers engaging on short term enlistments were enabled to serve several years with

17010-551: The contemplative system, such as the hunting of animals, he argues that the tradition was originally associated with shamanism and the Eurasian cult of the sky-deer. From the eleventh century onward, there was an attempt to reintroduce Vajrayana Buddhism to Tibet. This saw new translation efforts which led to the foundation of new Vajrayana schools which are collectively known as the Sarma "New translation" schools because they reject

17172-402: The country. Consequently, Pema Lingpa came to be known as the "King Terton", a revered saint and teacher. The Terton, came on a visit to the Phobjikha Valley as a saint to teach Buddhist precepts to the people and also to bless them. During this visit, after looking at the impressive mountains that surrounded the valley he had foretold that one of his descendants would build a monastery or gonpa on

17334-500: The disbanded New Model Army , were formed between November 1660 and January 1661 and became a standing military force for England (financed by Parliament ). The Royal Scots and Irish Armies were financed by the parliaments of Scotland and Ireland . Parliamentary control was established by the Bill of Rights 1689 and Claim of Right Act 1689 , although the monarch continued to influence aspects of army administration until at least

17496-598: The early human teachers and there are many legends about him, making it difficult to separate history from myth. Other early teachers include Vimalamitra , Jambel Shé Nyen, Sri Simha, and Jñanasutra. Most of these figures are associated with the Indian region of Oddiyana . Buddhism existed in Tibet at least from the time of king Thothori Nyantsen (fl.173?–300? CE), especially in the eastern regions. The reign of Songtsen Gampo (ca.617-649/50) saw an expansion of Tibetan power,

17658-471: The eastern side. The Tshengye Lhakhang is on the southern side where the statues of the eight manifestations of Guru Rinpoche, canonical texts and eight red-sandalwood Desheg Chortens are seen. The living quarters are to the east and west of the Gonpa. The west also has the Amitayus Lhakhang with the statue of Buddha Amitayus with his companions. The Machen Lhakhang is located to the north where

17820-511: The end of the 19th century. After the Restoration, King Charles II pulled together four regiments of infantry and cavalry, calling them his guards, at a cost of £122,000 from his general budget. This became the foundation of the permanent English Army. By 1685, it had grown to number 7,500 soldiers in marching regiments, and 1,400 men permanently stationed in garrisons. A Monmouth Rebellion in 1685 allowed successor King James II to raise

17982-470: The forces to 20,000 men. There were 37,000 in 1678, when England played a role in the closing stage of the cross-channel Franco-Dutch War . After Protestant dual Monarchs William III , formerly William of the Dutch House of Orange , and his wife Mary II's joint accession to the throne after a short constitutional crisis with Parliament sending Mary's father, predecessor King James II, (who remained

18144-491: The longest in British Army history. According to an internal document released in 2007, the British Army had failed to defeat the IRA but made it impossible for them to win by violence. Operation Helvetic replaced Operation Banner in 2007, maintaining fewer service personnel in a more-benign environment. Of the 300,000 troops who served in Northern Ireland since 1969, there were 763 British military personnel killed and 306 killed by

18306-592: The major textual cycles such as the Menngagde in his various writings, which by his time had become central texts in the Nyingma tradition. His main writings include the Seven Treasuries ( mdzod bdun ), the "Trilogy of Natural Freedom" ( rang grol skor gsum ), the "Trilogy that Clears Darkness" ("mun sel skor gsum"), and the Trilogy of Natural Ease ( ngal gso skor gsum ). The 14th and 15th centuries saw

18468-598: The methods of Highest Yoga Tantra , which are seen as supreme in other schools of Tibetan Buddhism. The most influential Nyingma scholar yogi of the Great Perfection is Longchenpa (1308–1364), and his voluminous works mark a turning point in the scholastic systematization and refinement of the Nyingma Dzogchen system. The Nyingma school also has an important tradition of discovering and revealing "hidden treasure texts" called Termas , which allows

18630-434: The mid-ninth century as the Empire began to disintegrate, leading to a century-long interim of civil war and decentralization about which we know relatively little. The early Vajrayana that was transmitted from India to Tibet may be differentiated by the specific term "Mantrayana" ( Wylie : sngags kyi theg pa ). "Mantrayana" is the Sanskrit of what became rendered in Tibetan as "Secret Mantra" ( Wylie : gsang sngags ): this

18792-410: The middle of the 19th century, Britain and France were allies in preventing Russia's appropriation of the Ottoman Empire , although the fear of French invasion led shortly afterwards to the creation of the Volunteer Force. By the first decade of the 20th century, the United Kingdom was allied with France (by the Entente Cordiale ) and Russia (which had a secret agreement with France for mutual support in

18954-448: The monastery called the tshokhang has been built in Tibetan architectural style . The hall is built with eight very large wooden pillars, which are stated to be the largest in Bhutan. Wood work, both inside and outside of the old structure, which had deteriorated have been replaced. Similarly, some of the paintings and frescoes inside the monastery have also been redone. The monastery is now maintained by 100 odd lay monks (locally known as

19116-423: The monastery has three entrances representing "the doors of the three Yogas"; 108 doors and windows are provided to denote cleansing of the darkness of sentients; the images are painted and embossed, as protective compassion; Mandalas are depicted – the outer level Mandala is of the Mahayoga , the inner level Mandala denotes the Anuyoga and the secret level Mandala is of Atiyoga . On the ground floor, images of

19278-476: The monastery. It was initially built as a Lhakhang, a small village monastery, which was later expanded by his son Tenzing Legpai Dhendup (1645–1726), who succeeded him as the second Trulku. It was built like a Dzong (fortress). The present Wangchuk Dynasty, which rules Bhutan, are descendants of Pema Lingpa. From 2002 to 2008, the monastery has been completely restored under the present Gangteng Tulku, H.E. Rigdzin Kunzang Pema Namgyal (b. 1955). The rebuilt monastery

19440-408: The monks and the people of the valley shift, numbering about 4,500, temporarily to Wangdue Phodrong. Gangtey treks are a popular tourism attraction in the Phobjikha Valley which covers the Gangtey Gonpa. It is a trekking route followed by international trekking enthusiasts that starts from the Gangteng Gonpa in the Phobjika valley . It passes through the Kumbu village (east of the Gonpa), goes through

19602-413: The nature of mind without the subtle body practices and visualizations of other tantric forms, and Dzogchen tantras state that visualization practices are inferior to Dzogchen, which directly works with the nature of the mind itself. A main feature of Dzogchen is the practice of "cutting through" ( khregs chod ) the everyday mind and its obscurations to reach the primordial nature of mind or rigpa , which

19764-399: The naval forces), with the other having been the Ordnance Military Corps (made up of the Royal Artillery , Royal Engineers , and the Royal Sappers and Miners ) of the Board of Ordnance , which along with the originally civilian Commissariat Department , stores and supply departments, as well as barracks and other departments, were absorbed into the British Army when the Board of Ordnance

19926-440: The new English army to 74,000, and then a few years later to 94,000 in 1694. Parliament was very nervous and reduced the cadre to 70,000 in 1697. Scotland and Ireland had theoretically separate military establishments, but they were unofficially merged with the English Crown force. By the time of the 1707 Acts of Union , many regiments of the English and Scottish armies were combined under one operational command and stationed in

20088-409: The next 300 years, during which time Buddhism was persecuted and largely forced underground because the King saw it as a threat to the indigenous Bön tradition. Langdarma persecuted monks and nuns, and attempted to wipe out Buddhism. His efforts, however, were not successful. A few monks escaped to Amdo in the northeast of Tibet, where they preserved the lineage of monastic ordination. The period of

20250-433: The nine vehicles are seen as Hinayana, the third as Mahayana and the remaining six as specifically Vajrayana. Dudjom Jigdral Yeshe Dorje emphasized the eight lower vehicles are intellectually fabricated and contrived: The eight lower levels have intellectually fabricated and contrived that which is changeless solely due to fleeting thoughts that never experience what truly is. They apply antidotes to and reject that which

20412-409: The nobility, or on hired mercenaries from Europe. From the later Middle Ages until the Wars of the Three Kingdoms, when a foreign expeditionary force was needed, such as the one that Henry V of England took to France and that fought at the Battle of Agincourt (1415), the army, a professional one, was raised for the duration of the expedition. During the Wars of the Three Kingdoms, the members of

20574-416: The noble sons and daughters from all directions. The precincts depict "a victory banner in the east, long horns in the south, six-syllable mantra in the west and stupa in the north," symbolising natural realization; further, the sun and moon rise early and set late, the three perennial rivers flow nearby and the spur where the Gonpa is located appears like an elephant – an auspicious sign. The ten qualities of

20736-621: The northern black Turtle ; the four local protectors known as Sadags represent non-destruction by the four elements; there is the evergreen 'Wish-fulfilling Tree' ( Paksam Joenshing ) that symbolises spiritual and temporal prosperity; upper, middle and the lower sub-regions of the area represent the particular teachings of the 'Three Baskets'; and the retreat centres have dedicated male and female practitioners of Buddhism. Given these auspicious environment, Gangtey Gönpa has: A square plan that denotes perfection in teachings and practice; it has large fencing around it that protects it from evil influences;

20898-424: The notable exception of Oliver Cromwell , then a member of parliament and future Lord Protector) from serving as officers in the Parliamentary armies. This created a distinction between the civilians in Parliament, who tended to be Presbyterian and conciliatory to the Royalists ("Cavaliers") in nature, and a corps of professional officers, who tended to be Independent ( Congregational ) in theology. The second action

21060-458: The oceans and trade routes, and heavily garrisoned by the British Army both for defence of the bases and to provide mobile military forces to work with the Navy in amphibious operations throughout their regions. The British Army was heavily involved in the Napoleonic Wars , participating in a number of campaigns in Europe (including continuous deployment in the Peninsular War ), the Caribbean , North Africa and North America . The war between

21222-410: The old translations of the Nyingma canon. It was at that time that Nyingmapas began to see themselves as a distinct group and the term "Nyingma" came into usage to refer to those who continued to use the "Old" or "Ancient" translations. Nyingma writers such as Rongzom (ca. 11th century) and Nyangrel were instrumental in defending the old texts from the critiques of the Sarma translators and in establishing

21384-436: The parallel Seven Years' War and suppressed a Native / Indian North Americans uprising in Pontiac's War around the Great Lakes . The British Army was defeated in the American Revolutionary War , losing the Thirteen Colonies but retaining The Canadas and The Maritimes as in British North America , including Bermuda (originally part of the Colony of Virginia , and which had been originally strongly sympathetic to

21546-481: The pre-existing part-time, local-service home-defence forces that were auxiliary to the British Army (or Regular Force ), but not originally part of it: the Yeomanry , Militia (or Constitutional Force ) and Volunteer Force . These were consequently also referred to as Auxiliary Forces or Local Forces . The late-19th-century Cardwell and Childers Reforms gave the army its modern shape and redefined its regimental system . The 1907 Haldane Reforms created

21708-455: The precincts are forested with medicinal plants and trees. The sacred places that are in the region, in the four directions are: on the east – the Gayney Lhakhang in Bumthang ; in the south – the Moenyul Namkha Dzong; in the west – the Paro Taktsang ; and in the north – Namthang Lu Gi Phu, the meditation cave of Guru Rinpoche. The Gonpa is located on a spur at the highest point, symbolic of the Vajrayana teachings and its practice. Its location at

21870-423: The precincts of the Gonpa are elaborated: the surrounding mountains and forests that enclose the Gonpa are like the 16 great Arhats with their entourage of close followers; the white road of Langleygang represents the eastern grey Tiger, there is the blue Zhungchu Ngoenmo, which symbolises the southern blue Dragon ; red rock in Trawanang represents the western red Bird; the pastoral meadow of Tsi Tsi La symbolises

22032-400: The present Trulku were also witness to the ceremony. The audience included devotees from Khunnu village in Himachal Pradesh , India , who were disciples of Pema Lingpa. Michael McClelland, who was associated with the restoration works right from the start said after the consecration ceremony that it was a "terrific experience to see the restoration and the consecration. He said he was struck by

22194-449: The rNying ma pa themselves." Mipham's works have become the foundation of study for not only the Nyingma lineage, but the Kagyu lineage as well. They hold a central position in all Nyingma monasteries and monastic colleges. Following in the footsteps of Mipham, Khenpo Shenga was also an important figure in the revitalization of Nyingma monastic education by establishing the study of exoteric philosophy at Dzogchen Shri Sengha through

22356-410: The rank of English, Irish and Scots regiments serving in the Netherlands; the regiment which became known as the Scots Greys were designated the 4th Dragoons because there were three English regiments raised prior to 1688 when the Scots Greys were first placed in the English establishment. In 1713, when a new board of general officers was convened to decide the rank of several regiments, the seniority of

22518-482: The reliquary stupa with embalmed body of the 6th Gangteng Tulku Tenpai Nyima is located. It also houses statues of the 16 Arhats . The 11-faced Avalokiteśvara Lhakhang is at the entrance to the main temple. The Shedra's Assembly Hall and the Kezang Lhakhang flank the main temple. The living quarters of the monks are built on all four sides. The monastery also has a unique collection of armoury and weapons along with ritual paraphernalia. The consecration ceremony, which

22680-491: The return of a king. The militia acts of 1661 and 1662 prevented local authorities from calling up militia and oppressing their own local opponents. Calling up the militia was possible only if the king and local elites agreed to do so. King Charles II and his " Cavalier " / Royalist supporters favoured a new army under royal control, and immediately after the Restoration of 1660 to 1661 began working on its establishment. The first English Army regiments, including elements of

22842-460: The sheer beauty of the Lhakhang and the organisation of the consecration ceremony. It's a once in a lifetime experience." The day following the consecration ceremony, the annual Tsechu and mask dances were held at the Gonpa. An exhibition of traditional arts and crafts was also part of the celebration for the next seven days. The monastery and the Phobjika valley are covered under a blanket of snow during winter months of January and February when all

23004-404: The sutras and tantras, Zangdog Pelri and the Pureland of Shambala." The first floor is where the successive Trilkus have lived, which has three shrine rooms of the Dharmapalas and the Treasury with the Namsey Phodrang. The second floor is where the Lamai Lhakhang with the statue of Vajrasattva surrounded by the Peling lineage holders are deified. The complete Nyingma Gyud Bum texts are located on

23166-548: The teachings of Buddha . These were retrieved at various periods over time and in the 15th century Pema Lingpa, born in 1450, considered an incarnation of Guru Rinpoche, prompted by a revelation of 108 treasure coves in his psychic dream revealed by his Guru Rinpoche. He embarked on the treasure hunt in 1476 when he was 25 years of age. He was successful in locating many treasures of images and scriptures related to Buddhism throughout Bhutan, which resulted in establishing many monasteries throughout Bhutan, and Buddhism took firm roots in

23328-411: The teachings of the Sakya , Kagyu and Nyingma schools in response to the hegemonic influence of the Gelug school. Jamgon Ju Mipham Gyatso ("Mipham the Great", 1846–1912) was born into an aristocratic family in 1846 in Kham, a province of eastern Tibet. Mipham was a student of Rime scholars like Kongtrül. Mipham composed authoritative works on both the Sutra and Vajrayana teachings as understood in

23490-409: The transmission of Sarma traditions into Tibet, various proponents of the new systems cast aspersions on the Indic origins of much of the Nyingma esoteric corpus. Indic origin was an important component of perceived legitimacy at the time. As a result, much of the Nyingma esoteric corpus was excluded from the Tengyur , a compilation of texts by Buton Rinchen Drub that became the established canon for

23652-425: The treasure discoverers or tertöns to reveal teachings according to conditions. Many Nyingma lineages are based on particular termas. For example, Mindrolling Monastery focuses on the revelations of Nyangrel Nyima Özer , while Dorje Drak is based on the Northern Treasures of Rigdzin Gödem . The Nyingma school recognizes Samantabhadra (Küntu Sangpo), the "primordial buddha" ( Adi Buddha ) as an embodiment of

23814-517: The use of classic Indian texts , which include the major works of Asanga , Nagarjuna and Aryadeva . Khenpo Shenga composed commentaries on these key texts and scholastic textbooks. He focused on the study of these texts as a way to avoid sectarian disputes by appealing to classic Indian material. The 19th century also saw the production of new Terma texts, particularly by Orgyen Chokgyur Lingpa (1829–1870), Péma Ösel Dongak Lingpa (1820–1892), and Dudjom Lingpa (1835–1904). Another important figure

23976-409: The view of Dzogchen with Madhyamaka , the earlier Nyingma author Rongzom Chokyi Zangpo did not. Like in other schools of Tibetan Buddhism, Nyingma teaches various forms of ngöndro , or preliminary practices which help prepare the mind for later meditations. These include the cultivation of " bodhicitta ", the "four thoughts that turn the mind", and Vajrasattva purification practice. Deity Yoga

24138-611: The withdrawal of civilians, all British troops had left by the end of August 2021. In 2003, the United Kingdom was a major contributor to the invasion of Iraq , sending a force of over 46,000 military personnel. The British Army controlled southern Iraq, and maintained a peace-keeping presence in Basra . All British troops were withdrawn from Iraq by 30 April 2009, after the Iraqi government refused to extend their mandate. One hundred and seventy-nine British military personnel died in Iraqi operations. The British Armed Forces returned to Iraq in 2014 as part of Operation Shader to counter

24300-432: The work and provided the necessary technical and architectural support, including raw materials. This building construction lasted for eight years and all efforts were made to preserve the old structures, carvings, and paintings to the extent possible, while 104 new pillars were intricately crafted by the local artisans. This task was also supported by the fourth King of Bhutan with technical support and guidance. The monastery

24462-406: The work of many tertons such as Orgyen Lingpa (1323–1360), Pema Lingpa (1346–1405), Sangye Lingpa (1340–1396) and Ratna Lingpa (1403–1479). Another key figure was Karma Lingpa (1326–1386), who wrote down an important work called "Profound Dharma of Self-Liberation through the Intention of the Peaceful and Wrathful Ones" which includes the two texts of the bar-do thos-grol , the "Tibetan Book of

24624-519: The world's leading military and economic powers. Since the end of the Cold War , the British Army has been deployed to a number of conflict zones, often as part of an expeditionary force , a coalition force or part of a United Nations peacekeeping operation. Until the Wars of the Three Kingdoms , neither England or Scotland had had a standing army with professional officers and career corporals and sergeants. England relied on militia organised by local officials or private forces mobilised by

24786-464: Was abolished in 1855. Various other civilian departments of the board were absorbed into the War Office . The British Army has seen action in major wars between the world's great powers , including the Seven Years' War , the American Revolutionary War , the Napoleonic Wars , the Crimean War and the First and Second World Wars . Britain's victories in most of these decisive wars allowed it to influence world events and establish itself as one of

24948-408: Was consecrated by the present incarnation of Pema Lingpa on the October 10, 2008, graced by the fourth King of Bhutan. Gangteng Sang-ngak Chöling, as now restored, retains its original glory and is stated to be the resurgence of the Peling Tradition. In the context of the 1864–65 battle fought between the British Army and the Bhutanese Army at Deothang in Bhutan, it is mentioned that the hands of

25110-420: Was declared in 1951. Although the British Army was a major participant in Korea in the early 1950s and Suez in 1956, during this period Britain's role in world events was reduced and the army was downsized. The British Army of the Rhine , consisting of I (BR) Corps , remained in Germany as a bulwark against Soviet invasion. The Cold War continued, with significant technological advances in warfare, and

25272-465: Was held on October 10, 2008 (on the auspicious 11th day of the 8th month of the Earth Rat Year according to the Bhutanese calendar), was a grand ceremony, which was not only graced by the Fourth King of Bhutan accompanied by his Queen and the royal family members and the Prime Minister with his Ministers but also by all descendants of Pema Lengpa. The hymnal extracts from the original sacred Peling scripture discovered by Terton Pema Lingpa in south Tibet and

25434-409: Was legislation for the creation of a Parliamentary-funded army, commanded by Lord General Thomas Fairfax , which became known as the New Model Army (originally phrased "new-modelled Army"). While this proved to be a war-winning formula, the New Model Army, being organised and politically active, went on to dominate the politics of the Interregnum and by 1660 was widely disliked. The New Model Army

25596-401: Was mostly based on exegetical commentary, a contrast to the more debate based Gelug education. In this way, the Nyingma school revitalized itself and presented itself as a legitimate rival to the Gelug school. The 19th century also saw the rise of the non-sectarian ' Rimé ' movement, led by Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo (1820–1892) and Jamgön Kongtrül (1813–1899) which sought to collect and print

25758-432: Was paid off and disbanded at the later Restoration of the monarchy in 1660 with the accession of King Charles II . For many decades the alleged excesses of the New Model Army under the Protectorate / Commonwealth under Oliver Cromwell were used as propaganda (and still feature in Irish folklore) and the Whig Party element recoiled from allowing a standing army to continue with the agreed-upon rights and privileges under

25920-407: Was painted with durable special mineral paints, locally called the dotshoen. The monastery occupies a prime space in the Phobjika valley, and as built now it is a large complex consisting of the central Gonpa, surrounded by monks' living quarters, meditation halls and a guest house. It also houses a school. The monastery complex has five temples that surround the main central tower. The main hall in

26082-402: Was physically founded at Samye , the first monastery in Tibet. Nyingma teachings are also known for having been passed down through networks of lay practitioners, and of Ngakmapas (Skt. mantrī ). While the Nyingma tradition contains most of the major elements of Tibetan Buddhism, it also has some unique features and teachings. The Nyingma teachings include a distinctive classification of

26244-486: Was the principal promulgator of the Padmasambhava mythos, according to Janet Gyatso . Guru Chöwang (1212–70) was also influential in developing the myths of Padmasambhava. Nyangrel and Chögi Wangchuk (1212–1270) are known as the "sun and moon" of tertons, and along with Rikdsin Gödem (1337–1409), are called the "three grand tertons". By this period we see the establishment of three major classes of Nyingma literature; those translated and transmitted without interruption from

#492507