108-665: Tawang Monastery is a Buddhist monastery located in Tawang , Arunachal Pradesh , India. It is the largest monastery in the country. It is situated in the valley of the Tawang Chu , in close proximity to the Chinese and Bhutanese border. Tawang Monastery is known in Tibetan as Gaden Namgyal Lhatse , which translates to "the divine paradise of complete victory". It was founded by Merak Lama Lodre Gyatso in 1680–1681 in accordance with
216-418: A thangka in the monastery which is of Palden Lhamo . The monastery was founded by Merek Lama Lodre Gyamsto in 1680–81 at the behest of the 5th Dalai Lama , who was his contemporary. When Merek Lama was experiencing difficulties in building the monastery at the chosen location of Tsosum, the ancient name for Tawang, the 5th Dalai Lama issued directives to the people of the area to provide him all help. To fix
324-525: 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
432-423: A printing press for printing religious books using paper made locally. Wooden blocks are used for printing. The books are used usually by the literate Monpa Lamas who refer to it for conducting religious rituals. The entire second floor houses the library. It contains the scriptures of Gyetengpa , Doduipa , Mamtha , Kangyur , Tengyur and Zungdui , which have been affected due to insect attacks. The collection in
540-400: 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
648-400: Is "the site chosen by the horse is the divine paradise of complete victory". The monastery is situated near the top of a mountain, at an elevation of about 10,000 feet (3,000 m), with a commanding view of the Tawang Chu valley, which comprises snow-capped mountains and coniferous forest. It is bounded on its southern and western flanks by steep ravines formed by streams, a narrow spur on
756-522: 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
864-670: Is a town and administrative headquarter of Tawang district in the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh . It lies on NH-13 section of Trans-Arunachal Highway . The town was once the headquarter of the Tawang Tract, which is now divided into the Tawang district and the West Kameng district . Tawang continues as the headquarters of the former. Tawang is the number one tourist destination of Arunachal Pradesh. India occupied Tawang in 1951 and removed Tibetan administration from
972-810: 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
1080-615: Is connected to major cities. A broad-gauge railway line connecting Missamari in Assam with Tawang has been proposed and a survey for the line was sanctioned in 2011. The proposed 166 km long Bhalukpong–Tawang railway link from the existing Bhalukpong railway station to Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh being undertaken as the national project will boost tourism and enhance the national security with faster movement of troops, it will pass through elevations of over 10,000 feet, 80% of
1188-454: Is deified; it is gilded and decorated, and is in a lotus position. This image is on the northern face of the assembly hall and is installed over a platform and its head extends up to the first floor. Next to the Buddha image there is a silver casket that holds a special thangka of the goddess Sro Devi (Palden Lhamo), which is the guardian deity of the monastery. It is said that it was painted with
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#17327725532611296-551: Is eroding the toe of the slope due to the site being on the outside of the bend. In the long term, erosion at the toe will need to be prevented if the site is to be preserved." The monastery currently has control over 17 gompas in West Kameng district . The monastery has administrative control over two dzongs , each headed by a monk; the Darana Dzong built in 1831 and the Sanglem Dzong, also known as Talung Gompa, in
1404-452: 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
1512-520: 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
1620-491: Is in the basin of Tawang Chu . The climate is cold in Tawang. In winter, there is much less rainfall in Tawang than in summer. According to Köppen and Geiger, this climate is classified as warm-summer humid continental climate (Dwb). The average temperature in Tawang is 5.5 °C. The average annual rainfall is 3,080 millimetres (121 in). As of the 2011 census , Tawang had a population of 11,202. Tawang Monastery
1728-516: 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
1836-552: Is of Ningmecahn , the protector deity of the Bon religion , who is considered the guardian deity of the Tawang region. Ahead of the main gate of the Kakaling , to its south, is another entry, an open gate. The main entrance to the monastery, to the south of the open gate, has massive doors fitted on the northern wall. This outer wall is 925 feet (282 m) in length, with heights varying from about 10–20 feet (3.0–6.1 m). Apart from
1944-593: Is the festival when the Lamas recite religious scriptures in the monasteries. Following the religious recitations, the villagers carry the scriptures on their back and circumambulate their agricultural land seeking blessings for the good yield of crops without any infestations by pests and to protect against attack by wild animals. In the Losar festival, which marks the beginning of the Tibetan New Year , people visit
2052-452: 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
2160-425: 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
2268-477: Is venerated as a miracle in view of a belief among the people of the region that such an imprint on a stone slab could only be created by a divine person who was a true devotee of the monastery. The main temple in the monastery, to the west of the entry gate, is known as the Dukhang ('Du' means "assembly" and 'Khang' means "building"). It was built in 1860–61. A large image of Buddha of 18 feet (5.5 m) height
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#17327725532612376-914: 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
2484-511: 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
2592-766: The Kato , with the Chief Lamas of the monastery as its members. It was not dependent on the Dzonpan (head of Tsona Monastery) and Government of Lhasa, and this aspect was supported by G.A. Nevill who had visited the monastery in 1924. Until 1914, this region of India was under the control of Tibet. However, under the Simla Agreement of 1913-14 , the area came under the control of the British Raj . Tibet gave up several hundred square miles of its territory, including
2700-577: The Monpa people . The Tawang Monastery was founded by the Merak Lama Lodre Gyatso in 1681 in accordance with the wishes of the 5th Dalai Lama, Ngawang Lobsang Gyatso , and has a legend surrounding its name. Ta means "horse" and wang means "chosen". So, the word Tawang means "chosen by horse". As per legend, the monastery is believed to have been chosen by a horse owned by Mera Lama Lodre Gyatso. The sixth Dalai Lama, Tsangyang Gyatso ,
2808-503: The NH13 an all-weather road to access Tawang which usually gets disconnected during winter. Pass itself is located at 13,700 feet, but the tunnel will pass through at the height of 10,000 feet. BRO is also improving the road from Sangestar Tso (north of Tawang) to Bum La Pass on India–China Line of Actual Control (disputed parts of McMahon Line ). The tenders for construction were floated in 2018, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid
2916-641: The Sela Pass and entered Tawang in 1935 without permission from Tibet, he was briefly arrested. The Tibetan government lodged a formal complaint against Britain. This drew the attention of the British, who re-examined the Indo-Tibetan border, and attempted to revive the McMahon Line. In November, the British government demanded that Tibet implement the border agreement. This met with resistance from
3024-502: 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
3132-487: 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),
3240-500: 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
3348-615: The British records show that the Tibetans regarded the border agreed in 1914 as being conditional upon China accepting the Simla Convention. Since the British were unable to get China's acceptance, the Tibetans regarded the MacMahon line "invalid". The British did not implement the McMahon Line for over two decades, during which Tawang continued to be administered by Tibet. When the British botanist Frank Kingdon-Ward crossed
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3456-760: 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
3564-588: The Dalai Lama's visit on 8 November 2009 to Tawang Monastery was a monumental event to the people of the region, and the abbot of the monastery greeted him with much fanfare and adulation. As of 2006 the monastery had 400 monks, and the number was reported to be 450 in 2010. Tawang Manuscript Conservation Centre was established in the monastery in August 2006, which has curated 200 manuscripts, and 31 manuscripts have been treated for preservation. In November 2010, it
3672-569: 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
3780-416: 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
3888-979: The Indian Army and Bhutan Army ) in eastern Bhutan via Yabab in India and Trashigang in Bhutan. Located on the northernmost end of NH 13 of Trans-Arunachal Highway network, Tawang is 447.5 kilometres (278.1 mi) from state capital Itanagar and is connected with buses run by APSRTC and private services. Border Roads Organisation (BRO) was tasked in July 2020 to build the strategic road from Lumla west of Tawang in India Trashigang in Bhutan through Sakteng Wildlife Sanctuary which will reduce Guwahati to Tawang by 150 km and enable rapid deployment of troops in eastern Bhutan and in Tawang sector of India–China–Bhutan border . This will be an upgrade of
3996-631: The Lamas of the Tawang Monastery and as result the Tsona Lamas refused to part with some of the sacred texts and records of the Tawang Monastery which were with them. They again took away more books in 1951. Monpas, who belong to the Gelug sect, are the dominant sect of the Kameng region. Many Monpa boys join the monastery and become monks. When young boys join the monastery to train, it is on
4104-482: 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
4212-532: 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
4320-423: 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
4428-735: The Nyingmapa sect, who even tried to invade and take control of Tawang. Hence, when the Tawang monastery was built like a fort structure, a strategic location was chosen from the defense point of view. In 1844, Tawang Monastery had entered into two agreements with the East India Company . One agreement, signed on 24 February, pertained to surrender by the Monpas of their right to the Karlapara Duar in return for an annual fee ( posa ) of Rs 5,000, and another, dated 28 May, related to
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4536-469: The Prince of Lhasa had wandered into Monpa region. People, who went in search of the horse, found the horse grazing at the present location of the monastery. The people of the area then worshipped the horse and the location where it was found and venerated it every year. Eventually, to honour the sacred site, the Tawang Monastery was built at the site. One more legend narrated is about the goddess painted on
4644-585: 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
4752-593: The Shardukpens to abide by any order of the British administration in India in return for an annual fee of Rs 2,526 and seven annas. Tawang officials used to travel almost to the plains of Assam to collect monastic contributions. According to Pandit Nain Singh of the Trignometrical Survey of India , who visited the monastery in 1874–75, the monastery had a parliamentary form of administration, known as
4860-434: The Tawang tract lying south of the Sela Pass when J.P. Mills set up an Assam Rifles post at Dirang Dzong and sent the Tibetan tax-collectors packing. Tibetan protests were brushed aside. However, no steps were taken to evict Tibet from the area north of the pass which contained Tawang town. The situation continued after India's independence from Britain but underwent a decisive change in 1950 when Tibet lost its autonomy and
4968-418: The Tibetan government which implied that China's acceptance of the Simla Convention was a prerequisite to all such concerns. Tibet refused to surrender Tawang, partly because of the importance attached to the Tawang Monastery. In 1938 the British made a move to assert sovereignty over Tawang by sending a small military column under Capt. G.S. Lightfoot to Tawang. The invasion was met with strong resistance from
5076-545: The Tibetan government, a serious protest was lodged against the British Indian government. After the outbreak of the war between China and Japan in 1941, the government of Assam undertook a number of 'forward policy' measures to tighten their hold on the North East Frontier Agency (NEFA) area, which later became Arunachal Pradesh . In 1944 administrative control was extended over the area of
5184-529: 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,
5292-525: 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
5400-631: 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
5508-463: The area. China continues to claim Tawang as its territory. It is situated 448 km north-west of state capital Itanagar at an elevation of approximately 3,048 metres (10,000 ft). It lies to the north of the Tawang Chu river valley, roughly 10 miles (16 km) south of the Line of Actual Control with China . It is the site of a famous Gelugpa Buddhist Monastery . Tawang is inhabited by
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#17327725532615616-504: 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
5724-412: 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
5832-451: 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
5940-444: The blood drawn from the nose of the 5th Dalai Lama, which renders an ethereal "living quality" to the thanka. This thangka image, also known as Dri Devi, was donated to the monastery by the 5th Dalai Lama. The main temple fell into a dilapidated condition and was renovated in 2002 in the traditional Buddhist architectural style. It has been exquisitely decorated with paintings, murals, carvings, sculptures and so forth. The monastery has
6048-415: 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
6156-507: The condition that it is a lifetime commitment. If a monk wishes to leave the monastery, a heavy penalty is levied. According to a past custom, in a family of three sons, the middle son was conscripted to the monastery and in a family of two sons the youngest son was inducted into the monastery. The main Monpa festivals held in the monastery are the Choksar, Losar , Ajilamu, and Torgya. Choksar
6264-551: 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
6372-667: The distance between Dirang and Tawang by 10 km. The Government of India announced the funding for construction of all weather transport tunnel in 2018-19 budget. Construction started in Jan/Feb 2019 and ends by December 2022. The tunnel which is being constructed by the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) will cut the travel time from the Indian Army 's IV Corps headquarter at Tezpur to Tawang by at least 10 km or 1 hour, and it will also help make
6480-598: 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,
6588-401: The entrance to the monastery there is colourful gate structure, known as the Kakaling , which is built in the shape of a "hut-like structure", with side walls built of stone masonry. The roof of the Kakaling features mandalas , while the interior walls have murals of divinities and saints painted on them. A distinctive mural, the ninth mural from the southwest west corner of the southern wall,
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#17327725532616696-404: The establishment of the monastery. In the first legend it is said that location of the present Monastery was selected by a horse which belonged to Merag Lama Lodre Gyatso who was on a mission assigned to him by the 5th Dalai Lama to establish a Monastery. After an intense search, when he failed to locate a suitable place, he retired into a cave to offer prayers seeking divine intervention to choose
6804-475: The existing Malo Road along Manas River (Dangme Chu River in Bhutanse) to National Highway standards, of this 40 km new winding road the 11 km Khitshang Road–Manlo Road stretch from Duksum on Trashiyangtse–Tashigang Road to Bhutan-India border in the east as well Lumla in India to Bhutan-India border already exists, only 10 km of new road needs to be constructed and the rest will be an upgrade of
6912-658: The existing roads. There are proposals to build more roads to connect eastern Bhutan with western Tawang such as Trashigang– Namshu Road, the Chorten Kora – Zemithang Road, road upgrade in Bhutan to Singye Dzong on Bhutan-China border, and an advance landing ground airstrip near Singye Dzong area along with more helipads in this area. Sela Tunnel through Sela Pass is an under-construction road tunnel project to ensure all-weather connectivity between Guwahati in Assam and Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh state of India . The tunnel gets its name from 4170 m (13,700 ft) Sela Pass which this tunnel will cut across and reduce
7020-411: The few monasteries of Tibetan Buddhism that have remained protected from Mao's Cultural Revolution without any damage. Before this war, in 1959, the 14th Dalai Lama had fled from Tibet, and after an arduous journey , crossed into India on 31 March 1959, and had reached Tawang and taken shelter in the monastery for a few days before moving to Tezpur . 50 years later, in spite of strong protests by China,
7128-481: The foundation stone in Feb 2019 to commence the construction. Tawang receives snowfall every year during December–January. There is also a ski lift in town. Tawang is the most famous tourist destination in Arunachal Pradesh. Visitors to Tawang, as is the case with the entire Arunachal Pradesh, require special Inner Line Permit (ILP) issued by the concerned government body and can be obtained from offices based in Kolkata , Guwahati , Tezpur , and New Delhi . Most of
7236-411: The letters of these 125 books are washed in gold. The religious text, Gyentongpa, has letters washed in gold in all its pages. At some stage, some of the sacred scriptures were lost and the reason was attributed to the monks of the Tsona monastery who used to visit Tawang during winter time. In the past, these monks had demanded that the gilded image of the Buddha be gifted to them. This was not accepted by
7344-407: The library consists of two printed books of Tengyur (in 25 volumes), which are commentaries on Buddhist teachings; three sets of Kangyur, the translated version of the canons of Buddhist teachings; and Chanjia Sangbhums in five volumes. Of the three sets of Kangyur, two are handwritten and one is printed. The printed sets are in 101 volumes. One handwritten set has 131 volumes and the other 125 volumes;
7452-416: The main gate, the southern side of the monastery has another entry gate, which also has a massive door. Nearer to the gate, there are two small openings in the wall which provide the complete view of the exterior part of the eastern wall that connects to the Kakaling . According to a legend, the 5th Dalai Lama had given a roll of thread to be bound around the walls of the monastery to denote the extent to which
7560-416: 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
7668-464: 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
7776-543: 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
7884-432: The monastery also have a profusion of thangkas of Buddhist deities and saints. Curtains are suspended over the balcony and these are painted with Buddhist symbols. Within the precincts of the monastery there are residential buildings to accommodate about 700 monks, which now houses 450 monks. The abbot of the monastery resides in a house located near the gate at the southeastern corner of the monastery. A notable feature on
7992-540: The monastery and offer prayers. Torgya , also known as Tawang-Torgya, is an annual festival that is exclusively held in the monastery. It is held according to the Buddhist calendar days of 28th to 30th of Dawachukchipa , which corresponds to 10 to 12 January of the Gregorian calendar , and is a Monpa celebration. The objective of the festival is to ward off evil spirits and ushering all round prosperity and happiness to
8100-413: The monastery at that location in the latter part of 1681. The second legend of the derivation of the name Tawang is linked to Terton Pemalingpa, diviner of treasures. At this location, he is stated to have given "initiations" of Tamdin and Kagyad , which resulted in the name "Tawang". ‘Ta’ is an abbreviated form for "Tamdin" and ‘Wang’ means "initiation". According to the third legend, a white horse of
8208-425: The monastery has valuable old scriptures, mainly Kangyur and Tengyur . The full name of the monastery is Tawang Galdan Namgye Lhatse. Ta means "horse" and wang means "chosen", which together forms the word Tawang , meaning "the location selected by horse". Furthermore, Gadan means "paradise", Namgyal means "complete victory" and Lhatse means "divine". Thus, the full meaning of Tawang Galdan Namgye Lhatse
8316-410: The monastery should be built. The monastery, built like a large mansion, is triple storied with a large assembly hall, ten other functional structures and with 65 residential quarters for students, Lamas and monks. The monastery has a school and its own water supply facility, and a centre for Buddhist cultural studies. The ground floor of the monastery is where ritual dances are performed. The walls of
8424-413: 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
8532-460: 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
8640-433: 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
8748-470: The north and a gently sloping ground on the east. The monastery is entered from the northern direction along a sloping spur, which has alpine vegetation. Nearby Tawang Town , named after the monastery, is well connected by road, rail and air services. Bhalukpong , which is the nearest rail head, is 280 kilometres (170 mi) away by road. Tezpur Airport is the nearest airport at a road distance of 350 kilometres (220 mi). Three legends are narrated to
8856-410: 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
8964-539: The people in the ensuing year. During the three-day festival, dances performed by artists in colorful costumes and masks are held in the courtyard, including the Pha Chan and the Losjker Chungiye , the latter of which is performed by the monks of the monastery. Each dance represents a myth and costumes and masks represent animal forms such as cows, tigers, sheep, monkeys and so forth. Tawang Tawang
9072-653: The perimeter of the Dzong, the Dalai Lama had also given a ball of yarn, the length of which was to form the limit of the monastery. Prior to the dominance of the Gelug sect of Buddhism in Tawang, the Nyingmapa or the Black Hat sect of Buddhism was dominant and this resulted in their hegemony and even hostile approach towards the founder, Merek Lama. This problem was compounded by the Drukpas of Bhutan, who also belonged to
9180-500: 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
9288-401: The site. When he came out of the cave, he found his horse missing. He then went in search of the horse and finally found it grazing at the top of a mountain called Tana Mandekhang, which in the past was the palace of King Kala Wangpo. He took this as a divine and auspicious guidance and decided to establish the monastery at that location. Seeking the help of the local people, Mera Lama established
9396-479: The south-west part of Kameng district. These dzongs not only collect taxes but also preach Buddhism to the Monpas and Sherdukpens of Kameng. The monastery owns cultivable lands in the villages of Soma and Nerguit and a few patches in some other villages which are tilled and cultivated by farmers, who share the produce with the monastery. The present resident head of the monastery is the incarnate Gyalsy Rinpochey. The Dalai Lama also visited Tawang Monastery in 2017. At
9504-566: 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
9612-447: The tracks will be through tunnels and the longest tunnel will be 29.48 km long. This link will reduce the existing 285 km Bhalukpong-Tawang road distance by 119 km, and shorten the road distance. As well as the railway, a 2 lane road highway will also be developed along the rail line. Once completed, further extension plans include a 100 km long western spur to Yongphulla Airport (upgraded by India and jointly used by
9720-515: 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
9828-807: The travel from the plains is on a steep hill road journey, crossing Sela Pass at 4,176 metres (13,701 ft). Tourists can travel to Tawang from Tezpur , Assam by road and Tezpur has direct flights from Kolkata. In Oct 2014, a biweekly helicopter service from Guwahati was started by the Arunachal Pradesh government. Other notable and worth visiting places include: Sela Pass , Bumla, Lumla, Shonga-tser (Madhuri) Lake, PTSO Lake, Zemithang. Nyingmapa 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
9936-546: 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
10044-525: The upgraded ALG in Tawang for the operation of civil helicopter and flights for the tourism and UDAN scheme. The nearest functional civil airports with scheduled flights are the Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport at Guwahati and Salonibari Airport at Tezpur located at a distance of 450 and 325 kilometers, respectively. The nearest existing railway station is at Naharlagun , which
10152-517: 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
10260-409: 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
10368-429: The wall of the front porch on the ground floor is a footprint on a stone slab. It is said that this footprint belonged to a resident of the monastery, who was a water carrier, known as Chitenpa . He served in the monastery for a long time and on one fine day he announced that he had completed his service to the monastery and then stamped his left foot on the stone slab which created a dented formation of his step. This step
10476-405: The whole of the Tawang region and the monastery, to the British. This disputed territory was the bone of contention for the 1962 India China war , when China invaded India on 20 October 1962 from the northeastern border, forcing the Indian army to retreat. They occupied Tawang, including the monastery, for six months, but did not desecrate it. China claimed that Tawang belonged to Tibet. It is one of
10584-407: The wishes of the 5th Dalai Lama , Ngawang Lobsang Gyatso. It belongs to the Gelug school of Vajrayana Buddhism and had a religious association with Drepung Monastery of Lhasa, which continued during the period of British rule . The monastery is three stories high. It is enclosed by a 925 feet (282 m) long compound wall. Within the complex there are 65 residential buildings. The library of
10692-519: 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
10800-495: Was annexed into the newly established People's Republic of China. In February 1951, India sent an official with a small escort and several hundred porters to Tawang and took control of the remainder of the Tawang tract from the Tibetans, removing the Tibetan administration. The Indian efforts were warmly welcomed by the native population as a respite from an oppressive feudal regime. During the Sino-Indian war of 1962, Tawang
10908-582: Was born in Tawang. Tawang was historically under the control of Tibet. During the 1914 Simla Conference , Tibet and British India signed an agreement delineating their common boundary in the Assam Himalaya region, which came to be known as the McMahon Line . By this agreement, Tibet relinquished several hundred square miles of its territory, including Tawang, to the British. The agreement was not recognized by China. According to Tsering Shakya ,
11016-473: Was briefly under Chinese control, but China voluntarily withdrew its troops at the end of the war, and Tawang returned to Indian administration. But China has not relinquished its claims on most of Arunachal Pradesh including Tawang. Tawang town is located approximately 555 kilometres (345 mi) from Guwahati and 320 kilometres (200 mi) from Tezpur . Tawang has an average elevation of 2,669 metres (8,757 ft). Tawang, north of Sela Pass / Tunnel ,
11124-556: Was founded by the Mera Lama Lodre Gyatso in accordance to the wishes of the 5th Dalai Lama , Nagwang Lobsang Gyatso. It belongs to the Gelugpa sect and is the largest Buddhist monastery in India. The name Tawang ( Tibetan : རྟ་དབང་ , Wylie : Rta-dbang ) means "horse chosen". It is said to be the biggest Buddhist monastery in the world outside of Lhasa , Tibet. It is a major holy site for Tibetan Buddhists as it
11232-401: 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
11340-402: 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
11448-472: Was reported that the monastery was threatened by a risk of landslide , with The Times of India reporting "massive landslides around it". Professor Dave Petley of Durham University in the United Kingdom (UK), an acknowledged landslide expert, wrote: "the northern flank of the site appears to consist of a landslide scarp ... The reasons for this are clear – the river, which flows towards the south,
11556-685: Was the birthplace of the sixth Dalai Lama. When the 14th Dalai Lama fled from Tibet to escape from the Chinese army, he crossed into India on 30 March 1959 and spent some days at the Tawang Monastery before reaching Tezpur in Assam on 18 April. In 2007, the Dalai Lama acknowledged that both the Tibetan government and Britain recognized the McMahon Line in 1914. He visited Tawang on 8 November 2009. About 30,000 people, including those from neighbouring Nepal and Bhutan , attended his religious discourse. Tawang Air Force Station has an already functional heliport .The Indian Airforce (IAF) has offered
11664-549: 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
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