sTeng chen rdzong is in Khyung po, north-eastern Tibet. It covers an area of

11,562 square kilometres, of which 110,000 mu is farmland,

11,500 mu pastureland and over 35,000 mu natural forest. It has a population of about 53,000 and consists of

sixteen xiang and sixty-five village

councils.

During the period of the Mongol empire and the Ming dynasty of China, sTeng

chen formed a part of the Sog sde territory. In 1647, it came under the direct

control of the Manchu government. In 1751, it came to be ruled by the Manchu

officials resident in Tibet and in 1916, control was handed over to the Tibetan

government. In 1959 sTeng chen rdzong was established and absorbed into Chab

mdo region. At one point in history it was called Sum pa glang gi gyim shod, a

territory of Zhang zhung sgo pa, which was one of the three provinces of Zhang

zhung called sGo, Phug and Bar.

The story of the Khyung lineage begins with three brothers: lHa lung rgyal,

Khyung Thog la ’bar, and dMu khyung rgyal. Around the 10th century, Shes rab

rgyal mtshan, of the dMu khyung lineage, migrated to Sum pa glang. As the

Khyung lineage prospered there, the place came to be known as Khyung po.

(35) sTeng chen Monastery

The monastery’s full name is sTeng chen dgon gYung drung bstan rgyas gling.

sTeng chen Monastery comes under the administration of the municipality of

sTeng chen and is situated on the hillside to the west of the rdzong. It was founded in 1061 by Khyung dbus Shes rab

rgyal mtshan.

The story of the Khyung lineage is told as follows: A long time ago, a big

Garuda (khyung) flew into a flower garden and there it

produced three crystal-like eggs, from each of which appeared a very

beautiful boy. The eldest was called lHa khyung, the second Thog la ’bar and

the youngest dMu khyung rgyal. The latter had two sons and a daughter, sTag

sgra dun gtsug, dPal gyi gir ti and Khyung bza’ Ye shes mtsho rgyal. The

daughter, Khyung bza’, married Lig mi rgyal, the king of Zhang zhung. Her

elder brother, sTag sgra dun gtsug, flourished in sTeng chen. He had a son

called Gyer nam zur rtse, who had two sons, sTong rgyung rin mo and sTag la

skyes. The former had three sons, Khyung sgom mu langs, Khyung ’phags khra

mo and Khyung sder sngon mo. Khyung sgom mu langs’s son was Khu byug, and

his three sons were sTag pa, Zur dkar ba and mDo bkra ba. sTag pa’s son was

Myes tshab, and he had four sons, sTon pa ’bar, Dam pa Khyung sgom (alias Shes rab sgom), dBen pa ma lugs (alias sTon lug), and Dam pa Khyung dbus (alias

Dad pa rgyal mtshan). sTon pa ’bar’s son was sTon thar, and he had six sons,

sTon sras, Shes rab rgyal mtshan, sTon mnyan Dam pa bang bkra, dPon dge,

dPon dbus and sTon ’bum. The mother of these six was a rGya lady, so they

came to be known as “The Six rGya tsha Brothers” (rGya tsha spun drug). Of

the six brothers, Khyung dbus Shes rab rgyal mtshan was guided by a prophecy

as follows:

“The one who holds the lineage of dBra dkar Khyung po

Must go to mDo khams smad.

The doctrine rises and falls like the sun and the moon,

Even if they fall tonight, they would shine tomorrow.

At the bottom of Sum glang lies rNgu rdzong,

In front of the six magnificent fortresses of crystal.

sTeng chen is situated like the gold fish in a lake,

There is the site for a seat of the Khyung family.

Now go towards that site.

The river of knowledge will wind there,

And the flag of the Khyung lineage will be stable there.”

When Khyung dbus arrived in sTeng chen there was a Chinese man there called

gTsug gtor nyi ma ’brug grags (hereafter, Nyi ma ’brug grags). He was a man

both powerful and learned. He realized that the time had come and that his

was a suitable place to welcome Khyung dbus.

At that time, Khyung dbus was travelling in the places called Khri, rDo, rMa

and La. Nyi ma ’brug grags constructed a throne at Khyung khri thang in rMa

and gave a reception for the lama. Then the lama was invited to go to a

fortress called Khams gsum dbang ’dus. From there he proceeded to sTeng

chen, which he thought corresponded to the description in the prophecy. The

lama first founded two colleges called Kun khyab gling and bsTan rgyas

gling. The first one was for practising meditation according to Sutra and

the second according to Tantra. bsTan rgyas gling produced a series of

eminent monks and Kun khyab gling had tantric practitioners such as Tha yud

wer zhi and the eighteen masters in the Do khung line, who were all

tantrists with long locks.

Nyi ma ’brug grags then offered his adherence to Khyung dbus by telling

him:

“I have my own Chinese culture in China.

I must return to my own country.

I offer you this seat of mine as your abode.

And this large field for which I paid a bowlful of gold,

As a seat for yourself, king of Khyung.

The plateau up there,

Is the place where I play the gold dice.

Make it your royal seat, you, the king.

Below the junction of the three gSer ru valleys,

Above the confluence of the two rivers,

This is the land I, the old China man, bought.

Make it your royal seat, you, the king.

The red rock, which is like a fortress of fire (down there),

Is like a Garuda lying in its nest.

Make it your royal seat, you, the king.

It is there where you should build your fortress and palace…”

And he added,

“The spring of water in rDza dkar so ma,

Is the place for your horse to drink.

All this is given to you, please accept them.”

Khyung dbus replied: “I am simply a monk who has abandoned the family life,

so I would not know how to manage a fortress and be a leader of a community.

If you mean to give your land and fortress to the Khyung family, my

brother’s sons A brla and Nang chen grags pa are at Khyung lung in Zhang

zhung. I hope you will be able to send two messengers with a present from me

to go to Khyung lung.

Then Khyung dbus, as a sign of assurance, gave a dagger with a white haft to

the messengers dispatched by Nyi ma ’brug grags. They called on Khyung A

brla, offered the present and told him why they came to see him. Khyung A

brla consented to come to sTeng chen. He, with the two messengers, travelled

by the southern road. They happily arrived in the land of Khyung po.

Then Khyung dbus and Nyi ma ’brug grags met Khyung A brla. Nyi ma ’brug

grags, having given all the land to Khyung A brla, went back to China

accompanied by his own servants. Khyung dbus and all the people saw him off.

Khyung dbus passed away on the shore of the river rNgul chu after exhibiting

immense miraculous signs of his spiritual accomplishment.

Later Nang chen grags pa paid a visit to China and had an audience with the

emperor. Upon returning to sTeng chen, he fixed his residence at sTeng chen

itself. Thereafter, sTeng chen’s spiritual and temporal laws became very

famous. A brla continued working for the monastery and exhibited signs of

spiritual accomplishment. He finally died at the age of sixty-two. He had

many religious objects of body, speech and mind made.

One of A brla’s four wives, ’Dan bza’, had three sons, Khyung zhig Ye rgyal

ba, dBang rgyal grub and Byang nang pa Byang shes. Ye rgyal ba was an

eminent monk. He practised meditation on Khro bo and Phur pa. Kindling his

divine power, he reinforced his deeds for religious beings. He died at

seventy. A brla’s son bSod nams rgyal mtshan by the lady of Rong was a very

learned man. He possessed awe-inspiring dignity, convincing speech and

foresight, and his reputation spread. He passed away when he was eighty-two.

Drung chen Nam mkha’ rgyal mtshan, another son of A brla by Rong mo za, was

a man with a broad knowledge of Bonpo scriptures. With the great power and

skill obtained from constant meditation on Srid rgyal drel dmar, in

particular, he laboured for sentient beings. At the age of seventy-two, he

died in sTeng chen. From here the offspring of A brla were succeeded as the

head of the monastery by a series of masters:

1. Rin chen rgyal mtshan dar
2. gYung drung rgyal mtshan
3. Rin chen rgyal mtshan
4. bsTan pa’i rgyal mtshan
5. Ye shes rgyal mtshan
6. lHun grub bsod nams dbang rgyal
7. dBang gi rgyal mtshan
8. Yid bzhin rgyal ba
9. rGyal ba don grub
10. Khyung po Blo gros rgyal mtshan
11. Blo ldan snying po (b.1360)
12. Khyung chen Yon tan rin chen
13. Khyung dkar
14. Khyung po A ’je
15. Khyung po rNam rgyal
16. sPyang Be zhu Blo bzang
17. sKyang ’phags Tshe dbang bstan rgyal

Blo ldan snying po, the eleventh, was born of the dBra clan in the lower

part of Khyung po. He received the Oral Tradition, which he wrote down,

filling about fifty-four volumes, including the mDo Dri med

gzi brjid. He is said to have had a five-storey temple built, called

bKra shis ’od ’bar. It had statues of deities of the forty-five vehicles, as

well as the Khams chen nag phran ma written in gold. He

died at forty-seven.

sKyang ’phags Tshe dbang bstan rgyal, the seventeenth, studied at gYung

drung gling Monastery (No.2) and obtained the degree of dge

bshes there. Having thoroughly mastered dozens of subjects, he

received completely perfect teachings of texts and instructions from Lama

rGyal mtshan in sTeng chen. At that time, gTer ston bDe chen gling pa

arrived in sTeng chen. He visited the place called gTer sgrom kha and

prophesied that there would be a monastery there. Since Tshe dbang bstan

rgyal had been given the very same prophecy by sKyabs mgon Zla ba rgyal

mtshan, Tshe dbang bstan rgyal fulfilled the prophecies of the two masters

by uniting the two establishments, gYung drung bstan rgyal gling - the

monastery of Khyung dkar lineage holders in the Upper sTeng chen - and the

one called Kun khyab gling - which had been the abode of eighteen series of

Khyung tantric practitioners - into one and moving them to gTer sgrom kha in

1862.

The new monastery was large with a number of monks. It had over four hundred

households to support it. Moreover, he had over a hundred temples built, of

various sizes. These establishments followed a strict monastic tradition;

assemblies were to be held fifteen times a year. The monastery had many

important visitors, so it became known all over Tibet.

Then, in sTeng chen Monastery, there was the accomplished scholar gYung

grags pa (gYung drung Tshul khrims dbang grags), who had the whole bKa’ ’gyur and bKa’ brten copied to

the best quality and made an excellent catalogue of the collection. After

gYung grags pa, Khyung sprul Tshe dbang g-yung drung followed as the head of

the monastery in 1913. During this time, China and Tibet were at war with

each other which caused the monastery to be burnt down. However, Khyung ser

sga sprul Tshe dbang g-yung drung took the initiative to rebuild it. A large

and splendid temple was built, containing many religious objects. At that

time, bsTan pa, having obtained the degree of dge bshes

in metaphysics in gYung drung gling, returned to his native monastery. When

Nyi ma dbang rgyal, the Thirty-first abbot of sMan ri Monastery (No.1), came

to this monastery, the abbot appointed bsTan pa as head of the monastery.

mKhan po bsTan pa had many religious objects made and did great deeds for

sentient beings.

Before 1959, there were about 180 monks in sTeng chen Monastery. At present

there are sixty-one monks, led by the following: the abbot, rGya mtsho nor

bu, who is thirty-three years old in 1998; the chanting conductors, ’Chi med

g-yung drung and bsTan pa tshul khrims; and the disciplinarians, bSod nams

bkra shis and sNying rje bstan ’dzin. There are, in fact, no more than

fourteen who reside permanently in the monastery.

As daily activities, in the morning the monks recite the rtsa rlung prayer. Then they perform the bsang

purification ritual and the water offering based on the bDud

rtsi chu rgyun and the rTsis ’go bdun pa.

Other rituals that the monks perform on different occasions are based on the

texts sMon lam mtha’ yas, ’Dul

chog (during the summer retreat), Ma tri, rNam rgyal and mKha’ klong gsang

mdos. They also perform rituals for wrathful deities, gShed dmar,

Khro bo and the propitiation of the religious protectors.

The mountain behind the monastery is called Brag dmar ri ’dus, the abode of

the local deity Rin chen ’bar ba, and at its left are those called gZi yar

sku, Mar sku and Gong rgyal. In front of the monastery is the holy mountain

known as Ri rtse drug.

The monks’ main source of income is religious services in the neighbouring

villages of Ye tha, which have a population of more than 3,200 farmers and

nomads, in over 500 households. For these services the people customarily

pay the monks from five to twenty yuan a day.

(36) sTeng chen Hermitage

This is a hermitage that lies to the east of sTeng chen Monastery, less than

a stone’s throw away.

The hermitage has a large temple of magnificent design. The main religious

objects are the reliquary stupa of sMon lam rgyal mtshan at the centre,

another reliquary stupa of Me ston Nyi ma rgyal mtshan to the right and that

of Tshul khrims rgyal mtshan to the left. There is also an old thangka of

the Twelve Deeds of sTon pa gShen rab.

Before 1959, there were about fifty monks in this hermitage. Presently there

are two lamas, lHun grub rgya mtsho and Yon tan rgya mtsho, and the chanting

conductor, bKra shis dbang ’dus. It is considered to be a branch of dGyes ri

Monastery in Kongpo.

With regard to the main daily activities, in the morning the monks perform

the bsang ritual and the water offering; at midday they

recite the mantra of the tutelary deities; and in the evening, they chant

the bKa’ skyong.

Every year, in the fourth Tibetan month, from the 23rd to the 30th day, the

monks perform the Cho ga bcu gnyis ritual. From the fifth month to the end

of the sixth month, the ritual of rNam rgyal is performed. In the ninth

month, from the 21st to the 30th day, they perform the dgu

gtor rite based on deities, sometimes Yi dam Dran pa drag po and

other times the goddess Srid pa rgyal mo.

(37) Ko bo Monastery

Ko bo Monastery is under the administration of the sTeng chen villages. It

is about nine kilometres from the rdzong. It lies on a small hill west of the rdzong

and access to it is difficult.

This monastery was founded by Ko bo Ye shes rgyal mtshan in 1408. It is

below the sacred mountain - the abode of the local deity ’Jag rgyal smug po

- which is on the highland between the rivers rNgul chu and rDza chu in

Khams.

The line of masters of the monastery is as follows:

1. Ko bo Ye shes rgyal mtshan
2. Zla grags Rin chen rgyal mtshan
3. Zla grags Rin chen dpal bzang
4. Zla grags Nyi ma ’od zer
5. Zla grags Tshul khrims dbang rgyal
6. Ha Rinpoche
7. Zla grags Rin chen phun tshogs

Main Religious Activities

1. In the first Tibetan month, from the 3rd day, annual activities

   begin with the commemoration of mNyam med Shes rab rgyal mtshan. The

   monks perform the ceremony based on the Klong

   rgyas, as well as chanting the Bla ma mchod

   pa and the ’Tshogs ’don. The ritual cycle

   of Phur pa is performed while two monks perform that of Ge khod

   separately.

2. In the second month, on the 24th day, the commemoration of Zla

   grags is celebrated with the ceremony based on the rNam dag and Klong rgyas. On the 27th

   day there is a recitation of the ’Tshogs ’don.

   The monks practise silent reading of the Khro bo

   and the Ma tri rin chen sgron ma. On the same

   occasion they make offerings to the klu

   spirits.

3. In the fifth month, on the 29th day, the summer ritual (dbyar sgrub) begins. There is a ritual of A dkar

   and a performance of the sDe brgyad bzlog mdos.

   Besides these, the bsKang ’bum is chanted. In the

   gNas brtan lha khang, two monks chant the gNas brtan

   bcu drug, a rediscovery of Sangs rgyas gling pa. The dbyar sgrub is adjourned on the 6th day of the

   sixth month.

4. In the sixth month, on the 7th and 8th days, there are religious

   dances. On the 9th day, all the laity and clerics come, making the

   circumambulation called ’bum bskor. The zhi khro and gsol kha rituals

   are performed during the day, the bKa’ skyong in

   the evening and the bsKangs ’bum during the

   night.

5. During the Summer retreat (dbyar gnas) there

   is a recitation of Sutra, such as the mDo dri

   med.

6. In the tenth month, on the 23rd day, the ritual cycle of Khro bo

   is performed according to the local tradition, as well as the ceremony

   of the Yab sras tshogs ’khor. The chanting of the

   bsKangs ’bum by two monks takes place

   separately. On the 29th day, there is a religious dance and the gtor rgyag ceremony. On the 30th day, the

   gathering is adjourned.

As there are many great and complete murals in the assembly hall and at

the porch of Ko bo Monastery, I shall give here the names of the main

deities and some remarks concerning their iconography.

The four great local deities (gnyan chen sde

bzhi):

1. rMa chen sPom ra: a deity riding on a white horse
2. Thang lha Yar bzhur: a deity riding on a red horse
3. Ti se: a deity riding on a snow lion
4. Yar lha Sham po: a deity riding on a dragon

The local deities of the holy mountains surrounding Ko bo Monastery:

1. sMug po ri btsun (alias Brag btsan thog rgod

   ’bar ma): a goddess with one head, two arms and a red body. She holds

   a white conch in her right hand and a gem in her left. Wearing a black

   hat on her head, she is mounted on a black horse.

2. Rin chen ’bar ba, the proprietor of Mount Rin chen ’bar ba: a

   deity with a red body, one head and two arms. Mounted on a black

   horse, he exhibits a terrifying air.

3. ’Ga’ rgyal Rin chen spungs: a deity with a white body, one head

   and two arms. He holds a lance with a flag fastened to it in his right

   hand and a gem in his left. Mounted on a blue horse, he has an air of

   bravery.

4. sPen ne ri bkra: a deity with a white body, one head and two arms.

   Dressed in a king’s garment, he holds a gem in his right hand and a

   lance with a flag fastened to it in his left. He is mounted on a

   light-bay stallion.

5. Jo mo g-yu rtse: a goddess with a white body, one head and two

   arms. She holds a lance with a flag fastened to it in her right hand

   and a vase in her left. Mounted on an antelope, she has a peaceful

   appearance.

6. Ri dmar dBu lha btsan rgod: a deity with one head, two arms and a

   conch-like white body. He holds a lance with a flag fastened to it in

   his right hand and a gem in his left. Clad in a king’s garment, he

   rides a red horse.

7. dMag dpon rTa rgod ’bar ba: a deity with a white body, one head

   and two arms. His right hand is clenched in a fist and in his left

   hand he holds a gem. Standing on a blazing fire, he shows extreme

   bravery.

8. sTag lo kha yan: a goddess with a yellow body, one head and two

   arms. She holds a sword in her right hand and a gem in her left.

   Mounted on a tigress, she is in an extreme rage.

9. rDzong dmar: a deity with a red body, one head and two arms. He

   holds a lance with a flag fastened to it in his right hand and a lasso

   in his left. Riding a reddish-brown horse, he is in a rage.

10. Grogs rdis Nor skyong dpal ldan: a deity with a white body, one

    head and two arms. He holds a vase in his right hand and a gem in his

    left. Clad in a nomad’s garment, he sits peacefully on a

    cushion.

11. Rag pa g-yu rtse: a deity with a blue body, one head and two arms.

    He holds a lance with a flag fastened to it in his right hand and a

    gem in his left. Riding a light-bay stallion, he exhibits an air of

    bravery.

12. sTag thus bon mtshan: a deity with a blue body, one head and two

    arms. He clenches his right hand while holding a vase in his

    left.

13. sTag thus bon rgan: a deity with a white body, one head and two

    arms. He holds his hands in the manner of a meditating monk.

14. rTa sgo: a deity with a white body, one head and two arms. He

    holds a drum in his right hand and a flat gold bell in his left.

    Riding a divine yak, he exhibits an air of dignity.

15. Gangs rgyal: a deity with a white body and plaited hair. He has

    one head and two hands. His right hand holds a lance with a flag

    fastened to it and the other holds a gem. He is mounted on a light-bay

    stallion.

There are also murals of the thirteen mGur lha:

1. gNyan rje Gong sngon, mounted on a red Garuda
2. gTsang lha Bye yug, on a white horse
3. Srog lha Gangs dkar, on a yellow gander
4. sGyog chen sDong ra, on a divine white yak
5. ’Brong nam Yang rtse, on a blue buffalo
6. Dung lha Byang rtse, on a red horse
7. lCog lha Tshal rtse, on a blue dragon
8. lHa ri gYu rtse, on a yellow deer
9. sPom ra Nag po, on a black mule
10. ’Gyu chen lDong khram, on a red mule
11. dByig chen Ra rngam, on a white horse
12. Ba ru Ser glang, on a white ox
13. ’Bri chen sDong ra, on a red horse

The twelve brTan ma goddesses, the guardians of the Bon religion:

1. Kong btsun De mo, mounted on a tigress
2. Gangs dkar Sha med, on a yellow gander
3. rMa ting ’Phrul mo, on a white horse
4. sKyi mthing Ya ma, on a sorrel yak
5. Ma btsun ’Brog chen, on a blue ox
6. rMa ri Rab khyams, on a blue horse
7. lHa ri Ya ma, on a light-bay horse
8. sKyi mthing Nag mo, on a blue deer
9. Gangs kyi gYu sgron, on a blue parrot
10. Ka ga Ser mo, on an antelope (Hodgson’s)
11. Kha rag Khyung btsun, on a black mule
12. gDa’ la bTsun mo, on a deer

Ko bo Monastery has, moreover, a magnificent mural of ’Ol mo lung ring.

People of different countries call it by different names: bDe ba can by

the people of U rgyan, Mi ’gyur g-yung drung can by the people of Shar

gling, dBang bsgyur ’khor lo can by the people of Byang gling, Me tog

bkod pa can by the people of Nub gling, and Yid bzhin bkod pa can by the

people of ’Dzam gling.

Further, it was named Sham bha la by the Indian people, Mu khyud gter gyi

gling by the Chinese people, dBang ldan ’khor lo gling by the people of

Za hor, Gar ma gar shom spro by the people of Yu gur, ’Gyur med ’od ma

tshal by the people of Bru sha, Kha la g-yu gshog by the people of Kha

che, dPag bsam ljon pa’i gling by the people of Li bal, Nub byang rtag

gzigs khyim gyi yul by the people of Zhang zhung, Nub phyogs ’Ol mo lung

ring or ’Od mo gling by the people of Tibet, rTag gzigs ga sho nor gyi

gling by the people of Mon yul, and dMu yul ’phyo ba gling by the people

of ’Jang.

At present there are two lamas in this monastery, Zla grags Rin chen phun

tshogs, who is fifty-eight, and Bla chung mKhyen rab rgya mtsho, who is

twenty-two in 1998. There are two abbots, dGe legs tshul khrims and rNam

rgyal gtsug phud. There are more than eighty monks. In the vicinity of

the monastery there are over three hundred households. The population of

this area is about 3,500.

The main source of income for the monks is the religious services they

perform in villages. The lamas of high rank are customarily paid from

fifty to one hundred yuan a day and the common monks

from ten to twenty yuan a day.

The location and murals of this monastery possess special qualities that

distinguish it from other Bonpo monasteries. This monastery is now

undergoing significant restoration and enlargement.

(38) Ka legs gYung drung gling Monastery

Ka legs dgon gYung drung gling is under the administration of the sTeng chen

villages. From sTeng chen rdzong, travelling about twelve kilometres

westward on the highway, we reach the village of Ra khrom. After crossing a

small bridge, a walk of more than half an hour in a south-westerly direction

leads us to the monastery. Situated on a hill and surrounded by a number of

holy mountains, it lies to the east of the Four Great Sacred Places of

Tibet, south of the Thang lha range, on the highland between the rivers

rNgul chu and rDza chu, and near sTeng chen Monastery (No.35). It was the

place where sPrul sku Blo ldan snying po received the mDo

Dri med gzi brjid as an oral tradition and wrote it down.

The monastery was first supported by benefactors gSas sar Nam mka’ g-yung

drung, the owner of the land, ’Be ru bon srung and sTag rtsa rGyal mtshan.

The Shel masters played an important role in the monastery. The origin of

the Shel lineage is as follows: long ago in China, there was a man called

Kun dga’ ’od ’phro. He lived amidst flowers in an ocean that emitted lights.

He miraculously produced a white crystal egg from which a little man

appeared. He had turquoise hair and a white chin-tuft; he was dressed in

white silk and was holding a lotus. He was found by the king of China, who

called him Zing ba mthu chen. He became a prelate in the court and came to

have the name Legs tang mang po. bSam gtan rgyal mtshan, one of his

descendants, migrated to Tibet, where he subdued many gods and demons. He

was followed by Khro bo rgyal mtshan and Zhig chung Nam mkha’ mtha’

bral.

In 1454, Yag snya bSod nams rgyal mtshan founded the monastery at gYang ra

brag rtsar. He named the monastery Ka legs gYung drung gling. He raised

funds for the commemoration of the great master mNyam med Shes rab rgyal

mtshan and made sure that the rituals he established in the monastery

closely followed the teachings of the master. There were only seven monks,

including the lama Tshe dbang rgyal mtshan of rDzogs mda’ and Tshul khrims.

There was a complete set of religious objects and implements for making

offerings, such as the gandi, a drum, a stone gong and

a conch. There was also the tradition of studying the tshad

ma logic.

In 1564, reasons for moving the monastery to a new place arose. The old site

was small and unsafe. So, in the time of lHun grub rgya mtsho, a discussion

was held among all the laity and clergy and it was agreed that the monastery

should be moved to Ka bzos sribs. It was therefore rebuilt and the religious

objects of body, speech and mind were installed. Celebrations and the study

of the tshad ma logic were re-established. There were

about twenty-five monks at that time and the monastery became known even

among the people of Amdo and rGyal rong.

There was a series of masters as the head of the monastery:

1. ’Gro mgon bsTan pa ’brug grags
2. lHun grub bzhi
3. gYung drung mi zhig rdo rje
4. Yid bzhin rgyal ba tshul khrims
5. bSod nams ye shes
6. Tshul khrims rgyal mtshan
7. Zla ba grags
8. Phun tshogs rgyal mtshan
9. bsTan ’dzin grags pa
10. Nyi ma bstan rgyal
11. gYung drung rgyal mtshan

However, in 1914, the Tibetan troops led by the commander rTa nag (who were

of dGe lugs pa obedience), came to the area and they began to murder many of

the local people. They also completely burned the monastery. Phun tshogs

bstan ’dzin grags pa (1888-1954) and his three disciples, Nyi ma grags pa,

bsTan pa’i rgyal mtshan and gYung drung rgyal ba, could no longer live

there. They left for Hor where there were benefactors of the Bon

religion.

The teacher Phun tshogs bstan ’dzin grags pa was a capable physician. He was

able to cure illnesses of man and animal, and prevent epidemics.

At that time, there was, in sTeng chen, the famous governor-general of Hor,

Grags pa rnam rgyal. He assigned A drung to the restoration of the monastery

and sent him to Hor in order to bring back the above-mentioned monks. The

governor-general ordered the chief of dKar ru and his people to provide

labour, as well as to transport the timber that was needed.

In 1914, Phun tshogs bstan ’dzin grags pa himself laid the foundation of the

main hall. He maintained the monastic tradition of sMan ri as was

established by mNyam med Shes rab rgyal mtshan. He also established the

study of the five minor and five major sciences, the summer and winter

festivals for fifteen days each and the dgu gtor rite

based on Khro bo and Phur pa, as well as the chanting of the bKa’ skyong.

There were two gilt-bronze stupas in the form of gYung drung bkod legs and a

statue of rNam rgyal as tall as a two-storey house. He also had new copies

of the bKa’ ’gyur and bKa’ brten

made and obtained new offering implements, as well as having thangka made.

New monk quarters were built. At that time, there were more than seventy

monks in the monastery.

A reliquary gilt-bronze stupa of Phun tshogs bstan ’dzin grags pa

(1888-1954) as tall as a two-storey house was made.

A prayer for a quick birth of his reincarnation was offered, in consequence

of which his reincarnation was born in 1956. In the process of searching for

the reincarnation, Ka legs Monastery made offerings of twelve thousand

sacrificial cakes (tshogs) to the tutelary deity Phur

pa and to the protective deities. It was known that the reincarnation

himself said, “I am going to Ka legs”, and showed many miraculous signs,

which were actually heard by the attendant monks. The father of the

reincarnation, who was called Tshang stobs rgyal mtshan, belonged to the

lineage in which Me ston Shes rab ’od zer in Yar ’brog was born and the

mother belonged to the lineage of Zhig po. At that time there were about

seventy monks in the monastery. Among them were Rin chen tshul khrims, bsTan

pa rgyal mtshan, Ye shes dbang ldan and bZod pa mthar phyin, who were all

very learned, having studied logic and Sanskrit, as well as being

accomplished in meditation according to the Oral Tradition of Zhang

zhung.

In short, this monastery has experienced rises and falls in the course of

its own history, but it had the capacity to produce a series of eminent

monks who were able to uphold the Bon doctrine and it is one of the oldest

and important Bonpo monasteries.

The monastery is surrounded by the following sacred sites: Sa yi brag ri

sgor mo, where the mDo Dri med gzi brjid was written

down by Blo ldan snying po; Sa sho mda’, where there

is the self-risen Ma tri mantra and swastika; bDe chen

lha ri gnam rdzong; Chu na ma; and the holy mountain Dong rdzong smug po

mched brgyad, regarded as the site blessed by Dran pa nam mkha’ and his son

Tshe dbang rig ’dzin. There is a place called gYang ra nang, which was the

previous site of the monastery.

Before 1959, there were seventy monks in the monastery. At present there are

sixty-two, including the lama Tshe dbang stobs rgyal. Rituals are performed

according to the old custom, and all the religious objects, murals and the

like in the assembly hall are kept in reasonably good condition.

(39) sMon rgyal bla brang

This is a residence of an important lineage and is under the administration

of the sTeng chen villages. It is located four kilometres to the south of

the rdzong. It was established in 1842 by Nam mkha’

dbang. Before 1959, there were seven monks in the residence. At present

there are no more than seven monks and a lama. It is very limited in scale,

and in poor condition in every respect.

(40) Nag ru Monastery

The monastery is usually known as Nag ru dgon bSam gtan gling.

From sTeng chen rdzong, travelling three kilometres

eastward on the highway, turning right, then southward to cross a bridge and

travelling another five kilometres, we reach lHa mthong village, which lies

at the foot of a mountain. It takes an hour on foot to reach the monastery

from the village, climbing up the mountain behind the monastery. There is

another route that leads to it from its front side.

Nag ru Monastery was founded in 1751 by Li shu stag ring. The present lamas

are Pad ma kun legs and gYung drung grags pa. Before 1959, there were 105

monks in the monastery. At present there are forty.

The successive heads of the monastery were as follows:

1. mTha’ zhu bDud ’dul sprul sku
2. bZod pa
3. Pad ’byung
4. sTag dbang
5. Grags sdis
6. gYung drung grags pa
7. Pad ma kun legs

The main religious object of this monastery was the gilt-bronze statue of Li

shu stag ring. There were also statues of the four deities Srid rgyal, bTsan

and bDud. The monastery obviously followed the tradition of sMan ri

Monastery (No.1).

The monastery is surrounded by the following sacred sites: The mountain

behind the monastery is called rDzong gseb, whose proprietor is Ba lha

btsan. There are caves regarded as those of Dran pa nam mkha’, sTag la me

’bar and gShen gSang ba ’dus pa, and footprints of a hawk, a falcon and a

wolf.

As daily activities, in the morning the monks recite the ’Tshogs ’don and perform the bsang ritual, at

midday the ritual texts of dBal gsas, and in the evening those of Byams ma

and sTag la.

The monastery performs the following annual services:

1. In the first Tibetan month, from the 1st to the 3rd day, they recite

   the Klong rgyas.

2. In the fourth month, from the 13th to the 16th, they recite the bDe shegs bsdus pa.
3. In the fifth month, from the 26th to the 29th day, there is the

   commemoration of an abbot.

4. In the ninth month, from the 22nd to the 29th day, they perform the

   dgu gtor rite.

For the main source of income, the monks and lamas must go out to perform

religious services in villages, which comes to no more than ten yuan every four days.

This monastery has fallen into decay. At present the only religious objects

are two masks and two drums, one big and one small.

(41) Zhe nang Monastery

The monastery’s full name is Zhe nang dgon gYung drung dpal ri.

From sTeng chen rdzong, Zhe nang Monastery is reached

by travelling three kilometres eastward on the highway and another eight

kilometres along the waterway on the left. It is located to the west of the

river Zhe zhung, in front of the mountain Gangs chen dbang po. It is a place

of beauty and interest, surrounded by glorious forest-covered mountains, and

the harmonious singing of birds is heard.

This monastery was founded in 1735 by Bru zhig Yon tan rgya mtsho. It was

the seat of the Khyung sprul series. Later it was maintained by the hermits

gYung dga’ Rinpoche and rNal ’byor bZod pa Rinpoche. The latter undertook

its renovation.

The lineage of Khyung sprul starts with the sage Kun dkar ’Od ldan and then

later continued as follows:

1. gYu sgra snying po
2. Shes rab blo ldan
3. Grags pa rgyal mtshan
4. lHun grub rgyal mtshan
5. gYung drung phun tshogs
6. gYung drung bstan ’dzin phun tshogs
7. Gangs rgyal who was four years old in 1998

Around the monastery are the following sacred mountains: Mount Gangs chen

dbang po, regarded as the abode of Dran pa nam mkha’ and his twin sons Tshe

dbang rig ’dzin and Pad ma ’byung gnas, is situated at the back of the

monastery; to its right is Mount gYag se, to the left, Ra mdung, and in

front, sPen ne ri bkra. There are also the two lakes of sPas thang mtsho,

the large and the small.

The monastery has the following religious objects: a relic of sTon pa gShen

rab as big as a hen’s egg, a conch made of his teeth and a tooth of bZod pa

Rinpoche. Before 1959, there were 130 monks in the monastery. At present,

there is the lama ’Chi med rig ’dzin and more than eighty monks.

(42) Zhu tshang Monastery

Zhu tshang Monastery is in lNga stod village, sPa zla xiang. The xiang lies seventy-six kilometres

west of sTeng chen rdzong. To reach lNga stod village, a further ten

kilometres of difficult driving northward is required.

This monastery was founded by bsTan ’dzin grags pa in 1567. Before 1959,

there were sixty monks in the monastery. At present there are sixty-one.

There used to be three lamas, but now only one. The condition of this

monastery is reasonably good in many respects, like the assembly hall, the

temple and the religious objects. The main source of income is, as with

other Bonpo monasteries, the performance of religious services in

villages.

(43) Ri dmar Monastery

Ri dmar Monastery is in Wang khog village, Khri rdo xiang.

From the rdzong, after travelling sixty-five

kilometres westward on the highway, another two-hours eastward and towards

the mountain pass is required to reach Wa khog village.

This monastery was founded by Shel rgya Shel zhig dbu dkar in 1573. Before

1959, there were eighty monks in the monastery. At present there are no more

than twenty monks and one lama. The temple and religious objects of this

monastery are in a somewhat poor condition. They have no source of income

other than the religious services the monks perform in villages.

(44) sGang ru Monastery

The monastery is known as sGang ru dgon Dar rgyas. It is situated to the

east of Srib mda’ village in Khri rdo xiang. From the

rdzong to Khri rdo xiang is a

distance of sixty-five kilometres along the main road.

From there, it is five kilometres further to Srib mda’ village.

This monastery was founded by Rin chen bstan ’dzin in 1310. Before 1959,

there were eighty-seven monks in the monastery. At present there are

fifty-six monks and one lama.

(45) Be sgo Monastery

Be sgo Monastery is situated in gTam stod village, in gTam stod xiang, which lies to the south of sTeng chen rdzong. It is a distance of forty-five kilometres from the rdzong to the xiang. As there is no

road, the monastery is extremely difficult to reach.

This monastery was founded by dBal ’bar stag slag in 1590. Before 1959,

there were seventy monks in the monastery and now there are

twenty-eight.

(46) rGya sgo Monastery

rGya sgo Monastery stands within gTam stod village, gTam stod xiang. From the rdzong, gTam stod

xiang is reached by travelling forty-five kilometres

northward, which, however, is very difficult because of the absence of a

road to the xiang.

This monastery was founded by bSam gtan tshul khrims in 1869. Before 1959,

there were twenty monks in the monastery. At present there are fifty monks

and one lama. The condition of the assembly hall, temple and religious

objects remains good. Rituals and services have been preserved as they used

to be.

(47) gNam steng Monastery

The seat of gNam steng Monastery is a place called gZi, which lies to the

south-west of gTam stod village in gTam stod xiang.

gTam stod xiang is reached by travelling

forty-five kilometres southward from the rdzong. To

reach gZi, it is necessary to travel ten more kilometres in a south-westerly

direction from gTam stod village, which is very difficult because there is

no road.

This monastery was founded by sMon lam ’od zer in 1496. Before 1959, there

were twenty-one monks in the monastery. At present there are thirteen monks

and one lama. The assembly hall, temple and religious objects of this

monastery are in poor condition.

(48) dMu g-yad Monastery

dMu g-yad Monastery is located to the south-east of gNu khug village in gTam

stod xiang. It is a distance of forty-five kilometres

from the rdzong to gTam stod xiang.

From the xiang, the monastery is reached by

travelling four kilometres in a south-easterly direction. As there is no

road to this xiang, it is very difficult to reach the

monastery.

This monastery was founded by Kun dga’ rgyal mtshan in 1910. Before 1959,

there were forty-five monks in the monastery. At present it is taken care of

by seventeen monks and one lama, who maintain the time-honoured customs of

Bonpo rituals and services. The assembly hall, temple and religious objects

are in reasonably good condition. The monks have no source of income other

than performing religious services in villages and support from each

household.

(49) Yang rdzong Monastery

The location of Bya ze Yang rdzong Monastery is east of Kha thang village in

a place called Bya ze which is in Ser tsha xiang. From

the rdzong, it is reached by driving forty-five

kilometres in a north-westerly direction.

This is a magnificent monastery. It was founded by Khyung po ’Bum rgyal

grags pa in 1413. sPrul sku Blo ldan snying po came to this monastery and he

is said to have been aided by the local deities in his efforts to improve

the monastery. By miraculous means, he constructed the

magnificently-designed main hall on top of the high craggy hill. It had many

sacred objects.

Before 1959, there were 350 monks in the monastery. Now there are seventy

monks and three lamas.

(50) Tsha ne Hermitage

This hermitage is located to the east of Ru pha village in Ser tsha xiang. From sTeng chen rdzong, Ser

tsha xiang is reached by driving forty-five kilometres

in a north-westerly direction. Travelling another three kilometres eastward

from the xiang one reaches Ru pha village.

The hermitage was established by Shes rab phun tshogs in 1838. Before 1959,

there were ten hermits in the hermitage; now there are five.

(51) Ma rdzong Monastery

Ma rdzong Monastery is situated to the west of ’Bu tshab village in Ser tsha

xiang. It is a distance of forty-five kilometres

from the rdzong to Ser tsha xiang.

From there to ’Bu tshab village is a further five kilometres. As there is a

road, it is reasonably convenient for cars to reach the village.

This monastery was founded by gYung rgyal in 1774. Before 1959, there were

forty-five monks in the monastery. At present there are twenty-one monks and

one lama.

The temple and religious objects of the monastery look reasonably good.

Similar to other Bonpo monasteries, the monks have no means of earning a

living other than performing religious services in villages and gathering

support from their own parents and relatives.

(52) Phug leb Monastery

Phug leb Monastery is situated to the west of ’Bu tshab village in Ser tsha

xiang. Ser tsha xiang is

forty-five kilometres north-west of the rdzong. ’Bu

tshab village is five kilometres from the xiang. As

there is a road, it is a relatively convenient trip.

This monastery was founded by Khyung po ’Bum chen in 1413. Before 1959,

there was one lama and two hundred monks in the monastery. At present there

are twenty-one monks and one lama. This monastery, being one of the centres

of the Khyung lineage, follows the old school of Bonpo tradition. The

assembly hall, temple and monks’ cells are elegantly made on a grand scale,

and it has a great number of statues of sTon pa gShen rab, Dran pa nam

mkha’, sTag la me ’bar and rNam rgyal. There are many books of excellent

quality.

Like all other Khyung po monasteries, rituals and services are held many

times a year. Various aspects of this monastery, such as the temple and

religious objects, are kept in relatively good condition.

(53) Kha spungs Nunnery

Kha spungs Nunnery is located in Kha spungs village in Ga ngad xiang. From sTeng chen rdzong, travelling more than

eighty kilometres westward on the main road and then more than ten

kilometres further northward, one reaches Kha spungs village, in the

south-east part of which lies Kha spungs Nunnery.

The nunnery was founded by Tshul khrims dbang mo in 1928. Before 1959, there

was the head nun and twenty-two other nuns in the nunnery. At present there

are twenty. The assembly hall, temple and the religious objects of the

nunnery are in fairly good condition. The activities, such as annual

religious services, have been successively preserved. As the nunnery has no

property, for their living the nuns must receive support from their own

families and earn money giving religious services in villages.

(54) Mar khu Monastery

Mar khu Monastery is located to the west of Ngas pa village in Ga ngad xiang, sTeng chen rdzong. From the

rdzong, Ga ngad xiang is

reached by travelling more than eighty kilometres westward on the main road

and then more than ten kilometres northward. Ngas pa village is a further

five kilometres from the xiang and the monastery lies

to the west of the village.

This monastery was established by lHun grub rgyal mtshan in 1691. Before

1959, there were thirty-nine monks in the monastery; now there are

twenty-five. The condition of the assembly hall, temple and religious

objects is reasonably good. The monks perform the bsang

ritual every morning and other rituals every evening. Their source of income

is the same as other small Bonpo monasteries.

(55) rTse drug Monastery

rTse drug Monastery is situated in Sa sgang xiang in

sTeng chen rdzong. Travelling thirty kilometres in a

south-easterly direction from the rdzong, one reaches

the foot of the hill on which rTse drug Monastery is located. It is a two

hour’s traverse on horseback from the west side of the hill up to rTse drug

Monastery at the top.

All around the monastery is a land of great beauty where birds, big cuckoos

and small ’jon mo, are heard singing. Along the

mountains and gorges stretching right and left, there are many legends woven

around Ge sar, the King of Gling, and Seng lcam ’brug mo, his wife. There

are also numerous tales of the local deities.

The monastery was founded by Blo ldan snying po in 1383. It is one of the

places blessed by innumerable sages and is often called Shel le rdzong drug.

Its formal name is Shel brag gShen bstan Dri med gling. It is regarded as

one of the five holy places in the world:

“Ri bo rtse lnga, abode of the mkha’ ’gro in China,

rTsa ra’i tsha khang, abode of the mkha’ ’gro in

India,

Me tog spungs mdzes, abode of the mkha’ ’gro in O rgyan,

Bho di, abode of the mkha’ ’gro in Shambhala,

Shel le rdzong drug, abode of the mkha’ ’gro in

Tibet…”

“The hill at the back looks like an elephant lying,

With a gem held in its mouth.

The hill to the right looks like the rising moon,

With little stars in the sky.

The hill to the left looks like a snow lion leaping,

With turquoise mane on its chin.

The mountain range looks like white silk spread…”

The monastery is surrounded by many marvelous signs and self-grown objects.

Beneath the heap of boulders in front, there is a footprint of sTon pa gShen

rab the length of a cubit, which is still visited by devotees. At the back

of the monastery is a self-grown statue of rGyal ba rgya mtsho, a miraculous

foot print of sTon pa ’Chi med gtsug phud and the self-grown letters A and

Ma as evidence of teachings of Buddha having been spread. On a rock regarded

as the throne of Bla chen Dran pa nam mkha’ there is a self-grown swastika

and a self-grown letter A. To the left of the craggy hill is a self-grown

statue of the mkha’ ’gro Seng gdong ma. In front of the

monastery there is a cemetery called Dul khrod bsil ba gling. Beside it is a

large rock resembling a human lying on his back; it is regarded as the seat

the mkha’ ’gro Seng gdong ma.

On the surface of a boulder is a verse that Sangs rgyas gling pa wrote with

his fingers, as if he were drawing in mud:

“All the virtuous work that I have accomplished

with my body, speech and mind in sincerity,

I share it with the sentient beings of the three realms,

May it aid them all to purify all their misdeeds, and

Rapidly obtain Buddhahood, endowed with three perfect bodies!”

On the surface of another boulder within an arrow’s range, there are the

self-risen letters Ya, Ra, Kha, Sru and A, which can actually be seen. On

the surface of the high crag Bon ri, there are clear footprints and letters,

around which is a self-grown statue of Khro bo gTso mchog mkha’ ’gyings and

a statue and a mandala of Sangs rgyas sman bla. Moreover, in rTa rgyas rdzong, there is a cave of Gyim tsha rma chung with a

spring in the middle of it, a self-grown conch on the peak of Shel brag dri

med dngos dga’, and caves of Dran pa nam mkha’, Tshe dbang rig ’dzin, Padma

’byung gnas and Blo ldan snying po.

Blo ldan snying po, founder of the monastery, was of the dBra clan. He was

born in 1360 in Khyung po. From childhood he naturally displayed cleverness

and dexterousness unlike other children. He quickly mastered writing and

reading. He was such a miraculous one that he inspired awe and respect in

the minds of the people at the first sight of him. He met the scholar Rin

chen blo gros, and in his presence took monastic vows and was given the name

dBra btsun Nam mkha’ rin chen. He became an eminent scholar versed in Sutra,

Tantra and Mind.

In a vision, he received an oral transmission, which he wrote down, filling

fifty-five volumes. They are about the Bon doctrine and the deeds of sTon pa

gShen rab, such as the following works on Sutra: Dri med gzi

brjid in twelve volumes, mTshan mdo in six

volumes, lHun po brtsegs mdo, bKra shis

dal ’bar khab and Ma tri rin chen sgron ma.

There were also works on Tantra: dBal gsas rtsod zlog,

Phur pa spyi ’dul gshed dmar, gSang

mchog rig pa khu byug and Thabs chen mkha’

rgyud. He wrote other works on Dran pa nam mkha’, the local deities

of the place, as well as various religious songs (mgur)

and instructions (zhal gdams).

He had a number of statues and stupas made, as well as a copy of the Khams chen in gold. He practised meditation in other

sacred places, such as Bya ze yang rdzong.

His close disciples were sGo rigs rGyal mtshan ’od zer and ’Be tsha Grags

rgyal. Other disciples were Khyung po Yon rin, sTogs ldan Nam mkha’ rin chen

of A ba, rGya ra bSam gtan rgyal mtshan, rGya po Rin chen ’od zer rgyal

mtshan, Gru zhig Nam mkha’ ’od zer and La dpyil rGyal mtshan ’od zer. Having

completed these deeds, Blo ldan snying po passed away.

The reincarnation of Blo ldan snying po was Mi shig rdo rje, who produced

fifteen volumes of writings on Bon doctrines, including

the sNyan brgyud zhi khro dgongs ’dus.

The Third Blo ldan snying po was Sangs rgyas gling pa, who greatly developed

rTse drug Monastery. His benefactors were the chiefs of Khyung dkar, Khyung

nag and Khyung ser in the Khyung po region. He was invited to go to rGyal

rong by the king of dGe bshes. In rGyal rong he gave teachings to the

people. When he was about to return to rTse drug Monastery, he was invited

to the hall rNam rgyal khang bzang in the palace of the dGe bshe king. The

king gave him the following gifts: an image of rGyal ba rgya mtsho that

uttered words by itself, a pair of dragon-figured cymbals and a bronze gong

named Khro chen dgu ’phar ma. The king also called on thirty young men to be

ordained and become monks of rTse drug Monastery. The king of Brag steng

gave Sangs rgyas gling pa the following gifts: thirty pairs of cymbals and

thirty pairs of little flat bells of the Bon tradition. The king of Rab

brtan gave him a large pair of cymbals named lHa mo rang grags and another

called Srid pa rang grags, a large flat bell, canopies called rTa rgyugs ma

and Khyung lnga ma, and the curtain called Seng thod ma. The Chinese

emperors gave him large plaques (pan), on which there

were words in Chinese characters written in gold.

Sangs rgyal gling pa, who was venerated by all, wrote many works, which are

in two categories. First, the Oral Traditions he received, which are as

follows: gNas brtan bcu drug, gSang

mchog rol pa, Dran pa bdud ’dul, Gu ru zhi drag, Tshe dbang g-yung

drung, Gur khang, sTag la, and rDzong ’phrang le’u gsum pa. Second, the texts he rediscovered,

which are as follows: Tshe sgrub rdo rje’i go khrab,

Bla ma dgongs ’dus, bKa’ thang kun

snang gsal sgron and Che mchog dran pa drag

po.

There were also sacred objects that he rediscovered: a blue statue of Pad ma

’od ’bar; a skull of the Brahman; a figure of the mkha’

’gro Thugs rje kun sgrol and her belongings, such as her flat bell,

dagger and vajra; as well as the tsha tsha image that

belonged to Vairocana.

Sangs rgyas gling pa, the great treasure-rediscoverer and savior of beings,

having carried out the keeping, defending and spreading of the doctrines of

Bon, and having done great deeds for sentient beings, finally passed

away.

Sangs rgyas gling pa’s successors at the monastery were:

1. dMu btsun Tshul khrims rgyal mtshan
2. Mi pham ’gro ba’i mgon po
3. Zhu sprul bSod nams dbang rgyal
4. Me ston Nyi ma rgyal mtshan
5. Pad ma gar gyi dbang phyug
6. sNyan rgyud dPal ’bar stag slag
7. bSod nams blo gros dbang gi rgyal po
8. Khyung dkar Yon tan

Me ston Nyi ma rgyal mtshan, the fourth in the line, was regarded as the

embodiment of Dran pa nam mkha’. He gave up eating food, yet lived on at

rTse drug for a long time. He established the hermitage of Gyim shod yang

dben mthong grol near the monastery.

In 1926, Nyag gter gSang sngags gling pa was invited to the monastery. He

rediscovered various texts from the cave called Seng ge g-yu rtse and he

established in the monastery the “religious dance of the 10th day” and the

sman sgrub ceremony. On this occasion there were

over five hundred monks and nuns, a larger number of pilgrims, plus the

local people all gathered together. The number of Bonpo pilgrims and

spectators rose to nearly one hundred thousand.

In 1934, Kun grol hum chen ’Gro ’dul gling pa was invited to the monastery.

On this occasion, when he gave teachings concerning the Zhi

khro, there were people from Hor, Khyung po and Tsha ba rong; about

700 monks and nuns came to listen.

The monastery also invited Khyung nag Tshul khrims phun tshogs - a disciple

of ’Ja’ lus pa Shar rdza bKra shis rgyal mtshan - who gave extensive

teachings there and initiated the making of copies of the bKa’ ’gyur and bKa’ brten, consisting of five

hundred volumes, and paintings of more than fifty thangka of the life of

Sangs rgyas gling pa; as well, he initiated the restoration of temples. His

disciples were Phun tshogs dbang rgyal, Tshul khrims dar rgyas, bSod nams

blo gros dbang gi rgyal po (the fifth rebirth of Sangs rgyas gling pa), Gar

dbang rNam rgyal gYung drung rgyal mtshan and Tshul khrims rnam rgyal.

gYung drung bstan pa’i rgyal mtshan and Tshul khrims rnam rgyal are

presently resident in the monastery. They have set up a new monastic school

there, in which they have established the practice of meditation based on

the Che mchog dran pa drag po, and the performance of

the tshogs ’khor ceremony on the 10th, 15th and 22nd

day of every month. There are seven permanent resident monks.

The monastery has many invaluable religious objects:

In the gSer gdung khang: a solid gold reliquary stupa of Sangs rgyas gling

pa in the form of gYung drung bkod legs as tall as the ceiling, which

contains his remains; a reliquary stupa of Sangs gling Pad ma gar dbang; a

statue of Tshe dpag med made of a mixture of medicine and clay; a statue of

Sangs gling nga ’dra ma carved by ’Gro mgon; and murals depicting the life

stories of Sangs rgyas gling pa.

In the bKa’ ’gyur khang: a statue of sMon lam mkha’ yas as tall as a

two-storey house, its back curtain adorned with the assembled deities of Cho

ga bcu gnyis; and murals depicting the twelve deeds of sTon pa gShen

rab.

In the bedroom: a bronze image of Guru Rinpoche; images of him in eight

forms, made of dzi gim (red gold); and murals of Mi

shig rdo rje and the Bonpo deities, including sMra ba’i seng ge, Gu ru Drag

dmar and dPal mgon bdun cu.

On the outer walls of the bedroom: murals of the Sixteen Arhats, the

thousand images of sTon pa gShen rab, Guru, Nyi pang sad, the guardian of

rTse drug and Me srung ral gri.

In the ’Tshogs chen lha khang: a life-sized statue of Dus kyi ’khor lo;

eight pairs of stupas; and murals of the Bonpo deities according to the Ma tri rin chen sgron ma by Blo ldan snying po, Phur pa,

gShed dmar and Las gshin nag po chen po.

In the gSeng khang: a gilt-bronze statue of gShen lha ’od dkar of good

quality; statues of Shes rab smra ba’i seng ge, Dus ’khor, Tshe dpag med and

rNam par rgyal ba, each an arrow’s length in height; hundreds more statues

of gNas brtan and others; and murals of the assembled deities of the Che mchog dran pa drag po and of the three Seng, Ma and

gShin.

In the Pod brtsegs kun dga’ rwa ba bskang gsol khang: a stuffed image of

rGyal chen Shel khrab and the supports of other religious protectors.

In the ’Khor khang: statues of Yum chen Shes rab byams ma and rGyal ba rgya

mtsho, made of a mixture of medicine and clay; murals of the Eight Guru; and

three conch-shell ornaments.

In the upper storey of the gSeng khang: Nor bu me ’bar made of gilt-bonze

and a banner of victory.

In the back room of the large assembly hall: a statue of gShen lha ’od dkar

made of a mixture of medicine and clay; statues of sTon pa Khri gtsug rgyal

ba, sTon pa gShen rab and gYung drung mthong grol, each of which is as tall

as a three-storey house; 108 stupas and murals of Blo ldan snying po, Mi

shig rdo rje, Sangs rgyas gling pa, Kun grol grags pa, bDe chen gling pa and

the deities of Cho ga bcu gnyis.

In the bShad grwa’i ’du khang: a statue of Yum chen Kye ma ’od mtsho and a

life-sized one of ’Ja’ lus pa Shar rdza bKra shis rgyal mtshan.

There are also caves of Mu cho ldem drug, Dran pa nam mkha’, Tshe dbang rig

’dzin, Pad ma ’byung gnas and Blo ldan snying po.

There were six sanctuaries of the religious protectors in the monastery, in

each of which lay many statues beyond all value. Among the objects in these

sanctuaries were the following: a word-uttering statue of rGyal ba rgya

mtsho made of dzi gim, a cubit in height, which was

rediscovered in rGyal rong by Sangs rgyas gling pa; large and small conchs

made of the teeth of sTon pa gShen rab, rediscovered at Pha bong g-yag ro in

the south by Go bde ’phags pa alias dBang ldan gShen

sras lha rje.

There were, as well, the following: the statue of Pad ma ’od ’bar,

rediscovered in the dBus phug cave of Bon ri by Sangs rgyas gling pa; a

statue of Rig ’dzin Dran pa bdud ’dul, rediscovered in rTa shod dkyil ’khor

thang by Blo ldan snying po; a small flat bell worn by the mule of the

goddess Srid rgyal drel dmar and rediscovered by gShen chen klu dga’; a

statue of Hum chen, the 6th Kun grol; a statue of gShen lha ’od dkar

rediscovered at rTse drug by ’Gro ’dul gling pa; and a statue of sTon pa

Khri gtsug rgyal ba rediscovered at rTse drug by sPa tshang gter chen. There

were also the rediscoveries by gSang sngags gling pa: a bronze statue of Zhi

khro gSang ba ’dus pa, two phur pa daggers and a statue

of ’Chi med gtsug phud made of iron.

Later a new development took place in the monastery. Gar dbang rNam rgyal

and his associates began to take an interest in the teachings of Shar rdza

bKra shis rgyal mtshan. They began to unify various meditation

establishments in the monastery and appointed Khyung nag Tshul khrims phun

tshogs as the head of the monastery. Then a new meditation centre was

established, where the new head of the monastery began to give teachings

based the “Five mDzod” of Shar rdza bKra shis rgyal

mtshan. His disciples were brTson ’grus rgyal mtshan, sMon lam bstan ’dzin,

gYung drung dge legs, sKal bzang g-yung drung and Tshul khrims rgyal

mtshan.

The successive abbots of the new establishment were as follows:

1. Khyung nag Tshul khrims phun tshogs
2. brTson ’grus rgyal mtshan
3. sMon lam bstan ’dzin
4. gTsug phud tshul khrims
5. gTsug phud ’od gsal (d.1923)
6. gTsug phud tshul khrims (a second time)

gTsug phud tshul khrims continued giving teachings based the “Five mDzod” of Shar rdza bKra shis rgyal mtshan.

Annual Services and Rituals at present

1. In the first Tibetan month there is the commemoration of mNyam med

   chen po, based on the Klong rgyas.

2. In the second month, the gDugs dkar cycle is

   performed.

3. In the third month there is the commemoration of Sangs rgyas gling

   pa.

4. In the fourth month there is the performance of the rituals for

   offerings of the sacrificial cake (tshogs) one

   thousand times to Ma, gShin and Seng.

5. In the fifth month, with the monks from several monasteries, the

   ceremony based on the Bla ma rig ’dzin ’dus

   pa is held, and on the 10th day, the tshes bcu ceremony with a religious dance.

6. In the sixth month the summer retreat take place.
7. In the seventh month the ritual based on the Zhi

   khro dgongs ’dus is performed.

8. In the eighth month there is the performance of the ritual based

   on the Ma mo rbod gtong.

9. In the ninth month, with the monks from other monasteries, the

   ritual cycles of Khro bo and Dran pa drag po are performed.

10. In the tenth month there is the performance of the rite based on

    the rTa mgrin ga’u dmar nag.

11. In the eleventh month the srung zog rite

    based on the ritual cycle of Phur pa is performed.

12. In the twelfth month there is the performance of the rite based on

    the ritual cycle of Gu ru drag po.

During the months from the ninth to the twelfth, all the monks also

follow a programme of meditation based on the rDzogs chen

sku gsum rang shar by Shar rdza bKra shis rgyal mtshan. During

this course of meditation the monks practise rtsa

lung, gtum mo, ’phrul

’khor, lus sbyong, rlung

sbyong, chu sbyong, rlung

ras, chu ras, rgyab

thur, and bcud len.

rTse drug Monastery had the following branches: Wa dge dgon Phun tshogs

g-yung drung gling, rDa shis Bum steng dgon, sBra kho Dar rgyas dgon,

Gyim shod Yang dben mthong grol ri khrod, Bon dgon gSas gdong g-yung

drung gling, Na ba dgon gYung drung bstan rgyas gling, sBis tho dgon

gYung drung lha steng, Lam lha dgon gYung drung gtam brag gling, dByibs

dgon gYung drung lhun po rtse, rTa ’tshel dgon, Phug la dgon, Ru tha

Ngang rdzong dgon and dGyes ri dgon, all of which were deemed to

correctly maintain the tradition of rTse drug Monastery.

The storekeeper and the treasurer of the Bla brang were fully responsible

for all the procedure and financial affairs. In the sGrub grwa khang,

seven lamas and monks practised the four stages of the tantric meditation

while they learn other subjects. Likewise, the abbot and teacher gave

lessons to more than fifteen monk students, on the first four of the

“Five mDzod” by Shar rdza.

In the sGom grwa khang, twenty lamas and monks, headed by the abbot,

practised the rDzogs chen meditation based on the

dByings rig rin po che’i mdzod, one of the “Five

mDzod”.

In the Srung ma khang, three monks continuously performed the bskang gso ritual for the Bonpo religious

protectors.

In the ’Khor khang, three persons continuously turned the three wheels of

rolled scripture. Besides those who had responsibility in the monastery,

there were other lamas who had to make visits to the branch monasteries

twice a year in order to see if the monastic codes were observed; others

appointed monk officials, exchanged offerings and performed rituals for

the people and for the dead. The other duty of these monastic officials

was to collect donations.

This monastery’s main sources of revenue were its manors - brDa shes, Kha

lung, Wa dge, sPra kho, sBa nag and Brang rtswa thang - which produced as

much as 250 khal of seed, and Upper and Lower rTa

shod in dKar smad, Kha lung and Wa dge, from which they received payment

for the rituals of rain-bringing and protection from drought and

hail.

The total grain earning of the monastery was: from Bam sting, Bal tho,

Shog lnga, and Chu gzhung. The monastery also received gifts such as

rape-oil. When the year’s harvest was bad the monastery lent about 500

’bo of grain to the villages below the monastery,

such as Wa dge, for which it received interest.

In brDa shes and other places, the monastery possessed real estate with

animals for ploughing, seventy or eighty mdzo mo for

dairy purposes and about forty horses and mules for transport.

Two families of herdsmen kept the monastery’s 180-plus yaks and ’bri, and one hundred goats and sheep. In the nomad

areas, such as dNgul phug, ’Gis nang, Om thog kha and brDa ris mda’, the

monastery had nomadic people called Thab gsos dud gsum who provided much

of the annual expenditure, such as butter for making butter-lamp

offerings.

The material revenue of the abbot and high lamas covered the cost of

living for about forty monks.

As for the great hermits in the caves of Mu cho ldem drug, Dran pa nam

mkha’, Tshe dbang rig ’dzin, Pad ma ’byung gnas and Blo ldan snying po,

they were customarily supported by the well-off families, such as the

chiefs of dKar stod, dKar smad, sGar khang, Bya ze, and Nag ru.

Before 1959, there were about five hundred monks in this monastery. At

present there are six lamas, including Gar dbang rNam rgyal, and about

210 monks. This monastery has an assembly hall with thirty-six pillars,

gSer gdung khang, a meditation hall, a college building and other

buildings, all of which are adorned with excellent interiors. The main

religious objects, of immense value, are as follows: the word-uttering

statue of Jo bo nga ’gro, which, having been hidden by many lay and

clerical devotees during the Cultural Revolution, was presented to the

monastery; a cubit-high statue of Kun bzang rGyal ba rgya mtsho made of

rdzi gim; a pair of large and small conchs, which

are the transformations of gShen rab’s teeth and his melodic voice; a

blue statue of Pad ma ’od ’bar; a statue of gShen lha ’od dkar made of

pure gold; a statue of sTon pa Khri gtsug rgyal ba; a statue of Rig ’dzin

Dran pa bdud ’dul; a bronze statue of Phur pa ten cubits high; and a seal

of Dran pa nam mkha’. All of these can still be seen in the

monastery.

Annual services and rituals are performed according to the age-old

tradition. In particular, in 1984, there was the sman

sgrub medicine ceremony based on the dBal phur

’od zer ’khyil ba’i sman sgrub, during which as many as eighteen

thousand lay and clerical devotees from Hor, Shog lnga, Lam lha, Khyung

dkar, Khyung nag, Khyung ser, lHa ru and Bag sre crowded into rTse drug

Monastery in order to receive initiation and the “medicine” distributed

at the time, as well as to enjoy the religious dances. All who gathered

there made the festival a great occasion.

(56) Wa dge Monastery

From sTeng chen rdzong, travelling south-east for

forty-three kilometres on the main road, we reach Sa sgang xiang. Crossing a small bridge on the right, half an hour’s walk

eastward leads us to Wa dge Monastery.

This monastery was founded by Blo ldan snying po in 1383 as one of the main

branches of rTse drug Monastery. Before 1959, there were forty-two monks and

at present there are ten. This small monastery is now in poor condition.

(57) Bya chen Monastery

This monastery is situated in the eastern part of gYam tha village in dMu

tha xiang, on the northern edge of sTeng chen rdzong. As it is 170 kilometres from the rdzong to dMu tha xiang, it is difficult to

reach unless travelling by car.

Bya chen Monastery was founded by gYung drung rgyal mtshan in 1885. Before

1959, there were sixty monks. At present there is one lama and twenty-five

monks.

(58) lHa lung Monastery

This monastery is located in dMu tha village, dMu tha xiang,

which is on the northern edge of the rdzong. It is

170 kilometres from the rdzong to the xiang, so it would be very difficult to travel there without a

car.

lHa lung Monastery was founded by gYung drung dbang rgyal in 1636. Before

1959, there were six lamas and fifty-eight monks in the monastery. At

present there is one lama and thirty monks. The monastery is suitably

equipped with an assembly hall, a temple, religious objects and implements

for making offerings.

(59) gYu mtsho Monastery

The monastery is located to the west of sPyang tha village, Ga tha xiang. From the rdzong, one reaches

Ga tha xiang by travelling 130 kilometres in a

north-westerly direction. This monastery is forty kilometres north of the

xiang. As there is no road between the xiang and the monastery, it is a very difficult

trip.

The monastery was founded by rGyal rong bla ma in 1494. Before 1959, there

were ninety-eight monks in the monastery and at present there are thirty.

The monastery is fairly well equipped with an assembly hall, a temple and

other buildings. There are religious objects and offering implements

appropriate to such an establishment.

(60) Ga shel Monastery

The monastery is in the western part of Shar ’dra village, Ga tha xiang. It is reached by travelling 130 kilometres in a

north-westerly direction from sTeng chen rdzong, which is an extremely hard

journey because there is no road; one must go on horseback or on foot.

This monastery was founded by Nam mkha’ mtha’ bral in 1585. Before 1959,

there were four lamas and 145 monks. At present there is one lama and

fifty-two monks. This monastery is counted as one of the rather large Bonpo

monasteries in the northern part of sTeng chen rdzong. It has an assembly

hall, a temple, a meditation hall and other fairly large buildings, inside

of which are religious objects, implements and the like, which are in good

condition. Annual services and the practice of rituals have been, as is the

case with the large majority of Bonpo monasteries, maintained in accordance

with the old tradition.

(61) Re ne Monastery

This monastery is situated on a hill on the eastern outskirts of Re ne

village, Zam zhig xiang. It is seventy-five kilometres

from the rdzong to the monastery.

The monastery was founded by sNang zhig Zla ba rgyal mtshan in 1704. Before

1959, there was one lama and 120 monks in the monastery. At present there is

one lama and sixty monks.

This monastery is counted as one of the larger Bonpo monasteries belonging

to sTeng chen rdzong. The buildings include an assembly hall, meditation

hall and a temple, inside of which there are religious objects and

implements, all well kept. The practice of annual ritual services has been,

on the whole, maintained as it was before.

The lama and monks must earn their living, as those in other Bonpo

monasteries do, by going out to perform religious services in villages.

(62) Ngang rdzong Monastery

The monastery is in Ru tha village, ’Bo tha xiang. ’Bo

tha xiang is seventy-five kilometres from the rdzong and Ru tha village is thirty kilometres south of

the xiang. It is accessible by car.

This monastery was founded by Rin chen rgyal mtshan in 1941. Although there

were fifty-three monks in the monastery before 1959, there are no more than

fourteen at present. This is a small monastery, with a temple, meditation

hall and religious objects in poor condition.

(63) lJong phu Monastery

lJong phu bon dgon Monastery is located to the east of lJang shod village,

Sa mdo xiang. From the rdzong, the

xiang is reached by travelling south-east for

forty-five kilometres on the main road. It is a mere ten kilometres from the

xiang to the monastery, but the trip can be

difficult because there is no road.

This monastery was founded by Blo ldan snying po in 1446. There were only

ten monks in the monastery before 1959. This number has increased to fifteen

today. Although this is one of the old Bonpo monasteries established in

sTeng chen rdzong by Blo ldan snying po, it has shown

little development over the past five hundred odd years.

(64) Zla shel Monastery

Zla shel bon dgon Monastery is located in Zla shel village, Sa mdo xiang. From the rdzong, Sa mdo xiang is reached by travelling forty-five kilometres in

a south-easterly direction on the main road, and the monastery is fifteen

kilometres from the xiang. However, one may find it

very difficult to reach because there is no road from the xiang.

The monastery was founded by Blo ldan snying po in 1446. The number of monks

in the monastery before 1959 was thirty-two, which, today, has increased to

thirty-nine, plus one lama. Although Zla shel bon dgon is also counted as

one of the ancient Bonpo monasteries, the past five hundred odd years have

brought it little prosperity. It is now in a rather poor condition, in every

aspect of the monastic buildings and religious objects.

(65) sBra hor Monastery

sBra hor Monastery is located to the south of sBra hor village, Gyang sngon

xiang. From the rdzong, Gyang

sngon xiang is reached by travelling south-east for

sixty-five kilometres on the main road. The road between the xiang and sBra hor Monastery, which is just one kilometre, is very

good.

This monastery was founded by Blo ldan snying po in 1446. Before 1959, there

were fifty-eight monks in the monastery, but now there are only eighteen.

Although this is also one of the old Bonpo monasteries from the latter stage

of Bonpo development, internal and external affairs have prevented it from

developing during the past five hundred odd years, so it is still small.

From sTeng chen rdzong, a six-hour drive eastward on the Nag chu-Chab mdo

Highway leads us to Chab mdo district. Then driving another six hours

eastward, we reach ’Jo mda’ rdzong. It is an extremely

dangerous and difficult trip from Chab mdo to ’Jo mda’ rdzong because we must cross mountain after mountain.

’Jo mda’ rdzong lies in the north-east of Tibet. It covers

an area of 13,155 square kilometres, of which 77,080 mu is

farmland and 10,823 mu is natural forest. It has a

population of about 58,000. There are 152 local councils, eighteen xiang, two townships and one city.

’Jo mda’ is also called sDe dge ’Jo mda’ because the ruler of sDe dge once

governed it. In 1909, the self-governing body of sDe dge was abolished and ’Jo

mda’ began to have close relations with Sichuan province. In 1959 the people’s

commune of ’Jo mda’ rdzong was established.

Historically, ’Jo mda’ is a place well known for its handicrafts and other

skilled work such as iron-work, silver-smithing and other metal work, as well

as wood carving. It is particularly celebrated as being one of the homes of

Tibetan musical dramas.

At present in the domain of this rdzong there are six

Bonpo monasteries to which many lay and clerical devotees associate themselves.

The Sa skya school of Buddhism also flourishes there. The monastic buildings

and religious objects of Bon and Sa skya monasteries are in good condition in

every respect.

(66) sTag gzhi Monastery

sTag gzhi Monastery is situated near Kha srub village, dBang po steng xiang. From the rdzong, dBang po

steng is reached by driving thirty kilometres northward. From dBang po

steng, the monastery is a whole day’s trip further northward on

horseback.

The monastery was founded in 1180. Before 1959, there were five monks in

this monastery. At present there are two lamas, sKu gsung blo gsar and Ye

shes nyi ma, and thirty monks. This is one of the earliest Bonpo monasteries

of the latter stage of Bonpo development. However, it is still rather small

because of the rise and fall in the history of the Bon doctrine.

The monastery has fifty statues, including those of sTon pa gShen rab, Dran

pa nam mkha’ and sTag la me ’bar. It also has about sixty thangka. The main

source of income is, as with other Bonpo monasteries, the performing of

religious services in villages, from which the monks and lamas make their

living.

(67) Zha zhi Monastery

Zha zhi Monastery is situated in Khra dge xiang, which

is reached by driving forty kilometres northward from the rdzong. The monastery is a whole day’s ride on horseback from Khra

dge.

The monastery was founded in 1409. Before 1959, there were eighty monks and

at present thirty-five. The monastery is one of the old Bonpo monasteries in

the Chab mdo region. It is a rather large monastery, but over the past six

hundred years, due to grave adversity, both internal and external, it has

been unable to develop itself. It has the look of being very small from

outside. As regards religious objects, it has twenty statues including those

of sTon pa gShen rab, gShen lha ’od dkar, rNam par rgyal ba and Byams ma, as

well as twenty-odd thangka. The monks raise, as a source of income,

sixty-three ’bri and yaks, given by devotees. Besides

these, they receive support from households and go out to perform religious

services in villages.

(68) rDis bon Monastery

rDis bon Monastery is located in the vicinity of Ri mda’ village, Thung phu

xiang. Thung phu xiang is

within a stone’s throw of the rdzong and Ri mda’

village is seventy kilometres from the xiang. The road

between the rdzong and the monastery is reasonably

good. One can drive right up to the monastery.

The monastery was founded in 1600 and is situated on the eastern side of the

mountain Ma gling khrib bya ba. To the south-west of Ma gling khrib bya ba

at sPa rdis steng, there is a large hermitage. To the left of the monastery

is a holy mountain called Shugs chen, and in front is a big river called mDo

chu, which comes from mDo gzhung, the upper part of the valley.

In the 17th century, when the Be ri king ruled over the region, the master

lCe tsha mKhar bu of Mi nyag became the prelate of the king. He established

a hermitage on top of the mountain sPa rdis, halfway up the mountain Ma

gling khrib bya ba.

In 1641, the Mongol chief Gu shri Khan (of dGe lugs pa obedience), leading

his horde, destroyed the monasteries of the bKa’ brgyud pa and Bonpo in the

area, including rDis bon Monastery, and overthrew the Be ri king. Later,

sTag gzhi bKa’ bo rgyal and Khram Tshe dbang rgyal po, who were disciples of

Ba ya dKar ’dzang and had been hiding themselves when the Mongol horde was

about in the region, rebuilt rDis bon Monastery and it became a fairly large

establishment. Later, in bSod nams dbang ldan’s time, there were two

important residences (bla brang) of lamas in the

monastery, one was called rTse gzhung and the other Bla gzhung. There was a

series of masters belonging to the Se family:

1. Se zhig Mu la thogs med
2. Se Nam mkha’ thogs med
3. Se kho Nam mkha’ dbang phyug
4. Se kho Ra rna mkha’ spyod
5. Se sprul Tshe dbang mchog legs

At present, there is a monk called rTogs ldan bsTan ’dzin who was sixty-two

years old. In spite of his being in the course of three years’ retreat, he

was kind enough to grant us an exceptional audience. This monastery is

counted as one of the large Bonpo monasteries in the Chab mdo region.

Before 1959, there were forty-four monks and at present there are

forty-seven. This monastery now has an assembly hall, a temple and a

meditation hall (sgrub khang), all well designed and

spacious. There are religious objects such as statues, scriptures and

reliquary stupas.

As for annual services and daily activities, they follow the sMan ri

tradition only. In the morning they say prayers, then they chant the Kun rig, followed by more prayers. In the evening they

perform the gsol kha ritual to the protective deities,

including Srid rgyal drel dmar.

The annual rituals are as follows:

1. In the first Tibetan month the ritual of sTag la me ’bar is

   performed, followed by a five-day ritual of Phur pa.

2. In the fifth month there are commemorations, the observance of the

   summer retreat, and the performance of rituals based on the Klong rgyas and rNam

   rgyal.

3. In the ninth month there is a performance of the ritual based on

   the Khro bo ngo mtshar rgyas pa and the ’cham dance of Khro bo.

(69) sPong Monastery

sPong Monastery is located near Tar grong, sPang ge xiang.

The xiang is reached by driving eighty kilometres

northward from the rdzong; from

the xiang to Tar grong takes several hours on

horseback. The long distance makes it difficult to reach the monastery.

The monastery was founded in 1697. Before 1959, there was a lama and

eighty-three monks and at present there are thirty. In spite of its long

history, it has seen little growth due to the rise and fall of Bonpo

fortunes. There is only a temple, an assembly hall and a meditation hall,

all very small. Religious objects in its possession include twenty statues,

large and small, including those of gShen lha ’od dkar, Dran pa nam mkha’

and Yum chen Byams ma, and six thangka. The monastery depends upon ten yaks

and a small number of horses and mules for income. The monks must make their

living, as in other Bonpo monasteries, by obtaining support from households

and by going out to perform religious services in villages.

(70) Bla khri Monastery

Bla khri Monastery is located in the vicinity of Bla khri village, sPang dge

xiang. sPang dge xiang is

reached by driving eighty kilometres northward from the rdzong. Then it is a few hours on horseback from the xiang to the monastery.

The monastery was founded in 1754. Before 1959, there were eighty monks and

at present there are fifty. The head of the monastery is sPrul sku rGyal ba

g-yung drung. Its assembly hall, temple and meditation hall are all fairly

large. There are many religious objects, including about twenty statues,

tall and short, of such figures as sTon pa Khri gtsug rgyal ba, gShen lha

’od dkar, rNam par rgyal ba, Khro bo, sTag la me ’bar, Dran pa nam mkha’,

his son Tshe dbang rig ’dzin and Srid rgyal drel dmar, twenty-five thangka

and scriptures, including the bKa’ ’gyur

and bKa’ brten.

Compared with other Bonpo monasteries in ’Jo mda’ rdzong, this monastery is

in better condition in every respect. It has thirty ’bri and yaks, thirteen goats and sheep, five horses and mules, and

a car.

(71) dKar tshang Monastery

dKar tshang Monastery is located near Bla khri village, like Bla khri

Monastery, for whose location, see above.

The monastery was founded in 1696. Before 1959 there were fifteen monks, but

at present no more than ten. Although this is an old monastery with a long

three-hundred-year history, it is still very small. Its religious objects

include the following: seven statues, tall and short, of sTon pa gShen rab

and Dran pa nam mkha’; forty thangka; and several books.

For their source of income, as in other Bonpo monasteries, the monks depend

on the support of households and earn money by performing religious services

among the people in the villages. They have no property apart from eight

yaks and thirteen sheep, given by devotees.

From ’Jo mda’ rdzong to Chab mdo, it takes six hours by

car. To go up to lHo rong rdzong, we must drive a

further seven hours via Ri bo che. On our way, at a pass near Chab mdo, we

were all of a sudden struck by a heavy snowfall, which caused us difficulty

and risks. Between Ri bo che and lHo rong rdzong the road is fairly good and

does not, therefore, present that much difficulty.

lHo rong rdzong is in the north-east of Tibet. It covers an area of 8,108

square kilometres, of which 85,000 mu is farmland, nine

million mu is pastureland and 1,270,000 mu

natural forest. It has a population of about 36,000. There are eleven xiang and one town.

During the period of the btsan po, it was under the

Tibetan imperial government and later under Mongol rule. Around 1644, the area

was incorporated into the land holdings of Chab mdo Monastery. In 1725, control

of the rdzong was transferred to the government of Tibet.

In 1959, the people’s commune of lHo rong rdzong was set

up. The rdzong is within the administration of Chab mdo

region.

lHo rong is highly productive. It possesses about twenty mineral veins, such as

gold, silver, copper, coal, asbestos and others. It’s people are largely

semi-nomadic, and the area is home to a great many animals, such as leopards,

bears, wild yaks, deer, musk deer, otters and other carnivores and

herbivores.

(72) Khra rgan Monastery

The formal name of the monastery is Khra dgon gYung drung kun grags gling.

It is also known as Nyi phug sgrub. It is located in Wa sgo xiang, dMar ri qu. From the rdzong, dMar ri qu is reached by travelling

twenty kilometres eastward. Then, driving ninety kilometres in a

north-easterly direction, one reaches Khra rgan Monastery. The monastery was

founded in 1699 by Khra chags med bKra shis rgyal mtshan.

Khra chags med was the son of Gling Ra khra rgan po of the royal lineage of

Gling ’Gu zi. During his childhood, Khra chags med lived in Yag yul. At that

time prophecies were made by Ma mchog Srid pa rgyal mo that Khra chags med

should go and preach the Bon doctrine in sacred places in mNga’ ris, Western

Tibet and Central Tibet in order to establish places for the practice of

meditation.

In accordance with these prophecies, Khra chags med visited several sacred

places in mNga’ ris, and in particular, lHun grub sgang, the monastery of

the Zhu family in gTsang (also known as Ri zhing Monastery, No.4). He

obtained initiations and teachings of Bon in the presence of Blo gros bstan

rgyal of the Zhu lineage, who upheld the Zhu tradition. Motivated by the

prophecies, he went to Khams and searched for a place to settle down. He

found the place, where he later founded Khra rgan Monastery, very

auspicious. Before he founded the monastery a small religious establishment

was already there. It is said that the monastery is called Khra rgan (old

falcon) because the mountain behind the monastery looks like a falcon

warming itself in the sun.

There was no line of reincarnation in this monastery, but a series of

successors. Khra chags med was succeeded by Zhu btsun gYung drung khri bde

as the head of the monastery. From him a succession of masters coming from

the Zhu family followed. The lineage of the monastery was, therefore, as

follows:

1. Khra chags med bKra shis rgyal mtshan
2. Zhu btsun gYung drung khri bde
3. Zhu ston Tshul khrims grags pa
4. Zhu btsun gYung drung dbang grags
5. Zhu gYung drung bsod nams
6. Zhu Nyi ma grags pa
7. Zhu Phun tshogs dbang rgyal
8. Zhu Tshul khrims rgyal mtshan
9. Zhu rGyal ba dbang grags
10. Zhu bsTan pa dbang grags
11. Shi cu drung mu
12. Zhu ston gYung drung rgyal ba
13. Zhu Shes rab bstan ’dzin
14. sNan zhig Grub thob
15. Zhu Zla ba grags pa
16. Kun mkhyen Nyi ma bsod nams grags pa
17. rGyal sras Phun tshogs rnam rgyal
18. Zhu rNam rgyal dbang grags
19. Zhu lHun grub rgyal mtshan
20. Zhu gYung drung ye shes
21. Zhu Nyi nyi lags
22. bsTan ’dzin lhun grub
23. bsTan pa dbang rgyal
24. A drung
25. Zhu bsTan ’dzin gtsug phud
26. Zhu bsTan ’dzin grags pa
27. Nyan sgom Rin chen rgyal mtshan
28. Zhu ston bsTan pa lhun grub
29. Zhu Khri ’od
30. Zhu khri gYung drung grags rgyal
31. mKhan po sKal bzang g-yung drung

In 1951 mKhan po sKal bzang g-yung drung was still the head of the monastery

and his successors right up to 1991 have maintained the tradition of

studying, practising and preaching the Bon religion in the monastery.

This monastery is large and its architectural design is elegant. It stands

in marvelous surroundings with a forest of many different trees where one

hears large and small birds singing here and there. It is a wonderful place

of beauty rarely seen elsewhere.

As for religious objects, there are twenty-two gilt-bronze statues such as

gShen lha ’od dkar, sTon pa gShen rab, rNam par rgyal ba, Byams ma, Dran pa

nam mkha’, sTag la me ’bar, Khro bo and Srid pa rgyal mo. There is also one

silver statue, one bronze statue, twelve copper statues, three fine thangka,

a reliquary stupa, scriptures and a complete set of ceremonial implements,

including a white conch, a pair of cymbals, a large oboe, a trumpet made of

bone and a silver incense burner. Before 1959, there were thirty-one monks

and this number has been maintained, led by bSam gtan tshul khrims.

Annual Services and Practice of Rituals according to the Zhu

tradition

1. In the first month there is a congregation and performances of

   religious dances.

2. In the second month there are religious services for thirty

   days.

3. In the third and fourth months there is a performance of rituals

   of sTag la me ’bar for seven days.

4. In the fifth month there is the commemoration of Khra chags med

   bKra shis rgyal mtshan for two days.

5. In the sixth month there is the performance of the ceremony stong mchod and the observance of the smyung gnas fast.
6. In the seventh month there is the performance of the ritual Ma tri

   ’bum sgrub for seven days.

7. In the ninth month the ritual cycle of Khro bo is

   performed.

8. In the twelfth month the dgu gtor rite is

   performed.

Daily activities

In the morning, prayers are said, followed by the practice of meditation

and performance of the ceremony of water offering. In the evening, the

propitiation of the religious protectors such as Ma, bDud and bTsan is

performed. The religious protectors are known as bka’

skyong. In addition to these religious services, the ritual

cycles of Khro bo, dBal gsas, sTag la, Phur pa, Ge khod, sPyi ’dul and

Khyung dmar are also performed.

The monastery’s personnel consists of a lama, an abbot, a disciplinarian,

two chanting conductors, a storekeeper for the bla

brang and two storekeepers for the monastery.

With regard to their source of income, at present the monks themselves

raise sixty-two ’bri and yaks. Apart from this, they

must derive their living mainly from the support of their own parents and

the religious services they perform in villages. They are customarily

given a ’bri or a yak, along with one hundred yuan, for a programme of religious service lasting

three days, performed by five monks.

(73) Lam lha Monastery

Lam lha Monastery is in Shog lnga xiang, Nag lcog qu. From lHo rong rdzong, Nag lcog qu is reached by driving two hours in a south-easterly direction.

It is a day’s ride on horseback up to Lam lha Monastery. There is also a

shorter way, from dPa’ shod rdzong.

The date of this monastery’s establishment remains uncertain, but it is

counted as one of the earlier monasteries in Khams. Before 1959, there were

sixty-eight monks in the monastery. At present there are thirty-three. The

condition of the assembly hall, temple and religious objects is reasonably

good. As in other Bonpo monasteries, the monks must earn their living by

going out to perform religious services in villages as well as receiving

support from their own families.

(74) Bal tho Monastery

Bal tho Monastery is near Bal tho village, Shing rong xiang. From the rdzong, Shing rong xiang is reached by driving northward for one hour.

Then, to reach the monastery, a five-hour ride further north on horseback is

required.

No clear record of the date of establishment of this monastery has been

found, but it is said to be one of the earlier ones. At present there are

twenty-four monks.

The monastery is somewhat in decline in all aspects of its exterior and

interior. Like other monasteries, for means of livelihood it is dependent on

support from the monks’ families and going out to perform religious services

in the villages.

(75) Brag dkar Hermitage

This hermitage is in Ri dmar xiang, lHo rong rdzong. Ri

dmar xiang is reached by driving twenty kilometres

eastward from the rdzong.

This is a very small hermitage. Nothing seems to have been written about

this establishment before 1959. At present there are three hermits.

From lHo-rong rdzong to mDzo sgang rdzong, it is 330

kilometres. Since the region is so mountainous within lHo rong rdzong,

travelling can be laborious. Going by way of sPom mda’ airport, the road is

easy, but it can take eleven hours.

mDzo sgang rdzong lies in the south-west of Tibet. It covers an area of 11,726

square kilometres of which farmland occupies 42,000 mu,

and forest 392 mu. The population of this rdzong is about 380,000, most of which is engaged in agriculture.

Forestry and livestock farming are doing quite well. The rdzong has one qu, sixteen xiang and 160 village councils under its direct control.

This rdzong, which had been under the rule of the

government of Tibet, was set up as the people’s administration of mDzo sgang in

1959. The rdzong is blessed with such animals as wild

yaks, leopards, bears, otters and musk deer, which thrive in the vast forest,

and, moreover, with considerable mineral resources, such as gold, silver, iron

and coal. There are nine Bonpo monasteries in this rdzong.

This is the most prosperous rdzong, in terms of Bonpo

tradition, next to sTeng chen rdzong.

(76) sTong mda’ Monastery

The monastery is also known as mDo dar dgon. Driving for twenty-six

kilometres eastward from the rdzong, we come to mDo dar

village in dBu yag xiang, from which a one hour’s drive

up the mountain brings us to sTong mda’ Monastery. This monastery is

situated in the midst of several agricultural villages.

The monastery was founded by gTsug phud tshul khrims, from whom the lineage

of the heads of the monastery has led down to the ninth. Religious objects

possessed by the monastery are as follows: a clay image of sTon pa gShen rab

six cubits high; two white stupas, six cubits high; and more than ten masks

of various kinds. Before 1959, the monastery had twenty-eight monks; this

has now decreased to only seven. The practice of rituals is much the same as

those of other Bonpo monasteries.

Fifteen kilometres west of the monastery is a holy mountain called sGro ra

Pad ma ’byung gnas. It looks just like a Garuda flying with its wings

fluttering. Every year on the 15th day of the sixth month, the local people

get together to circumambulate the mountain, perform religious dances and

engage in other festivities.

(77) La ngu Monastery

The monastery is located near Srib gru kha village, Krung gling kha xiang. The village is fifty kilometres south-west of

mDzo sgang rdzong. The absence of a road makes travelling there very

difficult. The place called Srib gru kha used to be the site of one of the

main ferries across the river rGyal mo rngul chu.

This is one of the oldest Bonpo monasteries and is said to have been founded

by Rin spungs dBang rgyal. It stands in front of Mount Rin chen spungs.

Initially, it was built on verdant grassland. Later, it was moved to a

larger place up the mountain. Though small, La ngu Monastery has special old

architectural characteristics. A story tells why the monastery is called La

ngu: at the time of its inauguration, musical instruments such as conch,

oboe, drum, and cymbals were played, making the local deities of the four

directions and those who resided on the mountain pass (la), cry (ngu) for joy. The monastery’s

religious objects are of considerable quality and include statues of sTon pa

gShen rab, Byams ma and sTag la me ’bar. There was also an image of the

Buddha, said to have descended to the monastery by itself.

In the old days, there were sixty-two monks in this monastery. This number

had diminished to thirty-five in 1959, and at present there are only fifteen

monks, led by Tshul khrims rnam dag ’od zer. This lama is very learned in

the Bon tradition, its history and other sciences.

Practice of Rituals

1. In the first Tibetan month, from the 4th day to the 6th, there is

   the commemoration of mNyam med Shes rab rgyal mtshan.

2. In the third month, from the 14th to the 22nd, the ritual cycle of

   Phur pa is performed.

3. In the fifth month there is the thousand offerings of sacrificial

   cake to sTag la me ’bar.

4. In the ninth month, from the 1st to the 9th day, the rtsa rlung meditation is practised and from the

   14th to the 21st, there is the performance of the gunacakra offerings to Khro bo.

Daily Activities

From five o’clock to seven in the morning, the monks practise meditation.

In the evening, from seven to eight, they perform the bsang ritual and recite prayers.

(78) Sa bla Monastery

The monastery is located near gCig yon village, sTobs ’bangs xiang. It is sixty kilometres from the rdzong

to the village. As there is no road the trip can be very difficult.

It is said that this monastery was founded in 1497. Before 1959, there were

ten monks in the monastery. The number has been reduced to only five now. In

spite of its long history of some five hundred years, it has remained

something like a small hermitage and has only a few religious objects, such

as the statues of sTon pa gShen rab, rNam par rgyal ba, Byams ma and sTag la

me ’bar.

(79) Ri sna Monastery

The monastery is located in Krung gling kha xiang, on

the eastern bank of rGyal mo rngul chu, in the southern part of mDzo sgang

rdzong. In the old days the place was called Rab pa. The distance between

the rdzong and the xiang is no

more than sixty kilometres, but it is very difficult to traverse.

No record concerning the date of establishment of this monastery has

remained. Still it is one of the fairly old Bonpo monasteries.

Before 1959, there were nineteen monks; today there are ten. In the temple

there are just a few religious objects, like the statues of sTon pa gShen

rab and Yum chen Byams ma. In terms of facilities, it is poorly

equipped.

Rituals are practised in the same manner as those of other Bonpo

monasteries. The monks rely mainly on support from their own families for

their living and occasionally go out to perform religious services in

villages to supplement their income.

(80) mDangs ’phyar Monastery

This monastery is located near Bal stod village, in the northern part of the

former Rab pa village, in the present Krung gling kha xiang, which lies on the eastern side of the river rGyal mo rngul

chu, in the southern part of mDzo sgang rdzong. It is a mere sixty

kilometres from the rdzong to the village, but it is

still a difficult distance to be travelled.

There are no historical documents clearly recording the date of the

monastery’s establishment and there is little oral information. Still, based

on the architectural aspect of the building, it is said to be one of the

fairly old Bonpo monasteries.

Before 1959, there were thirty monks, and at present thirty-two. The

assembly hall, temple and religious objects are in quite good condition. The

monastery’s activities have no unique characteristics, but are much the same

as other Bonpo monasteries.

As for their source of income, the monks mainly receive support from their

families and the occasional performance of religious services in the

monastery or in villages.

(81) Shug rdzong Monastery

The monastery is near ’Os bab village, Krung gling kha xiang. Originally, the present Krung gling kha was called Rab pa,

and is located on the east side of the river rGyal mo rngul chu, in the

southern part of mDzo sgang rdzong. It is sixty kilometres from the rdzong to Krung gling kha, and ’Os bab village is in the

northern part of the xiang, close to Bal stod village.

The absence of a road makes travelling very difficult.

It is not clear when this monastery was founded. Before 1959, there were

eighty-five monks and at present there are thirty-five. There is an assembly

hall, a temple and other buildings of appropriate design and size. There are

religious objects of considerable quality, such as the statues of sTon pa

gShen rab, Byams ma, mNyam med Shes rab rgyal mtshan and Khro bo. As for

scriptures, there is the bKa’ ’gyur and other books of

ritual practice.

In regard to rituals and services, they practise what is commonly done in

other Bonpo monasteries, and have no special activities. For their living,

the monks depend mainly on their own parents and relatives for financial

support. Occasionally they are invited to perform religious services, such

as conducting funerals, which helps supplement their income.

(82) Rab pa Monastery

Rab pa Monastery is located near Rab pa village (which is now called Krung

gling kha) on the east side of the river rGyal mo rngul chu, in the southern

part of mDzo sgang rdzong. From the rdzong to Rab pa is

a distance of only sixty kilometres, but as there is no road, the going is

very hard.

Although there is no recorded date for the establishment of this monastery,

it is said to be one of the oldest Bonpo monasteries.

Before 1959, there were no more than eight monks, but at present there are

fourteen. The name of this monastery is said to be related to the fact that

the area where the monastery is located is so large that it would take a day

on horseback to circumambulate it. The place is therefore the best among the

local areas and that is why it is called Rab pa, the “Best”.

In the temple of the monastery are several statues of sTon pa gShen rab,

Dran pa nam mkha’ and Byams ma, a few thangka and Bonpo scriptures.

Otherwise the facilities are very poor.

As for the monks’ main source of income, they depend, just as in the other

small Bonpo monasteries, on their own parents and relatives for support.

Besides this, to make their living, they must supplement this support by

going out to perform religious services.

(83) dByibs pa Monastery

dByibs pa Monastery is located near dByibs pa village, which is to the west

of Gug pa village in Zhwa gling kha xiang. Zhwa gling

kha is situated on the east side of the river rGyal mo rngul chu, in the

southern part of mDzo sgang rdzong. From the rdzong to

Zhwa gling kha is a distance of more than fifty kilometres. Although the

distance is not great, travelling it is very hard because of the absence of

a road.

The date of this monastery’s establishment is unknown, but according to oral

history it is one of the oldest Bonpo monasteries. Before 1959, the

monastery had forty-seven monks. At present, it is a moderate-sized Bonpo

monastery of thirty-one monks, with an assembly hall, a temple, monks’

quarters and other buildings. It has religious objects appropriate to its

size and needs, such as statues of sTon pa Khri gtsug rgyal ba, Dran pa nam

mkha’, his son Tshe dbang rig ’dzin, sTag la me ’bar and Srid pa rgyal mo,

thangka, the bKa’ ’gyur, and other books

concerning religious practice. Rituals and services are practised in this

monastery as they are in other Bonpo monasteries of average size. It has no

special activities.

As for the monks’ main source of income, they receive financial support from

their own parents and relatives. The monastery itself has no other means of

earning revenue. Occasionally the monks are invited to perform religious

services, such as funerals, in villages, which helps supplement their

income.

(84) lTag tsha Monastery

lTag tsha Monastery is located near Su mgo village, on the bank of the river

rGyal mo rngul chu, to the south of Gug pa village, Zhwa gling kha xiang. Zhwa gling kha xiang is in

the southern part of the rdzong and Su mgo village is

more than forty kilometres from the rdzong. It is a

very difficult distance to travel because there is no road.

In spite of there being no recorded date for its establishment, this

monastery is also customarily said to be a fairly old Bonpo monastery.

Before 1959, there were seven monks in the monastery, but at present there

are fourteen. The main religious objects in the monastery’s temple are

statues of sTon pa gShen rab, mNyam med Shes rab rgyal mtshan, Byams ma and

others, as well as several thangka and books. Apart

from these it has hardly any facilities.

As for rituals and services, the monks perform the bsang ritual in the morning and recite prayers in the evening. They

perform the common daily activities. There are no rituals or services

specific to this monastery. The monks’ main source of income is, much the

same as in other poor Bonpo monasteries, financial support from their own

parents or relatives. The monastery itself has no means of generating

revenue. Occasionally the monks are invited to perform religious services,

such as funerals, in villages, which helps supplement their income.

Proceeding north from mDzo sgang rdzong by car, through the grassland of

sPom mda’, where an airfield is situated, and along the river rGyal mo rngul

chu, one arrives at dPa’ shod rdzong. Driving from mDzo sgang rdzong to dPa’

shod rdzong takes six and a half hours. When we reached the district of dPa’

shod rdzong, the way had been blocked to traffic by road construction, which

prevented us from proceeding. After a long wait of five and a half hours,

the road was finally opened.

dPa’ shod rdzong is in eastern Tibet and is part of Chab mdo region. The rdzong was created by the Tibetan government about eighty

years ago. It covers an area of 12,564 square kilometres, of which 734,000 mu is forest. It has a population of 33,000 and

administratively consists of one qu, one town and fourteen

xiang, which contain 125 village councils.

dPa’ shod is said to have got its name from the village that used to be near

(shod meaning “nearby place”) Mount dPa’ rgod. dPa’

shod Bla brang was founded in 1694. In 1959, the people’s administration of

dPa’ shod rdzong was established.

This rdzong stretches over the basin of three rivers,

rGyal mo rngul chu, rDza chu and ’Bri chu. While higher and mountainous in the

north-east, the rdzong contains deep gorges formed along

the river rGyal mo rngul chu.

This rdzong is rich in natural resources, such as iron,

coal and aluminum, and is inhabited by many wild animals, including monkeys,

deer, musk deer, otters, the rna ba (Ovis ammon hodgsoni),

wild sheep and wild yaks. Moreover, it is an area highly productive in

medicinal materials like the dByar rtswa dgun ’bu (Cordyceps sinensis), antlers and musk, as well as

agricultural products.

(85) dBen mdzod Monastery

dBen mdzod Monastery is situated halfway up the hill, to the west of dBen

mdzod (Wa ’bru) village in ’Jo ’ju xiang, dPa’ shod

rdzong. From the rdzong, the monastery is reached by

driving twenty kilometres eastward on the highway and then riding south for

six hours on horseback.

This monastery was founded in 1256. Before 1959, there were only four monks,

but at present there are twenty. It is counted as one of the oldest Bonpo

monasteries in Chab mdo region, but has not shown much development because

of the lack of transport facilities and because of other unfavourable

conditions. Currently it has an assembly hall, a temple, monks’ quarters and

other buildings, and is fairly well equipped with religious objects such as

statues of sTon pa gShen rab, Dran pa nam mkha’, his son Tshe dbang rig

’dzin, rNam par rgyal ba, sTag la me ’bar, mNyam med Shes rab rgyal mtshan

and Srid pa rgyal mo, as well as several thangka and Bon scriptures.

Rituals and services of this monastery are much the same as those of other

Bonpo monasteries of this region. It does not have any special

activities.

As the monastery itself has no means of providing a living for the monks,

they depend on their own parents and relatives for support.

(86) ’Bur lung Monastery

’Bur lung Monastery is situated halfway up the hill to the east of dBen

mdzod (Wa ’bru) village in ’Jo ’ju xiang, dPa’ shod

rdzong. From the rdzong, ’Bur lung Monastery is reached

by driving twenty kilometres eastward on the highway and riding south on

horseback for six hours.

This monastery was founded by Khro tshang ’Brug lha in 1096. Before 1959,

there were only ten monks, but at present there are thirty. This was the

oldest Bonpo monastery in the whole of Tibet. The newly built assembly hall

and temple are very fine looking buildings. The religious objects include a

clay image of sTon pa gShen rab as tall as the ceiling, statues of Dran pa

nam mkha’, mNyam med Shes rab rgyal mtshan, Byams ma and Khro bo, as well as

several thangka and Bon scriptures.

The monks, like those in other Bonpo monasteries, depend on support from

their own parents and relatives for their livelihood, as the monastery has

no means of providing a living for them.

(87) bKra shis rtse Monastery

bKra shis rtse Monastery is also called Wa dag bon dgon. It is located near

the village of Wa dag in Gla ge xiang, dPa’ shod

rdzong. From the rdzong, Wa dag village is reached by

driving twenty kilometres eastward on the highway. The monastery is situated

halfway up the hill to the south of Wa dag village.

This monastery was founded in 1589. Before 1959, there was a fairly large

assembly hall and a temple containing religious objects that included the

following: a statue of sTon pa gShen rab as tall as the ceiling, statues of

rNam par rgyal ba, Byams ma and the three guardian deities - Ma, bDud and

bTsan - each of which was as tall as the ceiling, and other gilt-bronze

statues numbering over three hundred. There used to be eighteen monks; at

present there are twenty.

The mountain at the back of the monastery is the abode of Dam can Yul lha

dkar po, a local deity with one head and two arms. He is depicted as mounted

on a nanny goat, holding a knife in his right hand and a black flag in his

left. The mountain in front of the monastery is the abode of gZhi bdag Bon

thung, a local deity with a blue body. He holds a knife in his right hand

and an ensign in his left. The mountain to the right is called lHa g-yag

dkar po and the one to the left, rDo rje gzer ’phrang.

As regards rituals and services, in the morning the monks recite prayers,

then practise the rtsa lung meditation, followed by

further recitation of ritual texts of the tutelary deities. In the evening

they propitiate the protective deities, as well as performing the bsur ceremony, which involves casting barley flour into

fire.

For their main source of income, the monks depend on their own families for

support. Customarily they are not paid for performing religious services in

villages, but are paid ten yuan a day for funeral

services.

To go to Nying khri from dPa’ shod rdzong, one passes through the regions of

sPo smad, mThong smad and Klu nang.

The roads in Khams are fraught with difficulty and extreme danger. When we

came to the boundary between dPa’ shod rdzong and sPo smad rdzong, we were

struck all of a sudden by a small flood from above, and our car was stuck in

the mud. We were quite helpless and could not move, but after finally

getting help from Chinese soldiers, over thirty in number, who dredged up

mud and pulled our car up, we were able proceed on our way. As there were no

bridges on the way, we fell into difficulty and danger again.

Another time, when in despair, we received help from a Khams pa tribesman

with a devout disposition. He guided us along the route, which led us out of

danger.

Then again, when we were passing in front of a sand hill on the confines of

mThong smad, our car sank into the sand and we had no way to get out of it.

A shovel was the only tool we had and we struggled with it to get our car

out of the sand. At the same time, rocks began to roll down frequently from

above us, so we had to keep watching out for them. At last we managed to

drag the car out and headed in the direction of Nying khri.

It took us seventeen and a half hours to travel from dPa’ shod rdzong to

Nying khri.

Nying khri rdzong lies in the south-western part of Tibet, at the confluence of

the rivers Nyang chu and Yar lung gTsang po. It covers an area of 10,238 square

kilometres, 28,000 mu of which is farmland, 565,000 mu is pastureland and 5,020,000 mu

forest. Its population is about 26,000. Administratively, it consists of one

town.

In 1959, the three old rdzong - Kong po rTse la rdzong,

bDe gling rdzong and Jo mo rdzong - were joined together to form Nying khri

rdzong and at the same time its people’s administration was established; but in

1964, the administration was dismantled and Nying khri rdzong came under the

direct control of Lhasa. Then, in 1976 the administration of Nying khri rdzong

was restored again.

The rdzong is situated along the river Yar lung gTsang po.

It contains beautiful mountains and the region is rich in natural forest. Along

the river there is good farmland where the agriculture is fairly prosperous, as

is the pasturage. Various medicinal herbs grow here, cattle thrive and the area

is abundant in carnivores and herbivores. Roads are good for travellers.

Moreover, this rdzong has much that is of interest,

scenically and historically, including Kong po Bon ri, celebrated in Tibet and

beyond.

Bon ri, the Great Sacred Place

From rTag gzigs ’Ol mo lung ring, sTon pa gShen rab, accompanied by five

attendants, came to rescue his seven horses, which were stolen by the demons

of Kong po. sTon pa gShen rab and his attendants travelled down the river

Yar lung gTsang po to Kong po, the land of demons. While travelling, sTon pa

gShen rab was obstructed along the way by the three evils - klu, bdud and btsan - out

of envy, but in spite of all the serious obstacles, he subjugated the land,

which belonged to black demons by performing miracles that were beyond all

imagination.

Then sTon pa gShen rab and his attendants reached the palace rTse la ’bar

ba, where they were welcomed:

“The lady Kong btsun De mo was the first to honour him. Holding a

nectar-producing bough of juniper in her hand, she proposed a way in which

restitution could be made for the seven horses. The matter was settled

through offers of compensation: firstly, by offering the lady Kong bza’ khri

lcam to sTon pa gShen rab as his wife; secondly, by offering bushels of gold

and turquoise; and thirdly, Kong rje, the king of the demons, offered

himself and his subjects, who then became sTon pa gShen rab’s

attendants.”

sTon pa gShen rab then buried many treasures, including the gold and

turquoise he received, at the foot of the craggy hills that looked like

scattered jewels, so that they would be the essence of the soil of the four

quarters of Tibet. Saying prayers to the nectar-producing bough of Kong

btsun De mo, he thrust it into the ground there as a sign of eternity.

On top of Mount gNyan, he also planted a juniper tree as tall as himself,

where handprints of his four distinguished disciples still remain. The tree

is called sKu tshad sku shug ldem drug.

He preached the Bon of the Nine Vehicles and he, himself being the lord of

the dMu lineage, identified a mountain and gave it the name dMu ri smug po.

This is the central peak of Mount Bon ri. The summit is also called lHa ri

gyang tho. He entrusted the local deities who reside on various peaks to

guard the treasures he had concealed: gYung drung lha gnyan rtsal as the

guardian of treasure in the centre, Gangs gnyan stag rtse as the king of the

east, Nyang lha btsan drug as the king of the north, bDud nag rngams sgra

sgrogs as the king of the west and gYu ’od sman btsun as the goddess of the

south. Kong btsun De mo is the overall protectress of the place and rDzu

’phrul klu dbang is the special protector of treasures.

The sacred mountain Bon ri and its surroundings became a centre of the

teachings of Bon. gNya’ khri btsan po is said to have descended from the sky

onto the summit lHa ri Gyang tho. He was the first king of Tibet. Co’u and

’Tshe mi were the first religious attendants of the king; between them and

the king there was the “priest-patron” relationship. The king and his

religious attendants resided at the foot of Mount dMu ri smug po and

inspired the spreading of the Bon teachings.

Since then a number of the gshen religious

practitioners have come up to this holy place and established places for

religious practice. dMu ri smug po, the main peak of Mount Bon ri, is the

very highest among the peaks, which include lHa ri Gyang tho, Nor bu ri and

gShen ri bde ldan. On the slopes and in the valleys of Mount Bon ri, there

were the following religious sites: Srid rgyal, sTag bro sa, dGyes ri, dGon

rnying, Srin mo phug, dBus phug, Yang dben, Bya de phug, lHa ri Gyang tho,

gSang gling, Phug gu, Nyi ma phug, sNang ngog, Thugs dkar brag, Brag dkar

zhabs rjes, rDzong chung steng, Shel sku sbug and the cemetery Mi yul skyid

mthing. Mount Bon ri is, therefore, not only a special place for the Bonpo,

but Buddhists as well, who join in its veneration.

Mount Bon ri still receives a stream of pilgrims who accumulate merit by

making circumambulations and many prostrations. Mount Bon ri and its

surroundings present unearthly scenery, with the beautiful high mountains

filled with pine trees, bamboo, medicinal herbs, flowers, herbivores and

various kinds of birds.

There were periods of great celebration in the vicinity of the mountain. One

of the major festivities in a cycle of twelve years was an event called

Nyang po lha gsol, held in the tiger year, from the 1st to the 8th day of

the eighth month. During this period, people got together in the seven Bonpo

monasteries, including sNang ngog, and went through the ceremonies, true to

the time-honoured tradition, of initiation, the fortune-call ritual and

religious dances. The lay folk also performed dances, horse-racing,

horseback archery and the fortune-call parade.

In the mouse year, on the 8th day of the eighth month, there was the

performance of the fortune-call ceremony by the religious practitioners, and

dances and songs by the lay folk, as in the case of the tiger year. The

origin of this festival goes back to a Bonpo hermit:

In the Sixth Rab byung (1327-1386) a lama of Shel zhig from the Khams

province rediscovered a crystal image of sTon pa gShen rab called Dri med

shel sku, in the place called Shel sku sbug, and took it back to Khams.

Similarly, three text-rediscoverers from Khyung po found, in Thugs dkar

brag, a conch believed to be self-grown from the teeth of sTon pa gShen rab

and took it back to Khyung po. Following that, in Kong po, a mountain

crumbled, rainfall became rare, fields produced little harvest, disease

spread among people and cattle, famine struck and many other disasters

ensued, which reduced the people to a state of helplessness. During this

time, the hermit dPon gsas Ri pa ’brug gsas was in meditation at the cave

Thod g-yu phug in Nying khri. The hermit understood the reason for the

disasters and said, “The fertility of the soil had been weakened because of

the excavation of the treasures, the image Dri med shel sku and the tooth

conch.” He therefore made the people perform the ritual of propitiation

dedicated to the local deities and the fortune-call ceremony. When these

ceremonies ended, rain began to fall, people had a good harvest and the

epidemic abated.

The local people propitiated the goddess Srid pa rgyal mo in her various

aspects: at Srid rgyal Monastery, it was dKar mo Srid rgyal; at rDzong chung

steng Monastery, sMug mo Srid rgyal; and at sTag bro sa, Srid rgyal drel

nag. The people of the three villages of Nya mgor propitiated the goddess A

ma Yu mo. They also kept the tradition of performing the bsang ritual on the 15th and 30th of every month at different

sacred sites of Mount Bon ri where there were special signs, such as

footprints of early sages on rocks. This holy mountain, to which all

devotees pay homage and make pilgrimages, is one of the most important

religious sites in the world and, as such, it is well known.

(88) Srid rgyal Monastery

Srid rgyal dgon chen is situated close to Nying khri rdzong, halfway up the

holy mountain Bon ri. Cars can reach the foot of the mountain.

One of the thirty-seven centres of Bon was rKong yul Se mo thang. These

centres were established during the time of Mu khri btsan po, a son of gNya’

khri btsan po. It is at Se mo thang in Kong po that Srid rgyal Monastery is

located.

The lineage of lamas of this monastery goes back to Ri pa ’Brug gsas. He is

said to have been the emanation of the tutelary deity sTag la med ’bar. A

historical document states:

“In the land called Bon ri

There will be a hermit named ’Brug gsas

Who will possess a ‘magic-stone’,

Will be courageous and avert wars,

And guide 300,000 people to salvation.

Anyone who contacts him will be rewarded.”

This hermit was born in 1270 in rDza rong into the clan of sMa ra. sMa ra is

a subdivision of the clan Rang bya. He was the second son of dKon cog dge,

the father, and A lcam U gu, the mother. Having been in religious service

until the age of thirteen years, he was given the name ’Brug gsas rgyal.

From the time he was fourteen until he was nineteen years of age, he

practised meditation. He then listened to various masters in China, ’Jang

and Mi nyag. He then became conscious of the impermanence of life. He

therefore travelled to Central Tibet and began to practise more meditation,

as well as to perform circumambulation around sacred sites such as Ti se, Ma

pang, Bye ma g-yung drung and sPos ri ngad ldan. He then travelled down to

Kong po in accordance with a prophecy of Srid pa rgyal mo. In 1330, he

“opened the door of Bon ri” (that is to say, he identified the mountain),

because people had forgotten the fact that the place was one of the

thirty-seven religious centres of Bon. This was due to the long period of

time that passed since sTon pa gShen rab’s visit to the place and also due

to the chequered history of the Bon religion.

’Brug gsas took up residence in the cave gYu phug, near which the three

streams of Nyang meet. He remained there in meditation for three years and

countenanced deities of tranquil and wrathful aspects from whom he received

more prophecies. He was able to make the eight kinds of demons serve him.

While devoting himself to retreat-practice of Khro bo and Phur pa on the

mountain, he received signs from the goddess dKar mo Srid rgyal for founding

a monastery at this place. He therefore founded Srid rgyal Monastery there.

The interior and exterior of the monastic buildings were of good design and

their religious contents were rich. More than one hundred monks from all

directions gathered together there.

He left traces of his body and footprints on rocks around the site of the

monastery and passed away at the age of eighty. He promised that he would

come back in the form of a bird to see the monastery every year on the 13th

day of the fourth Tibetan month. A festival called dGon chen Bya mjal was,

thereafter, held on this day and it was the occasion when people went to see

the bird.

The line of the heads of the monastery was as follows:

1. Ri pa ’Brug gsas
2. Rag shi Nyi ma rgyal mtshan
3. Bru ston Nyi ma rgyal mtshan
4. La tri hri rda (Zhang zhung language: Dam pa blo gros)
5. sDong sgom bsTan pa lhun grub
6. rNal ’byor Nam mkha’ lhun grub
7. Tshe dbang lhun grub
8. bsTan pa rgyal mtshan
9. gYung drung rnam rgyal
10. Rin chen tshul khrims
11. Kun bzang lhun grub
12. rGyal ba gtsug phud
13. Tshe dbang legs mchog
14. gYung drung rgyal mtshan
15. rGyal ba blo gros
16. Mi ’gyur rgyal mtshan
17. lHun grub dbang rgyal
18. gYung drung dbang rgyal
19. Tshe dbang ’od zer
20. Khyung sprul gYung drung phun tshogs
21. Zla ba don ’grub
22. Tshul khrims blo gros
23. mTha’ yas rgya mtsho
24. Nor skyabs Rinpoche

Dam pa blo gros, the fourth in the line, founded the monastery called rDzong

chung kha. gDong sgom bsTan pa lhun grub, the fifth, founded sTag rtse

Monastery (No.89) in his later life. bsTan pa rgyal mthan, the eighth,

carried out all the duties delegated to him by sPyan gsal Kun ’phel gling,

an official serving under the Fifth Dalai Lama (1617-1682). As a reward, the

Dalai Lama granted the monastery the special privilege of establishing an

independent monastic code, building a rooftop and making a double

tamarisk-stems-work on the outer wall of the monastic building. At that time

there were four hundred monks in the monastery. Mi ’gyur rgyal mtshan, the

sixteenth in the line, founded dGyes ri Monastery. Khyung sprul gYung drung

phun tshogs, the twentieth, founded dGon sding Monastery.

At present there are nineteen monks in the monastery. It has a complete set

of the printed edition of the bKa’ ’gyur

and a complete set of manuscripts of the bKa’

brten. Besides these, there are ritual texts and more than two

hundred volumes of manuscripts.

Annual Ritual Services

1. In the first month the birthday ceremony of mNyam med Shes rab

   rgyal mtshan is celebrated on the 5th day, and the memorial service of

   sTong rgyung mthu chen was held for fifteen days.

2. In the second month there is a recitation of the bKa’ ’gyur and on the occasion of the festival of

   sTon pa gShen rab’s conversion of demons.

3. In the third month the ritual cycle of one of the five tutelary

   deities is performed for ten days.

4. In the fourth month, on the 10th day, the birthday of Dran pa nam

   mkha’ was celebrated; on the 13th, the memorial service of Ri pa ’Brug

   gsas was held. For the latter, the Zhi khro khri mchod ceremony was

   performed. This festival, called dGon chen Bya mjal (“Meeting the bird

   of the great monastery”), was the occasion when the local people would

   dance and sing, and expect to see the vulture, as Ri pa ’Brug gsas had

   promised that he would come in the form of the bird every year.

5. In the fifth month, starting from the 5th day, the memorial

   service of mNyam med Shes rab rgyal mtshan was held for ten

   days.

6. In the sixth month, on the 10th day, the birthday ceremony of Tshe

   dbang rig ’dzin and Pad ma ’byung gnas was held.

7. In the seventh month, starting from the 15th day, the confession

   ceremony was held for five days.

8. In the eighth month there was the performance of the ritual cycle

   of dBal gsas and the offering of the sacrificial cake a hundred times

   to the guardians of the Bon religion for eight days.

9. In the ninth month, starting from the 13th day, there was the

   performance of the Ma tri ’bum sgrub ceremony as a memorial service of

   sTon pa gShen rab for fifteen days.

10. In the tenth month, on the 15th day, a general religious service

    was held.

11. In the eleventh month, there was the performance of the thousand

    offerings of the sacrificial cake to sTag la me ’bar and the short dgu gtor rite for fifteen days.

12. In the twelfth month, there was a the performance of the birthday

    celebration of sTon pa gShen rab on the 15th day, based on the gYung drung klong rgyas and the dgu gtor rite based on the ritual cycle of Khro bo for

    fifteen days.

Daily assemblies are held to make offerings to the deities.

Tea is served twelve times a day, and meals with meat and butter are

provided according to availability. Apart from this, the monks must make

their living by going out and performing religious services in villages

and receiving support from their parents and relatives.

(89) sTag rtse gYung drung gling Monastery

sDong sgom bsTan pa lhun grub, the fifth head of Srid rgyal Monastery, was a

native of Amdo. He founded sTag rtse gYung drung gling in 1680.

The line of the heads of this monastery is as follows:

1. sDong sgom bsTan pa lhun grub
2. Tshe dbang lhun grub
3. Rin chen tshul khrims
4. sKal bzang lhun grub
5. rGyal ba gtsug phud
6. Tshe dbang mchog legs
7. lHun grub dbang rgyal
8. gYung drung dbang rgyal
9. bsTan pa rgyal mtshan
10. Tshe dbang rnam rgyal
11. Tshe dbang bdud ’dul

This monastery formerly possessed such religious objects as the following: a

marvelous precious stone found on the peak of Bon ri by sDong sgom bsTan pa

lhun grub; the latter’s image, called lCe me thub; and statues of Phur pa,

rTa mgrin and Padmasambhava. There were more than two thousand manuscripts

including the bKa’ ’gyur and bKa’ brten.

At present the monastery possesses relics of sDong sgom bsTan pa lhun grub,

a large white conch, more than ten statues, including Phur pa, rTa mgrin,

and bKa’ ’gyur and bKa’ brten. There are no more than twelve monks in this

monastery now.

Near the monastery there is a rock-face upon which sDong sgom bsTan pa lhun

grub inscribed the five syllables stag, rtse, g-yung, drung and

gling with his fingers, and a stone with his

handprint on it. At the back of the monastery there is a meditation cave of

the four scholarly ones; to the north there is a rock with an amazing shape,

called Ye shes dbal mo; up the valley there is the meditation cave of sDong

sgoms bsTan pa lhun grub. The area around the monastery is covered with

dense forest of various kinds of trees and is considered to be the abode of

the three protective deities, Ma, bDud and bTsan. It stands in a magnificent

place surrounded by mountains, the abodes of the local deities, including

lHa gnyan gYung drung rtse in the centre, rGyal po Kong gnyan rgyal in the

east, bDud nag rNgams sgra sgrog in the west, Ma mo gYu ’od sman in the

south and Nyang lha bTsan drug in the north.

Services and Rituals

1. In the first month there is the memorial service of mNyam med Shes

   rab rgyal mtshan for six days starting from the 1st day of the month,

   and the performance of the offering of sacrificial cake one hundred

   times to sTag la me ’bar and one thousand times to the protective

   deities for nine days.

2. In the second month, offerings of the sacrificial cake are made to

   Ge khod gsang drag for eleven days.

3. In the third month, starting from the 8th day, offerings of the

   sacrificial cake are made to dBal gsas for ten days.

4. In the fifth month, starting from the 8th day, the ritual of rNam

   rgyal stong mchod is performed for seven days.

5. In the ninth month, starting from the 22nd day, offerings of the

   sacrificial cake are made to sTag la me ’bar for ten days.

6. In the eleventh month, starting from the 9th day, the sTag rtse me

   mchod is performed for seven days.

7. In the twelfth month, starting from the 22nd day, the dgu gtor rite is performed for ten days.

As for daily activities, the day is divided into four parts: in the

first, the bsang ritual; in the second, water

offering and the bsur ceremony; in the third,

prayers; and last, propitiation of the protective deities.

The local deity residing on the hill behind the monastery is called Pho

lha ’Ba’ ba dpal ldan and the local deity of sTag rtse village is the

goddess A ma Pad mo.

For their means of living, the monks receive an annual stipend of 2,880

yuan from the lama, and the local devotees offer

over ten thousand yuan for the expenses of the

performance of the rituals mentioned above.

To go to rTse thang in lHo kha from Nying khri rdzong one takes the route

that passes through Glang rdzong. The road is reasonably good, but it is

very often winding and, moreover, one must go up and across the big

mountain pass called sPor thang la. It can, therefore, take some twelve

hours to reach rTse thang.

From rTse thang to sNye mo rdzong is a drive of three and a half hours,

crossing the large bridge at Chu shur.