In the 14th century Yeshe Gyaltsen, a Bonpo monk from Yaru bensa kha Monastery and originally from Sog de in Nagchu kha, asked his main master, mTha’ bral bSod nams rgyal mtshan, about his future. His master told him that he was to spread the doctrine in a land called …

Shardzong Hermitage or Shardzong Ritro is a Geluk hermitage located in the Tsongkha region of Amdo and situated on a slope of Amnye Chi Ri, is one of four major meditation sites in Amdo. It was founded by the 4th Karmapa (1340–1383) at the beginning of the 14th century. It …

Ngawa Tashi Gomang monastery, a branch of Labrang Monastery, is Geluk monastery in Amdo that was founded in either 1776 or 1791 by the Second Jamyang Zhepa, Konchok Jigme Wangpo. As of 1996, it housed over 600 monks, of which eleven were incarnate lamas. Beginning in 1769, at the age …

Jyeku DondrupLing, a major Sakya monastery in Jyekundo, was built on the site of earlier Bon and Kagyu monasteries. The Sakya presence was first established by Pakpa Lodro Gyeltsen, and then expanded into a formal monastery in the fifteenth century by Dakchen Sherab Gyaltsen. Jyekundo Dondrupling Monastery suffered heavy damage …

Zurmang Dutsitil monastery is a Karma Kagyu monastery in Yushu Qinghai province. It was founded in 1423 the First Zurmang Trungpa, Kunga Gyelten, and has been the seat of the Trungpa incarnations ever since. The name in Tibetan means “many cornered” referring to the irregularly shaped reed huts used by the first monastics in …