Print Page - Another Dorje Shugden monastery in Tibet! (Riwo Choeling Monastery)

About Dorje Shugden => General Discussion => Topic started by: Mana on September 30, 2011, 10:43:43 AM

Title: Another Dorje Shugden monastery in Tibet! (Riwo Choeling Monastery)
Post by: Mana on September 30, 2011, 10:43:43 AM

Riwo Choeling Monastery at Lhoka (Shannan) Prefecture, Tibet

(http://www.dorjeshugden.com/images/shannan.jpg)

(http://www.dorjeshugden.com/images/shannan2.jpg)

(http://www.dorjeshugden.com/images/shannan3.jpg)

(http://www.dorjeshugden.com/images/shannan4.jpg)

(http://www.dorjeshugden.com/images/shannan5.jpg)

(http://www.dorjeshugden.com/images/shannan6.jpg)

(http://www.dorjeshugden.com/images/shannan7.jpg)

Title: Re: Another Dorje Shugden monastery in Tibet! (Riwo Choeling Monastery)
Post by: DharmaSpace on October 01, 2011, 04:29:33 PM

Thank you Mana, the face of Dorje Shugden looks so life like, it is a wrathful imagery, yet one is captivated by it.

Title: Re: Another Dorje Shugden monastery in Tibet! (Riwo Choeling Monastery)
Post by: Barzin on October 02, 2011, 08:50:15 PM

G.O.R.G.E.O.U.S!!! !!!

Thanks for sharing this! This image of Dorje Shugden looks stunning! He embraces his wrathful qualities yet look so handsome and charming if I may say so... So many monastery and places are making or setting up gorgeous images of Shugden. I totally rejoice! Whether monks or lay people, they are truly determined and really display what the dharma taught, to have guru devotion. They lay low in profile, took in accusations and sometimes violence.. But not once they fight back, that's pure dharma. Soon, when the time has come. This protector is going to help many and bring dharma to them... ...

Title: Re: Another Dorje Shugden monastery in Tibet! (Riwo Choeling Monastery)
Post by: whitelion on October 02, 2011, 11:12:49 PM

I just in love with this powerful yet gentle looking DS statue. He's slightly different from the normal wrathful looking DS. I love the expression and bright eyes. As we can see the statue is well made and well maintain, monks or any sangha members have not much money to build this , it must be from someone who sponsored it directly or indirectly. But why does people still sponsoring it, the reason is simple, he never harm anyone and actually bring conducive conditions for followers to solve our worldly needs, so we can have more time to practice it.

As you can see in the right top corner of pic 4, 5, 6, we can see is a Lama's picture in robe, personally i think he's Pabongka Rinpoche. If Pabongkha Rinpoche, Zong Rinpoche, Trijang RInpoche and many many other high lamas are also one of the DS practitional, we as lay people, how can we create problems for ourselves not to learn and not be with the enlighten Buddha, why do we still have doubts in any high lamas ?

Title: Re: Another Dorje Shugden monastery in Tibet! (Riwo Choeling Monastery)
Post by: WisdomBeing on October 03, 2011, 10:17:01 AM

Thanks for sharing this! I was looking for more information on Riwo Choeling and found in the wikipedia article about Trode Khangsar (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trode_Khangsar (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trode_Khangsar)) that "The temple is dedicated to the protector Dorje Shugden and has been traditionally managed by the Gelug monastery Riwo Chöling, which is located in the Yarlung valley."

I also came across an appeal from Lama Gangchen Peace Times (dated 1999) about this monastery and I hope the admin doesn't mind if i post it here. I hope the monastery is now financially better off and at the size of the Dorje Shugden statue in the post above, it does look like it. I trust Dorje Shugden will continue to bring resources to Riwo Choeling!

http://www.lgpt.net/News/12/03c_12en.htm (http://www.lgpt.net/News/12/03c_12en.htm)
An urgent request for help from Tibet. The monastery of Riwo Choeling is situated in the district of Lhoka in Tibet, around a four hour journey by road from the capital Lhasa. Perched on the top of a mountain the actual monastery can only be reached by foot, and houses some of the most profound teachings of the Tibetan Buddhist tradition.

Aside from the few remaining older monks, many youngsters and children live there today, with a lot of enthusiasm, trying to follow the studies and thereby grasp and preserve this important spiritual tradition. However, the physical hardship is enormous: the monastery is extremely poor, and often isolated by snow for many months each year. Money is needed to buy fuel for the winter, food, shoes, material, medicine, paper and pens, covers...

A concrete way to help this monastery to survive is that of adopting at a distance one of the monks: a part of the money (in total 50 cents a day!) will be used to cover the personal needs of the monk; and following the monastic rules which teach generosity, the rest is destined to help the whole community. It is a new friend who, from faraway, will remeber you everyday in his prayers. To help a monk at Riwo Choeling contact Help in Action: tel. +39 02 29000521, fax. +39 02 29010271.

Enrica Mazzi

Title: Re: Another Dorje Shugden monastery in Tibet! (Riwo Choeling Monastery)
Post by: vajrastorm on October 03, 2011, 11:23:36 AM

Yes, Dorje Shugden here looks gloriously wrathful and strikingly handsome.

Thank you for sharing the pictures of Dorje Shugden from Riwo Choeling Monastery, another of many Shugden monasteries that are steeped in timeless tradition. It is always heartening and encouraging to see that Shugden practice continues to thrive to benefit all.

Title: Re: Another Dorje Shugden monastery in Tibet! (Riwo Choeling Monastery)
Post by: dsiluvu on July 13, 2012, 04:54:53 AM

Some infromation and background on Riwo Monastery thought might be interesting to share....

Riwo Choling Monastery
Sangye Gyatso’s Sabbatical

Sangye Gyatso (1653-1705) was remarkably ambitious. He was born in 1653, about ten years after the Dalai Lama gained power over Tibet. Not only did he assume the role of governance (sde srid) in 1679 at the young age of 26, he was a prolific scholar who wrote definitive books on Tibetan medicine, astrology and history. His rule was ambitious as he completed the construction of the Potala, established the Chagpori medical school and other governmental reforms. He also hid the Fifth Dalai Lama’s death in 1682 for most of his reign to avoid interference from foreign powers such as the Qing Empire.20

Sangye Gyatso was a nephew to Trinley Gyatso, the regent appointed by the Fifth Dalai Lama after Sonam Rabten. Sangye Gyatso first came to the Potala in 1660, when he was eight, and was personally looked after and mentored by the Dalai Lama himself. In 1675 he was asked to become a regent, which he declined in favor of tending to a spiritual life. In 1679, after the interim desi was no longer able to serve, he finally relented to accepting the desi position after the Fifth Dalai Lama demanded it based on the Lhamo oracle’s advice, his relation to the former desi and predictions in various termas21.

Riwo Choling is a remote, but relatively large, Gelug monastery south of Lhasa in the Yarlung valley region. The origin of Riwo Choling monastery goes back to the 14th century when Je Tsongkhapa was traveling through the area with some other monks. This area contains two mountains and Je Tsongkhapa remarked that, since it was shaped like a sword, in the future it would be a place amicable to learning.22 The sword is the implement of the Bodhisattva of Wisdom, Manjushri, and represents discriminating wisdom.

Yarlung valley contains many important holy sites such as Tradrug (khra 'brug), the first temple in Tibet created by the Dharma king Songtsen Gampo. The Yarlung valley and its temples have been very important spiritually and geopolitically throughout Tibetan history. The Fifth Dalai Lama and Desi Sangye Gyatso both integrated centers of the dynastic period into their ritual calendar to reconstruct themselves in the tradition of “rightful perpetuators of the Buddhist tradition in Tibet”. The Ganden Phodrang invested a lot into restoring Tradrug, such as furnishing a golden roof and sponsoring daily rituals such as butter lamp offerings similar to that done in Jokhang in Lhasa.

Due to the geographic proximity of Tradrug to Riwo Choling, monks from Riwo Choling primarily rendered service to Tradrug. Riwo Choling was known as one of the residences of Dorje Shugden, and Dorje Shugden was also known as the protector (srung ma) of Riwo Choling . The village below Riwo Choling is called Tsharu, which is 2 kilometers south of Tradrug, the oldest temple in Tibet built by Songtsen Gampo. From Choepel’s pilgrimage guide:

This monastery was initially founded by Je Tsongkhapa’s disciple Khedrup Dondrup Palzang (better known as Khedrup Je) in the 15th century. See Forum Discussion here.... http://www.dorjeshugden.com/forum/index.php?topic=672.0 (http://www.dorjeshugden.com/forum/index.php?topic=672.0)

At first it had one college with 8 monks but gradually grew to one hundred monks. As this is the monastery famed for where the Desi Sangye Gyatso entered the religious life, there is a three story fortress of his on the side. As Desi Sangye Gyatso looked after this monastery it came to be protected by the government. Monks of this monastery were permitted to study at the three great monasteries [Ganden, Sera, Drepung], Ngari Dagpo college, and traditional Tibetan medical schools such as Chagpori [lcags po ri]. You will encounter here a one story building that hosts a silver reliquary ornamented by gold which contains the skull [broken into 8 pieces that has 21 self-arisen Taras visible] of Marpa’s son, Darma Dode, placed by the Fifth Dalai Lama at this monastery. You will also find a three story Maitreya statue and a monk assembly hall that has 30 pillars [which indicates the size is large].

Tragically, Sangye Gyatso’s life was cut short after the resumption of power by Qoshot Mongolians lead by Lhazang Khan, a descendent of Gushri Khan. There were controversies about him hiding the Fifth Dalai Lama’s death from the Qing emperor, Kangxi, and finally the situation with the Sixth Dalai Lama he recognized without meeting the Mongolians’ criteria. However, many of his and the Fifth Dalai Lama’s reforms left their mark on Tibet and its monastic and various institutions for centuries to come.

http://www.dorjeshugdenhistory.org/trode-khangsar-9.html (http://www.dorjeshugdenhistory.org/trode-khangsar-9.html)

Title: Re: Another Dorje Shugden monastery in Tibet! (Riwo Choeling Monastery)
Post by: samayakeeper on July 13, 2012, 11:11:39 AM

Beautifully stunning pictures and information that prove that the practice of Dorje Shugden is widely accepted and being practiced in Yarlung Valley and many other regions of Tibet. I maintain my opinion that Tibet should continue to be governed by China where the people are benefiting more than if CTA were to govern. I visited Lhasa a few years back and in that same year also visited Dharamsala. So much difference in amenities and infra structure between these two. Importantly, Dorje Shugden is ALLOWED to be worship and practiced. Try that in Dharamsala with the CTA as your neighbor!

Title: Re: Another Dorje Shugden monastery in Tibet! (Riwo Choeling Monastery)
Post by: AnneQ on July 14, 2012, 09:57:57 AM

Yes samayakeeper does have a good point here. So long as China continues to rule Tibet, I can foresee more and more DS monasteries sprouting all over the country where people are free to practice DS. And by the time the ban is lifted, Tibet will be seeped in DS practice and ready to except all the exiled Tibetans returning back from India, welcoming all under the protection of DS. What a wonderful thought!

Title: Re: Another Dorje Shugden monastery in Tibet! (Riwo Choeling Monastery)
Post by: Big Uncle on July 14, 2012, 02:17:45 PM

What lovely pictures of the Dorje Shugden statue at Riwo Choeling Monastery. I wonder what is the history behind this very old statue. Dorje Shugden as depicted by the unknown artist has the most unusual and intense glare. I really love the devotion as shown by this monk and how he has changed the robes of the Dorje Shugden statue and I really like the picture that he placed his head on the statue in veneration and for a blessing.

Ultimately, statues of Dorje Shugden or any Buddhas are meant for us to collect merit and not to acquire and appreciate it just for its physical beauty. That's why such old statues are so alive with the presence of Dorje Shugden as imbued by the faithful. I think Dorje Shugden practice will grow even more when more practitioners invest in large statues and imbue it with the power of Dorje Shugden through their true devotion and practice.

Title: Re: Another Dorje Shugden monastery in Tibet! (Riwo Choeling Monastery)
Post by: Tenzin Malgyur on July 15, 2012, 05:55:04 AM

These are very lovely pictures of Dorje Shugden. Dorje Shugden looks very elegant in this version of statue, yet at the same time approachable. The residents of Lhoka are very fortunate to be able to practice DS openly. I think most Tibetan would have agreed with samayakeeper on being governed by China. What is the point of having independence but the citizens are not free to practice the religion/belief of their choice?