Gaden Tharpa Choling Monastery has Dorje Shugden statue

[Namdrol]

Gaden Tharpa Choling Monastery in West Bengal has Dorje Shugden statue kept in a locked room, said here by Lonely Planet!







Gaden Tharpa Choling Monastery is a Gelugpa monastery situated at the hilltop in Kalimpong, West Bengal, India. The monastery was founded by Domo Geshe Rinpoche Ngawang Kalsang in 1912. History says that Domo Geshe Rinpoche lived in Kalimpong in 1906 when he came to India for pilgrimage and to collect medicinal plants from India, Nepal and Bhutan. At the request of the Tibetan merchants and some Bhutanese leaders living in Kalimpong to establish a monastery there, Rinpoche instituted this monastery.

[Big Uncle]

It is neat that they kept Dorje Shugden locked away and not given away like what some monasteries do. I am proud that the Sangha of these monasteries remain stalwart in the practice of Dorje Shugden. But at the same time, I am sad that such a powerful and efficacious practice should be under lock and key. I heard from one of the posts, some High Lamas are whispering a prophecy that the ban would be dissolved in around 5 years. I hope this is true and I am not surprised if this forum and website has anything to do with this.

[kris]

Good to hear that! I am just curious who gave them the info

[lotus1]

This is very interesting. I am wondering if the room is locked just for show but secretly, the monks in Gaden Tharpa Choling Monastery still go in there to do prayer and offerings to Lord Shugden frequently. 

@Big Uncle, I sincerely hope that the prophecy will come true soon. May the ban be lifted soonest and more people will be benefited and protected by Lord Shugden.

[thor]

Incredible incredible incredible... why? Because this monastery is not under the Domo Geshe Choktrul Rinpoche in Shar Gaden, but THE Domo Geshe Rinpoche in Sera Jey monastery, the same one that is recognised by the Dalai Lama.

Extracted from his Facebook Page:
"On the 19th January 2007, His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama Himself ordained the young Domo Tulku in the private chamber of His Holiness during his visit to Sera Jey Monastery. The young Tulku was given the name Tenzin Jigmey Lhundup.

On the 22nd of August 2007, at his own Tharpa Choeling Monastery in Kalimpong (West Bengal, India) a grand enthronement ceremony and his formal admission to the monastery ceremony were held. On that occasion the reception committee headed by Choeze Geshe Thupten Rabyang, the administrator of Dromo Labrang, included officials such as Mr Kalsang Tsering, the local Tibetan Welfare Officer, and representatives of various associations and NGOs. "

In the past, before the messy current situation with 3 Domo Geshe Rinpoches, Tharpa Choling used to be supported by the Dungkar Gompa Society (which recognises the Shar Gaden Domo Rinpoche not the Sera Jey Domo Rinpoche). However, at present, all monks in Tharpa Choling claim to have renounced Dorje Shugden and as such, Dungkar Gompa Society no longer supports Tharpa Choling, and instead, Tharpa Choling is under the Department of Religion and Culture, Central Tibetan Administration and the private office of His Holiness the Dalai Lama!!

Isnt that interesting! With all the controversy over multiple Domo Rinpoches, we now learn that there is a Shugden statue in the monastery of the Dalai Lama's recognised candidate! Don't think for a moment that the monks there don't worship Shugden... if they did not, they would have (unfortunately) destroyed his image. But, the locked room with Dorje Shugden sounds very very similar to the other locked room of Dorje Shugden in Phelgyeling monastery.

I sure hope the Dalai Lama or CTA are reading this post! Cos the articles linking Dorje Shugden to Tharpa Choling are all over the internet and there's nothing they can do about it hehehe

See this article from late 2010, detailing the visit of the Dalai Lama to Tharpa Choling

DHARAMSHALA: His Holiness the Dalai Lama on Sunday inaugurated and consecrated the newly refurbished Gaden Tharpa Choeling Monastery in India's northeastern state of West Bengal, which he said is one of the oldest Tibetan Buddhist monasteries in India.
 
His Holiness said he was very happy to visit the monastery, adding that Kalimpong has had a long relationship with Tibet.

His Holiness paid his first visit to Gaden Tharpa Choeling Monastery in 1956 when he was returning to Tibet after attending the 2500th Buddha Jayanti celebration in India. The second visit was made in 1981 during which he gave a series of religious teachings.
“Since then, I could not able to visit here as the Lamas and monks were engaged in Shugden propitiation,” he said.

“I also propitiated Shugden in the fifties, and after careful research and study realised that Shugden is an evil spirit. I then renounced its propitiation, and informed in detail to Kyabje Trijang Rinpoche and received his complete support,” he said.

“I have now come here at invitation of this monastery as it has shunned Shugden propitiation,” he said.
 
Earlier in the morning, His Holiness was accorded ceremonial welcome on arrival at Kalimpong from New Delhi. Hundreds of Tibetans - representing the traditional provinces of Tibet, Tibetan Youth Congress and Tibetan Women's Association, monasteries and schools - carrying ceremonial scarves and incense sticks lined on both sides of the road to welcome His Holiness. Local Tamangs, Sherpas and Nepalese joined the welcome reception.
 
On his arrival at Tharpa Choeling monastery, His Holiness was received by the monastery's spiritual head Geshe Dromo Rinpoche as chorus of traditional trumpets reverberated and scent of incense wafted the air. 

Geshe Dromo Rinpoche presented Mendrel Tensum (auspicious offerings) to His Holiness the Dalai Lama. The secretary of the monastery, Mr Phurbu, delivered the welcome speech and presented a report of the monastery.

Gaden Tharpa Choeling Monastery was established in 1922 by the first Dromo Geshe Rinpoche. The present Dromo Geshe Rinpoche is the third reincarnation. Presently there are about 50 monks at the monastery.

[Aurore]

Thank you Thor for clarifying which Domo Geshe this is! Indeed this is the right Dome Geshe and monastery. See pics below.

This is very exciting news! In fact, I find this is quite hilarious. Just as HHDL happily thought that this monastery has shunned Shugden propitiation, it is now all over the internet that they did not. Will HHDL stop visiting Gaden Tharpa Choling now if he knows about this?

On top of that, on 28th February 2009, six monks of Tharpa Choeling Monastery from Kalimpong took full ordination vows from His Holiness. Shugden practitioners taking ordination from HHDL.

[Tenzin Malgyur]

Thank you Thor for your very informative explanations backed by facts. I am so glad to have found this website which not only educate, but also provide a platform for people to voice their doubts. I am also looking forward to day the ban would be dissolved just as what Big Uncle had read. I have read that in monasteries, protectors have their own chapel and away from the main altar. Is that why it was mentioned in the Lonely Planet guide that Dorje Shugden and other wrathful deities are  kept in a locked room adjacent the gompa?

[Carpenter]

Oops… the secret is revealed… hehe, but isn’t it a nice secret to hear?

I’ve read this from Wikipedia

In 2005, the reincarnation of the third Domo Geshe Rinpoche was found in Bylakuppe through the prophecy and divination of His Holiness of the 14th Dalai Lama. In deference to the directives of His Holiness the Fourteenth Dalai Lama, the Tharpa Choling Monastery has banned the worship of Dorjee Shugden. The Monastery is under the direct supervision of the religious department and His Holiness the Dalai Lama Administration.

Even With all these events going on and instruction from Dalai Lama himself, the monks there still practice Dorje Shugden in secret, I don’t see this as disrespect to Dalai Lama, and in fact, this shows how much faith they have to Dorje Shugden and their practicing in private is because they respect Dalai Lama.

Erm… now seems like more and more information of people practice it secretly, will it be when the time comes, when the ban was released, then everyone will walk up and say, I’m still practicing Dorje Shugden. Don’t you think so? Hehe~~~

[pgdharma]

This is interesting. Domo Geshe Rinpoche who is recognized by the Dalai Lama has a Dorje Shugden statue in his monastery, Gaden Tharpa Choling Monastery. This shows that they still worship Dorje Shugden but out of respect for the Dalai Lama, they do it in secret.  If they are not doing the practice, they would not have kept it locked up and the statue would have been destroyed.

May the ban be lifted soon for more people to receive blessings from Dorje Shugden.

[icy]

These monks at Tharpa Choling are hard core Dorje Shugden practitioners who are loyalist to DS and their Lama.  Even though there is no statue and sign of monks practising Dorje Shugden at Tharpa Choling, their secrets are temporarily under lock and key to appease Dalai Lama and the Tibetan Government.  However,  do not think for a moment that Dalai Lama is fooled by them renouncing Dorje Shugden.  Both parties are like actors on a stage play awaiting the big day.

[thor]

These monks at Tharpa Choling are hard core Dorje Shugden practitioners who are loyalist to DS and their Lama.  Even though there is no statue and sign of monks practising Dorje Shugden at Tharpa Choling, their secrets are temporarily under lock and key to appease Dalai Lama and the Tibetan Government.  However,  do not think for a moment that Dalai Lama is fooled by them renouncing Dorje Shugden.  Both parties are like actors on a stage play awaiting the big day.

But icy, don't forget we have the interesting situation whereby although domo Geshe Rinpoche was a hardcore Shugden lama, this reincarnation was recognised by the Dalai lama. Now, we know that the CTA has banned Shugden lamas such as gangchen Rinpoche, pabongka Rinpoche and so on. So why would the Dalai lama recognise an incarnation of domo Geshe Rinpoche, knowing his lineage is pro-Shugden? Not only that. If the monastery is under his direct supervision, why on earth is there a secret Shugden chapel there? Do you think the Dalai lama is unaware of the chapel's existence? No way. So what is really going on here?

[Galen]

The is great news!! Now even an independent travel book company writes about Dorje Shugden in their travel listings. How interesting. They are not biased but just conveying what they know for the benefit of their readers. They are not on anybody's side.

Also, it is great to know that Gaden Tharpa Choling Monastery is Domo Geshe Rinpoche's monastery which is endorsed by the Dalai Lama. Which also mean that they do not practice Dorje Shugden. But with this, does it change anything? This means that they have continued practicing DS behind the Dalai Lama's back. Or does the Dalai Lama know all of this and still went to the monastery.

There's always a bigger picture behind everything. So, no matter which Domo Geshe Rinpoche you believe in, the bottom line is, all of them practices Dorje Shugden!