Loyal to the lineage

By Samten Yeshi, Ladakh

Tagna monastery in Ladakh : The Drukpa Kagyue monastery was offered to Zhabdrung’s representative Chojey MuzinpaBeside the natural beauty and the landscape that Ladakh share with Bhutan, it was the devotion of the Ladakhis for the two line- ages of Zhung druk-druk Ralung in Tibet and Lho-druk in Bhutan that made Ladakh the favourite venue for the 3rd Drukpa Coun- cil, say to organisers.

Deputy chairperson of ADC , Drukpa Thuksey Rinpoche, said the Zhung Drukpa lineage in Tibet and Lho-druk from Bhu- tan originated from two 5th Gyel- wang Drukpa Rinpoches, born as Pagsam Wangpo, that spread the Drukpa lineage in Tibet; and Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyel in Bhutan.

“Durkpa Kagyue in Hemis monastery and Tagna monastery are the most significant monas- teries in Ladakh’s religious history and its relation with two major Drukpa lineages,” Rinpoche said.

According to local Ladakh history, Gyelwang Pagsam Wang- po sent Taktsang Raypa Nawang Gyatsho, on the invitation from Ladakh king Singye Namgyel, and founded the Drukpa kagyue in Hemis monastery, thus ex-tending his lineage to Ladakh.

On the other hand, Chojey Muzinpa was offered the Tagna monastery in Ladakh, which is now over 500 years old, after Zhabdrung Nawang Namgyel sent him as his representative on the invitation from Chojyel Singye Namgyel in 1590.Hemis Monastery

According to historical records of Tagna monastery published by the Tagna mo- nastic school, Chojey Muzinpa later founded the current Tagna monastery and relocated it to the present site from the bottom of the hill in 1618.

A statue of Zhabdrung Ngadrama (look alike statue), self crafted by Zhabdrung himself, is also found in Tagna monastery among its sacred relics today.

Since then the Tagna mon- astery became the link between Ladakh and Zhabdrung in Bhu- tan, and the Hemis monastery, the link between Gyelwa Pagsam Wangpo in Tibet.

Locals believe that the Lho- druk tradition of Drukpa Kagyue, founded by Zhabdrung after he settled in Bhutan, was introduced in Ladakh, after Jetsun Ngawang Gyeltsen became the next seat holder in place of Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyel from 1680 to 1720.

About 21 lists of seat holder in Tagna monastery, until the 19th seat holder Lama Tashi Tenphel were appointees from Bhutan. After Bhutan stopped appointing, Lama Tashi Tenphel’s successive reincarnations took over as the seat holder of the monastery.

Current seat holder was the 4th Tagna Rinpoche Doenyoed Dorjee, who passed away on January 25 last year. “Drukpa Rinpoche have said our rinpoche (Tagna rinpoche Doenyoed Dor- jee) has a reincarnation, but we’re yet to locate him,” Damchoe Jur- mey, treasurer of Tagna monas- tery in Ladakh, said.

In memory of the religious bond established by Zhabdrung between Bhutan and Ladakh, over 40 monks from Bhutan, who are attending the ADC made a Tshogkhor in Tagna Monastery yesterday.

Keeping one’s lineage alive in service to dharma

Pilgrims from Bhutan in Tsho Pema

Pilgrims from Bhutan offer Tshok at the sacred cave of Guru Rinpoche and Khandro Mendarawa in Tshopema, Himachel Pradesh. The pilgrims are on their way to the Annual Drukpa Council, to be held in Ladakh, which begins from August 22. (Source: Kuensel Newspaper, Bhutan)

To restore practices fallen into disuse

By Samten Yeshi, Ladakh

24 August, 2011 - Identifying and reviving practices of the Drukpa lineage th

at have been discontinued in Drukpa schools is the main objective of the third Annual Drukpa Council that starts today in Ladakh, India.

Citing an example, the former ADC chairperson, Khamtrul Rinpoche said that the practice of Tselha-trowa, the wrathful practice of the long life Buddha, has been discontinued in some drukpa schools.

The discussion on discontinued practices would be based on ‘Domsum Juedyik’ a scholarly work of Chagri Je, the 68th Je Khenpo.

His Holiness’s work contains all practices of Drukpa tradition and its lineages, which also highlights those practices, which are discontinued in some regions. It also says where it can be traced from for the practice to be revived and continued.

Broken or discontinued lineage is a practice or teaching that is not passed on. A practice also gets discontinued when the next generation in the same family studies under another master.

There are also cases when some practices that are continued in Bhutan are found to be discontinued in Nepal and Ladakh.

What the ADC plans to do is to invite masters from one country to another to share and reconnect the practices through teachings.

“Besides ADC is also an opportunity to meet and receive teachings from great masters and yogis of Drukpa lineages from all over the world,” the chairperson said.

Drukpa Kagyue sect of Vajrayana Buddhism is known as the Drukpa tradition of practice and its teaching passed from one master to another.

Like the three councils that were organised after the death of Lord Buddha to strengthen his teachings, ADC is also organsied to uphold the continued Drukpa tradition practices.

It brings together some 29 drukpa masters and thousands of followers from about 80 different countries to strengthen the Drukpa lineage.

Thousands of monks and other Drukpa followers from all over the world received the 12th Gyelwang Drukpa Rinpoche yesterday at his Shey monastery in Leh, Ladakh.

Over 80 Bhutanese, including about 40 monks, are in Ladakh participating in the programs, with about 14 Bhutanese volunteers helping the organisers. Bhutan’s representative, the national council’s chairperson Namgay Penjore and the Je Khenpo’s representative Yongchab Lopen Sangay Dorji are also in Leh.

The event is held at Narophodrang, the seat monastery of Gyelwang Drukpa Rinpoche.

Source: Kuensel Newspaper

Ladakh to play host

18 April 2011 by Tenzin Namgyel, Kuensel News, on 3rd Annual Drukpa Council (read news at Kuensel Online) - The next annual Drukpa council (ADC) will be held in a fascinating destination, surrounded by ancient monasteries, within snowcapped Himalayan peaks, and characterised by quaint frozen lanes.

Devotion and compassion

The Statesman's Nirendra Dev attended the 2nd Annual Drukpa Council and provided this article (download article in PDF format)- The Drukpa lineage claims to have at least 4 million followers. Nirendra Dev attends the second annual Druk Council of the Buddhist monastery in Nepal

Kalenjoj (10) is the third member in his family to turn a Lama besides his elder brother; his 6-year-old sister has become a nun. A simple boy from a tiny hamlet in Nepal, Kalenjoj knows little about the tough metaphysical aspects of Buddhism. For him, Buddha is best known throughout the universe for his teachings of love and com-passion. “Woh pyar sikhanchcho (he teaches love)”, he says in Nepa-li adding that he finds Buddha’s feet “very attractive”.

In this little known place called Bajurai, for children like Kalen-joj getting inducted into lamahood is also tinged with sadness. “My father is dead,” he said with moist eyes and added that he wept a lot when his mother agreed to let him join the monastery. His 15-year-old brother Sher Bahadur had gone home about two years back and sought his mother’s permission to allow Kalenjoj to be dedicated to the service of the Lord and humanity. “I know it was a difficult decision for mother. But she is a devoted believer and hence allowed me,” the 10-year-old said.

For the past two years, he is among the 1500 plus lamas of young aspiring monks and nuns in the mo-nastery at the Druk Amtibha Mountain of the Drukpa sect of Buddhists.

The Drukpa lineage is one of the main Buddhist schools of thought in the Himalayan ranges beginning from 1206 and spreads across Bhutan, Tibet, China, Nepal and India. It claims to have at least 4 million followers.

Druk Amitabha Mountain is located in Sitapaila, within the provincial district of Bagmati. It is within walking distance from Kathmandu’s famous Swayambhunath Stupa.

The mountain has now become the main training centre and administrative headquarters of the nunneries of the Druk lineage. About 800 nuns from across the globe, especially from the Himalayan range, and 200 young lamas and about 15000 participants had gathered at the monastery for the group’s second annual Druk Council. The daily life of the participants and the nuns during the 8-day long festival primarily consisted of morning prayer, education, learning some martial arts and also education in religious rites and practices.

“Besides being involved in daily spiritual activities, the nuns also practice Kung Fu twice daily. We believe firmly in what our spiritual guru His Holiness Gyalwang Drukpa says, that spiritual and physical well being are equallyimportant,” said Jigme Rigzin Jhano, one of the nuns and office-bearers at the monastery. On a different plane, boys like Kalenjoj miss their childhood. There is another compatriot of his age, Rinche Tare, who addresses himself as “Jigmey”; a title he still struggles with. Their concept of Buddhism is basic but sound.

“Paap karne hunna” (mankind should give up all kinds of sin), said Tare and added that his daily prayer includes a modest slot for universal peace.

Tare’s father stays in Malaysia, so for his mother it was but a natural choice to allow him to join lamahood as that would probably guarantee a salvation from worldly pathos. “Nepal mein shanti chayie,” remarked Tare intelligently but his face betrayed the innocence of childhood. It is a similar story for the slightly older Jigme Rigzin Jhano, a 20-year-old officer at DAM. She said she fled her home in Ladakh against the wishes of her parents to join the monastery. “I wanted to serve people,” she said. Zineet Amo and Zineet Sunam are also from Ladakh but their joining the monastery was voluntary and with the approval of their families. They participated in the 10-day-long special prayer session coinciding with the Council’s annual conference and the coronation of the 4-year-old boy reincarnate of Sengdrak Rinpoche (1947–2005), Kyabje Sengdrak Rinpoche.

About 800 nuns participated in the special prayers with participants drawn from across the globe including, Bhutan, France, Brazil, England, Hong Kong and Germany. “Zineet (Jigme) means Nidar – we are fearless,” said Zineet Amo.

Documentaire de la NDTV sur le 2ème ADC et les nonnes

La nonne kung-fu de Katmandou

par Tenzin Namgyel, Kuensel, Mont Druk Amitabha, le 9 mai, 2010 - Elle a l’air penaud et timide dans la cour alors qu’elle se dirige vers le toit en béton du hall de rassemblement géant de quatre étages.

Une fois sur le toit, Jigmé Wangchuk Lhamo, 12 ans, est tout, sauf douce et compatissante.

Vêtue de pantalons larges et d’une chemise à manches longues en coton marron ceinturée à la taille, Jigmé envoie coups droits et directs fulgurants, et lance des coups de pied plus haut que la moyenne des gens. Elle est l’une des 400 nonnes du monastère Druk Amitabha, à Katmandou, au Népal. Les visiteurs ont l’impression d’assister à une scène de film de kung-fu de Shaolin.

Chaque jour, les nonnes se lèvent à 4 h et commencent par réciter et mémoriser des textes bouddhiques pendant une heure environ. Elles s’engagent ensuite dans la pratique de cet art martial pendant une heure également. Elles lui consacrent une heure supplémentaire en fin de journée.

Jigmé, de Nganglam Dechenling à Pemagatshel, est la plus énergique et enthousiaste du groupe.

Elle est arrivée au monastère l’année dernière, après avoir terminé le cours moyen deuxième année à l’école primaire de Lungtenphu à Thimphu (capitale du Bhoutan).

Bien qu’elle était parmi les dix premières de sa classe à Thimphu, Jigmé dit que sa foi dans le Dharma et son désir de devenir nonne la conduisirent à arrêter ses études.

« C’est mon sixième mois au monastère », dit-elle. Au cours de ce court laps de temps, Jigmé a appris à parler couramment le népali, l’hindi, le tibétain et le ladhaki, les langues les plus pratiquées ici.

Son maître vietnamien dit que, bien que le kung-fu soit une nouveauté pour elle, Jigmé a été capable d’atteindre le sixième des 16 degrés de base de cet art.

« Quand je pratique, je visualise que je suis réellement engagée dans un combat », dit Jigmé.

En plus d’apprendre à se défendre contre une poignée de fauteurs de troubles du voisinage, Jigmé trouve que le kung-fu permet de s’asseoir le dos bien droit pendant de longues heures durant les méditations, les cérémonies et les enseignements.

« Ça me permet une bonne condition physique, un état d’esprit sain et ça m’aide à mieux me concentrer », affirme-t-elle.

Des propos et une histoire qui font écho à ceux des moines de Shaolin, en Chine, qui apprenaient cet art martial pour se défendre contre les bandits errants, mais art qui fut avant tout introduit au monastère pour des raisons de santé par Bodhidharma (Tamo, en chinois), un bouddhiste indien venu en visite au temple de Shaolin.

Tamo, qui avait rejoint les moines chinois, observa que leur condition physique n’était pas bonne. Ils passaient des heures, chaque jour, courbés au-dessus de tables où ils transcrivaient des textes manuscrits.

Les moines de Shaolin manquaient de la vigueur physique et mentale nécessaire pour même les plus basiques des pratiques bouddhistes de méditation. Tamo contra cette faiblesse en leur enseignant des exercices inspirés du yoga indien, basés sur les mouvements de 18 des principaux animaux de l’iconographie indienne, tels que le tigre, le léopard, le dragon pour n’en citer que quelques-uns.

Ce ne fut pas lui, pourtant, qui introduisit le kung-fu en Chine, où il existait déjà bien avant son arrivée. Cet ancien art martial est populaire même dans les monastères du bouddhisme Mahayana. On y est convaincu qu’un esprit sain provient d’un corps sain.

« Le Bouddha Shakyamuni lui-même a dit que si vous êtes malade, vous devez prendre un médicament, même si celui-ci doit être un poisson. Sinon, sans corps, la pratique est impossible » explique Son Éminence Khamtrul Rinpoché.

Jigmé prétend que cet art a appris aux nonnes à canaliser leur énergie et à adopter une attitude positive par rapport à tout ce qu’elles entreprennent dans leur vie quotidienne.

Le fondateur du monastère, Sa Sainteté le 12è Gyalwang Drukpa, chef spirituel de la lignée Drukpa, a introduit des cours de kung-fu il y a deux ans après avoir vu des nonnes le pratiquer au Vietnam.

On lui a expliqué que le kung-fu aidait les nonnes à mieux se concentrer et à développer leur confiance en elles.

Get Thee to a Fighting Nunnery

by Vera H-C Chan at The Buzz Log, 21st April 2010 - Kung fu nuns. Enough said.

Okay, maybe a little more. The Nepalese nuns, who hail from high up on the mountain of Druk Amitabha in Kathmandu, are getting trained in the lethal Chinese fighting arts. (Check out the BBC video here.)

The nuns started practice back in 2008, thanks to their spiritual leader, His Holiness the Gyalwang Drukpa. He was visiting a Vietnamese nunnery where he saw the women practicing kung-fu. His Holiness thought back to his Nepalese nuns, and how some mean mountain people would harass them by throwing stones or teasing, according to the Hindustan Times. That made the nuns scared to venture out too far from home base.

Now, they're ready for folks to bring it on. Turns out that the daily workout doesn't just help self-defense, posture and meditation: Kung fu classes have turned out to be a recruitment tool of sorts. Educational programs like English language classes, computer skills, and of course martial arts have helped boost the incoming nun population.

The kung fu has also boosted their overall confidence—helpful, considering the BBC reports that "Buddhist nuns in the Himalayas are normally seen as inferior to monks." All the positives means more feisty fighting nuns on the way: The practice will be spreading next to an Indian nunnery.

Nuns and martial arts actually have a long history. Buddhist nun Ng Mui has been credited with inventing Wing Chun (which Bruce Lee studied) about 300 years ago, and named the system after her first student, Yim Wing Chun. And, the origin story behind the invention of martial arts (Shaolin Kung Fu) has been attributed to Bodhidharma himself, who thought the monks looked a bit flabby and enervated. With these nuns, looks like kung fu's coming back to its roots.

Nepalese Buddhist nuns will kick your tail

Orlando Sentinel, 17th April 2010 - A group of Buddhist nuns in Nepal say their confidence is up and they’re getting more respect these days because they’ve taken up fight training.

The BBC reports that women of the 800-year-old Drukpa Buddhist sect are being taught kung fu by a Vietnamese master.

Other nuns are impressed. A nun named Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo says that after seeing demonstrations, she intends to bring the practice to her own nunnery in Himachal Pradesh, an Indian state.

“It’s excellent exercise, secondly it’s very good for discipline and concentration, thirdly it arouses a sense of self-confidence which is very important for nuns, and fourthly when any young men in the area know nuns are kung fu experts, they keep away,” she says.

As a bonus, interest in becoming a nun has increased since the groups of women have been able to offer better education and exercise programs.