Damchen Gongma
Category:
Temple
Address
Paro
According to the Lhodruk Chojung history written by late 69th Je khenpo Geshe Gedan Rinchen mentioned Damchen Gongma was a religious seat of Kunkhyen Longchen Rabjam known as Kunzangling. At the place there is a ruined mud wall and the remains of a temple below which is blessed water source. According to the local people of Damchen Gongma the place, where there is a ruined mud wall is called Drakar. There is a distinctive rocks above the ruined wall considered to be sacred.
According to the hagiography of Hungrel Drung Drung ,he founded a religious seat near the forest above the temple of Kunkhyen Drime Yozer ( Longchen Rabjam) known as Chewai Khayi and name it Yang on Dechenling. According to the same hagiography, Chewai Khayi Dingkilna, a temple of Kunkhyen was taken over by Drung Drung and came to be known as Zimkhang Wogma ( lower residence) while previous meditation place,
Dechenling came to be known as to be Zimkhang Gongma (upper residence). The place known as Damchen Gongma today could be Yang on Dechenling, the upper residence of Drung Drung and the one known as Damchen Wogma today could be Kunzangling, the religious seats of Kunkhyen Drime Yoezer (Longchen Rabjam ).
The name of the temple of Kunkhyen Longchenpa which was later taken over by Hungrel Drung Drung is simply recorded as Chewai Khayi Dingkilna in the hagiography of Drung Drung and there are no references to Kunzangling or Samtenling. However, it seems that the religious seat of Kunkhyen Longchenpa known as Paro Kunzangling, must be this Chewai Khayi Dzong and the one known as Paro Samtenling maybe the one which is above Shaba Bara.
The eight religious seats of Kunkhyen in Bhutan are said to be Babren Tharpaling ,Shingkhar Dechenling, Tang Ugyen Choling,Kurtoe Kunzangling, Shar Kunzangling, Ngenlung Drechenling, Khothang Rinchenling and Paro Samtenling. If we include Paro Kunzangling, the number of religious seats of Kunkhyen in Bhutan will be nine.
Although Kunzangling previously known as Chewai Khayi Dingkilna,was truly one of the religious seats of Kunkhyen Longchenpa but it is not enumerated amongst the eight lings seats of Kunkhyen Longchenpa because it was later offered to Hungrel Drung Drung and became the religious seats of his descendants. In Paro only Samtenling which Kunkhyen founded later in Shaba Bara is counted amongst the religious seats of Kunkhyen Longchenpa
Route to Damchen Gongma
To get to Damchen Gongma you can first travel by car from Paro Ta Dzong by the side road up to Damchen Gongma village. Then if , you walk about one hour along the old trail ,you will arrive at a place called Dozin Chursa. From there you need to walk up along the path to the right . From the side of a slope, Where a tree is marked ,you can reach the place in twenty minutes. There is also a way to get to Damchen Gongma from Drela.
-Druk Ge Ney-1FB
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