Neyphug Monastery

Build On: 1550 Category: Temple Address Paro

The First Neyphug Trulku established Neyphug (Heyphug) Monastery in 1550 at the Celestial land of Chuden, west of the capital Thimphu, Kingdom of Bhutan. It falls under the Shar Block of Paro district.

Neyphug Monastery is also known as Thegchen Choling (Dharma Land of Vajrayana). When Guru Padmasambhava personally set foot on this land during the 8th Century, he tamed the local harmful spirits and left imprints of his hands and foot on rocks. He also concealed several treasure teachings, samaya substances and other precious material substances here. Since then, the name of this area has been known as Neyphug, "the sacred hermitage cave." Today, it is also popularly known as Heyphug after the village it is situated in.

About an hour walk towards the south of the monastery is the Stupa that contains the relics of Buddha Mahakasayapa (Protector of Light). It is said that this Stupa is blessed no lesser than Phagpa Shinkun pagoda in Nepal. About a three-hour walk to the right of the monastery is the Self-arisen Stone Stupa at the residential monastery of master Drugchen Gyalwang who was Avalokitesvara in human form. A three-hour walk from the backside of the monastery is the sacred hermitage Samten Tsemo (Pinnacle of Concentration), also popularly known as Bumree. Yongdzin Ngawang Dragpa, the founding master of Neyphug Monastery attained realization of the Mahamudra (the Great Seal) and turned the Dharma wheel of teachings here. Half-an-hour walk from the left of this monastery is the Menchunang, the residential monastery of the great Pandit Jamyang Palden Gyatso who was the emanation of the Great Compassionate One (Avalokitesvara).

Majestically surrounded by these sacred places, many accomplished masters, such as Drupthop Chagzampa, the extraordinary being Barawa, the lord of Dharma Kunga Legpa, Trulku Paljor Gyaltshen, Drung Drung Rinchen Choedor, Gyalwang Sogdogpa, set foot on this land and was immensely blessed. This place is so sacred that the grounds bear wish-fulfilling trees, drops of nectar appear from the rocks, mantras spontaneously appear on rocks, and it is endowed with several miraculous marks that indicate that the Celestial Land is hidden here. Details of other sacred places of wonder starting from the gate to this holy hermitage can be found in "Guide to Neyphug Hermitage".

After Yongdzin Ngawang Dragpa perfected his enlightenment at Samten Tsemo (Bumree), he was travelling around establishing several seats of spiritualism for the purpose of benefiting sentient beings when the patrons of Heyphug village invited him to this place. Upon arriving here, he remembered his previous incarnation as Drugpa Joden, and even introduced the throne on which he taught the teachings, and pointed out very clearly all of his patrons of that time. This enabled his patrons to recognize him as the reincarnation of their previous Root Guru. Thus, his patrons developed uncontrived faith in him and felt remorse towards the cyclic existence and earnestly begged the master to establish a major monastery here. They also pledged to support the running of this monastery through all later generations. Thus, the present two-storey temple symbolically furnished with "Ten and Tenpa" (temple as the support and the statues that depend on this support) was built in 1550, and all the Neyphug Trulkus have been using this monastery as their principle seat since then.

Source: www.neyphug.org/monastery.html

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