Namo Buddha Thrangu Monastry

The supreme sacred place known as Namo Buddha is located in the mountains about 2 hours from Kathmandu. It is one of the most important Buddhist pilgrimage sites in Nepal and one of the holiest in the world. It is known as the place where the Buddha, in a previous life as a prince, gave his body to a starving tigress and her cubs. Namo Buddha is otherwise known by Tibetans and people of the Himalayan regions as “Takmo Lu Jin”, which is literally “Tigress Body Generosity”.

 

Venerable Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche found that the locals were both down-to-earth and hospitable. Although Buddhist learning was fairly popular at the time, there were only a few Dharma and very few large monasteries for people to advance in their cultivation. Therefore, with the help of some Dharma supporters, Namo Buddha Thrangu Monastry was established.

 

Main Temple

 

Away from the hassle of the city, the monastery stays on the hillside surrounded by lofty mountains. From here the entire Himalayan range is visible. Spectacular view of sunrise over Mt. Everest can be seen.

 

The five-storey temple is a beautiful red structure with white multi-layered sloping roofs coming down like flat upturned steps. Dragons and the auspicious buddhist symbols are decorated on top of the flated roofs. The interior walls are painted with stories telling the history of Tibetan Buddhism. Stone pillars are decorated with intricate sculptures and carving from mantra of Sakyamuni. The Main Hall will house one huge gold plated statue of Sakyamuni and other statues. The exterior building is completed and now the process of finishing is underway.

 

The monastry complex includes the Main Temple, the Mahakala Temple, the Depositary of Buddhist texts, a library, prayer rooms, a Rinpoche's room and one kitchen/dinning room for up to 600 people, the Dewachen Temple, a retreat center, Shedra, eight monk's dormitories, a medical building, a translation and publication house, an administration office and several guesthouses.

 

The Dewachen Temple

 

This temple was built especially to house the cremated remains of the deceased. Inside the temple are many cubicles where the remains can be placed in a container with the name of each person and a photo if desired. Those wishing to make use of the temple make a donation to the monks and the monks of Namo Buddha say daily prayers for the deceased as well there are ceremonies on special days. There is a shrine inside the temple with statue of Amitabha.

 

The Mahakala Temple

 

This temple was sponsored by Thrangu Rinpoche's monk, Lama Shakya, the resident lama of the Tianan Vajra Vidya Buddhist Cener in Taiwan. The temple is almost completed.

 

It will house the statues of the protectors of the Kagyu lineage. A group of monks will stay in retreat in the temple and will be performing Mahakala puja continuously.

 

Retreat Centers

 

Due to the many people visiting Namo Buddha these days, the three-year retreat center did not have the desired isolation.

 

With the support of Kaohsiung Vajra Vidya Buddhist Committee in Taiwan, the new land was purchased in a more secluded setting near Bhaktapur below a famous Milarepa cave. In March 2004, a group of monks entered intoretreat for three years. In March 2006 a new group entered into retreat on the other side.

 

Four Foundations Retreat Center is now being used for six-month ngondro retreats. Every six months a new group of eight monks go into retreat. As well as Ngondro, the monks also practice Vajrakilaya and learn Chod practices and tormas making. There are some rooms available, deluxe and simple, for those who wish to do short retreats or just stay at Namo Buddha.

 

A newly built Thrangu Kha Cho Ling Retreat House is located near Sekhar Retreat Centre. The two-storey guest house offers special short and long-term Dharma training and meditation retreat programs for individuals and families seeking Dharma education, or for those who need a temporary place of retreat and relaxation. Based on its capacity, the House will provide structured programs. In this way, visitors will be able to develop wisdom and loving-kindness, let go of the stress of modern life and learn to be content with the joys of simple, healthy, and peaceful living.

 

Shedra

 

These days the Shedra at Namo Buddha, previously a five-year program, has become a two-year pre-shedra program (sherim) of Buddhist studies that prepare the students to enter the five-year study program at the Vajra Vidya Institute in Sarnath, India. The students study basic Buddhist philosophy with texts such as “The Thirty-Seven Bodhisattva Practices” and also learn Tibetan grammar.

 

The Branch School for Young Monks

 

More than 100 young monks are attending school from nursery to Class Four at Namo Buddha. The school is a branch school of Thrangu Rinpoche’s school in Boudha (Shree Mangal Dvip). There is a school building and a separate dormitory building. The monks up to Class 10 go to the school in Boudha. The monk Tashi Wangchuk is headmaster of the Monk School and all the teachers are monks.

 

Staying at Namo Buddha has improved their health and helped to relieve the overcrowding at both the monastery and the school in Boudha.

 

Lama Dancing

 

A dance master from the monastery in Tibet has been teaching the monks to perform the special lama dancing from that Monastery. Chogyur Lingpa, the great Terton, saw the dances in a vision he had of the deities dancing in the sky. He proclaimed that the dances should be performed at Thrangy Monastery. The dances are unusual and dynamic.

 

Future of Namo Buddha

 

When the temple is complete and more living accommodations are built, many of the monks of Thrangu Tashi Choling Monastery in Boudhanath, Kathmandu will move to Namo Buddha thereby making the monastery much less crowded. There will be a large monastic sangha that will be engaged in every aspect of monastic life, study, retreat, the daily prayers and work.