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Trode Khangsar

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Trode Khangsar
Tibetan name
Tibetan སྤྲོ་བདེ་ཁང་གསར
Transcriptions
Wyliespro bde khang gsar


Trode Khangsar (Tibetan: སྤྲོ་བདེ་ཁང་གསར, Wylie: spro bde khang gsar) is a temple where Tsen spirits reside (Tibetan: བཙན་ཁང, Wylie: btsan khang) located in Lhasa that is over 300 years old [1]. This temple is dedicated to the protector Dorje Shugden and has been traditionally managed by the Gelug monastery Riwo Chöling, which is located in the Yarlung valley. [2]

Origin

Protector

Main article: Dorje Shugden

Dorje Shugden is regarded, by many, as a protector deity reincarnated from the lama Tulku Dragpa Gyaltsen (1619-1656),[3] a contemporary of the Fifth Dalai Lama. After Tulku Dragpa Gyaltsen was killed[4] the Fifth Dalai Lama tried to subjugate him as a spirit through various rituals which, according to one account, were not successful.[5]

The Fifth Dalai Lama - Folio 157 (front and back) of the autobiography of the Fifth Dalai Lama (1617-1682) called Dukulai Gosang, Volume Kha, Lhasa Publication: according to the translation provided by the Website of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, says: "It is well known that at Dhol Chumig Karmo1 a very powerful perfidious interfering spirit (dam sri)2, born due to distorted prayers, has been harming the teaching of the Buddha and sentient beings in general and in particular. The harmful activity has intensified since the firebird year (1636) and (the spirit) has been successful in many of his missions. However, hardly anyone has taken any action, as if this did not concern him or her. So, at the end of the earth-bird year (1648) a new house was constructed at Dhol Chumig Karmo and articles were placed there in the hope that it would become a place for the Gyalpo to settle." Note 1 refers to Dorje Shugden. "Dhol Chumig Karmo is Shugden�s place of origin, where a shrine was constructed to him. He is also referred as Dholgyal because he is a Gyalpo from Dhol Chumig Karmo. Gyalpo refers to a class of evil spirit. Since Shugden belong to this group, he is also called Gyalchen, the great Gyalpo." It is not clear whether the notes stem from the 5th or from the 14th Dalai Lama, but it is clear that the text above is not about Dragpa Gyaltsen, who in 1636 as well as in 1648 was still alive.

The Translation of the testimony that the Fifth Dalai Lama (1617-1682) mentions in his autobiography. The original Tibetan can be found on page 148 front and back (English pages 423 and 424) of the volume Da of his Collected Works published in Gangtok, Sikkim. does refer to Dragpa Gyaltsen, though. It says: ""Because of the manipulations of Lag Agyal (the mother) of Gekhasa, the false reincarnation of Tulku Sonam Geleg Palsang (Tulku Dakpa Gyaltsen) got his way (and was installed as the successful candidate). However, because of distorted prayers he became a perfidious spirit (dam sri) and brought serious harm to sentient beings." Since both texts are to be found in close (local) connection, one is seduced to believe that the contents belong together, too.

Temple

Regarding the establishment of Trode Khangsar, the only work describing the origin is a travel guide written by a native Tibetan. There it is stated the Fifth Dalai Lama offered it as a holy abode (gnas) to Dorje Shugden.[6]

Trinley Kalsang says: "Trode Khangsar (spro bde khang gsar) in the heart of Lhasa illustrates how the protector deity Dorje Shugden was officially established in Tibet. In the 17th century Trode Khangsar was designated as a “protector house” (btsan khang) for the deity Dorje Shugden by the Fifth Dalai Lama." [7].

The Fifth Dalai Lama's regent, Desi Sangye Gyatso, expanded the role of this temple by entrusting it to the Gelug monastery Riwo Choling.[8]

Function

In addition to being a shrine, Trode Khangsar housed monks from Riwo Choling and an oracle for invoking Dorje Shugden. It has been restored and reclaimed by Riwo Choling since the Cultural Revolution.[9]

Inventory

A survey of Tibetan wood printing blocks in monasteries, conducted while Tagdrag (stag brag) Rinpoche was regent of Tibet (1941-1950),[10] lists Trode Khangsar having wood blocks for making an extensive Dorje Shugden fulfilling ritual (chos skyong shugs ldan gyi bskang chog rgyas pa) which was authored by Ganden Jangtse Serkong Dorje Change (1856-1918), an earlier lineage holder of Kalachakra. Serkong Dorje Chang "served as dbu bla of the Bhutanese ruler o rgyan dbang phyug."[11]

A print of these woodblocks was published later in which Serkong Dorje Chang states he included parts of rituals written by Morchen Dorje Chang of the Sakya order and Dre'u Lhas, the recognized fourth reincarnation of Drugpa Kunleg, of the Drugpa Kagyu order.[12]

Notes

  1. ^ Tibetan Heritage Fund database item #CA90, http://www.tibetheritagefund.org/old_web/
  2. ^ Alexander, Andre: "The Temples of Lhasa: Tibetan Architecture from the 7th to the 21st Centuries.", pages 195. Serindia Publications, Inc., 2005
  3. ^ TBRC P1729
  4. ^ ,One source notes: "responsibility for the death of the lama rested with his brother-in-law nang so nor bu" see: TBRC P1729
  5. ^ Mumford, Stan. "Himalayan dialogue: Tibetan lamas and Gurung shamans in Nepal", page 126. Madison: University of Wisconsin Press, 1989.
  6. ^ rgyal dbang lnga pas rgyal chen shugs ldan gyi bzhugs ngas su phul gnang mdzad pa yin, TBRC RID O1GS48192
  7. ^ Trode Khangsarby Trinley Kalsang
  8. ^ sde srid sangs rgya rgya mtsho thog mar ri bo chos bling du chos bzhugs gnang stabs sde srid kyis btsan khang de'i bdag thob ri bo chos gling la gnang bas ri bo chos gling nas grwa pa bcu gcig dang sku rten bcas gtong ba gnang te btsan khang der brtan bzhugs gnang dgos, http://www.tbrc.org/kb/tbrc-detail-outline.xq;jsessionid=50FF486E86D4FCB14AFF129344550C14?address=2.2.15&wylie=n&RID=O1GS48192
  9. ^ Alexander, Andre: "The Temples of Lhasa: Tibetan Architecture from the 7th to the 21st Centuries.", pages 195. Serindia Publications, Inc., 2005
  10. ^ Three Karchacks. Gedan sungrab minyam gyunphel series, v. 13. page 238. New Delhi: 1970.
  11. ^ www.tbrc.org Person RID: P243
  12. ^ "'Jam mgon Bstan srung rgyal chen Rdo rje śugs ldan rtsal gyi be bum : the collected rituals for performing all tasks through the propitiation of the great protective deity of Tsong-kha-pa, Mañjuśrī reembodied, Rdo-rje-śugs-ldan.", page 546. New Delhi : Mongolian Lama Guru Deva, 1984

See also

Dorje Shugden

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