One day pilgrimage around Dharamsala: Khamtrul Rinpoche’s Gyatsal ling monastery and Shugseb Nunnery

There are many monasteries in and around Dharamsala, or more precisely Mceod Ganj, the Indian town were the Tibetan government in exile has settled. But not all found easily, and thus on a rainy anything can happen Saturday,  we went to look for two monasteries which had our special interest.We took the bus from McCleod, and from Dharmasala in the direction of Palampour. After about half an hour we arrived at Sidphur, were we thought both Shugseb nunnery and Khamtrul Rinpoche’s monastery, Chime Gyatsal Ling, would be.  Passing the Norbulingka Institute, finding Gyatsal Ling was not very difficult. 

We heard that unfortunately Khamtrul Rinpoche  is currently in Taiwan for medical reasons. At present he has reached the age of no less then 88 years, quite an age already! But despite the absence of Rinpoche, we were heartily greeted by Lobsang zangpo, a Western monk who is studying with Khamtrul Rinpoche for many years. 

While talking we found out he had already met a lot of students from Rigpa, who often wish to meet Khamtrul Rinpoche due to his connection with Terton Sogyal, Lerab Lingpa. Lobsang informed us, that Terton Sogyal once got quite sick for a prolonged period of time, and that he spent a long time convalescing at Khamtrul Rinpoche’s monastery in Tibet, Garje Khamzhung. During that time he gave the empowerments and transmissions of almost all of his terma’s, and thus the previous Khamtrul Rinpoche became one of the main holders of his terma. In Tibet the terma’s of Lerab Lingpa are available, not the least in Larung Gar ofcourse, founded by one of the incarnations of Terton sogyal (the other being Sogyal Rinpoche).  In exile however, Khamtrul Rinpoche is probably the only one holding Terton Sogyal’s lineage. One of Terton sogyal’s terma’s, the Yang Nying Pudri has being transmitted fully by Khamtrul Rinpoche to the Dalai Lama’s private Monastery, Namgyal. It seems they perform the ritual yearly.
Khamtrul Rinpoche also has a strong connecting with the Dalai Lama. One of those connections is evident in the fact that he is one of the only ones holding and practising the visions of the fifth Dalai Lama. For those who want to know more about Khamtrul Rinpoche can read his autobiography, Memoirs of lost and hidden lands, translated by Lobsang into English.

Something else worth mentioning, is that Khamtrul Rinpoche did not wish his monks to study uninterruptedly for 9 years as is the norm in Tibetan Shedra’s, but wanted study to be mixed with practice. Therefor he has designed a unique 13 year program, combining both study and practice.

After this informative chat with Lobsang, we went on our way again to find Shugseb. The speciality of Shugseb nunnery is that as far as we know, they have one of the only Shedra for nuns in exile, the other being the huge shedra at Namdroling in South India. It was supposed to close to Sara, and upon meeting two monks from Sera who had to go to Sara,we decided to give them a lift and then ask at Sara where to go. Sara is the a renowned Tibetan school where the focus is mainly on Tibetan Literature and grammar, and other modern day subjects. Both lay and monastic study there, and many of Esukhia’s Tibetan language partners are graduates from Sara. To our surprise we heard that actually it was quite far, but we decided to go  anyway. The taxi driver also did not know where to go exactly, and only after a very friendly Tibetan joined our taxi we were able to find it.

As we can read on the Rigpa wiki, the original Shugseb nunnery in Tibet was a nunnery located thirty miles from Lhasa on the slopes of Mount Gangri Thökar, a site associated with the great master Longchenpa. It was founded by the great female master Lochen Chönyi Zangmo.  At Shugseb we met Khenpo Tsering from Namdroling, a teacher at the nunnery, who kindly informed us about the Nunnery. 

Several nuns have already finished the nice year shedra curriculum, and are now running the monastery. We were informed that also one western lady is currently studying in the final years of the curriculum. Thus for those women interested in studying at a traditional Tibetan shedra, but unable to do so because most shedra’s are monk or male only,  it is definitively worth looking at Shugseb Nunnery.

Ngagyur Shugseb Nunnery Institute,

Vill Tariyala Ruhru, Dharog, Dharamsala- 176215, distt Kangra, H.P. Tel 01892-209541, mobile 9418833804 / 9418833803, email ugyenzong@yahoo.com