Orgyen Choling Monastery, Zhemgang

Orgyen Chholing Monastery is located on the serene mountain top between two villages Tsheldang and Nakhar under Nangkor, Zhemgang Dzongkhag. People are unsure who to be grateful for the unpredictable farm road connection after a long wait. The snail’s pace speed conditioned road limits few vehicles plying. But much to the greater delight the road has helped bring in some changes and seen few officials attending the beautiful annual Drupchen at the Orgyen Choling Monastery.     

The monastery has been

Founder of Orgyen Choling Monastery-Chene Lhendup Rinpoche

in place since early 1920s preserving and propagating the Buddha’s teaching. Despite the isolation of monastery from modern means of living and road networks for many years, people of those two villages has been supporting to run the events throughout the calendar year with so much of joy furnishing community vitality. Much has preserved and still on smooth run with support from devotees and locals. 

Historically late Meme Lama the father of the founder of the monastery has started and blessed the site with small retreat hut in place. Meme Lama couldn’t build bigger temple from small retreat hut.

It was then in Mysore while the founder of the monastery Late Chene Lhendup Rimpoche was attending the teaching from His Holiness Polo Khen Rimpoche. There in Mysore His Holiness Polo Khen Rimpoche prophesized and directed Late Chene Lhendup Rinpoche that there is a special elephant sleeping shaped place surrounded by mountains with a form of male on right and female dragons on the left. Building monastery in the center would benefit all sentient beings and create enormous pleasant situation for dharma propagation in future.

In 1960s, H. E Khechen Dazar Rimpoche from Tibet visited the place and blessed it. Later in his visit there were so many unbelievable signals like rainbow rising on the hill of Monastery. He then said that it was the blessing and secret place of Bayu Lama Shakaya Ozer who had the rainbow body and other yogis during the 18th century.  Later many great masters like Thuktse Rimpoche, late H.E Geyshe Pema Thinley and others great teachers are said to have been in retreat.

With the prodigious intent, late Chene Lhendup Rimpoche realized the importance of the presence of monastery and the order of Sangha to preserve and propagate the holy dharma to benefits the beings around.

Orgyen Choling Monastery 

Consequently with great perseverance and with the support from his followers and people from those two villages, he started the work in 1970 and progressively came up with small temple.

 Later in 90s Late Chene Lhendup Rimpoche offered the monastery to the present H.E Gangtey Tulku (lineage holder of Pema Lingpa Traditions in Bhutan). It was then from that time enormous expansion and changes picked up and given new atmosphere. Besides tending to everyday running of the monastery he has been the central supporter/benefactor for coming up of new temple.

Today Orgyen Chholing Monastery stands at its pride as one of the beautiful pioneering monastery in kheng Region. The monastery conducts several religious events, one of the highlight is the annual five days Drupchen with unfurling of Guru Thongdrel presided over by H.E Gangteng Trulku in the month of February. The monastery showcase mask dances and cultural programs for three days. However, the sudden demise of the founder Late Chene Lhendup Rinpoche in 2014 was great loss to the Monastery, locality and many people. Our Continue prayers and wishes could bring his successor home soon. Please keep praying and dedicating merits. The monastery once had 35 students, two teachers. Today when the means and ways in the monastery has enhanced many ordained monks once has turned their fate and chosen to become laymen. 

During Annual Drupchen 

To these days only couple of young monks with a teacher are seen studying, doing their daily evening and morning prayers. Nonetheless my father told me their (ex-Monks) contribution in those two villages and Monastery are immense. Thank you from my family side too, our annual Chogu (Ritual) wasn’t challenging.

I have witnessed the annual Drupchen three years in a row and each year i saw many changes, much better way a year before. Khenpo Rigzin Wangchuk then undertook the initiative, put on place many masks for mask dances amongst many others. Rinchen Khandu, who resides in Taiwan and Singapore to these days has sponsored last three years' annual Drupchen. His financial aid went unnoticed, so many people are unaware of his help. He has fulfilled a promise he made to late Rinpoche. Unfortunately so far i haven't heard anyone coming forward to do the same.           

Undeniably helpless with deep regret of less helping hand I will put this way, anyone who wish to help can contact Orgyen Choling Monastery directly or I will help you get to monastery admin.