Geographical LocationDrangla, Tangsibji gewog, Trongsa district
Description
Drangon Samten Choling Gonpa (monastery) is located at 2582m and is surrounded by mountains and few homes. It is 38 km from Trongsa town in the direction of Wangdue Phodrang (west) and a further 7 km along a rough road that heads toward Drangla village in the Black Mountains of Tangsibji gewog.
When Dorji Lingpa (1346–1405), the great Tibetan “treasure discoverer,†and Lama Tshulthrim Namgay, Dorji Lingpa’s first disciple in Bhutan, were preaching at Jampay Lhakhang in Bumthang, Dorji Lingpa told the Lama that he wished to build his seats in four different places. He said that although he would not be able to go personally, it would make no difference if Lama Tshulthrim Namgay founded the seats, so this is what transpired.
History
The word “Drang†means chest and “la†means hill; therefore, “Drangla†means hill on the chest. Drangla is said to be in a shape of a demoness lying down with her face up. The monastery is thought to have been founded by Lama Tshulthrim Namgay in the early 15th century under the command of Dorji Lingpa and in accordance with the place he saw in his dream – on the chest of a demoness. While he was residing at the location of his dream, some evil spirits obstructed him. Lama Tshulthrim Namgay managed to subdue them, but the spirits repeatedly obstructed the construction, so a new gonpa, founded by Lopen Khyentse Shengyen, was later (date unknown) shifted to its present location not far from the old one.
In 1902 Lama Tshundu Jungney (sometimes called Lam Dargay) and his brother, Lopen Tshering, enlarged the monastery to the state we see today. The statues were sculpted by Dungjid, the village sculptor. The wall paintings and masks were also made during the early 1900s.
Including the present lama, there have been fourteen different lamas taking care of the monastery. Although not renovated until recently, after it was partially destroyed by an earthquake in July of 2011, the government donated 5 million Nu. for the monastery’s renovation. Villagers and private donors also contributed.
Just below the monastery stands a chorten that is said to have been built by Lam Tshulthrim Namgay with the help of the villagers. The chorten was consecrated by Lam Changchub Tsongru (1817–1856), who was the root teacher of the Trongsa Penlop, Jigme Namgyal. Lam Changchub Tsongru went to Drangla in 1856 and there, according to Dorje Lingpa, he gave a Guru Dragpo initiation. The famous Buli Trulku Kachhab Namkhai Dorji (1883–1941), from the Dorji Lingpa lineage, also spent time at Drangla.
The monastery has a Kanjur (Buddhist canon), which a man named Tshering from Trongsa Dzong brought in from the famous Narthang monastery press in Tibet. To please his Tibetan lama Changchub Tsongru, Jigme Namgyal proscribed hunting, and he sent people to Narthang to get the Kanjur. Only then did the Lama agree to come to Bhutan. The Kanjur copies were later distributed to Drangla and Nyala.
The monastery once housed lay practitioners (gomchen), but their numbers slowly began to decline. Dawa Gyeltshen, the present lama, closed the lay practitioners’ institution and eight years ago began to take in monks from the community and Phobjikha; at present, there are twenty monks studying in Drangla Samten Choling Gonpa.
Architecture and Artwork
The monastery is currently undergoing reconstruction by a private contractor and is likely to be completed by 2018. It is a two-storey monastery built in the traditional Bhutanese style and surrounded by a few cypress trees, a guesthouse, and a Drolma Lhakhang (temple), in which the main statues are the twenty-one Taras (Drolma).
In the right hand corner of the upper storey, there were once wall paintings of Guru Rinpoche, the Five Dakinis, and Dorji Lingpa and his lineage. In the left corner, there were wall paintings of Long Life Buddha (Tshepame) and other long life deities. In the Gonkhang, the protective deities’ chapel, there were paintings of the Eight Protectors, Tenpa Chuni, and local deities.
On the first storey, the main statue is of Changtong Chentong (Thousand Hands and Thousand Eyes Avalokiteshvara). On the left side, there were once wall paintings of the Buddhas of Confession (Jangchug Tongshag), and in the upper corner were paintings of Neten Chudruk (Sixteen Arhats), Gyalwa Jamtsho Lhatshog, and the peaceful and wrathful deities according to Dorji Lingpa (Nyesok Kunjom Lhatshog). Presently, all statues, wall paintings, and masks are housed temporarily near the monastery.
Social and Cultural Functions
In the past, the monastery was cared for by previous lamas’ families, while presently the abbot and his mother takes care of it. The religious calendar is dense:
1st –5th days of the 1st month of the Bhutanese calendar: Five days of recitation of the Buddhist canon. The 1st king, Ugyen Wangchuck, contributed yearly to this recitation, and this tradition has continued, albeit with the bulk of the sponsorship coming from local villagers.
7th –9th days of the 2nd month: Nyungney (fasting and prayer) organized by the lama – with sponsorship
10th day of the 2nd month: Ritual and display of Shinjay and the masked dances of Durda, Shanzam, and Drametse Ngachham – private sponsorship
10th day of the 3rd month, on Zhabdrung’s death anniversary (Kuchoe): Monks perform rituals – sponsored by the villagers
15th day of the 4th month, on Parinirvana of Lord Buddha: Rituals – sponsored by the villagers
10th day of the 5th month, on the birth anniversary of Guru Rinpoche: Trelda tshechu (festival) – sponsored by the villagers
4th day of the 6th month, on the day of the first sermon of Lord Buddha: Tshogkhor (feast offering) – sponsored by the villagers
8th–10th days of the 7th month: Villagers perform rituals for Gonpo Maning, the protective deity of Dorje Lingpa, according to the Dorji Lingpa tradition
8th–10th day of the 8th month: Tshechu with the display of a statue of Shinjay, Lord of Death, and the masked dances of Durda, Shazam, Drametse Ngachham, Dorling Gangchham, and Ngachham
15th day of the 8th month: Commemoration of the 2nd king, Jigme Wangchuck (a number of the king’s courtiers came from Drangla) – sponsored by the villagers
22nd day of the 9th month, on the Descending Day of Lord Buddha: Ritual Feast (Tshogkhor) – organized by the villagers and external sponsors
27th–29th days of the 10th month: Torjab (casting away of the year’s evil deeds) – sponsored by the villagers
10th, 11th and 12th months: Various annual rituals – sponsored by locals in five neighbouring villages
Informant
Lama Dawa Gyeltshen, 40 years old
References
Pommaret, Françoise. “The fascinating life of lama Changchub Tsongru (1817-1856) according to his biography.†In Karma Ura and Sonam Kinga (eds.). The Spider and the Piglet. Proceedings of the first international seminar on Bhutan Studies. Thimphu: Centre for Bhutan Studies, 2004, 73-89. .
Researcher
Singye Wangchuk, Asst. Lecturer, Institute of Language and Culture Studies, 2014
Photographer
Yannick Jooris
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Drangon (Drangla) Samten Choling Gonpa
Description
Drangon Samten Choling Gonpa (monastery) is located at 2582m and is surrounded by mountains and few homes. It is 38 km from Trongsa town in the direction of Wangdue Phodrang (west) and a further 7 km along a rough road that heads toward Drangla village in the Black Mountains of Tangsibji gewog.
When Dorji Lingpa (1346–1405), the great Tibetan “treasure discoverer,†and Lama Tshulthrim Namgay, Dorji Lingpa’s first disciple in Bhutan, were preaching at Jampay Lhakhang in Bumthang, Dorji Lingpa told the Lama that he wished to build his seats in four different places. He said that although he would not be able to go personally, it would make no difference if Lama Tshulthrim Namgay founded the seats, so this is what transpired.
History
The word “Drang†means chest and “la†means hill; therefore, “Drangla†means hill on the chest. Drangla is said to be in a shape of a demoness lying down with her face up. The monastery is thought to have been founded by Lama Tshulthrim Namgay in the early 15th century under the command of Dorji Lingpa and in accordance with the place he saw in his dream – on the chest of a demoness. While he was residing at the location of his dream, some evil spirits obstructed him. Lama Tshulthrim Namgay managed to subdue them, but the spirits repeatedly obstructed the construction, so a new gonpa, founded by Lopen Khyentse Shengyen, was later (date unknown) shifted to its present location not far from the old one.
In 1902 Lama Tshundu Jungney (sometimes called Lam Dargay) and his brother, Lopen Tshering, enlarged the monastery to the state we see today. The statues were sculpted by Dungjid, the village sculptor. The wall paintings and masks were also made during the early 1900s.
Including the present lama, there have been fourteen different lamas taking care of the monastery. Although not renovated until recently, after it was partially destroyed by an earthquake in July of 2011, the government donated 5 million Nu. for the monastery’s renovation. Villagers and private donors also contributed.
Just below the monastery stands a chorten that is said to have been built by Lam Tshulthrim Namgay with the help of the villagers. The chorten was consecrated by Lam Changchub Tsongru (1817–1856), who was the root teacher of the Trongsa Penlop, Jigme Namgyal. Lam Changchub Tsongru went to Drangla in 1856 and there, according to Dorje Lingpa, he gave a Guru Dragpo initiation. The famous Buli Trulku Kachhab Namkhai Dorji (1883–1941), from the Dorji Lingpa lineage, also spent time at Drangla.
The monastery has a Kanjur (Buddhist canon), which a man named Tshering from Trongsa Dzong brought in from the famous Narthang monastery press in Tibet. To please his Tibetan lama Changchub Tsongru, Jigme Namgyal proscribed hunting, and he sent people to Narthang to get the Kanjur. Only then did the Lama agree to come to Bhutan. The Kanjur copies were later distributed to Drangla and Nyala.
The monastery once housed lay practitioners (gomchen), but their numbers slowly began to decline. Dawa Gyeltshen, the present lama, closed the lay practitioners’ institution and eight years ago began to take in monks from the community and Phobjikha; at present, there are twenty monks studying in Drangla Samten Choling Gonpa.
Architecture and Artwork
The monastery is currently undergoing reconstruction by a private contractor and is likely to be completed by 2018. It is a two-storey monastery built in the traditional Bhutanese style and surrounded by a few cypress trees, a guesthouse, and a Drolma Lhakhang (temple), in which the main statues are the twenty-one Taras (Drolma).
In the right hand corner of the upper storey, there were once wall paintings of Guru Rinpoche, the Five Dakinis, and Dorji Lingpa and his lineage. In the left corner, there were wall paintings of Long Life Buddha (Tshepame) and other long life deities. In the Gonkhang, the protective deities’ chapel, there were paintings of the Eight Protectors, Tenpa Chuni, and local deities.
On the first storey, the main statue is of Changtong Chentong (Thousand Hands and Thousand Eyes Avalokiteshvara). On the left side, there were once wall paintings of the Buddhas of Confession (Jangchug Tongshag), and in the upper corner were paintings of Neten Chudruk (Sixteen Arhats), Gyalwa Jamtsho Lhatshog, and the peaceful and wrathful deities according to Dorji Lingpa (Nyesok Kunjom Lhatshog). Presently, all statues, wall paintings, and masks are housed temporarily near the monastery.
Social and Cultural Functions
In the past, the monastery was cared for by previous lamas’ families, while presently the abbot and his mother takes care of it. The religious calendar is dense:
Informant
Lama Dawa Gyeltshen, 40 years old
References
Pommaret, Françoise. “The fascinating life of lama Changchub Tsongru (1817-1856) according to his biography.†In Karma Ura and Sonam Kinga (eds.). The Spider and the Piglet. Proceedings of the first international seminar on Bhutan Studies. Thimphu: Centre for Bhutan Studies, 2004, 73-89. .
Researcher
Singye Wangchuk, Asst. Lecturer, Institute of Language and Culture Studies, 2014
Photographer
Yannick Jooris