Biography
The Dip Tse Chok Ling Monastery is currently located in Dharamsala, India. It was originally situated in Tibet, a few kilometers south of Lhasa and the Potala Palace, the residence of H.H. the Dalai Lama. It was built in the 18th century by the Most Venerable Yongzin Yeshi Gyaltsen, tutor of His Holiness the 8th Dalai Lama. Yongzin Yeshi Gyaltsen, previously founded another monastery in Kyidong, west Tibet, called Samten Ling. The monastery had a very close relationship with a common lineage, that continued until 1959, when Tibet was “Liberated” by the Chinese Red Army. Along with over 6000 other monasteries and temples, Dip-Tse-Chok-Ling was ravaged and demolished to near ruins.
In 1992 the people of Dip began work on the reconstruction of Dip-Tse-Chok-Ling Monastery. Local volunteers, including the remaining monks, under the direction of Ven Tenzin Gelek Rinpoche, the 6th reincarnation of YYG and the late Lama Tashi Gyaltsen, made a request for assistance from Dip-Tse-Chok-Ling Monastery-in-exile, in Dharamsala. The present director of the monastery-in-exile, Thupten Nyendak (Pema Lama) went to Tibet bringing with him five life-size statues from India, as well as donations for the reconstruction of the original monastery. In September of 1992 the monstery was twenty-five percent complete and was reopened. Funds are being raised for the completion of the monastery. There was no assistance from the local Chinese government in these efforts.
Presently the monastery has twenty five monks, including five monks from the original Dip-Tse-Chok-Ling Monastery who serve as teachers to the other young monks.
The founder of the present monastery, Late Lama Tashi Gyaltsen, was ordained and educated at Samten Ling and later became an active member there. He also spent several years at Dip-Tse-Chok-Ling and became very dedicated to both monasteries. Having narrowly escaped the Chinese Invasion, Late Lama Tashi Gyaltsen settled in Boudhnath (Nepal) from 1959 to 1975 with Samten Ling monks who were taking care of the Managing Director of their new monastery.
In 1976 he came, along with his first student-in-exile, Thupten Nyandak (Pema Lama) to Mcloed Ganj, Dharamsala, with the wish to refound Dip-Tse-Chok-Ling Monastery. This little town in Northern India is the sear of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama and of the Tibetan Government-in-exile.
The project started with a nucleus of three novice monks, later joined by a few more, in a rented ramshackle wooden hut. However, due to frequent rental problems and complications with the landowner, Late Tashi Gyaltsen cherished the idea of buying a piece of land and establishing an independent monastery.
A very beautiful and quiet site among the trees, 300 metres below Mcloed Ganj, was bought in 1984 and hence the present monastery was born. Construction was started in 1984 and it was completed in 1986, thanks to the generous assistance of the Association of Dip-Tse-Chok-Ling, Switzerland and the Association of Freiburg, Germany, along with many other individual donors from Europe and the West. We built a two storey temple. On the ground floor is the main temple. On the second floor is the Arya Tara Temple, the procector temple room and a private room for His Holiness. Late Lama Tashi Gyaltsen requested H.H. the Dalai Lama to inaugurate the temple. On 7th March 1987 the ceremony took place.
The monks begin their day at 6.00 a.m. with chanting prayers and Puja. Tibetan language, Buddhist Philosophy, debate and English Language School hours are from 6.30 a.m. to 5.00 p.m. Prayers, recitation of religious texts, and debate sessions continue until evening 10.00 p.m. The monks also receive annual teachings from His Holiness the Dalai Lama and occasional teachings from other eminent Lamas.
Discography
ASIA MUSIC (2CD) - VARIOUS ARTISTS
ANTHOLOGY OF CHANT - VARIOUS ARTISTS
SOUL ALONE: THE ART OF THE SOLO - VARIOUS ARTISTS
SACRED CEREMONIES, VOLUME THREE: RITUAL MUSIC OF TIBETAN BUDDHISM
SACRED CEREMONIES: RITUAL MUSIC OF TIBETAN BUDDHISM
SACRED CEREMONIES 2
SACRED CEREMONIES: RITUAL MUSIC OF TIBETAN BUDDHISM (3 CD BOXED SET) - MONKS OF THE DIP TSE CHOK LING MONASTERY
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