Gruphai: the Suppose to be Phurbi Drupchen of Sumthrang

A tradition of Sumthrang to be revived to its past glory in coming years..........

Sumthrang Chojey presiding over the Gruphai ritual

The first annual ritual of Sumthrang monastery is one day ritual ceremony known as the ‘Gruphai’ by the locals, which was suppose to be an annual Phurbi Drupchen on the 25th day of the first lunar month of every year.

Sumthrang Chojey Ngawang Sonam's arts among now the best murals in the world

A mural of Great yogi the Phajo and his sons.
One of the mural works of Sumthrang Chojey
Penchen Ngawang Sonam
(Pic: Tashi Lhendup)

Tango Monastery is a national heritage as we all know. Not just because it is a monastery founded by a great saint but also because it houses century old precious arts and paintings beside the places and relics of sacred importance.

Tango is quite internationally known for its well preserved age old ancient arts and paintings of great skills.

The murals in Tango are recognized as the best murals in Bhutan and in the world and are greatly appreciated by national and international conservationist and the art experts. These paintings according to the national conservationist Tashi Lhendup have the best materials, superb in artistic skills and techniques. The mural conservation in Tango is expected to start in May this year(2015).

Therefore I would here like to highlight a piece of information on a part of paintings  of Tango Monastery which was quite untold.

An article published in English (Probably translated) by Centre for Bhutan Studies (CBS) authored by Tshenyed Lopen Kuenleg explicitly says that all the paintings of Tango Monastery is the work of painter Jangchub Sempa. “The wall paintings on all the 3 stories are the real work of the great painter Jangchub Sempa,” Tshenyed Lopen has said in his article (English version, CBS) unlike the different attribution mentioned in biography of Desi Tenzin Rabgye.

Thank You All for your Support!

As it was the 'Thanks Giving' holiday else where around the globe, Sumthrang Monastery would like to take the opportunity of the day to Thank Mangduechu Hydroelectric Project Authority (MHPA) and the Code of Culture (CoC) for granting few thousands that would make a great difference on the cultural preservation of Sumthrang. Had it not been your generous though small financial support, the world as a whole is at the edge of losing the over eight century old tradition and cultures that included most unique and sacred dances lived with Sumthrang. World would have suffered a loss of a culture, if this revival could have began.  The cham dances of Sumthrang would not be any where on earth since the dances are by origin the dances of Sumthrang and not adopted from other dances. Some of the dances even predate the dances of Pemalingpa origin.

Sumthrang moves a step towards revival...

Drupthob Melong Dorji Drup Phug
(retreat cave) at Sumthrang cliff

Sumthrang has been a monastic seat where retreat was the focus according to Sumthrang Chojey Lam Gyamtsho.

As you see around the cliff at the north, there are as many ruins of ancient retreat centers, where forefathers of Sumthrang Choje family led as many followers on retreat at these places. The cliff also houses a retreat cave of Drubthob Melong Dorji, the oral accounts has it that, the Drupthob flew from this cave. 

His Holiness Chabgoen Chetsang the supreme head of Drikung's visit to Sumthrang

The Zhugtre to remain: HH sits on a stone made
rest seat on the way to Nubling

On September 25, the supreme head of Drikung, His Holiness Chabgoen Drikung Chetsang rinpoche visited Sumthrang monastery founded by Nyoton Trulzhing Chojey the son of Nyo Gyelwa Lhanangpa reconnecting the history of this monastic existence to Drikung.

His Holiness on the morning of 26^th also visited the Nubling (western part) hermit of Sumthrang where he also did a brief check on the ruins of hermits around the Nubling part of the Sumthrang cliff.

Sumthrang's Horse Dance (tsencham)

In this 13 century built monastery of Sumthrang, Kangsoel is the main annual event, a tradition left by the founder Nyoton Trulzhig Chojey who was a great kilaya yogi (Phurbi nyeljorpa).

He was the only son of Nyo Gyelwa Lhanangpa who is one of the most earliest Buddhist scholars and practioners to have established monastic school in the country.  His father was the first buddhist scholar who have intrduced first establishment of Buddhist monastic complex in the territory of Bhutan by establishing Chelkha dzong in late 12th century, which is also considered as the first dzong in Bhutan.

Lam Jamtsho: Shades some clear light on Pemalingpa and Nyo at ILCS

Lam Jamtsho: current incumbent of Sumthrang at the seminar

Speaking at the Local Scholars Seminar,  first of its kind in the country, organized by centre of culture and research unit of Institute of Language and Culture Studies (ILCS) in Taktse on 29th october, Lama Jamtsho, of Sumthrang Monastery talked about the linage history of Terton Pemalingpa in Bhutan.

He took the plate form to clear the misunderstanding and some information that he claimed as  wrong in some of the history textbook of lower classes, where the blacksmith, Garwa Yonten Jangchub was considered as Pema Lingpa's grandfather and the father to his Mother Drogmo Pema Dolma. 

Let's Calculate...!

Let me bring the calculation of date that contradicts two major claims that we see in Bhutanese histories and many who speak following the same.

1. Let us see if Lam Lhapa who resisted Phajo was Nyo Lhanangpa.

Phajo was born in 1184 that is 20 years after the birth of Nyo Lhanangpa who was born in 1164. At the age of 7, that is in 1191 Phajo started his study under Nyingma tradition of buddhism, and at the age of 12, that is in 1196, he has met the Nyingma master Tharpalingpa from whom he got the name Dhondup Gyeltshen (some other has Tharpa Gyeltshen as the name given by Tharpalingpa).

Kile wang, the blessing of Vejrakilaya

The wonderful gift of nature and spirituality..... the Kilaya manifested woods and bamboos. Locals call it the Kila wang which means the blessings of Kilaya.

These are some wonderful amazing shapes of natural gift that reamin as a sacred artefacts of the Sumthrang monastery an apiritual gift gathered by Nyo Gyelwa Lhanangpa, Sangay Raychen.
He collected all these wonderful pieces when he was  in Tsari (south east Tibet  bordering with Arunachal Pradesh, India) sent by Drikung Jigten Sumgoen for retreat and to open the undiscovered sacred locations of Tsari along with two other friends, Gardhampa and Pal-Choe.

HE Choeje Ayang Rinpoche's visit to the Sumthrang Monastery

Rinpoche, blessing a local woman at the reception 

His Eminence Choeje Ayang Rinpoche the living master of phowa visited Sumthrang Monastery on April 14^th with his family on pilgrim.

While on his pilgrim, Rinpoche also blessed the poeple of the village with oral transmission of the choe-long-trul sumgi zung-nag, the mantaras of loard Amitabha, Avalokiteshvara, and the Guru Rinpoche.

His Eminence, Chojey Rinpoche also offered truesol to the nangtens the sacred relics of the Sumthrang monastery founded by one of the great scholars and main disciples of Drikung Gigten Goenpo, Nyo Gyelwa Lhanangpa.