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IMPORTANT PLACES IN THE EARTHQUAKE REGION
By Neal Greenberg
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 Detail of map drawn by Chogyam Trungpa from Born in Tibet. © Diana Mukpo; used by permission of Diana Mukpo and Shambhala Publications.
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EARTHQUAKE AND OUR FRIENDS: The region affected by the earthquake is very important in our Shambhala history. Surmang monastary was the place where the Trungpa Lineage was originally founded and of course that extends all the way to our teacher, the 11th Trungpa Tulku the original inpiration for Shambhala lineage today. The Thrangu monastery had close ties with the Surmang monastaries, and has been devastated by the recent events.
THRANGU MONASTERY: The tremendous destruction in Thrangu monastery can be seen online. This major exhibition of impermanence mirrors some occurances 50 years ago that our teacher and founder, Trungpa Rinpoche was involved in.
In 1953, Trungpa Rinpoche officiated rights over the death of the abbot of Thrangu monastary alongside of Jamgon Kongtrul of Palpung, the great lama who was the root teacher for the 10th Trungpa. Several weeks later, he had to return to Thrangu to officiate the death of Jamgon Kongtrul who had correctly predicted his death in a cryptic remark to Trungpa Rinpoche during the prior ceremony. He had said as they were leaving each other after the funeral of the abbott; "One is already dead, and one is going to die, this is the law of impermanence".
So back he went for the second time in a month and officiated those rites for Palpung Kongtruls funeral. This was a very important time in Trungpa Rinpoche's life. He had weeks earlier been asked to leave his studies with his own root teacher Jamgon Kongtrul of Sechen in order to take care of monastic business. Sechen Kongtrul had thought that this was premature and told him to continue his studies with his own dharma heir, Khenpo Ganshar at a later date.
Upon his final return after Palpung Kongtrul's funeral, he saw a major road through the mountains foretelling of the impending situation with the Chinese. So Thrangu for Trungpa was very much connected with impermanence during that time.
BI VALLEY: During the intervening trip to Surmang from Thrangu, Rinpoche traveled through the Bi valley, another area close to the earthquake. In this valley, he saw ancient proof that the the great king, Songtsen Gampo was actually a Buddhist before he married the Buddhist princess from China who legendarily converted him. There are great carvings in rock and statues in this region.
DUDSI TIL: As we speak, monks are helping out at Jyekundo and Thrangu Monastary from Dudsi Til. Dudsi Til was extremely important to our lineage. It was the seat of the Trungpa lineage, and was founded by the first Trungpa, Kunga Gyaltsen who as the recognized incarnation of Dombipa miraculously recreated an event from Dombipa's life. He threw a bowl 5 miles, which landed at the site of the future Dudsi Til. This location was given to the first Trungpa for him to start a monastary. This very important site, was also where Trungpa Rinpoche received most of his advanced training from Khenpo Gangshar. In fact, Khenpo Gangshar experienced a major transformation himself there. It's worth noting, that Khenpo Gangshar was an extremely important lama in the Nyingma tradition. He was the 4th in a line of abbots to Sechen monastary's shedra, or monastic college. Before him, in order were Mipham the Great, Sechen Gyaltsup, the great teacher of Khyentse Rinpoche, Sechen Kongtrul, the root teacher of Trungpa Rinpoche. Succeeding him was of course, Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, one of Trungpa Rinpoche's teachers. In any case, Khenpo Gangshar died at Dudsi Til and spontaneously revived when Trungpa Rinpoche was inspecting his body. He may have given his most important teachings after that experience. The Sakyong is involved in the formation of a shedra here at this time.
KYERE MONASTARY: Many of Trungpa Rinpoche's relatives went to Kyere Monastary when he fled Tibet. This monastary had been given to the 10th Trungpa Tulku by the king of Lhatok. Most of the Surmang Monastary complex is in Nangchen, though this section of the monastary is in Lhatok. Rinpoche thought it would be safer for his family to be at Kyere than at Dudsi Til, and they nearly all escaped the hardship imposed by the Chinese, though one Tulku who may have been a family member was jailed for 22 years. Kyere had some great importance for our lineage. Trungpa Rinpoche discovered important Terma there in a cave behind the monastary. The Sakyong’s mother comes from here.
SURMANG MONASTARY: Surmang was founded by a great lama who was a disciple of Karmapa Teshin Shekpa, the teacher of the Yung Lo Emperor in China in the 14th century named Trungmase. While searching for a location for a monastery at the behest of his teacher, Trungmase felt that a certain town was an auspicious location to situate a monastary. Just as he was chanting “plant the victory banner of dharma”, a woman came out of a hut to feed him. He decided therefore to select that very location. He built a house made of reeds that had many corners. The term Surmang refers to many sided hut. Surmang includes a number of monastaries including the one’s I have mentioned as well as NAMGYAL TSE. The first Trungpa was his disciple. At some point in the history, the Trungpa’s became the supreme abbots of the Surmang group of monastaries. These monastaries were extremely important part of the Karma Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism, and in fact, one of the Trungpa’s was the head teacher for the entire school. The Sakyong has endorsed a rebuilding of this monastery through the Konchok foundation.
SOURCES: Born in Tibet, Interview with Karseng Rinpoche on Chronicles, "Light Rays of the Sun and Moon", miscellaneous histories of Tibet.
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Inner Chronicles:
Work Sex Money: Seminar Three,
Ocean of Dharma: A Shambhala Sun feature on Chögyam Trungpa by Barry Boyce
Tribute to Arbie Thalacker
Chronicles Highlights 2011
Chronicles Holiday Sampler
Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse on the passing of his father, Thinley Norbu Rinpoche
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Tribute to Thinley Norbu Rinpoche
Qualities
Traleg Kyabgon Rinpoche on Distinguishing Ordinary Consciousness from Wisdom
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Tribute to Michal Friedman
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Mingyur Rinpoche: The essence of meditation
Julia Sagebien talks with Thrangu Rinpoche about fulfilling the aspirations of the Vidyadhara
Gold Lake Oil, by Tom Bell
THE BIG NO
Thrangu Rinpoche talks about Trungpa Rinpoche and his students [Audio 48:54]
In appreciation of the Very Venerable 9th Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche
Teaching Stories: Never Give Up, told by Jim Lowrey
Memorial to Mary Smith, by Lee Weingrad
Conversation with Elizabeth Mattis-Namgyel: Part Three
Khyentse Foundation: Ten Years of Giving
What Made Him Tick: a Review of Crazy Wisdom by Suzanne Duarte
Teaching Stories:
Tribute to Mary Smith