Rinchenling monastery

Last updated
Rinchenling Gompa Monastery
Religion
Affiliation Tibetan Buddhism
Location
Location Humla, Nepal
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Shown within Nepal
Geographic coordinates 30°17′N81°39′E / 30.29°N 81.65°E / 30.29; 81.65 Coordinates: 30°17′N81°39′E / 30.29°N 81.65°E / 30.29; 81.65

Rinchenling Gompa (monastery) is an ancient Tibetan Buddhist monastery in Nepal located in Limi Valley of Humla district near the Tibet border at an altitude of about 3500 m msl. [1] [2]

Contents

History

The monastery was founded by Rinchen Zangpo during 10th or 11th century AD. Rinchen Zangpo was a principle translator of the Buddhist scriptures from Sanskrit into the Tibetan language. He actively constructed Buddhist temples and monasteries during his lifetime. Legends say that Rinchen Zangpo built a total of 108 temples.[ citation needed ]

Current building

The monastery is a three-store building with an area of about 36 m x 32 m surrounded by a rectangular courtyard. The upper two stories have assembly halls, a library, and a store room. The monks’ quarters, kitchens, and store rooms for ordinary objects are on the ground floor.[ citation needed ] The assembly room in the northern side houses a large four-fold image of Vairocana surrounded on its three sides by bodhisattvas. [3]

Flood risk

The monastery has a flood risk from the nearby glacial lake. In 2011, it partially burst, which caused damage to many structures in Halji Village. [1]

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Rinchen Zangpo

Lochen Rinchen Zangpo (958–1055) Wylie: rin-chen bzang-po, ZYPY: རིན་ཆེན་བཟང་པོ་ , also known as Mahaguru, was a principal lotsawa or translator of Sanskrit Buddhist texts into Tibetan during the second diffusion of Buddhism in Tibet. He was a student of the famous Indian master, Atisha. His associates included (Locheng) Legpai Sherab. Zangpo's disciple Guge Kyithangpa Yeshepal wrote Zangpo's biography. He is said to have built over one hundred monasteries in Western Tibet, including the famous Tabo Monastery in Spiti, Himachal Pradesh, Poo in Kinnaur and Rinchenling monastery in Nepal.

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References

  1. 1 2 "Rinchenling Gompa". Atlas Obscura. Retrieved 2020-08-21.
  2. Vallangi, Neelima (2019-02-23). "This remote Tibetan valley in Nepal looks to India and China for sustenance". The Hindu. ISSN   0971-751X . Retrieved 2020-08-21.
  3. "Humla, Nepal 2014" . Retrieved 2020-08-21.