The origin of monastery

Bodh Gaya in India is the holy place where Sakyamuni Buddha attained enlightenment. Over two thousand years, this holy place has been visited by numerous monks, nuns and lay people from all over the world for pilgrimage, many mahasiddhas treat Bodh Gaya as a must visit holy place for prayer and Dharma practice in lifetime that further enhance incredible blessings of Bodh Gaya. The Nyingmapa tradition of Tibetan Buddhism hold the World Peace Prayers Ceremony in Bodh Gaya every year, although the journey takes five days and nights when departing from Palyul Namdroling Monastery to Bodh Gaya due to extreme inconvenience of transportation in India even today, however, His Holiness Penor Rinpoche sent thousands of monks to participate in the grand ceremony each year in the past, and hoped to dedicate the supreme blessings through Dharma practices at the holy place to sentient beings in the six realms. His Holiness deemed that people irrespective of riches or poverty, nobleness or lowness, as long as one would pray and vow sincerely and earnestly, one’s wishes will be fulfilled spontaneously and timely.

Although there are various inauspicious events of natural and man-made disasters etc., often occur around the world today, however, the Buddhist sutra says that one could obstruct unfavorable circumstances, keep out disasters and sufferings and attain tranquility and happiness if the one regularly supplicates for the blessings of the Three Gem and extensively make offerings and almsgivings to amass vast merit and virtue.

Furthermore, one shall cultivate the motivation and karma of caring for sentient beings and prayer of vowing to realize world peace besides to satisfy one’s own needs if the one wants to attain ultimate peace and bliss for good; to support a monastery that carrying on the tradition of Dharma propagation and altruistic activities would ensure the Buddha Dharma can be handed down from generations to generations, and spread the seeds of tranquility and happiness to all over the world to benefit innumerable, immeasurable sentient beings, particularly, the virtue and merit through supporting the construction of stupa, temple and Buddha statue would be carried over to one’s future lives from the present.

The Buddha era in the past, there were many great practitioners been attracted to Bodh Gaya to practice Dharma, bestow blessing and dedication because of the Vajra tower and Ching Temple built there, where thus also provided the opportunity for people to make obeisance and offerings at this holy place, all of which make Buddha Dharma remain flourish till today and continue spreading to every corner of the globe. Even though there are many Buddhist temples around the world, however, to construct a stupa, monastery etc., at the holy place where Buddha Sakyamuni attained enlightenment that represents significant, far-reaching and incredible meaning and virtue and merit, thus, either one or one’s future generation may accumulate immeasurable merit and virtue if one could grasp the supreme opportunity to participate and support the aforesaid event in one’s life.

Fulfilling the wishes of the Guru

Ever since memory began, I lived in Palyul Namdroling Monastery in India, His Holiness Penor Rinpoche played many roles during my growing up, he personally had carefully looked after my daily life, diet, and education, who can be said is the closest to my life and had deepest impact on me; recall my childhood, His Holiness told us that one could attain the supreme blessings as long as circumambulating the Vajra tower and arousing bodhicitta for just one day in one’s life. For this reason, His Holiness personally led sangha to Bodh Gaya from a great distance each year for practices of Dharma, prayers and dedication of merit to all sentient beings. Although His Holiness was under such hardship and rush about, but I was unable to comprehend he had done so much at such young age, especially, I did not participate in the puja at Bodh Gaya each year because of environmental conditions were very poor, and transportation was so inconvenient; Until growing up that I finally realize the supremacy of Buddhist holy place, in where to practice Dharma will benefit innumerable sentient beings because its supreme blessing power. Since then, I certainly take the initiative to go for pilgrimage and actively participate in the World Peace Prayer Ceremony every year and never been interrupted ...

His Holiness devoted his whole life to Dharma propagation and altruistic activities, who was not only built Palyul Namdroling Monastery in southern India, which became the largest monastery of the Nyingma tradition in India, but also rebuilt the Main Palyul Monastery in Tibet, and further to establish Buddhist Centers in Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macau, Nepal, mainland China, Singapore, Malaysia and Philippines, and even travel across the United States, Canada, Greece, Germany, United Kingdom, France and Switzerland etc.

One day many years ago, during the Annual Nyingma Puja at Bodh Gaya, His Holiness told me that building a Palyul Monastery at the sacred Bodh Gaya was a wish always on his mind, which may provide opportunities for pilgrims to participate in various activities of Dharma practicing and learning at the monastery, therefore, His Holiness purchased a piece of land nearby the Vajra Tower from Government of India for the construction of Palyul Monastery. Two years before His Holiness passed into parinirvana, as usual he led the monks to Bodh Gaya for World Peace Prayer Ceremony, one afternoon, His Holiness and myself were sitting in the room, staring out the window on the blooming flower then he said to me with sincere words and earnest wishes “he hoped one day I can fulfill his wish to construct a monastery at this holy place.”

Ever since I realized the wish of His Holiness, I followed his entrust and immediately prepared for the construction of the monastery and progressively completed its plan and preparation works of construction site in two years, and held Groundbreaking Ceremony on August 5, 2008. In March 2009, prior to His Holiness passed into parinirvana, he still went to Bodh Gaya when he was sick for the World Peace Prayers Ceremony and dedicated prayers to all living beings. At that time he was very pleased after I reported him about groundbreaking ceremony and construction progress of the monastery, in spite of ill health he insisted on visiting the construction site in a wheelchair and gave a blessing prayer on site, and that was the last journey in his life, few days later when His Holiness returned to Palyul Namdroling Monastery, he then passed away to Parinirvana; His Holiness knew that constructing a stupa or monastery at the holy place would enable living beings to be liberated as long as hear the name of the Monastery or see the Monastery, thus I’m obligated to complete the construction of the monastery at the holy place as this is the last wish of His Holiness.

The merit and virtue of building a monastery and dedication

The “Palyul Thupten Shedrup Choekhor Dargyeling” at Bodh Gaya has been commencing the construction with ground-breaking before the Third His Holiness Penor Rinpoche passed into parinirvana, and the construction has been progressing smoothly for past years, today, the Fourth His Holiness Penor Rinpoche Yangsi has perfectly reincarnated and the monastery has also been nearly completed, which included three statues in the main shrine, which the main statue Sakyamuni Buddha in the Center, Padmasambhava on the right and Bodhisattva at left hand side; moreover, there are one thousand small Buddhas (open to general public for participation and support) to be caved along both sides of the main shrine, in addition, total nine stupas are built inside the monastery, peripheral eight smaller stupas and His Holiness Penor Rinpoche in the central stupa, other than as aforesaid, the hostel also built for providing accommodations to pilgrims and practitioners.

In the past, the Buddha abdicated the throne and left home to practice Buddhism, he went out to establish affinity with living beings by the way of mendicancy, and hoped people regardless of being rich or poor, noble or lowly who had opportunity to accumulate immeasurable merit and virtue for oneself as long as whose almsgiving had a pure intention behind it; and during the lifetime of His Holiness, who compassionately concerned about all living beings in this period of Dharma Ending Age, whose aspect of living, career, body and life-span etc. were not all auspicious and wish-fulfilling due to lack of merit and wisdom, therefore, he decided to purchase a piece of land for the construction of stupa, temple and Buddha statue at the holy place where the Buddha attained enlightenment; and I, as a monk, although unable to provide people with direct help on materials, medicals or careers, may all believers to cultivate the field of blessings together, just as Venerable Milarepa said: "The retreatant on the mountain, and whose protector under the mountain, both have conditions to become Buddha, its origin comes from the dedication”, prayer for the blessings power of “Palyul Thupten Shedrup Choekhor Dargyeling” dedicate to all living beings for enhancing merit and wisdom, all noble wishes come true, and with immense compassion and wisdom, enlighten originated Buddha-nature, surpass turbulent ocean of suffering, and reach the ultimate realm of bliss!　　　　 – 　Gyang Khang Tulku