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The History of the Nyethang Drolma Lhakhang.
This temple is
located south west of Lhasa City, in Chushul district.
In the first Tibetan
Wood Sheep Year, western year 1055, one year after Palden Atisha (the
matchless Jowo Je) had passed to Tushita paradise, the Conqueror Dromtonpa
and Kawa Shakya Wangchuk built this temple as an offering.
In the middle of the
ground floor shrine of the two-story temple, the most important item is
the relic of the tutelary deity of Jowo Je, a bronze statue of Jetsun Tara
(Green Tara or Drolma) who had given prophesies to Jowo Je many times. In
particular, when Jowo Je came to Tibet, this statue stated that he had
come to benefit the sentient beings of Tibet and the teachings of Buddha.
The statue prophesied: "A layperson with lifetime vows (Lord
Dromtonpa), and with great meditative attainment, will come in three
days". But that statue has been lost in recent times. Beside and
above the place where Tara resides, Jowo Je built a one-storey high statue
of Buddha. The statues of Jetsun Tara and Jowo Je's own Lama, Serlingpa,
are life-size.
To the right and left
of these, on two levels, are statues of Tara made from gold and copper.
These were made by Pholha Miwang in the eighteenth century. Inside the
shrine, to the right, is the one-storey high Namgyal stupa. To the right
and left are the four great bronze stupas which Jowo Je brought from
India. Inside one are the cremation ashes of the great Pandit Naropa. In
front of these is a statue of Jowo Je. To the right and left are eight
statues of Medicine Buddha called "Gone to Bliss", made of
bronze. Jowo Je brought these from India. To the left of the temple, on
the inside, above the main stone throne, is a statue which is a likeness
of Jowo Je. Behind this are statues of Tsepame (Long Life Buddha), the
Conqueror Dipamkara (a previous emanation of Shakyamuni Buddha), the
Conqueror Kasyapa (another previous emanation of Shakyamuni Buddha) and
the eight principal disciples of Shakyamuni Buddha, which are one storey
high. The statues of wrathful Tamdrin (Hayagriva) and Chana Dorje
(Vajrapani), were made by disciples of Jowo Je. Outside the shrine, on
each side, are the four great Kings, two on each side. Jowo Je's robes are
contained in the two clay stupas. In the murals, the Buddha and his chief
disciples and Jowo Je and his two disciples, one of which is Dromtonpa,
are shown.
Outside the wall are
some turning mani (prayer) wheels. In the middle of the upper floor there
is a residence for the Dalai Lama and to the right and left are two
private residences.
West of the temple is
a protector chapel, containing Jowo Je's protector guardian and
protector deities, the caretaker's residence, a large courtyard and
a door with two steps. Here, in the Tibetan Wood Horse year, western year
1054, Jowo Je having passed to Tushita paradise, Geshe Tonpa Rinpoche,
grieving and not knowing what to do, passed his keys to Kawa Shakya
Wangchuk who had arrived from Penpo. From Kawa Shakya Wangchuk to Khuton
Tsondru Yungdrung and others, the tenets of Jowo Je's pure practice have
been passed down; principally to Dromtonpa, who was given Jowo Je's robes.
Kawa left his offerings in this place, because disciples and supporters
had not yet built the main temple. One year after Jowo Je's passing, the
main temple was built and Jowo Je's robes were brought here.
Like that, the
Tsulagkhang (central temple), one thousand years of age, was built. In
more modern times, the Lotsawa (Translator) Dorje Drakpa, Holy Lama Sonam
Gyaltsen, Lord Tsongkhapa, Their Holinesses the Dalai Lamas, Their
Holinesses the Panchen Lamas, Longdrol Lama and others have come many
times and given teachings. Because of Rawa Todpa the caretaker and the
protector deities who built this temple and cared for it, the structure
was not severely damaged at the time of the Cultural Revolution and is
protected by the state.
Translated from the guidebook "Guide to the Region of Tibet" published by the People's Publishing House of the Tibet Autonomous Region. By Sally-Ann Rudd, December 2002.
Please note the
booklet used for this translation is officially sanctioned by the
Government of the PRC, and statements as to the damage sustained during
the Cultural Revolution are not accurate. Furthermore, I have changed the
form of address of the Dalai Lama and the Panchen Lama to a more
respectful form than the original.