Trode Khangsar

Trode Khangsar (bo|t=སྤྲོ་བདེ་ཁང་གསར|w=spro bde khang gsar) is a temple where Tsen spirits reside (bo|t=བཙན་ཁང|w=btsan khang) located in Lhasa that is over 300 years old [Tibetan Heritage Fund database item #CA90, http://www.tibetheritagefund.org/old_web/] . This temple is dedicated to the protector Dorje Shugden and has been traditionally managed by the Gelug monastery Riwo Chöling, which is located in the Yarlung valley. [Alexander, Andre: "The Temples of Lhasa: Tibetan Architecture from the 7th to the 21st Centuries.", pages 195. Serindia Publications, Inc., 2005]

Origin

Protector

Dorje Shugden is regarded, by many, as a protector deity reincarnated from the lama Tulku Dragpa Gyaltsen (1619-1656), [ [http://www.tbrc.org/kb/tbrc-detail.xq?RID=P1729 TBRC P1729 ] ] a contemporary of the Fifth Dalai Lama. After Tulku Dragpa Gyaltsen was killed [,One source notes: "responsibility for the death of the lama rested with his brother-in-law nang so nor bu" see: [http://www.tbrc.org/kb/tbrc-detail.xq?RID=P1729#notes TBRC P1729] ] the Fifth Dalai Lama tried to subjugate him as a spirit through various rituals which, according to one account, were not successful. [Mumford, Stan. "Himalayan dialogue: Tibetan lamas and Gurung shamans in Nepal", page 126. Madison: University of Wisconsin Press, 1989. ]

Temple

Regarding the establishment of Trode Khangsar, the only work describing the origin is a travel guide written by a native Tibetan. There it is stated the Fifth Dalai Lama offered it as a holy abode (gnas) to Dorje Shugden. [rgyal dbang lnga pas rgyal chen shugs ldan gyi bzhugs ngas su phul gnang mdzad pa yin, [http://www.tbrc.org/kb/tbrc-detail-outline.xq;?address=2.2.15&wylie=n&RID=O1GS48192 TBRC RID O1GS48192] ]

The Fifth Dalai Lama's regent, Desi Sangye Gyatso, expanded the role of this temple by entrusting it to the Gelug monastery Riwo Choling. [sde srid sangs rgya rgya mtsho thog mar ri bo chos bling du chos bzhugs gnang stabs sde srid kyis btsan khang de'i bdag thob ri bo chos gling la gnang bas ri bo chos gling nas grwa pa bcu gcig dang sku rten bcas gtong ba gnang te btsan khang der brtan bzhugs gnang dgos, http://www.tbrc.org/kb/tbrc-detail-outline.xq;jsessionid=50FF486E86D4FCB14AFF129344550C14?address=2.2.15&wylie=n&RID=O1GS48192]

Function

In addition to being a shrine, Trode Khangsar housed monks from Riwo Choling and an oracle for invoking Dorje Shugden. It has been restored and reclaimed by Riwo Choling since the Cultural Revolution. [Alexander, Andre: "The Temples of Lhasa: Tibetan Architecture from the 7th to the 21st Centuries.", pages 195. Serindia Publications, Inc., 2005]

Inventory

A survey of Tibetan wood printing blocks in monasteries, conducted while Tagdrag (stag brag) Rinpoche was regent of Tibet (1941-1950), [Three Karchacks. Gedan sungrab minyam gyunphel series, v. 13. page 238. New Delhi: 1970.] lists Trode Khangsar having wood blocks for making an extensive Dorje Shugden fulfilling ritual (chos skyong shugs ldan gyi bskang chog rgyas pa) which was authored by Ganden Jangtse Serkong Dorje Change (1856-1918), an earlier lineage holder of Kalachakra. Serkong Dorje Chang "served as dbu bla of the Bhutanese ruler o rgyan dbang phyug." [www.tbrc.org Person RID: P243]

A print of these woodblocks was published later in which Serkong Dorje Chang states he included parts of rituals written by Morchen Dorje Chang of the Sakya order and Dre'u Lhas, the recognized fourth reincarnation of Drugpa Kunleg, of the Drugpa Kagyu order. ["'Jam mgon Bstan srung rgyal chen Rdo rje śugs ldan rtsal gyi be bum : the collected rituals for performing all tasks through the propitiation of the great protective deity of Tsong-kha-pa, Mañjuśrī reembodied, Rdo-rje-śugs-ldan.", page 546. New Delhi : Mongolian Lama Guru Deva, 1984]

Notes

External links

* [http://home.comcast.net/~kalsang/TrodeKhangsar.pdf Trode Khangsar: Dorje Shugden's Jewel in Lhasa Mandala] by Trinley Kalsang

ee also

Dorje Shugden