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 About
2kms from Pelling, you can visit the principal monastery
belonging to Ngingma sect (one of the four sects of
Tibetan Buddhism) which was built in the year 1705
AD.named Pemayangtse(Sublime Lotus). One of the first
and few oldest monastery in Sikkim, it was built by
Gyalwa Lhatsun Namkha Jigme,the main amongst three
monks, who consecrated the first religious king of
Sikkim at Yuksam in 1641AD. The monastery being
initially small, the then Lama Jime Pao, the third
incarnation of Lhatsun Namkha Jigme upgraded the
monastery to a bigger size. There after the
renovations, alterations and additions of more and more
rooms, paintings, sculptures and statues of different
deities to the main building was done time to time.
Since this monastery had been the royal chapel it
always sustained with proper care and maintenance.
Pemayangtse finally got the touch of modern construction
with a new form of building materials like steel and
cement, since 1950 onwards. The prayers and meditation
are the traditions of Dzogchen lineage , the sacred
school of greater perfection in Vazrayana Buddhism under
Ngingmapa sect which was first propagated in Tibet by
Guru Padmasambhava the 8th century’s great Indian
Budhist Tantric Yogi and in Sikkim by Lhatsun Namkha
Jigme in15th century. Lhatsun Namkha Zigme was one of
the treasure kings(Terton)who revealed one of the Guru
Rempoche’s hidden treasure texts.Further in this
monastery, the sacred mask dances Guru Dragmar and
Pangtod Chyaam was initially choreographed by the third
Chogyal Chhyador Namgyal after he came back from his
exile in Tibet in 1710 AD and these two main
dance festivals do attract large number of devotees and
pilgrims at two different times of the year ( see
festival paragraph).To mark the ending of the Guru
Dragmar Dance Festival every year, the 150 years old
giant Thanka of Sakyamuni Buddha is displayed on the
front wall of the monastery, with ceremony to initiate
long life for the devotees. The monks of Pemayangtse
monastery are exceptionally chosen from physically fit
sons from pure Bhutia families. They are entitled to
perform the rituals of the Palace and initiate the
king’s, enthronement who strictly observed the pure
novice for years. They have been honored for years as
upholders of the scared traditions, prayers and
practices, which were imparted and introduced by the
early gurus. The style of the prayers, recitations and
performing music had been inspired from the Mindoling
monastery of Tibet. The teachings on different practices
were frequently imparted to the monks by different lamas
in different times. Among many learned lamas that lived
at Pemayangtse
Monastery,the late Ven. Dungzin Rempoche was also an
eminent Buddhist monk and a artist, who built the great
Zangthokpalri, the celestial palace of Guru Rempoche on
the top floor of the monastery.He did it single handed
and took eight years. Today this masterpiece is the main
attraction and famous of its kind for many visitors.
The brother of Ven Dungzin, the Ven. Khecheo Rempoche
had been the Vazra master of this monastery, who was
one of the greatest learned gurus this monastery ever
had.The present incarnation of late Khecheo Rempoche the
Ven Khecheo Tulku Yangsee is presently receiving
teaching and trainings at the Guru H.H. Penor Rempoche’s
Monastery (Mysore). Addition to that one of the most
eminent gurus from whom the monks of Pemayangtse are
receiving teachings from time to time is H.H..
Yangthang Rempoche who is regarded as the incarnation of
Terton Dechen Dorjee Lingpa a Lama of present era from
Denzong Dzogchen Lineage. Ever since, this monastery was
established the enrolment of monks has always been
increasing and at present it is about 400. Some
hundredst The centuries old social rule of sending at
least one son from each Bhutia family to the monastery
of which the tradition is still prevalent in Bhutia
society .One or Two sons from every family are still
proudly sent to the monastery with a festive ceremony
called Dichuk. |
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