Tarde Monastery, also known as Tarde Ritro, is one of the ancient monasteries with a long history of the the Bon religion
It is located in a small village which is about 280 kilometers away from Gengqing town that is the capital town of Dege county in the western Kham
Brief
Tarde Monastery was founded by Drubchen Kunga Namgyel in 1256 AD. There are now about 20-30 monks study and live in there
It is not only one of the highest monasteries in the western Kham, but also one of the most important Dzogchen meditation centers of Bon religion.
Environment
Tarde Monastery is about 4100 meters above sea level. The surrounding mountains are emerald green and the forests are dense, in which wild animals and birds live freely in
The main gate of Tarde Monastery faces the long and narrow Jinsha River Valley, which is surrounded by clouds and mist all year round. In the back mountain behind the monastery, there are holy signs left by masters Zhanba Nanka, Guru Padmasambhava, and Master Caiwang Renzhang when they proceeded their meditation
Inherited
The monastery is based on strict precepts and hard practice.
The curriculum of Tarde monastery is divided into three major parts: The Great & The Minor Five Science; The inheritance of Manri Gonpa; and consists of Exotoric Buddhism, Esoteric Buddhism , Dzogchen.
Tarde monastery has produced many eminent monks for hundreds of years, especially the Terma master Dechen Linpa (Tsewang Drakpa) whom is popular for his excavation of many classics and Buddha statues and instruments of Bon religion and other sects of Tibetan Buddhism.
The current abbot is Tsewang Jigme Rinpoche who is the seventeenth abbot of Tade Monastery, also known as “Tarde Living Buddha”.
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