Do Gongma Monastery, also known as Dragkar Lhari Gonpa, is a Nyingma monastery of Tibetan Buddhism that is part of the Katok Monastery system in Dege County.
According to legend (although unverified by historical records), the monastery was founded by “Tsora” or “Chatong Dekyok” around 1840 or 1860. It originally served as a monastery for the “Nida Tribe” or the nine small tribes of “Shamopa.”
The monastery is located 31 kilometers north of Do Gongma Township in Banma County, Golog Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Qinghai Province, near the “Madan Nga Gorge” in present-day Do Gongma Township, right next to the roadside.
Brief History
Before 1958, the monastery had one prayer hall with three rooms, 22 monks’ quarters with 46 rooms, and housed 40 monks.
In 1958, the monastery was closed.
On August 22nd, 1984, it was approved for reopening, with an authorized number of 20 monks.
Currently, the monastery has one prayer hall with six rooms, three prayer wheel halls with five rooms, and 28 monks’ quarters. There are 42 monks in total, and the living Buddhas include Chupei (Ala O’ang), Latsam (Gyome Dorje), Bansan (the monastery’s management committee director), and Labao.
The monastery occupies an area of 25 acres, and its management committee consists of five members.
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