Benchen Monastery

The Benchen Monastery (Tibetan: chen ban dgon ) or Penchen Monastery (pan chen dgon ) or Benchen Phüntshog Dargyeling ( ban chen phun tshogs is rgyas gling ) is a monastery of the Karma Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism in the Tibetan cultural region of Kham. It is located in the municipality Baitang Yushu City ( Tib: yus hru'u ) in Yushu Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in northwest China's Qinghai Province.

The monastery was built during the Hongwu period of the Ming Dynasty of 4 Sanggye Nyenpa Geleg Gyatsho ( dge legs rgya mtsho ) in its present location. Its original site was on the hill of Kyegu Monastery ( skye rgu don grub gling ) of the Sakya school above the village Gyegu ( Kyegu ).

Among the most important incarnation lines of the monastery include the incarnation lines of Sanggye Nyenpa Rinpoche ( sangs rgyas mnyan pa rin po che ), the Tenga Rinpoche ( bstan dga ' rin po che ) and the Chime Rinpoche ( ' chi med rin po che ).

The 13th Karmapa Dorje Düdul ( bdud 'dul rdo rje, 1733-1797 ) died in this monastery. The 16th Karmapa Lama and the 9th Penchen remained at, among others, in the monastery. At its peak, it had 600 monks.

The monastery was reopened in 1981. In the heavy Yushu Earthquake in 2010 it was only slightly damaged.

Other monasteries of that name

Kathmandu ( Nepal)

A new monastery of that name ( Benchen Phuntsok Dargyeling ) was established in Kathmandu in Nepal.

Allmuthen ( Manderfeld, Belgium)

Its European headquarters is Benchen Phuntsok Ling in the German hamlet Allmuthen of Manderfeld in Belgium.