Dorji Goenpa
Dorji Goenpa is about
20 kilometers towards Bumthang from Trongsa. It is located just few meters
above the Trongsa-Bumthang PNH.
The actual name of the
Goenpa was Dhozhom Goenpa. Dho means rock and Zhom is a tub. There was a
bathing tub of Menmo (deity) of the Lhakhang which was carved out of a
solid rock. It is believed to accommodate about 10 people. Sadly, according to
the caretaker, the tub was destroyed during the highway widening.
The Goenpa was established
in the 19th century by Lopen Tsheltrum Tharchin who was a learned Buddhist
monk. He meditated at the place revering Drakmar and
also left a Zhabje (Footprint) on a rock about 100 meters above the
Lhakhang. Lopen was from Tsangkha under Trongsa Dzongkhag.
The two storied Lhakhang
has Yoepadma at the center with Guru Rinpoche at the right and Tsepamed
and Zhabdrung, on the first floor while the ground floor is used as store. The
Tsepamey and Zhbdrung statues are said to have spoken, so are revered and
treasured. There is also a statue of Avalokitesvara in form of Changtong
Chentong and the figure of Lopen Tsheltrum Tharchin himself. The Lhakhang
also houses a set of Kanjur and Bhum. One can also have the blessing of Sergi
Domang, script written in pure gold.
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| DoZhom Goenpa |
There is also a secret
compartment at the corner of the Choesham which is the Geonkhang
where Palden Lhamo is believed to be residing. A legend has it that, Palden
Lhamo was not so pleased with the way she was treated at Trongsa Dzong. So she
decided to leave for her residence Jang (North) Pepihari (Somewhere in Tibet). With his supernatural power, Lopen Tshetrum Tharchin knew about it and met the deity below Yotongla. Lopen, then requested the deity to stay in Bhutan for the benefit of all. He promised to serve and look after
her, thus welcoming her to the lhakhang. Today, theTrongsa Dratshang offers prayers to Palden Lhamo every year to ask forgiveness. This is how the compartment is regarded as very sacred and not disturbed
at all.
One can also see the
statue Menmo (local deity), Penden Dem who is exceptionally beautiful. It is
said that the children of the locality are remarkably good-looking thanks to
the blessings of the Menmo. The cliff below the Lhakhang is believed to be the
residence of the Menmo which is taken care by the Lhakhang administration.
The murals in the
Lhakhang were done by Lam Molem Rabzang who was the incarnation of the founder,
Lopen Tshetrum Tharchin. According to the caretaker, the murals of the Lhakhang
were done at the same time as the murals of the Guru Lhakhang in Kurjey in
Bumthang. It is said that the First king of Bhutan Ugyen Wangchuck wanted the
murals of Guru Lhakhang to be in wrathful forms but were done in peaceful form.
The murals of the Dorji Goenpa
are in the wrathful form.
Today the Lhakhang is
looked after by Trongsa Dratshang form where a Lam and a caretaker is
appointed. Lately, few novice monks were bought to the Lhakhang but had to be
returned to Trongsa Dratshang as they could not be taught well and felt lonely
without friends.
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| Drupchu with the Lhakhang at the background. |
There is a Drupchu or holy water of Lopen Tsheltrum Tharchin just below the highway. The holy water, although revered by the people of Trongsa, is not known to the hundreds of people who ply the road every day.
According to the locals, the place is frequently visited by fierce wild animals like Bengal tiger, Himalayan black bear, leopard and fox.Lopen Tsheltrum Tharchin's biography
It is believed that a yogi (Duthob) shall be born from Mangde (Trongsa) region successively. As such a yogi by the name Tsheltrum Tharchin was born to a decent family in Tangsibi (Tshangkha). Despite his tender age, he joined the Trongsa Dratshang and rose up to be the Choepon (Master of religious activities). He then resigned from the post and went to Dho Zhom Goenpa and meditated there while teaching the locals and many other followers.
Another source claims Lopen Tsheltrum Tharchin to have been a novice monk at Pungthim dratshang and not Trongsa Dratshang. According to Lam Norbu Wangchuk (1926 - 1991), Lopen Tsheltrum Tharchin rose to become the Dorji Lopen of the Pungthim dratshang.
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| The Drakmar Drupchu of Lopen Tsheltrum Tharchin |
Legend has it, that the fifth Zhabdrung Thugtrul (Mind incarnation) Jigme Chogyal (1862 - 1904) visited lopen Tsheltrum Tharchin at Dho Zhom goenpa. Zhabdrung was on his way to Punakha from Dremetse (Mongar). Reaching Maedha gang (below Yotongla), Zhabdrung saw a cave engulfed in fire at present Dho Zhom goenpa. The sign assured Zhabdrung the presence of an extraordinary yogi at the place. Halting the night at Trongsa dzong, the Zhabdrung left for Dho Zhom goenpa early next morning with just his horse.
On the other hand, lopen Tsheltrum Tharchin, with his supernatural power knew about the coming of the Zhabdrung and informed his attendants (a lay monk and a nun) to prepare the place and tea for the special guest. Having nothing in stock to prepare anything for the guest, the attendants were worried. but to their surprise, the containers were filled with everything required. This was the miracle performed by the Menmo of the place as gesture to lopen Tsheltrum Tharchin.
As the attendants prepared to receive the special guest, lopen waited outside with a khadar (silk scarf). Bowing down, lopen offered the khadar to the Zhabdrung who was surprised at the gesture. The Zhabdrung inquired how lopen knew about his coming. To this, the lopen is believed to have answered, "How wouldn't I know the approaching of Pal Drukpa Rinpoche (Zhabdrung)". They exchanged talks on various topics related to religion. Some believe that the Zhabdrung even spent a night there.
As the Zhabdrung readied himself to leave, he requested lopen Tsheltrum Tharchin to accompany him to Punakha. However, lopen kindly refused the offer. He informed the Zhabdrung that there isn't much time left for him (It is believed that lopen was slightly bent due to old age. He was said to be about 77 years old at the time) but promised to meet the Zhabdrung in his next life.
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| A pug mark of a Bengal Tiger near the Lhakhang. |
Not satisfied, the Zhabdrung requested lopen a gift to be taken as a relic from him. Since lopen didn't have anything worth that could be offered as a gift, he tore a piece of ship skin that he was using as the mat while meditating. The Zhabdrung is said to have used the sheep skin on top of throne-mattress as blessing.
But according to another oral history, it was Je Yonten Gyeltshen and not the Zhabdrung who paid a visit to lopen. The Je was on his way back from pilgrimage to Phari (Tibet). The Je saw the cave on fire from Yotongla, and sensed the presence of an extraordinary yogi. The Je then ordered his attendants that they shall halt the night at the cave.
Lopen's clairvoyance skills can be further authenticated with Dungkar Agay (who, by then have resigned from the post of Trongsa Penlop and lived in Ta Dzong). Dunkar Agay was sick as he was attacked by the local deity (Gyalp) of Lawshong (Village above the Trongsa Dzong). Having known lopen Tsheltrum Tharchin's clairvoyance and power, Dungkar Agay sent one of his attendants every morning to get ngagchu (blessed water) from lopen. He had the ngagchu everyday to cure his sickness. One morning, when the attendant reached Tashi Poktor with the ngagchu, a strong wind disturbed his balance and fell down thus spilling the ngagchu on the ground. Fearing his master's anger, the attendant filled the container with drupchu (holy water) from nearby. The next day, when the attendant went to get ngagchu, lopen is said to have been furious with him. Lopen narrated the whole incident that happened to the attendant the previous morning.
Lopen planned to tame and subdue the Gyalp of Lawshong. He commanded the Gyalp to make his presence at the lopen's cave. Undermining lopen's power, the Gyalp is said to have approached wrathfully riding an elephant threatening to destroy lopen's meditating hut. However, lopen crushed and killed both the deity and his riding elephant thus bringing peace to the area.
Lopen had an elder brother, Nima who was also a learned monk of Trongsa dratshang. The brother later resigned and went into strict meditation above their village in Tshangkha. Sadly, the brother passed away in his meditation and nobody knew about it. Lopen Tsheltrum Tharchin is said to have written a letter to his relatives back home to check on his brother whom they didn't attend even after 21 days of his death. Lopen knew about the death of his brother through his clairvoyance skills.
Lopen's fame, by now, spread like the wild fire. People from all walks of life came to seek his blessings and receive teachings. In one of the incidences, a group of villagers paid lopen a visit. They were enjoying the tea lopen gave and engrossed themselves in conversation with lopen. Meanwhile, lopen interrupted them and asked to them go home fast. Lopen informed them that the crows have scattered all their belongings and eaten the lunch that they have hidden on the way, which shocked them.
After his death, lopen was cremated behind the temple. During the cremation, his heart was floating on the flame and failed to be burnt. The heart was then offered as the inner relic (nangten) for the chorten which we can see inside the lhakhang today. Thus the cremation ground became blessed and famous among the locals. Today, the crematorium is being renovated with all the necessary facilities for the benefit of all.
In 1878, an extraordinary boy was born at Tangsibi (Tshangkha) who was the reincarnation of lopen Tsheltrum Tharchin. He was lopen Moelam Rabzang.
Reference
1. Dzongpon (caretaker) of Dho Zhom Goenpa
2. Lopen Kuenga Tenzin, Taphay goenpa
3. དྲན་གཏམ་ཟླ་བའི་བདུད་རྩི། མཁས་གྲུབ་ཆེན་པོ་བླ་མ་སྨོན་རབ་བཟང་གི་མཛད་རྣམ། ༼རྡོ་རྫེ་རྒྱལ་མཚན༽
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