THE HISTORY OF DUNDUL RAPTENLING MONASTERY
Before 1959 in Tibet, His Holiness Dudjom Jigdral Yeshe Dorje build Rigzin Ghatseling Monastery at Buchcu, in the Kongpo region of Tibet, and established the first Lama Lingpa. There have been so many accomplished masters and great ngakpa and geylong among His Holiness’ disciples. The Dudjom Tersar flourished during that time. After 1959, we lost our freedom and sought refuge in India. During that wandering period as exiles and refugees, His Holiness found it of the utmost importance and necessity to established a monastery to avoid the degeneration of the Buddha doctrine. In order to preserve the Nyingmapa lineage, His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama requested Kyabje Rinpoche Jigdral Yeshi Dorje to become the supreme head of the Nyingmapa lineage. Keeping His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s request in his heart, Kyabje Rinpoche decided to build a monastery and chose Orissa to build Dundul Raptenling, with the support of the Odisha government in acquiring the land, and also with the guidance of the Tibetan government in exile. Kyabje Dudjom Rinpoche chose Orissa which is, according to the Hevajra Tantra, one of the Twenty-four Great Sacred Places. Orissa is considered to be the celestial abode of Oddiyana. Kyabje Rinpoche sent a letter to the Tibetan community of Pemako, the very sacred place in south Tibet, explaining his plans to build a Nyingmapa monastery and colony at Orissa and asking them to come. Many of them did.
In 1961, Kyabje Rinpoche gave the name Dundul Raptenling to the monastery built at Camp No. 3 at the Orissa Tibetan Refugee Settlement. Initially approximately one hundred sangha could gather at the monastery. A Cho-Long-Trul Sum statue (Amitabha, Avalokiteshvara, and Guru Padma Sambhava) was also constructed. On the far right is Troma and on the far left is Dorje Drolö. Just as in Tibet, most of the practitioners stayed in meditation retreat.
Under the supervision of Lama Sherpa Dorjee Rinpoche and Lama Dorjee Namgyal Rinpoche, a three-story tsugla khang (monastery) was built in about 1969. But due to lack of financial resources, it took another ten years to complete. That is also the same reason the monastery was not built according to Kyabje Rinpoche’s exact design. On February 3, 1979, His Holiness the Dalai Lama consecrated and inaugurated the new Dundul Raptenling Monastery.
Gradually, Kyabje Dudjom Rinpoche’s sons and grandsons, Kyabje Shenphen Dawa Norbu, Kyabje Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche, Kyabje Garab Dorje Rinpoche as well as many other great teachers who have been disciples of His Holiness Dudjom Rinpoche, have helped to protect and preserve the monastery. At present, the infallible reincarnation of His Holiness Dudjom Rinpoche came into our lives carrying the name of Kyabje Dudjom Sangye Pema Shepa Rinpoche. As it is was predicted: “In his former life, he was the Vajradhara Jigdral Yeshe Dorje, in a future life he will be the Sugata Desheg Moepa Thaye, in his present lifetime, he is the ascetic yogi, the crown ornament of the teaching. To you Sangye Pema Shepa, I supplicate.” With this brief biographical verse, Sangye Pema Shepa Rinpoche is the head and the supreme holder of the monastic seat of Dundul Raptenling.
DESCRIPTION OF THE MONASTERY
The top floor is known as Choe ku shingkham (heaven). It has a statue of Choeku Woe Pak May[Amitabha]. On the right side is Dorsem yab yum, on the left is a Guru Tso-Gye -Thuk-Thig statue.
The first floor is called Long-kushin kham (heaven). In the middle is Avalokiteshvara (a ten-foot high Chak tong chen tong) statue. On its right is Jamphel yang (Manjushri) and on the left is Vajrapani. In front of Avalokiteshvara is a statue of Kyabje Dudjom Jigdrel Yeshi Dorje. To the right of the room is Kyabje’s bedroom (small and master bedrooms). To the left of the statue room is the library.
The texts in the library include:
1-GYALWA KHA- GYUR/TEN GYUR RINPOCHE
2-NYINGMA GYUBHUM
3-NYINGMA KAMA
4-RINCHEN TERZOE
5-DUDJOM RINPOCHE KHA- DUM (volumes 1 and 2)
6-MIPHAM RINPOCHE SUNG- BUM
7-PELING SUNG-BHUM
8-MELLING GYURMEY DORJEE SUNG BUM
9-JAMGDON KHONG TRUL RINPOCHE KHA- BHUM
10-RATNA LINGPA KHA-BHUM
11-OTHER VARIOUS LAMAS’ SUNG BHUM
The ground floor is called Tulku – shing kham. The main statue of Shakyamuni is in the middle. On its right side is the Guru Nangsi Silnon statue. Further right is Guru Dorje Drolö statue. On the left of Buddha is Tamdrin Yangthroe (Hayagriva); Palchen Dorje Shunu Phurpa is on its left.
THE GREATNESS OF THE LOCATION
The auspicious location of Dundul Raptenling Monastery is known as one of the most sacred places for the dissemination of Vajrayana Buddhism in the sublime land of Oddiyana, India. Dundul Raptenling was built at Camp No. 3 of the Tibetan Settlement, Phuntsok Ling, Odisha, and is surrounded by the two holy mountains of Vajravarahi to the south, the three families of the victorious ones to the west. The monastery is known by the name of Dundul Raptenling, the Seat of Old Father Jigdral Yeshe Dorje.