A brief histroy of the Jonang monastery in India
(English text not yet corrected)
Main Jonang monastery based at Shimla in northern India is established by Lama Jinpa Gyatso during the Tibetan calendar of the sixth Rabshong (name of the 1st year of cycle of 60 years) and was named ( Takten Phuntsok Choeling). During His Holiness the Dalai lama’s visit to the newly founded monastery on the 7th of June in 1990, ( then called Sangye choeling monastery) was given to His Holiness the Dalai lama. Both the religious activities and monastic administration were taken care of by H.H. Dalai lama’s office and Namgyal monastery after the passing away of lama Jinpa Gyatso. On the seventh Tibetan Rabshong, Earth tiger year or during 1997, the 14th His Holiness the Dalai lama restored the great teaching of Jonang in the holy land of India. On top of that, in order to sustain and expand the Shimal based Takten Tamchoeling’s establishment in the year 1615 by vulnerable Taranath, has given all the reliance and reliant of this monastery to the Taranath’s reincarnated vulnerable Khalkha and had appointed him and enthroned him as the master of Jonang’s teaching.
On 10th April of 1998, many great beings like venerable Khalkha Jetsun Dhampa , (then) abbot Tulku Choekyi Nangwa, master Ngawang Dorjee, Lama Yonten Gyatso and Treasurer Kunga had previously came to this monastery and enrolled about thirty monks including the special enrolment of the Abbot, Master and treasurer.
And named this monastery as the (Main Jonang Takten Phentsok Choeling in the holy land and has greatly inaugurated on the 18th of May in 2000 in the presence of Shimla Chief minister as the chief guest and followed by general secretary and deputy secretary of CTA’s department of religion and culture. And more than thousand public gathering has celebrated this great occasion. HH the 14th great Dalailam has visited this place on 12th June of 2002 to had given the teachings of Jonang’s hundred teaching by vulnerable Kunga, and giving many more meaningful teaching regarding Jonang’s specialised Kalackra.
During the seventeenth Rabshong,water sheep of Tibetan calendar or, on 3rd June of 2013, vulnerable Rinpochoe has visited his own monastery and at the same time has given the teachings of Lamram’s spirit of nectar by vulnerable Taranath on the account of well wishes of all the Jonang followers.
In the year 1998, the first lineage of the Abbot, Choeji Nangwa Rinpochoe has taken the role of Abbot. Here, a special mention is that many of the Jonang students has come all the way to here every years and has sacrificed their studying time in contributing newly set up studies like sutra and mantra for further expansion and development of this monastery. In the year 2009, His holiness the 14th Dalai lama has appointed Geshe Kunga Rinchen as the second lineage of this monastic abbot.
On the 16 June of 2014, HH the 14th Dalai lama has appointed Geshe Kunga Tsamchung as the third lineage of the abbot and he is still in services till the date.
Nowadays, this monastery has more than ten teachers and stuff like Dorji master of Jongang Gyel-tsap Rinpochoe, abbot Geshe choeji Nangwa, Geshe Kunga Rinchen, In service Geshe Kunga Tsamchung. Treasurer, Aku Kunga, Yonten Gyatso, in the same way, both the principal and discipline in charge Kunga Nyelo. Cantor, Pasang Thinley, General secretary,Tenzin thupten.
In the same way, this monastery has more than hundred students from different regions like Pemako, Mongolia, Tawang, Spiti and Dolpo.
This monastic studious categories are, firstly, from the mantra, the Vajra- master Choeji Nangwa teaches the profound instruction of six yogas of the kalacakra tantra, drawing lines of sand mandala related with kalacakra, and sustaining the chanting rhythem and tones.
Secondly, regarding the sutras of great Jonangwa’s traditional scripture, great teachers like abbot Rinpoche, Kunga Rinchen and in service abbot Kunga Tsamchung’s common blessing has fortuned students for learning four Buddhist classes and more clasess like Pramana, Paramita, Madhyamaka ,Abhi-Dharma and Vinaya. All these are being taught categorically.
In 2016, Kuchen Dolpo sangye’s book of sutra narrative perfection and Nyawon kungapal’s book of perfection of Nyatika is based to teach perfection to students in accordance of Jonang’s scriptures and many are being taken the monastic vows of perfection.
Besides literary studies, ritual practices, Tibetan calligraphy practices, Tibetan grammar and poetry, English language, Hindi language, mathematics and physics are being taught here. In a nut shell, those who study continuously here for eighteen years will surely bear the fruit of both sutra and mantra. In the same way, they will certainly have adequate knowledge of outside and inside the nations.