Petsheling Monastery

Petsheling Monastery (Padtselling Gonpa, Petseling Gompa) is a Nyingma school monastery located east of Kurjey Lhakhang near Jakar in Bumthang District, central Bhutan. Founded in 1769 by Drubthob Namgyal Lhundrub, a student of the great Tibetan master Jigme Lingpa, it serves as the seat of the Petsheling Trulku reincarnation lineage, which is now in its fifth incarnation.

Founding and History

Drubthob Namgyal Lhundrub, the first Petsheling Trulku, established the monastery in 1769 with the patronage of the Penlop of Trongsa and the Dzongpon of Jakar. Before founding Petsheling, Namgyal Lhundrub had travelled to Lhasa, where he studied under Jigme Lingpa, the founder of the Longchen Nyingthig tradition — one of the most important terma (revealed treasure) lineages within the Nyingma school. Namgyal Lhundrub brought these teachings back to Bumthang and established the monastery east of Kurjey Lhakhang, choosing a site in the Choekhor valley where the Bumthang Chhu winds through open fields.

The monastery\'s name, Padtselling Jangchub Pelri, reflects its aspiration to serve as a "Glorious Mountain of Enlightenment" in the Nyingma tradition. Over its two and a half centuries, it has functioned as both a centre of scholarship and a place of meditation retreat.

The Petsheling Trulku Lineage

The monastery is inseparable from its reincarnation lineage. The five incarnations are:

1. Drubthob Namgyal Lhundrub — the founder, a student of Jigme Lingpa.
2. Jigme Tenpai Gyaltshen — expanded the monastery and consolidated its teachings in the early 19th century.
3. Jigme Drodon Dorje — continued the lineage through the period of Bhutan\'s internal conflicts.
4. Kunzang Thinlay Namgyal — maintained the monastery into the 20th century.
5. Pema Kunzang Tenzin Gyamtsho (born 1960) — the current incumbent, recognised as a child when he spontaneously identified himself as the reincarnation and correctly selected the previous Trulku\'s personal texts from among a collection. The 16th Karmapa validated the recognition and bestowed the name Karma Choki Gyaltsen.

The fifth Trulku was born at Tang Namkhai Lhakhang in Bumthang to a family descended from Terchen Dorji Lingpa. At age 10 he received his first monastic haircut from the 67th Je Khenpo at Punakha Dzong and enrolled in the Central Monastic Body. At 15 he joined Tango Buddhist College under Geshe Jaku, who later became the 69th Je Khenpo. From age 26 onward, he received teachings from Dudjom Rinpoche and Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, two of the most eminent Nyingma masters of the 20th century. He now resides at Padtselling Gonpa in Bumthang.

Architecture

The monastery is a modest, two-storey structure built in traditional Bhutanese style, surrounded by a cluster of village houses. The main temple features painted walls depicting Buddhist iconography and houses statues and thangkas associated with the Nyingma tradition. The building\'s scale is smaller than Bumthang\'s large dzongs but reflects the characteristic rammed-earth and timber construction of the valley\'s religious buildings.

Religious Life and Festivals

As a Nyingma institution, Petsheling stands apart from the Drukpa Kagyu monasteries that dominate Bhutan\'s official monastic establishment. It preserves the Longchen Nyingthig and Dudjom New Treasure lineage practices introduced by its founders. The villagers of the surrounding area consider the Petsheling Trulku their root lama, and the monastery serves as the spiritual centre for the nearby farming communities.

The annual Drup festival is presided over by the Petsheling Trulku, who travels from Bumthang for the occasion. This festival draws participants from across the Choekhor valley and reinforces the bond between the monastic community and its lay supporters.

References

1. Petseling Monastery — Wikipedia
2. Brief Biography of Padtselling Trulku — Khomo Kunzang Dorji
3. Petseling — Treasury of Lives
4. Petsheling Monastery — Tibetan Buddhist Encyclopedia