| Palpung Monastery | |
|---|---|
 View of Palpung Monastery in 2014 | |
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Tibetan Buddhism |
| Sect | Karma Kagyu |
| Location | |
| Location | Babang,Dêgê County,Garzê Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture,Sichuan,China |
| Country | China |
  Location within Sichuan | |
| Coordinates | 31°38′54″N98°47′45″E / 31.64833°N 98.79583°E /31.64833; 98.79583 |
| Architecture | |
| Founder | 8th Tai Situ |
| Established | 1727; 298 years ago (1727) |
| Protected 1958. Reopened as monastery in 1982. | |
Palpung Monastery (Tibetan:དཔལ་སྤུངས།,Wylie:dpal spungs dgon pa[1]) is Tai Situ's historic monastic seat inBabang,Kham (modernSichuan). Palpung means "glorious union of study and practice". It originated in the 12th century and wielded considerable religious, political, and economic influence over the centuries.[2]
The current monastery was founded in 1727[3][4] by the 8th Tai Situ "Situ Panchen" with the great support of the Dharma King ofDerge Temba Tsering. It is the seat of four lines of incarnatelamas, the best-known being theTai Situ[5] as well as theJamgon Kongtrul and theSecond Beru Khyentse. The gompa has historically been associated with theKarmapas: for instance,Rangjung Rigpe Dorje, 16th Karmapa, was enthroned first at Palpung before traveling to his main seat atTsurphu Monastery inÜ-Tsang.
The 12th Tai Situ,Pema Tönyö Nyinje, has established another monastic seat in exile atPalpung Sherab Ling Monastery(Wylie:dpal spungs shes rab gling inIndia's state ofHimachal Pradesh near the city of Baijnath.Palpung Yeshe Rabgye Ling Nunnery is nearby in the city of Manali, in the town Bunthar about a 3 hour drive from the Palpung Sherab Ling Monastery.[6]).
Palpung Monastery is the historical seat of the successive incarnations of the Chamgon Kenting Tai Situpas inKham. It is also the mother monastery of theKarma Kagyu in Kham and evolved into the center of theRimé movement. The seat in exile, outside of Tibet,Sherabling Monastery, is inIndia. The congregation has monasteries and centers around the world.
Palpung Monastery is agompa inBabang Township,Dêgê County,Garzê Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in westernSichuan. It has historically always been associated with theKarmapas such as the 16th Karmapa being enthroned first at Palpung before traveling to his main seat atTsurphu Monastery inÜ-Tsang. The Karmapas and Tai Situpas have been connected closely over time, alternating as master and disciple.
Palpung originated in the 12th century and wielded considerable religious influence over the centuries.[2] Palpung Monastery was founded by the 8th Tai Situpa "Situ Panchen" in 1727 and developed into a preeminent center of learning and scholarship on the eastern Tibetan plateau. The monastery once hosted more than 1000 monks and had one of the most leading monastic universities of the area. It is the seat of various lines of incarnatelamas, the best known being theTai Situpa[5] and theJamgon Kongtrul.
Palpung was known for its huge library with more than 324,000 texts and an art collection of more than 10,150thangkas. It was also leading in the fields of spiritual painting and the Situ Rinpoche is the founder of Karma Gadri painting style. At the time of the 11th Tai Situ Rinpoche, Palpung was already famous for spiritual, studious and artistic excellence and authority.
Social turmoil from the late 1950s to 1976 brought destruction of some monastery buildings and neglected maintenance to Palpung's main temple. Construction and repair, initially funded by the government, then later by the 12th Tai Situpa and others, commenced in the late 1980s. Palpung’s main temple was recognized in 2013 as a national cultural heritage site, having previously been a provincial-level site. It was named to the World Monuments Watch list in 1998 and 2000.[7]
There are an estimated 800 monks residing in the monastery itself and a larger number resident in the surrounding region.
Pema Tönyö Nyinje, the 12th Tai Situpa, fled from Kham toBhutan and then India at the age of six, where he consequently received his formal traditional training underRangjung Rigpe Dorje, 16th Karmapa. At the age of 22 he started to set up his seat in exile, Palpung Sherabling Monastery, inHimachal Pradesh,North India.
Palpung Sherabling Monastery currently has approximately 1,000 monks; 250 are enrolled in the monastic university curriculum on the premises. Palpung Yeshe Rabgyeling Nun Monastery is located near the city of Manali, in the Bunthar town has about 200 nuns. The Monastery also offers the traditionalKagyu three-year retreat for both monks and nuns on the compound.
The Palpung congregation[8] consists of more than 180 monasteries and temples throughout some Chinese and Tibetan districts. Palpung Congregation also has branch institutions in Europe, USA, Canada Oceania and Asia altogether about 300 branches world wide. Its European Seat is Palpung Yeshe Chökhor Ling Europe,Palpung Europe[9] which was established and is under the direction ofChöje Lama Gelongma Palmo.
