As Lord Buddha said, "The northern snow-covered mountain regions have an undulating land setting; full of drafty trees, shrubs with prickly thorns; stones and pebbles; unruly dogs, and where women with negative tendencies have purified the five shortcomings; [I] therefore urge everyone to remain with mindfulness, vigilance and effort; Those who have mindfulness, vigilance, and endeavor will display, transcend, and perceive, thereby possessing great compassion; may it bring happiness to those with consciousness; always remaining in good condition; with a realised mind of Buddha-hood nature; sleeps with full vigilance in peace; may it bring happiness to those with consciousness, always remaining in good condition, without thoughts of adversaries and conquest, sleeps with full vigilance in peace."
Bhutan, the southern land of medicinal herbs, is considered an ideal place to promote mindfulness and spread the sacred teachings of the Vajrayana tradition because of the prophecies of Buddha and Vajrapani. Moreover, our historical accounts tell of the emergence of numerous enlightened beings who engaged in ascetic practices. Among these Bodhisattavas, Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyal (1569-1651) introduced the dual system and a country ruled by monarchs bearing the bloodline of the great Terton (treasury collector) Padma Lingpa (1450-1521), where the Kyichu Lhakhang of Paro and the Jampa Lhakhang of Bumthang stand, some of the reminiscences of 108 temples built by the Tibetan king Songtsen Gampo on certain physical features of a demonic landscape. The two Lhakhangs are the source of Buddhism in the country and Rephel Mebar Lhakhang is located in the northern direction of Jampa Lhakhang under the prosperous Mangde (Trongsa) district. Kunkhen Longchenpa (1308-1363) mentions Mangde in one of his literary works entitled "Bumthang lhai beyul gi koepa selwar je pa meto gi kemotshal zhejawa" (Longchen's Forests of Poetry and Rivers of Composition in Bhutan)
"The good, western region of the Mangde; is beautifully shaped like a pretty arch;its villages quickly attract people from everywhere;its river takes a west to east-south course;its upper sides have many kinds of mountain forests;In the middle, there are luxuriant growths of cereals, medicinal trees, crops and fruits;In the valley bottom, there are rice and millet and amaranthus and so on;There are many kinds of cereals and good tea plants growing;There are honey and rubia and other fantastic plants;And numerous textile goods including silk, cotton and wool;Foods grown from fruit trees and soil, there are, and;Are colorful while having eight gustory taste;Sugar cane and other variety of foods are great;Meaning and name of the place, Mangde corresponds”.
Since the place produces a rich harvest of food, it is called either Mangdue or Mangdey, both of which carry the auspicious meaning, although the names are pronounced slightly differently. The monastery is located near Samdrup Choling Dzong, one of the summer palaces of His Majesty the Second King Jigme Wangchuck (1905-1952) in Kunga Rapten, Drakteng Gewog, Trongsa Dzongkhag.
The natural landscape of the monastery consists of a mountain that looks like Buddha Maitreya in a sitting posture and is guarded by the local deity Gangkar Shamig who resides on the mountain on the right, the historic Yungdrung Chholing Dzong, the seat of the mortal remains of the great Terton Padma Lingpa, and the summer residence of His Majesty the 1st King, Gongsa Ugyen Wangchuck (1862-1926) at the foot of the left mountain, and finally the sacred palace of the Treasurer Jowo Durshing, which stands majestically at the front of the mountain and offers an eternal view of the surrounding landscape with its blooming lotus flowers, the sky with the eight-spoked wheel, the abundant harvest of fruits and grains, and the sweet fragrance that fills the area in every season. It also has the hidden valley of Gadhenjong, Gomchen Drag, Terney Tashi Gomang and other sacred historical sites of Guru Padmasambava. The Mangde River with its excellent features flows gently in an arc from the feet of these mountains and makes offerings.
Amidst several auspicious landmarks, Rephel Mebar Lhakhang, was built on a landscape resembling a kapala (skull cup) upside down over a spiritual lake attributed to guru Padmasambhava and his consort Monmo Tashi Khyidren. The guru's biographies and stories state that Guru Padsambava visited Bhutan in the 8th century at the invitation of King Sindha Raja. The guru took Princess Monmo Tashi Khyidren as his consort and gradually conquered numerous demons and evil spirits as part of his duties, hiding countless treasures in various places and transforming the areas into a Sacred Hidden Land.
In this blessed place, Monmo established Rephel Mebar Lhakhang as her meditation facilities, the initiation of which was later performed by Guru Rinpoche for three consecutive days and nights while he conducted the initiation ceremony of the Samye monastery in Tibet after its successful completion. He manifested and presented himself not only at Rephel Mebar (Mindrol) Lhakhang, but also at Tselung Lhakhang in Chhokor, Anu Lhakhang in Tang, Zunye Gyenyen Lhakhang in Chumey, Khenyel Lhakhang in Kurtoe and so on. On the north side of the Tsuglakhang there is sacred water which is believed to be one of the medicinal spring waters obtained by the guru and his consort Monmo for the sentient beings. Palden Lhamo alias MahaKali was appointed as one of the principal guardians of the monastery. Following Guru Padmasambava, The great Longchenpa visited Bhutan in the 12th century and founded eight main monasteries including Tharpaling Monastery of Bumthang. Few monasteries were built in Mangde province and Rephel Mebar Lhakhang was one of Longchenpa’s seat. Longchenpa transmitted the teachings of Seven Treasures, Four Branches of Heart Essence teachings, sutras and tantras.
Following, Jamyang Drakpa Ozer, Dorji Lingpa (1346-1405), Gyelsey Dawa Drakpa and Terton Pema Lingpa blessed the Lhakhang. Afterwards, Trulku Chogden Gonpo, the incarnation of Terton Dorji Lingpa and Vairocana and disciple of Terton Padma Lingpa, not only visited the Lhakhang, but also arranged for renovations and had the Buddha statue and other relics chiseled, all of which are highly revered as extraordinary relics that will speak and absorb diseases in the future.
Later, the successors of Terton Pema Lingpa, Choeje Kunga Gyeltshen, Drukchen Ngagi Wangchuk, Mipham Tenpai Nima (1567-`619), Jamgon and Drupthob Norbu Wangchuk, both Nyingma mpa and Drukpa Kagyu also visited and blessed the Lhakhang. Although the Lhakhang has a rich history of successive Buddhist masters who have visited it and left their names, Lama Gyeltshen, who comes from the bloodline of the six Vajra brothers of Lhalung Palgyi Dorje, was the last Lama to make the Lhakhang his seat. Since then, according to oral traditions, both the temple, which was once famous, and its community, which consisted mostly of patrons, have become almost a neglected settlement. The Lhakhang was in a deplorable condition, as there was no caretaker to perform routine offerings. However, the condition was revived and renovated after it became the property of Kungachholing's predecessors in the 17th century. They renovated the temple and asked Sewala Jamgon Yeshey Dorji to preside over the consecration of the Rephel Mebar Lhakhang. Jamgon visited till Taktse Tangchen Lhakhang and presided the consecration from there as requested by the patrons. He hadn’t personally visited the site.
After the consecration, patrons requested Jamgon to bless the temple with new name, so Jamgon gave the name as "mebran lhakhang" (don't know in the local dialect) as Jamgon didn’t know where the temple was even located. whereupon the Lhakhang was sometimes mispronounced as “medren" or sometimes "mendrel" by the people in the community.
In 19th century, another major renovation was carried out jointly by Jakar Dzongpon Chimi Dorji, Ashi Lemo and Her Royal Highness Ashi Pema Choki and it was inaugurated by 9th reincarnation of Pemal Lingpa Tenzin Choki Gyaltshen. Later, the 10th Peling Thugsey Thekchog Tenpai Gyaltsen (1951-2010) and family also resided there and remained in meditative commitment.
After having been dilapidated and restored several times, in 2009, the year of the Iron Tiger, the Lhakhang was offered to the fifth incarnation of Khedrup Jigme Kundrol (1730-1793), the heart son and disciple of Jigme Lingpa (1730-1798) Ugyen Tenzin Thinley Lhundrup during his visit at the Lhakhang as a pilgrim, but was secretly invited by the patron deities to the designated place and thus became the seat after the community members of Samcholing and Rephel collectively offered both the Temple and its properties to Rinpoche and renamed the monastery Sangchen Ogyen Tsuklag.
Rinpoche was then on the cusp of his teens when he founded the first Buddhist institution with ten monks, teaching writing and pronunciation, literature, dance, proportion (mandala) and chanting, and intonation knowledge to preserve and expand Buddhist teachings. Subsequently, he also revived the discontinued retreat of Sukhavati (Dechen Zhingdrup) and fasting retreat by Bikhuni Shri (Nyungne), which took place in the first month of the lunar calendar. He begins to give teachings to the public on auspicious dates and special occasions. He introduced a number of religious activities, such as the recitation of Mani (the six-syllable mantra of Avaloketeshvara), the Khandro Drupcho ritual to commemorate the first Khedrup Jigme Kundrol’s death in the 2nd month, the monthly ritual offering of the patron deities on the 30th day of each month, the Trelda Tshechu in the 5th month, and Vajrakilaya and Vajrasattava rite of great attainment are conducted for the wellbeing of the world in general and for the country in particular.
In 2015, construction of the monk’s dormitory was begun and following Drubdey Palchen Khang (Heruka House retreat center) was began, and the first three senior monks practiced rigorous meditation for seven years. Gradually, the Dongag Shedrubling Assembly Hall, Jigme Kundrol Library, Guest House and Kitchen were built to meet the requirements of the modern facility. On April 17, 2021, the 15th day of the third month in the Year of the Female Iron Ox, which coincides with the day of Lord Buddha's Kalachakra sermon, Khenchen Katayana of Ngagyur Nyingma institute of Namdroling Monastery in Mysore, South India, was visited and graced the inauguration of Ogyen Tsuklag Academy for higher Buddhist philosophy studies and research center. Rinpoche also gave an oral transmission of Jigme Lingpa's Yontendzo (treasure of wisdom) to nearly one thousand gatherings. Symbolizing the nine successive paths to enlightenment, nine monks began studying the extensive philosophical texts, sutra and tantra wisdom written by Indian, Tibetan and Bhutanese scholars.
Thus, Rinpoche has contributed greatly to the nation by reviving religious traditions, restoring spiritual structures and introducing religious facilities. In the future, the plan is to make the monastery a suitable and attractive facility to quench the thirst for Buddhist wisdom and thus contribute to the sustainability of Buddhism in the country. We ask for your prayers and support to realize the vision of the monastery.