Lhasa Trip Norbu Lingka: Entry by Road, Exit by Flight
-Collection of passports and signature at airport before moving to the hotel
-Kora at Boudhanath Chorten and nearby temples
-Process Group Visa for Tibet
-Kora at Temples in Kathmandu
-Process Group Visa for Tibet
-Kora at Temples in Kathmandu
-Early in the morning, drive to Kyirong border, Tibet
-Travel distance 150Km (7 Hours)
-Immigration and Customs Procedure
-Transfer to hotel at Kyriong town
-Visit Milarepa Birthplace Cave and Mangyul Lhakhang
-Visit Gungthang Lamo and the Cave of Guru Rinpoche
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Milarepa was born in the village of Kya Ngatsa in the Gungthang province of western Tibet to a family of farmers. He was named Mila ThΓΆpaga, which means "Mila, a joy to hear." When his father died, Milarepa's uncle and aunt took all of the family's wealth and property and mistreated Milarepa, his mother and sister.
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The 12th-century Kagyud hermitage of Drakkar, or Chakar, is famous as the site where 11th-century Tibetan yogi and poet Milarepa spent nine years meditating in two caves. The collection of retreat residences and chapels are perched high on the cliffs above the DzongkharβKyirong road, 34km south of Dzongkhar. Milarepa's hometown is not far away, near Tsarong (Zalung) village. The site was being renovated at the time of research, and is home to 20 nuns.
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It is about 95km from Kyirong. there is also a Guru Rinpoche cave on the top. It said that Guru Rinpoche rode a horse via Pekutso lake from Gungthangla pass. Thus, it is called Gungthang Lamo.
-Drive to Shigatse, 200 km
-Visit Sakya monastery on the way and Tashi Lhunpo monastery in the afternoon
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Sakya Monastery was founded in 1073 by KhΓΆn KΓΆnchok Gyalpo (ΰ½ΰ½ΰ½Όΰ½ΰΌΰ½ΰ½ΰ½Όΰ½ΰΌΰ½’ΰΎΰΎ±ΰ½£ΰΌΰ½ΰ½ΌΰΌ), 1034β1102, originally a Nyingmapa monk who is from the noble family of the Tsang and to become the first Sakya Trizin.
The "southern monastery" was founded under the orders of DrogΓΆn ChΓΆgyal Phagpa in 1268, across a river from the earlier structures by 130,000 workers. Its powerful abbots governed Tibet during the 13th and the 14th centuries under the overlordship of the Mongol Yuan dynasty after the downfall of the Tibetan Empire, until they were eclipsed by the rise of the new Kagyu and Gelug schools of Tibetan Buddhism.
Most of the southern monastery was burned down in the 16th century. It was only restored to its previous size in 1948.
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Tashi Lhunpo Monastery was founded by His Holiness the first Dalai Lama, Gyalwa Gedun Drupa in 1447, and in due course of time became the most vibrant monastery in U-Tsang province of Tibet.
In the 16th century, the monastery became an important place, when Tashi Lhunpo Monasteryβs Abbot, Lobsang Choekyi Gyaltsen (1570-1662) was recognized by the 5th Dalai Lama as the reincarnation of Amitabha, the spiritual teacher of Chenrezig, the patron saint of Tibet, and was given the title of 'Panchen Lama' meaning Great Scholar.
-After breakfast departure to Lhasa
-Visit Dolma Lhakang, Kudung Chorten of Jowu Atisa and Druk Gompa along with Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyelβs brith place
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Dolma Lhakhang is located in Nyethang county, 8km south-west of Lhasa, on the old route to Lhasa airport.
This is the must stop for the believer of the Tibetan school of Buddhism who is the direct lineage of Atisha or Kadampa sect.
If you are the believer of Kagyupa, Gelugpa, and Sakyapa, Atisha is the root master to all these schools of Buddhism, who can then trace the lineage to Tilopa and Naropa and then to the Nalanda, which is considered as the direct lineage to Lord Buddha. The temple is directly related to the Atisha and his student.
-Visit Potala Palace
-Jokhang temple
-Barkhor
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The Potala Palace is a group of religious and administrative buildings in Lhasa, the capital of the Tibet Autonomous Region.
The palace is sacred in Tibetan Buddhism and once served as the seat of the government of Tibet. It is located on top of a hill named Mar-po-ri (Red Mountain), 425 feet (130 meters) above the Lhasa River valley.
The buildings of the palace rise up dramatically from their rocky base.
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The Jokhang was founded during King Songtsen Gampo's reign of the Tibetan Empire. According to tradition, the temple was built for the king's two brides: Princess Wencheng of the Chinese Tang dynasty and Princess Bhrikuti of Nepal. Both are said to have brought important Buddhist statues and images from China and Nepal to Tibet, which were housed here, as part of their dowries.
The oldest part of the temple was built in 652. Over the next 900 years, the temple was enlarged several times with the last renovation done in 1610 by the Fifth Dalai Lama.
Following the death of Gampo, the image in Ramcho Lake temple was moved to the Jokhang temple for security reasons.
When King Tresang Detsen ruled from 755 to 797, the Buddha image of the Jokhang temple was hidden, as the king's minister was hostile to the spread of Buddhism in Tibet.
During the late ninth and early tenth centuries, the Jokhang and Ramoche temples were said to have been used as stables.
In 1049 Atisha, a renowned teacher of Buddhism from Bengal taught in Jokhang.
-Visit Norbu Lingka Phodrang
-Jowo Ramoche
-Either one of Sera/Drepong monastery
-Drive to Tsurphu monastery, Karmapa summer residence and Karmapa drupchhu
-Visit to Zhongpalhachu
-Visit Gaden Monastery and Drak Yarpa
-Verocchana meditation Cave
-Visit Shugseb Gonpa
-Gagrithoekar (Cave of Kunchhen Longchen Rabjam)
-Zurkhardo Stupas
-Mindrolling Monastery (The oldest Nyinmapa Monastery)
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Shuksep or Shugsep (Tib. ཀུΰ½ΰΌΰ½ΰ½¦ΰ½Ίΰ½ΰΌ shug gseb) β a nunnery located thirty miles from Lhasa on the slopes of Mount Gangri ThΓΆkar, a site associated with the great master Longchenpa. It was founded by the great female master Lochen ChΓΆnyi Zangmo.
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Gangri ThΓΆkar (ΰ½ΰ½ΰ½¦ΰΌΰ½’ΰ½²ΰΌΰ½ΰ½Όΰ½ΰΌΰ½ΰ½ΰ½’ΰΌ), 'The White Skull Snow Mountain', is a famous peak in Central Tibet. It was here, in the hermitage of Orgyen Dzong, that Longchenpa taught and composed many of his most important writings. Centuries later, Lochen ChΓΆnyi Zangmo founded Shuksep Nunnery on the mountain's lower slopes.
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Orgyen Mindroling Monastery (ཨོΰΌΰ½’ΰΎΰΎ±ΰ½ΰΌΰ½¦ΰΎ¨ΰ½²ΰ½ΰΌΰ½ΰΎ²ΰ½Όΰ½£ΰΌΰ½ΰΎ³ΰ½²ΰ½ΰΌ) β one of the Six "Mother" Nyingma Monasteries.
It was founded in 1676 by Minling Terchen Gyurme Dorje, aka Rigdzin Terdak Lingpa with his brother Lochen Dharmashri.
The monastery enjoyed a close association with the Fifth Dalai Lama, but was destroyed during the Dzungar war of 1717-8, during which Terdak Lingpa's younger brother, the great scholar Lochen Dharmashri was killed.
The heads of Mindroling are the hereditary successors of Minling Terchen. Minling Trichen Rinpoche, was the eleventh throne-holder, and after his passing in 2008, his son Dungse Dalha Gyaltsen (b. 1959) from Tibet, became the twelfth and current throne-holder.
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It was built by Shantaraksita to commemorate the place where King Drison Detsen first met Guru Rinpoche. There are five resplendent stupas representing the Five Lineages of Enlightenment.
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Tibetβs oldest geomantic temple, dating from the reign of King Songtsen Gampo built in order to press down the limbs of the supine body of an ogress on which Tibet is believed to be situated.
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Sheldrak is the sacred place of Guru Rinpocheβs attributes, nestled high in the craggy summits. Founded in the 14th century by the treasure-finder Sangye Lingpa, it contains images of Guru Rinpoche with his two foremost consorts, the Eight Manifestations, and Karmapa Rangjung Dorje.
The crystal of this site is a highly polished blackish green rock onthe cave floor. Above the temple, there are three important cave hermitages: the main one is Sheldrak Drubpuk, the first of Guru Rinpocheβs meditation caves in Tibet, from where the indigenous hostile forces and demons were bound under an oath of allegiance to Buddhism.
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Tshering Jong ( ΰ½ΰ½ΊΰΌΰ½’ΰ½²ΰ½ΰΌΰ½£ΰΎΰ½Όΰ½ΰ½¦ΰΌ) β the monastery of JikmΓ© Lingpa in the Yarlung Valley. It was the seat of Gonpo Tseten Rinpoche who was a resident teacher from 1957 till 1959.
-Hike to Chimphu Meditaion Cave (Pelreg)
-Sangtok Samye monastery
-Longchenpa cave (Ekazati fresco & Zarahula images are in the temple), it is also Nubchen Sangay Yesheyβs birthplace
-Visit Heiphuri, if time allows
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This mountain retreat above Samye is revered as the sacred place of Guru Rinpocheβs speech. This is where he taught the Twenty-Five Disciples and where numerous disciples had profound realizations.
Today, there are a hundred or more yogis, men and women, living there in retreat. As we hike through Chimphu, there are many occasions to meet with them and make personal offerings.
It boasts many significant sites, such as a 15 meter-high Copper-Coloured Mountain rock, rock-impressions of Guru Rinpoche's hat and Yeshe Tsogyal's foot.
The cave of Drakmar Keutsang is where Guru Rinpoche bestowed the first Vajrayana empowerment to his eight disciples including Yeshe Tsogyal.
It is also here that Jigme Lingpa, through a series of visions, received the Longchen Nying-thik transmission in the 18th century.
In the upper reaches of Chimphu, one will see Longchenpaβs cave and Tsogyal Zimpuk where Tsogyal practiced with her consort, Atsara Sale.
On the descent, we pass the funerary stupa marking the place where Longchen Rabjampa passed away in 1365.
Yeshe Tsogyal took her first Buddhist vows at Chimphu in the presence of Guru Rinpoche and returned there many times throughout her life.
We will visit her southern cave where she spent twelve years in retreat. Later in her life, after concealing countless treasures all over the Himalayan region, she returned to Chimphu, teaching and bestowing empowerments.
While she was there, she invoked Guru Rinpoche who appeared from the southwest in the midst of a brilliant light and predicted Tibet's future as well as Tsogyal's passing from the world.
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Samye (ΰ½ΰ½¦ΰ½ΰΌΰ½‘སΰΌ), full name 'Samye Mighur Lhundrub Tsula Khang' and Shrine of Unchanging Spontaneous Presence is the first Tibetan Buddhist and Nyingma monastery built in Tibet during the reign of King Trisong Deutsen.
Shantarakshita began construction around 763, and Tibetan Vajrayana founder Guru Padmasambhava tamed the local spirits for its completion in 779. The first Tibetan monks were ordained there.
Samye Monastery is located in the Chimpu valley (Mchims phu), south of Lhasa, next the Hapori mountain, in the Yarlung Valley.
The site is in the present administrative region of Gra Nang or Drananga Lhoka.
-Departure Time
-Drive to Gonggar airport
-Take the morning flight to Kathmandu
-Rest/Shopping/Kora in Kathmandu
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