Dzongshö Deshek Dhupe Phodrang was founded by the first Jamgon Kongtrul Rinpoche, Lodro Thaye and is the second seat of the Jamgon Kongtrul Rinpoches in Tibet. It is located six hours by horse from Tsandra Rinchen Drak. A sacred place, Dzongshö has been blessed by many past great masters who practiced and left marks of their accomplishments there.
   There are caves in Dzongshö where Guru Rinpoche, Khandro Yeshe Tsogyel, Lotsawa Vairocana, Rinchen Gyatso Nyingpo, the ninth Karmapa Wangchuk Dorje, Jamgon Kongtrul Lodro Thaye and other masters have practiced. One can find imprints of their feet and hands and a large relief of Vajrasattva on the rock-face that dominates the valley. Many other signs of spiritual accomplishment can still be seen today. Lodro Thaye did many retreats in Dzongshö and a large part of the Rinchen Terdzod was written there.

A Story of Lodro Thaye's First Visit to Dzongshö
It is said that during Lodro Thaye's first visit to Dzongshö, he met a nomad as he was approaching the valley. Lodro Thaye asked him his name. The nomad replied that his family name was Gelotshang. Lodro Thaye then asked how many animals his family owned. The nomad replied that they had seven very good dzomos (female yaks). Lodro Thaye was very pleased, saying that it was a very good sign that the nomad's family's name was Gelotshang, meaning Dharma-mind family, and that they owned seven very good dzomos.

  
  The new retreat rooms at Dzongshö

The 3-year Shangpa Kagyu Retreat Centre
Lodro Thaye selected seven monks to join the first retreat in Dzongshö. All of them became highly accomplished and left remarkable signs of attainment when they passed away, each more marvellous than the one before.
   The retreats which had continued uninterruptedly throughout the lifetimes of the first and second Jamgon Kongtrul Rinpoches, were abruptly discontinued in 1959 with the political change in Tibet. However, though much of the retreat centre was destroyed during the cultural revolution, a part of the original construction from Lodro Thaye's lifetime still exists today.

Re-establishing the Sangha in the 1980s
Although the third Jamgon Kongtrul Rinpoche was not able to visit Dzongshö during his lifetime due to political restrictions on travel there, he maintained very close contact with the sangha and devotees, all of whom journeyed to Palpung to meet him during his visits in 1984 and 1991.
   In 1984, during his first visit to Tsandra Rinchen Drak, the Third Jamgon Kongtrul Rinpoche ordained 12 men from among his devotees from Dzongshö. He encouraged and inspired them to re-establish the sangha which had disintegrated during the cultural revolution. Rinpoche arranged for some of the new monks to participate in the 3-year retreat in Tsandra Rinchen Drak.
   In 1991, during his last visit to Tibet, the monks and devotees from Dzongshö met the third Jamgon Kongtrul Rinpoche again in Tsandra Rinchen Drak. Rinpoche was very heartened by their wish to re-establish the Shangpa Kagyu Retreat centre that Lodro Thaye had founded in Dzongshö, and he promised them financial help.
   With the help of Tsandra's retreat master, Lama Karma Namgyal, Rinpoche appointed Lama Kunsang Yeshe as the retreat master in Dzongshö. Lama Kunsang Yeshe was one of the 12 men who had been ordained by Rinpoche in 1984, and sent into retreat at Tsandra Rinchen Drak under the guidance of Lama Karma Namgyal.
   In 1998, with support from the Jamgon Kongtrul Labrang and the community in Dzongshö, the 3-year Shangpa Kagyu retreat resumed after a gap of 39 years! The first group of 10 monks completed the 3-year retreat in year 2001 and the second group of 12 monks began their retreat at the end of the same year.

  
  The first 3-year retreat monks in 2001

Dzongshö Today
In continuing the wish of the third Jamgon Kongtrul Rinpoche, the Jamgon Kongtrul Labrang continues to have close ties with the sangha and devotees in Dzongshö, and to provide financial assistance for their projects and activities. Today, there are 15 senior monks and 25 young monks at the newly established Dzongshö Deshek Dhupe Phodrang monastery.
   The Dzongshö village community are devout Buddhists and strongly supportive of the monastery and retreat centre, sending their sons there to become monks.

Photos from Dzongshö Deshek Dhupe Phodrang