A Good Sign: Lodro Thaye's First Visit to Dzongshö
It is said that during Jamgon Kongtrul Lodro Thaye's first visit to Dzongshö, he met a nomad as he was approaching the valley. Lodro Thaye asked for 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 (a female breed of yaks). Lodro Thaye was very pleased. He said that it was "a very good sign" that the nomad's family was called Gelotshang, meaning Dharma-mind family, and they owned seven very good dzomos. Later, the meaning of Lodro Thaye's words concerning the "very good sign" was revealed. When the retreat centre was completed, Lodro Thaye selected seven monks to join the first retreat. All of them became highly accomplished, and left remarkable signs of attainment when they passed away, each one 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, as with Tsandra Rinchen Drak. However, though many of the buildings were destroyed during the Cultural Revolution, a part of the original construction from Lodro Thaye's lifetime remains today.

 
The first 3-year retreat monks in 2001

Reforming the Dzongshö Sangha in the 1980s
Although the Third Jamgon Kongtrul Rinpoche did not go to Dzongshö when he visited Tibet, he maintained very close ties with the sangha and devotees, all of whom journeyed to Tsandra Rinchen Drak 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 lay devotees from Dzongshö. He encouraged and inspired these monks to restore the sangha, which had disintegrated during the Cultural Revolution. Rinpoche also arranged for some of the new monks to join 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 at Tsandra Rinchen Drak. They expressed their wish to re-establish the Shangpa Kagyu Retreat Centre, which Lodro Thaye had founded, and Rinpoche was very happy and strongly encouraged them to carry out this wish. With the help of Tsandra Rinchen Drak's Retreat Master, Lama Karma Namgyal, the Third Jamgon Kongtrul Rinpoche appointed Lama Kunsang Yeshe to become the Retreat Master in Dzongshö. Lama Kunsang Yeshe was one of the 12 men who had been ordained by the Third Jamgon Kongtrul Rinpoche in 1984 (see above), and who went into retreat at Tsandra Rinchen Drak, under the guidance of Lama Karma Namgyal.
   In 1998, the 3-year Shangpa Kagyu retreat resumed after a gap of 39 years! The first group of 7 monks completed the 3-year retreat in year 2001.

 
At a class in the monastery

Dzongshö Today
During the retreat, the monks found the retreat centre too far away to manage properly. Therefore, after the first retreat was over, they decided to relocate the building to the original site founded by Jamgon Kongtrul Lodro Thaye, at the sacred cave where Guru Rinpoche had practiced, Yang Dag Phuk Khung Chen Mo. The condition at Dzongshö required improvement and the education of the younger monks and the activities at the monastery needed looking after. Due to that and the availability of funds, the next 3-year retreat will resume again this year, 2004.
   At present, there are 40 monks at the newly established Dzongshö Deshek Dhüpe Phodrang Monastery. About half among them are young, between the ages of 14 and 20. The young monks undergo training and education guided by the senior monks. The Monastery receives support from the Dzongshö community whose people are devout Buddhists with close connection to Jamgon Kongtrul Rinpoche.

Continues