More and more Tibetans are now exploiting modern technology for good. They record events happening in their localities and share with people around the world through YouTube and other social media channels.
Today, we are pleased to share a video blog by Dolma Lhamo from India – His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s Teaching in Lingshed Village, Ladakh!
After a gap of several years due to COVID-19 lockdowns, His Holiness the Dalai Lama travelled to Ladakh in August 2022 where the Tibetan spiritual leader gave Buddhist teachings to his followers.
Ladakh, often referred to as a “Little Tibet”, is a favourite place of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama. Tibetans and the Ladakhi people share the same Tibetan Buddhist cultural and religious traditions. His Holiness the Dalai Lama is highly revered in this northern region of India too.
This year the Tibetan spiritual leader gave Buddhist teachings at the Lingshed Gonpa, a Gelugpa Buddhist monastery which is located in the south west of Shaam region of Leh district. Ladakh is a Union Territory of India. Lingshed Gonpa is one of the most prominent and oldest monasteries of Ladakh.
It was founded in the 1440s by Changsem Sherab Zangpo on a holy site. Changsem Sherab Zangpo was a disciple of noted Tibetan perceptor Je Tongkhapa, It is said that Shesrab Zangpo, having founded karsha and Phugtal monasteries to the south of Lingshed travelled across Hanuma-la (a pass), where he had to spend a night, from where he saw an “auspicious shining light” shining on a rock on hillside at Lingshed. He built a stupa over that rock and this became the sanctum sanctorum of the monastery.
In 1779, the Ladakh king Tsewang Namgyal bestowed upon the lands of Lingshed and its surrounding villages to Lobsang Gelek Yeshi Dragpa, the 3rd incarnate of the Ngari Rinpoche lineage. Ever since then, the monastery belonged to the religious estate of Ngari Rinpoche and hence the present head of the monastery is Tenzin Chogyal, the 16th Ngari Rinpoche and the youngest brother of the XIV/ Dalai Lama.
Lingshed Monastery is popularly known as” Skubum TashiOdbar”. Skubum meaning: “A Hundred Thousand Images/Statues” and Tashi Odbar: “An Auspicious Shining Light”.
How to reach: It takes around 8 hours to reach Lingshed from Leh. You have to cross Wanla and then, Shirshir la. You will reach at Photoksar. From there, you have to cross Singye la and it takes half an hour to one hour to reach Lingshed.
For further details, please visit: Dolma Lhamo’s YouTube Channel
Global Alliance for Tibet & Persecuted Minorities 