Jirong Monastery

Jirong Monastery

Jirong Monastery is a cultural tourism attraction.

Jirong Monastery, formerly known as "Duogeng Yongzhonglin Monastery," is located on the northern side of a mountain near National Highway G317 in the northwest of Luding County, Garzê Prefecture, at an altitude of over 3,000 meters, approximately 18 kilometers from the county town.

The monastery was built in 1633 and currently has over 100 nun practitioners. It was officially approved for opening by the People's Government of Luding County, Garzê Prefecture, in 1984, registered in accordance with the "Regulations on the Administration of Religious Activity Venues," and its registration number is: Zongchang Zheng Zi (Chuan) F141080004.

The current abbot of the monastery is the Fourth Incarnation of Master Yongzhong Yixi—Qimei Yongzhong Rinpoche.

1. The Founding of the Monastery:

The monastery was established in 1633 by Jiarong Yongzhong Yixi. Both the "Sutra of Prophetic Recollection" and the "Sutra of Buddhist Recollection" contain prophecies about the venerable master founding this monastery. The master was born in the 10th Rabjung cycle, with his father being the fifth son of the true royal lineage, named Ahuoer, and his mother named Cichenghui.

Venerable Yongzhong Yixi founded two authoritative colleges at Jirong Monastery: the Sutra College and the Tantric Meditation College. He trained many outstanding masters, including Dodeng Yongzhong Jiancan, Geshe Yongzhong Dengzhen, Lama Langgong Cicheng, Puwo Nima Jianzan, and Songa Zhaba Rinpoche. Countless disciples attained enlightenment under his guidance.

Throughout his life, the master extensively engaged in compassionate activities. Thanks to the positive customs he established, all four major sects of the Bon religion were spread throughout Tibet, forming the unique teachings of the Geshe school.

The master passed away in the 11th Rabjung cycle, specifically the Year of the Wood Snake, on the 19th day of the seventh month. His body naturally displayed images of wrathful deities and the Tibetan letter "A," manifesting the extraordinary signs of a great accomplished master.

2. The Topography of the Monastery:

The site of Jirong Monastery is shaped like a right-turning conch shell. About one kilometer to the north, the Xianshui River flows from west to east, while the Duodao River joins it from south to west. In front are the Mother Tantra Sacred Mountain and the Manjushri Wrathful Deity Mountain. Renowned accomplished masters such as Dodeng Oser Jiancan practiced Dzogchen here and attained extraordinary accomplishments. Within the wings of the conch are the practice sites of many Achik lineage masters, including Duolong Yangwen and Duolong San, where Yongzhong Yixi and Yongzhong Jiancan also practiced.

Historical records indicate that this place is a sacred site for spiritual practice. The "Prayer Hymn of the Achik Lineage" mentions: "In the practice place of Duolong Yangwen, we pray to Jiarong Yongzhong Yixi..." referring to this very location.

Many great realized beings have also visited this place to practice Dzogchen. At the mountaintop is the practice site of Dawazhaba. Dawazhaba, the heart disciple of the modern non-leakage rainbow-body master Zhaxa Zhashi Cang, long practiced tantric methods at Jirong Monastery and hosted nuns (female monastics) from all directions who came to study the Dharma.

This place is also considered a sacred site where numerous dakinis gather to bestow blessings, possessing the five qualities of a tranquil forest retreat, making it an exceptional environment for lifelong Dharma practice.

3. Historical Development:

After the passing of Venerable Yongzhong Yixi, his heart disciples—from Dodeng Yongzhong Jiancan to Zasay Dawazhaba—continued the master’s aspirations, teaching the Dharma and benefiting sentient beings at Jirong Monastery.

Zasay Dawazhaba was born in the 15th Rabjung cycle, Water-Horse year (1882 CE), in Jiangong Town near the Shaza Yongzhong Sacred Mountain. His father was Zazhi Tenzin Wanggyal, and his mother, Dejia (of Mongolian ethnicity), raised him. From a young age, he entered the ancient Jiwang Nyima Monastery, where he studied under the great scholar Xindanzhicangwangjie and took monastic vows. He learned exoteric, esoteric, and Bon teachings from many great masters, especially from the wise Zhaxa Zhashi Cang, ultimately attaining full realization of the Buddha’s teachings. Many disciples witnessed his inconceivable achievements, such as leaving no shadow under light, having no physical form when tied with a rope, and tying the rope himself, as well as remaining free from defilement.

At the age of 40, in the Iron-Rooster year (1921 CE), he went to Jirong Monastery to practice tantric methods and taught Dharma to practitioners from all directions (mainly nuns), training many disciples, including Zhangsong Zeweng Denzhen. Master Dawazhaba imparted profound esoteric teachings to the nuns. Under his guidance, the nuns excelled in listening, contemplating, practicing, debating, writing, reciting mantras, meditating, and engaging in compassionate activities. As a result, the monastery’s tantric meditation college became widely renowned as a nunnery.

On April 13th of the Wood-Pig year (1935 CE), he attained rainbow body accompanied by auspicious signs such as rainbows and spontaneous mantra appearances in the sky, leaving only his hair and nails behind.

4. Renovation and Reconstruction:

During the Cultural Revolution, the monastery suffered severe damage, with its halls and monks’ quarters largely destroyed, and normal activities such as teaching and practice were disrupted to varying degrees.

By the 1980s, when religious policies were reinstated, with the approval and support of the county government, Abbot Ageng Jiabu Rinpoche led the monastics in reviving the monastery’s traditions of teaching and practice. However, the facilities remained in a dilapidated state, with much work needed to restore them.

In 2010, after formal recognition by Chiwang Rinpoche and Wenjia, Qimei Yongzhong Rinpoche—the Fourth Incarnation of Yongzhong Yixi—returned to Jirong Monastery to take up the position of abbot. Since then, under the new abbot’s leadership, the monastery has improved its teaching staff, curriculum, and monastic management, while also beginning external infrastructure development.

The region where the monastery is located is economically underdeveloped, and local devotees could not provide sufficient funds for renovation. Therefore, with the support of devotees from inland China, the abbot began repairing the mountain path and gradually restoring and rebuilding dilapidated structures, including the main hall, dormitories, and dining hall of the nuns’ meditation college, starting in 2010.

Jirong Monastery has always maintained strict and pure monastic discipline, and its rarity as one of the few monasteries in Tibetan regions that accept nuns for practice makes it even more precious. Since the restoration, many nuns have come to study here, but due to financial constraints, the monastery has had to repeatedly decline their requests, asking them to wait.

From 2010 to 2013, through the tireless efforts of the abbot and the support of benefactors, Jirong Monastery rebuilt the road from the foot to the top of the mountain, completed the construction of the nuns’ meditation college main hall and dining hall, and gradually built several new dormitories, alleviating the previous issue of multiple nuns crowded into a single wooden room.

Construction continues...

5.

Teaching Management:

Although conditions at Jirong Monastery remain austere, it has inherited the legacy of its predecessors and has become a rigorous and well-structured higher nuns' institute of the Five Sciences Buddhism. With over a hundred resident nuns, under the guidance of Master Agen Gyaba and Geshe Sherap Jinpa, the nuns diligently engage in study and practice all year round. The monastery strives to provide support for the nuns in terms of living conditions and spiritual practice (with funding primarily coming from donations and offerings by devotees and virtuous patrons).

The distinctive feature of Jirong Monastery’s nuns’ institute is that upon entering, nuns can voluntarily choose to study in the College of Teachings and Practice to learn doctrinal theory, or join the Meditation College to practice tantric methods. Nuns who choose the College of Teachings and Practice begin with twelve years of study starting from Hetuvidyā (Logic) debate theory, eventually mastering the profound esoteric teachings of the mind, achieving clarity in structure, fluency in debate, and eloquence in teaching—becoming qualified Dharma preachers. Nuns who choose the meditation hall for practice undergo a six-year progressive curriculum of Bön preliminary practices and formal meditative seat practice. Upon leaving the meditation hall, they must reach a level where they are capable of independently resolving all future challenges in their practice.

The management of the institute is strict and standardized in every aspect, and the curriculum is tightly structured and rational. All nuns studying at the institute must strictly adhere to the daily schedule; failure to do so will result in their inability to continue residing on the mountain.