The Shenten Thagye Ling Monastery
Mustang | Nepal
Why Mustang, Nepal ?
As one of the most significant transmission and spiritual development centres, the Mustang Kali Ghandaki river valley is the corridor between India and Tibet and lays the path where many of the great meditation masters once walked. The Mustang region was once home to a thriving indigenous network of working monasteries and nunneries, well integrated with local communities, as well as home to an extensive culture of cave and hermitage yogis who dedicated their lifetimes to developing these advanced meditation practices. The deterioration of these indigenous monasteries combined with the loss of many precious meditation sites in the region has initiated concerted efforts to preserve, rejuvenate and develop these traditional practices in their indigenous settings.
The Intention
To rejuvenate the indigenous spiritual culture of continuous and now rare Bön lineage teachings of the Mustang Region.
At the request of H.H the 33rd Abbot of Menri Monastary, an indigenous Tibetan spiritual monastery campus in Mustang, Nepal has been commissioned. The accomplishment of this campus will play a vital role in revitalising indigenous tradition in the Mustang and surrounding villages and provide a refuge for monks and lamas to further develop and offer the precious spiritual rituals that were once an integral part of local village culture and community. Traditionally, monasteries served as civic centres for the local community and it is intended that the Shenten Thagye Ling monastery campus will stimulate local tradition and provide provisions for access to these extraordinary advanced teachings from indigenous cave and hermitage yogis in a way that will revitalise the cave and hermitage yogi culture.
The Design & Build
In collaboration with the Mustang Bon Foundation (America), an international architecture firm, MAP Design, has been selected to oversee the project build and work alongside local Nepalese project management and site engineering. MAP Design worked with Geshe Sonam and the MCEC to create a comprehensive plan for the monastery campus which will centre around a large Gönpa | “dong pa" (mediation space) capable of seating 100 practitioners. The campus will also provide classrooms and housing for 100 local Tibetan students, a community centre, a Bön medical clinic and guest house accommodation for traveling foreign students. Rooted in the religious and vernacular planning principles, the Campus design has been inspired by the Symbolic Eternal Knot comprising 14 interconnected and wind protected courtyards of varying sizes that will provide both social and environmental spaces.
Make a donation.
The Bön Mustang Foundation Australia has been established with the primary intent to support, preserve and revitalise the precious Bön traditions and lineage teachings of the Mustang Region. This organisation is 100% funded on a volunteer and donation basis with all funds going to the direct support of The Children’s Hostel in Mustang, Nepal and for the continued development of The Shenten Thagye Ling Monastery at the request of H.H the 33rd Abbot of Menri Monastery.
