Dolma Lhakhang temple is located in Nyethang county, eight kilometres south-west of Lhasa, on the old route to Lhasa airport. this is the must stop for the believer of the Tibetan school of Buddhism who is the direct lineage of Atisha or Kadampa sect. Which if you are the believer of Kagyupa, Gelugpa, and Sakyapa. Atisha is the root master to all these schools of Tibetan Buddhism, who can then trace the lineage to Tilopa and Naropa and then to the Nalanda, which is considered as the direct lineage to Lord Buddha. The temple is directly related to the Atisha and his student.
There are the different version of the history of the Dolma Lhakhang, some related it as founded by the Atisha himself. Some said it is built by his student Dromtonpa and Kawa Shakya Wangchuk. It is said that the Atisha like the place and the region is called Nyathang, the delight ground. he is said to have lived here and preached for about five hundred students at the spot.
According to the historic source which belief the Atisha has founded the Dolma Lhakhang. On his way back to the Samye monastery from Drak Yerpa, He saw a very pleasant Land and he decides to stay here and continue his teaching. He builds a temple and with the help of his students. Some account believes that the second flow of the Temple is building by his favorite student Dromtonpa for a residence of his master.
According to the historic source which believed that the temple was built by his student Dromtonpa, after his achieving Parinirvana or Death in laymen term. this account said that the Atisha has live in the place where the Dolma Lhakhang was to be built after his Parinirvana.
The Name of the Dolma is said to be named after the close tie of master Atisa with lord Tara, the female Bodhisattva Tara. It is said that when he is invited to Tibet by the King Yeshe-Ö of Guge kingdom to help rejuvenate the Buddhism in Tibet. He is predicted to have a short life that he can’t preach in Tibet for the benefit of Sentence Being. He was sad, then the statue of Tara at the eastern temple in Mahabodhi Temple in Bodh Gaya spoke to him and told him to recite the prayer of 21 Tara a hundred thousands times, and his life would expand enough to preach the sentence being of Tibet. Then he calculated and realize he still has a limited time for that. Tara spoke again and gave him the short form of Tara prayers.
He first visits the Guge Kingdom and preaches there, when he was returning back from Guge through Nepal there was a dispute in Nepal which prevents him from making his journey back to India. He diverts his destination to central Tibet at the request of his Student Dromtonpa. he spent some time in Drak Yerpa and Samye Monastery. Then he lives in Dolma Lhakhang until his death.
The main relic of the Monastery is the speaking statue of Tara and the Tomb of Tara. While on our way to Dolma Lhakhang, there is a huge stone carved Buddha.
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