HIS HOLINESS DRUBWANGPEMA NORBU RINPOCHE

His Holiness the 3rd Drubwang Pema Norbu Rinpoche (1932-2009) is the founder of Namdroling Monastery (popularly known as 'the Golden Temple'). His Holiness laid a foundation stone of the monastery in the year 1963 on 31 st of July. His Holiness the Dalai Lama visited the monastery to consecrate it and bestowed the name Namdroling. Likewise His Holiness Chatrel Rinpoche named the monastery Thegchog, while Nyoshul Khen Rinpoche named it Shedrub and His Holiness himself added Dargyeling. Thus the complete name of monastery came to be known as Thegchog Namdrol Shedrub Dargyeling (Land of Increasing Practice and Teaching of the Utmost Yana that achieves spontaneous Liberation).

Since the founding of the monastery till 1979 His Holiness went through great hardships to finance the work; because during those days there were no organizations or private sponsors to offer support. Bearing all hardships and weariness, Rinpoche himself engaged in manual work with the ordinary monks even in the most searing sun, continuously day after day, with the skin of his hands cracked and bleeding. He did all menial and basic tasks, such as procuring milk, and went to perform pujas at any time in the villages without turning down the request of single...
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