༄། མཐོ་བ་བྲག་དགོན་པ།
Thowadrak Gonpa
Thowadrak Gonpa
Thowadrak is located on the mountain face of the upper Tang valley of Bumthang Dzongkhag. During the time of Kunkhyen Jigme Lingpa, the present Thowadrak is said to have been known as Thadrak. When Jigme Lingpa’s close disciple Jigme Kundrol was meditating at Thowadrak, the exchange of letters relating to question and answer on meditation aspects took place between Jigme Kundrol and his Master (Jigme Lingpa) back in Tibet. It is in these letters that the place is mentioned as Thadrak; however, later it became known as Thowa Drak since it is located on the high mountain top surrounded by pristine natural environment overlooking entire Tang valley.
Thowadrak is one of the most sacred sites founded and sanctified by Ugyen Guru Rinpoche in the eighth century CE, and later believed to have been sanctified by the visit of Gelongma Palmo in the 10th/11th century. During his visits in person and through manifestation, in Bumthang alone Guru Rinpoche left many legacies in the form of his body imprint, treasures; and mediation caves popularly known as Drakchen Zhi (the four great meditation caves) of which Thowadrak is one of the four great meditation sanctuaries of Guru Rinpoche. At Thowadrak, Guru Rinpoche subdued the treasure protector Richen Gonyak and his retinues by Guru’s solemn oath and entrusted him as the guardian deity of Tang valley. Then Guru Rinpoche transformed the place as the sacred site leaving behind many fascinating footprints, and body imprint for the future devotees to pay respect.
