The Palyul monastery is also known as Playul Namgyal Jangchup Choling Monastery and its one of the six main monasteries of Nyingma tradition of Tibetan Buddhism.  It is located in eastern Tibet of Baiyu County, Garze Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of Sichuan Province, China. It was founded I 1665 by Rigzin Kunsang Sherab who is the first throne holder of the Palyul monastery. He was the combined reincarnation of the Lord Buddha’s son, Rahula and the Arya Udasaka. Under the leadership of Rigzin Kunsang Sherab, the Playul monastery was expanded throughout Tibet to hold almost three thousand monks. One of his root guru is Migyur Dorje who was treasure revealer so-called Terton. According to the prophecy of Guru Padmasambhava, “it reveals that the time has now come for you to work for the welfare of fellow sentient beings. You must go to take charge of this monastery and it will become a source of dharma and propagate the Nyingmapa Doctrine throughout the world.”

He has a number of practitioners and worshippers, among it, his foremost disciples are Padma Lhundup Gyatso and the four great sons of Hor, those were Serpa Yeshi, Jangang Aphel, Shugang and Tsangda Dorje Thar. They established their own seat of monasteries such as Lhatse Monastery, Jangang Monastery, Shugang Monastery and Tsangda Monastery respectively.The Palyul monastery is also the seat of the Namcho Terma of Terton Migyur Dorjee and Padma Norbu.
He is also known as Penor Rinpoche who is the 11th throne holder of Palyul monastery. He was born in Pawo region of Eastern Tibet called Kham Dege in 1932 and he had great root teachers like Thupten Chokyi Dawa and Kama Thekchok Nyingpo who was 10th throne holder of the Palyul monastery. Under those great master, he was grown with grace and wisdom. He spent many years in the Palyul monastery for studying, practising and receiving teaching from varies renowned masters of his time.   After the death of Kama Kuchen Rinpoche of 10th throne holder of Palyul, Penor Rinpoche was enthroned as 11th throne holder of the Palyul monastery, he started looking after around four hundred branches monasteries of Palyul.

The Palyul Lineage holders were become well known as great scholars of sutra, tantra and outer and inner sciences of Buddhism. The successive throne holders and practitioner of the Palyul monastery and its branches practice the Vinaya code of ethics as the foundational disciple. On this foundation, the second root practice is the mind training of the great resource of Mahayana called as Bodhicitta is placed through rigorous meditation.  The traditional practice is highly disciplined monks strictly enforced has became known as the tradition of accomplishment.

The first practice in this lineage is preliminary practice for thirty days of retreat and followed by Tumo Tsalung practice for forty-four days. Then starts with a Togyal transmission for forty days and thirty days of darkness practice that include training in sound, the dream state and pure realms. These practices are followed according to the level of understanding of the practitioner and realization. At each level of practice, a practitioner has to face examination which must be passed before moving to the next level. After completing all the necessary requirements, the practitioner is qualified for the three-year retreat. During this period, the recitation of the Three Roots, that is Lama, Yidam, and Khandro is performed and fully achieved. Then followed by the practice of Trecho. After completing three-year retreat with accomplished all the signs of achievement, the practitioner receives honour the title of Tantric Master or Vajra Acharya. Finally, the practitioner is qualified for the spiritual teacher with the potential to give empowerments, teachings and practices for the purpose of benefiting fellow sentient beings. These are the establishment of pure traditional conduct and practice in the Palyul traditional lineage guided by Kunzang Sherab Rinpoche in according to strength and kindness of his vision. To this present day, all the branches of Palyul monasteries and including the main monastery are following the same procedure as back in seventeen centuries.

It was one of the most renowned monasteries in Tibet. During the Cultural Revolution, there had lots of destruction happened and since then the reputation of the monastery was bit declined but in 1982 Penor Rinpoche, the 11th throne holder of the Palyul monastery came back to Tibet for the first time after he left. He visited almost all the branch monasteries of Palyul and its main monastery. He supports financially for the reconstruction of the monastery. He gave teachings and empowerments for thousands of worshippers. He has returned several times after his first visit, during that period he gave teachings, empowerments and transmissions. He also looks after the reconstruction projects. He reestablished Palyul monastic institute with over 140 students in 1994. Currently, there are over 3000 monks in residence at the Palyul monastery in Tibet. At Darthang monastery of Golok, there were over thousand monks and nuns which is one of the main branches of the Palyul monastery and also these two monasteries Padma Odling, Tsundru monastery. These three monasteries gave rise to the many more branch of monasteries were established in Markham, Sangren, Rangshab, Throm, Hor region, the eastern Gyalmorong, and Drago in China. These branches pervaded all the areas of Golok, Ngakhog, Serkhog, Dokhog, Nyikhog, Lotsang, Jerong, Dege, Dzakhog and Gojo. All the monastery was well established with all necessary facilities in the monastery. They are around four hundred branches of monasteries in total under Palyul monastery administration.

The Pema Norbu Rinpoche was passed away in 2009. The reincarnation of Penor Rinpoche is found in Tibet. The current and 12th throne holder of Palyul Tradition is His Holiness the Karma Kuchen Rinpoche. He was a student of Penor Rinpoche and Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche who are great masters of Nyingma Tradition. In 1994 he was appointed as the Head of the main Palyul Monastery in Tibet by Penor Rinpoche. Later in 2000, He was formally enthroned as the lineage holder of the Palyul tradition and now he is the 12th throne holder of the Palyul lineage. The significant accomplishment of Karma Kuchen Rinpoche since his arrival in Tibet was that he had built many temples, stupas, and other objects of veneration. He had also built very grand and magnificent temple within monastery compound. The Palyul tradition is very well established throughout the world as there are so many Dharma Centres most of the southeast Asian countries and as well as western countries like America, Canada and so on. That is the greatest achievement of the generations of lineage holders of Palyul tradition.

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