The following is respectfully quoted from “Biography of Migyur Dorje” published by Palyul Jangchub Darjeling Center
History of Mugsang Monastery
The Great Compassionate Teacher, Shakyamuni Buddha, prophesied that teachings would spread to the Land of Snow. As per his prediction, during the reign of twenty-seventh Tibetan King, Lha Tho Ri Nyentsen, Buddhadharma first originated in Tibet. Five generations later, the thirty-third Dharma King Songtsen Gampo established Lord Buddha’s doctrine. Five reigns later in the ninth century, the Great Three-Abbot Santaraksita, Guru Padmasambhava, and King Trisong Deutsun who were bonded together by their past aspiration prayer, met together that led to the widespread flourishment of the whole sutra and tantra teachings in Tibet. This unique tradition that possesses six distinct qualities, flourished in entire Tibet which later came to be known as the Nyingma School of Tibetan Buddhism. Subsequently, the six main monasteries of Dorje Drag, Mindroling, Shechen, Dzogchen, Kathok and Palyul were preserving the Nyingma tradition.
Kere Chogkyong Dampa first established the Palyul Monastery in the year 890, and widely spread the teachings of Mdo-sGyu-Sems (Sutra of Gathered Intentions, Peaceful Illusory Net, and Mental Classes). In 1664, Dharma King of Dege constructed the main temple with statues inside. Under the guidance of Rigzin Migyur Dorje and Serlo Tonpa Gyaltsen, the king conferred the responsibility of looking after the monastery and became the first throneholder. He widely propagated the entire Kama and Terma teachings through study and practice. The unique tradition of Palyul monastery was preserved by the later throne holders, namely Pama Lhundrub Gyamtso, Drubwang Palchen Duspa Tsal and Karma Thegchong Nyingpo. The eleventh throneholder is the present Drubwang Pedma Norbu Rinpoche, Jigme Thubten Shedrub Choekyi Drayang Palzangpo.
Out of several branch monasteries of Palyul Namgyal Jangchub Choeling, the brief history one of the most sacred monastery, Mugsang Thubten Sangngag Choeling is being mentioned here.
Terton Migyur Dorje
In Pedma Kathang action,
“In the white cave with the leaping lion appearance, the treasure lies.
When it’s auspicious sign to reveal occurs
Terton Migyur Dorje will come to reveal
A hundred such treasures in Eastern Tibet.”
Ratna Lingpa prophesied,
“During the time of Terton Choy Yang Dorjr, Migyur Dorje will come,
And discover a hundred treasures in Kham”
In the prophecy of Terton Guru Kyngdrak,
“In a place close to Nabuszin, in Do Kham,
The holder of the name ‘Dorje’ will find the treasure.”
As Guru Rinpoche and several Tertons prophesied, in the early hours of the seventh day of the tenth month in the Wood Female Bird year of the tenth Rabjung (16th century, 1585 AD) Migyur Dorje was born to father Gonpo Tseten and mother Sonam Tsonyi with miraculous birth signs. The patriarchal lineage of Ratna Lingpa’s father went back in an unbroken line, all the way to the Dharma King Trisong Deutsen.
When he was still very young, Guru Loden Chokset appeared to him and taught him all aspects of reading and writing. His personal protecting deity Shenpa Marnak predicted that he would meet with the consort appeared to him in a vision and told him that the time was near when he should find a teacher, and so in the Wood Male Horse year, he met Raga Ahse. As Raga Ahse meditated on what the previous life of Migyur Dorje was, spontaneously this came to his mind,
“In a cave called Kula Sangwe Yang Phug,
He will get the siddhis of the Great Compassionate One.”
And pondering on these two sentences, he came to the conclusion that Migyur Dorje was the reincarnation of Wangdak Gyatso. When Raga Ahse was giving the empowerment of The Condensed Secret Teachings of the Wrathful and Peaceful Deities to Migyur Dorje, the flower that Migyur Dorje threw into the mandala always fell to the center and east and never to any other direction. The center being Migyur and the east being Dorje, he was given the name Migyur Dorje.
In the Wood Sheep year when Migyur Dorje was eleven years old, he and his teacher Raga Ahse entered a very strict retreat which none was allowed to enter or visit. During this retreat, he studied the common five major and minor sciences and received the uncommon empowerments, oral transmissions and secret instructions.
He spent the rest Ahse wrote a biography on him.
Quoted from his biography,
“If condensed, from the age of eleven,
Until twenty-three, the age he passed away,
He spent half of his life in retreat.”
