Twenty-five holy places of Eastern Tibet

Twenty-five holy places of Eastern Tibet (Tib. མདོ་ཁམས་གནས་ཆེན་ཉེར་ཉེར་ལྔ་, dokham né chen nyer nyernga, Wyl. mdo khams gnas chen nyer lnga) — twenty-five sacred pilgrimage places of Kham and Amdo.

There are five sets of five places, related to enlightened body, speech, mind, qualities and activities:

Enlightened Body

• Kyadrak Sengé Dzong (skyo brag seng ge rdzong) in Upper Yalong valley, Dzachu (rdza chu) is the main holy place of enlightened body)

1. Chijam Nyinda Puk (spyi 'byams nyi zla phug) in Yalong valley (body aspect of enlightened body)
2. Lotu Karma (glo thu karma) (speech aspect of enlightened body)
3. Nyen (mnyan) in Yangtzé valley ( 'bri klung) (mind aspect of enlightened body)
4. Khala Rongo (kha la rong sgo) in Nangchen (qualities aspect of enlightened body)
5. Hekar Drak (he brag dkar) (activity aspect of enlightened body)

Enlightened Speech

• Powo Gawalung (spu bo dga' ba lung) is the main holy place of enlightened speech.

1. Mt. Kawa Karpo (kha ba dkar po) (body aspect)
2. Pema Shelri (padma shel ri) in Tshawarong (speech aspect)
3. Nadun Dzong na bun rdzong in Nangchen (mind aspect)
4. Yegyel Namka Dzong (ye rgyal nam mkha 'rdzong) near Riwoché (qualities aspect)
5. Hor Treshö (hor tre shod) or Chagdud Khawa Lungring (lcags mdud kha ba lung ring) near Kanzé (activity aspect)

Enlightened Mind

• Dentik Shelgi Drak (dan ti shel gyi brag) in Ma-khok (rma khog), Amdo, near the Huangho River is the main holy place of enlightened mind.

1. Zhara Lhatsé (body aspect)
2. Warti Trak (speech aspect)
3. Dorje Drak in lower Manchu (mind aspect)
4. Khandro Bumdzong in lower Nangchen (qualities aspect)
5. Po-né Drakar near Riwoche (activity aspect)

Enlightened Qualities

• Rudam Gangi Rawa (ru dam gangs kyi ra ba), aka Troti Dorje Ziltrom (kho ri rdo rje zil khom) above Dzogchen, is the main holy place of enlightened qualities.

Its five aspects, all in the Derge district are:

1. Ngulda Podrang (body aspect)
2. Pema Shelpuk, above Dzongsar Monastery (speech aspect)
3. Tsadra Rinchen Drak, above Palpung Monastery (tsā 'dra rin chen brag) (mind aspect)
4. Dzongshö Palace of the Sugatas in Dzing ( 'dzings) (qualities aspect)
5. Dzamtok Puseng Namdrak (activity aspect)

Enlightened Activity

• Katok Dorje Den (kaḥ thog rdo rje den), where Katok Monastery was founded is the main holy place of enlightened activity.

Its five aspects, all in and around Katok, in Southern Derge are:

1. Ngu (body aspect)
2. Tsangshi Dorje Trollö (speech aspect)
3. Tashi or Kampo Kangra (mind aspect)
4. Hyelgi Trak (qualities aspect)
5. Drakri Dorje Pungpa (activity aspect)

Further Reading

• Ngawang Zangpo, Sacred Ground: Jamgon Kongtrul on "Pilgrimage and Sacred Geography," Snow Lion, 2001.