English

The original site of the Buddhist nunnery and learning centre GadenChoeling is in Tibet, located at the north side of Lhaden village and eastern side of Sera monastery in Lhasa named as Nei-chung-rei Nunnery or monastery(Nechung-ri Vihara). __

Nei-chung-rei nunnery was established in 12th century near the locality of sera monastery by Shang Yue Drak’s student RamjamChoejey as a hermitage house of the Kagyu sect of Tibetan Buddhism. In the 12th century, while Jey Tsongkapa was teaching in the holy site of sera monastery, all of the practicing nuns and monks of Nei-chung-rei Nunnery took teaching under Jey Tsongkapa and developed great devotion. In the 13th century,while Guru Gyaltsen Sangpo was taking charge of sera monastery, most of the nuns and monks in Nei-chung-rei Nunnery chose to adopt the philosophical system of the Gelug Sect. Sera Powo house, Guru house and Nechung-Reiweremanaged by a Toepa abbot. Later on, a senior head nun Khachoe Palmosuggested the inappropriateness and inefficiency of nuns and monks studying together at the same monastery, therefore, the nuns learning site was shifted to its previous location Nei-chung-rei Nunnery. It was common at the time for nunneries to have names like neywo-chung-rei, mei-chung-rei and also nei-chung-rei. The nunnery was located at the base of a small grassy valley on arocky mountain, hence named as neywo-chung-rey (In Tibetan neywo-chungmeans small grassy valley and rei means mountain). At the face of themountain, there is the appearance of a small seated man, thus named as mei-chung-rey. (In Tibetan mei-chungmeans small man and rei means mountain). While senior nun Kachoe Palmo is performing rites and rituals to find the new location of the nunnery, a hawk took Ramjam Choejey an offering of sacrificial objects among the spreaded inner monuments that were kept on the table and dropped them at the current location of the nunnery thus named as Nei-chung-rei. (In tibetanNei-Lei means hawk, Chung means small and Rei means mountain. Name Nei-chung-rei was abbreviated from those three Tibetan words).