Home - Druk Zangri Kharmar

འབྲུག་ཟངས་རི་མཁར་དམར།

Druk Zangri Kharmar

Holder of Machik labdrön’s Chö lineage

Lineage

Introduced by the yogini Machik Labdrön, Chö is the only Buddhist tradition to originate in Tibet and spread to India.

Masters

Masters who carried and preserved the precious Chö lineage of Machik

འབྲུག་ཟངས་རི་མཁར་དམར།

Druk Zangri Kharmar

Located in the heart of northeastern Bhutan’s mountains, in Menbi Gewog, Lhuentse district, lies a hidden treasure known to but a few, Druk Zangri Kharmar. Druk Zangri Kharmar means ‘The Bhutanese (Druk) Zangri Kharmar (The Red Citadel of the Copper Mountain)’, which is the stronghold of Machik Labdrön in Central Tibet. This mountaintop village shelters the community of practitioners ignited in 1952 by Trulshik Rigdzin Lingpa, a direct student of Shuksep Lochen Chonyi Zangmo (1865-1953). While still in Tibet, Trulshik Rigdzin Lingpa had a vision of dakinis instructing him to save the tradition of Machik Labdrön by relocating to a place shaped like a fully blossomed lotus, in a land ruled by a Dharma king. It so happened that Trulshik Rigdzin Lingpa had a Bhutanese disciple, Tokden Tsewang Chöpel.

Upcoming events

Losar

February 18, 2026

Losar is the greatest festival in Tibet. Tibetans hang new prayer flags and burn incense to welcome the new year. Celebrations last approximately fifteen days.

Saga Dawa

May 31, 2026

The Saga Dawa Festival is one of the holiest festivals for Tibetan Buddhists, as three memorable events coincide on the same day: the birth, enlightenment, and parinirvana of Buddha Sakyamuni.

Monlam

February 21 – March 3, 2026

The Monlam Prayer Festival is one of the most important religious gatherings in Tibetan Buddhism. Tens of thousands of monks and devotees congregate at the Jokhang Temple in Lhasa to chant prayers for the happiness of all beings.

Lineage

Shukseb Jetsün Chöying Zangmo

One of the most revered female masters of the last century, Shuksep Lochen Chönyi Zangmo (1865-1953) was a Longchen Nyingtik lineage holder who led an outstanding community of practicing nuns at Shuksep monastery, focusing on the Khandro Gékyang Chö practice.

Machik Labdrön

Machik Labdrön (11th-12th c.), known as « Sole Mother, Torch of Lab, » was the female master who founded the Chö (« cutting through ») lineage—uniquely, the only Tibetan-conceived practice accepted in India. She spent her final years at Zangri Kharmar.

Padampa Sangyé

Padampa Sangyé, an Indian mahāsiddha of the 11th-12th century, traveled to Tibet multiple times, transmitting Prajnaparamita, Mahamudra, and Zhijé (Pacifying) teachings. He is closely linked to Chö lineages as the teacher of Machik Labdrön.

Chö

Introduced by the yogini Machik Labdrön, Chö (« Cutting ») is the only Buddhist tradition to originate in Tibet and spread to India. Rooted in Prajnaparamita, this practice goes far beyond body-offering rituals to encompass the complete path to awakening.

Shukseb Jetsün Chöying Zangmo

Machik Labdrön

Master

Khen Rigdzin Norbu

Lama Rigdzin Longyang

Lama Tokden Tsewang Chöpel

Trulshik Rigdzin Lingpa

Sacred places

These holy sites, draw pilgrims seeking spiritual connection. They offer sacred spaces for meditation, reflection, and a journey toward inner peace and awakening.

Zangri Kharmar

Located east of modern Zangri town, Zangri Kharmar is the sacred meditation cave complex where Machik Labdrön (1055-1149) practiced, taught, and passed away. Built upon a red rock overlooking the Yarlung Tsangpo, it remains a vital pilgrimage site for the Chö lineage.

Druk Zangri Kharmar

Located in northeastern Bhutan’s mountains, Druk Zangri Kharmar (« The Bhutanese Red Citadel of the Copper Mountain ») shelters a community of Chö practitioners founded in 1952 by Trülshik Rigdzin Lingpa, a direct student of Shuksep Lochen Chönyi Zangmo.