I. Origins of the Sacred Site

The Manang Valley—part of the sacred region known locally as Nyeshang—lies high in the Himalayas, long revered as a field of meditation and awakening.

According to lineage accounts, the disciple known as the Hunter Khyirawa Gönpo Dorje met Jetsun Milarepa here, laid down his bow, transformed his karma, and ultimately attained realization in the same valley. The story endures as a symbol of karma turning into awakening.

Panoramic view of the proposed Manang Retreat site.

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In 1964, Melong Tsampa Rinpoche (1914–1981), from a renowned yogic family of Kham, established a hermitage in Manang. He was one of the seven uncles of H.E. Garchen Rinpoche, collectively known as the Seven Great Yogis. Through years of solitary retreat and guiding villagers in Dharma practice, he turned a barren valley into a place of confidence and blessing. His son, Mase Karma Drugyu Tenzin Rinpoche (1941–2020), expanded the hermitage into Manang’s first Drikung Kagyu monastery, Kunsang Lhundrub Monastery, which became a center of spiritual practice and education.

H.H. Drikung Kyabgön Chetsang Rinpoche and Gar Tulku Chimi Dorjee Rinpoche

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In 2019, Venerable Gar Tulku Chimi Dorjee Rinpoche, nephew of H.E. Garchen Rinpoche and the present incarnation of one of Garchen Rinpoche’s former teachers, continuing his family’s yogic lineage and aspiration, was formally appointed by H.H. Drikung Kyabgön Chetsang Rinpoche to lead the Manang Yogini Retreat Campus.

For the benefit of local devotees, Chimi Dorje Rinpoche requested teachings from His Holiness, leading to the historic 2024 visit to Manang, where the Phowa Transmission and Amitāyus Empowerment were bestowed at the retreat site—the first visit by a Drikung throne holder in 850 years. It marked a quiet yet profound reconvergence of ancient lineage and modern aspiration.

Today, the design-and-construction plan carries the blessings of Milarepa, the yogic bloodline of the renowned family, and the compassionate resolve of Gar Tulku Chimi Dorje Rinpoche—so that the ancient yogic lineage may once again take root in the Himalayas, a bridge between tradition and the future.

II. Vision and Action

Venerable Gar Tulku Chime Dorjee Rinpoche — the present incarnation of one of H.E. Garchen Rinpoche’s close teachers, and his nephew in this life — carries within him a lineage that bridges generations.

Appointed in 2019 by H.H. Drikung Kyabgön Chetsang Rinpoche, he was entrusted with the task of establishing the Manang Retreat — a place where the authentic yogic lineage and the spirit of practice might once again take root in the high valleys of the Himalayas.

The project continues a stream of blessings that has flowed through the practice lineage for centuries— a commitment to preserve the spirit of realization in the very valley once blessed by Milarepa.

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Chimi Dorjee Rinpoche visited visiting a local primary school in Manang.

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The Manang community welcoming Gar Tulku Chime Dorjee Rinpoche.

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With the support of local villagers, devotees, disciples, and government authorities, the foundation began acquiring land for the retreat campus and, by 2024, initiated the conceptual design phase — marking the birth of a new practice base that unites ancient lineage with contemporary vision.

We see this valley—transformed by Milarepa’s meditation—as a place that should once again become a field of awakening, where Dharma can be heard, the mind can rest, and realization can take root.

Chimi Dorjee Rinpoche’s vision is both clear and expansive:

Unite architectural knowledge with the spirit of practice, creating a retreat base that inherits the lineage while serving the present.

Provide long-term retreat spaces where monastics and yogins can practice in stability and peace.

Offer an international center where students may gather for teachings, shared practice, and learning.

Fulfill the long-held wish of Manang’s villagers—to encounter the Dharma within their own homeland.

Though young, Rinpoche leads with quiet conviction and sustained resolve, guiding devotees, architects, and volunteers alike so that an ancient lineage might find voice in a modern world.